Eagle Sauce: The 055 destroyer was launched into the sea just after the founding of the country?

Hawkins pulled a document from his briefcase marked "Top Secret." He opened it, revealing a chart showing Dragon Country's grain production and import data.

"There's an old saying in Longguo: 'Food is the people's first necessity,'" he tapped the chart with his finger. "It means that food is more important to the people than heaven itself. This is their weak spot."

Howell frowned slightly and motioned for him to continue.

"Our strategy consists of three steps," Hawkins stood up, walked to the world map on the wall, and pointed at the territory of Dragon Nation. "The first step is to show goodwill to Dragon Nation, lift economic sanctions, and even provide some technical and financial support to make them lower their guard."

Rothwell interjected, “But isn’t that helping them develop?”

"It looks like help, but it's actually a trap," Hawkins smiled. "Because the second step is to target their food supply. We will deliver large quantities of agricultural products to Dragon Country at extremely low prices, or even for free, especially those that they can't fully meet their needs on their own, such as soybeans."

Howell narrowed his eyes slightly. "You mean to use market dumping to destroy their agriculture?"

"That's right." Hawkins walked back to his seat and picked up another document. "Our agricultural subsidy system ensures that our farmers can make a profit even at extremely low prices. Dragon farmers don't have this guarantee, and they will quickly lose in a price war. Once local agriculture is destroyed, Dragon will be forced to rely on us for food imports."

Howell nodded thoughtfully. "It's like a drug dealer. They let you try it for free first, then control the supply once you're addicted."

"It's more covert and more effective than that," Hawkins said with a hint of coldness in his tone. "The third step is the key. Once Dragon Country becomes dependent on our agricultural products, we can use the futures market and other financial instruments to artificially create price fluctuations. First, small fluctuations to get them used to them, then large price spikes. At the same time, we can control export volumes to create artificial shortages."

"What are the consequences of this?" Howell asked, although he already knew the answer.

"Food prices have skyrocketed, panic buying has occurred in cities, and social instability has increased," Hawkins analyzed calmly. "At the same time, to ensure food security, the Longguo government has been forced to spend a large amount of foreign exchange to purchase our food, which will further weaken their economic strength. When their food companies are on the verge of bankruptcy due to continuous losses, our capital will take advantage of the situation and acquire these companies in the name of 'aid', thereby gaining control of Longguo's food system."

Howell's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Will they ever catch on to this plan?"

"The key lies in the covert and gradual implementation," Hawkins said, pulling out another document. "We can refer to the 'Soybean War' we launched against them in 2004. Back then, we controlled the international soybean market, first driving down prices to destroy their soybean industry, reducing their self-sufficiency rate from 80% to less than 30%. Then, we manipulated prices to increase, forcing them to spend huge amounts of foreign exchange importing soybeans."

Hawkins continued, “The key point is that this strategy is almost impossible to counter directly. They can’t stop imports because we don’t have enough domestic production capacity. They can’t accuse us of market manipulation because everything can be explained as ‘market behavior.’”

Howell pondered for a moment: "This is much more clever than a military confrontation. But their leaders are not stupid enough to let this happen, right?"

"History has proven that economic interests often blind people," Hawkins sneered. "Cheap imported food can improve people's living standards in the short term and gain political capital for leaders. By the time they realize it's a trap, it's usually too late. Furthermore, we can use the media and think tanks we control to constantly emphasize the theory of 'comparative advantage' and persuade them to abandon the 'backward' concept of agricultural self-sufficiency."

Howell turned to Roswell and asked, "What do you think?"

Roswell carefully took off his glasses. "From an economic perspective, this plan is indeed feasible and the cost is much lower than military action. But it will take time to implement, and it may take five to ten years to see results."

"Compared to continuing to send supplies to Russia, this time cost is completely acceptable to us," Howell said firmly, his eyes flashing with determination. "Gentlemen, prepare a detailed implementation plan. From now on, we will change our strategy. Instead of direct confrontation, we will make the stomachs of the Dragon Nation people our most powerful weapon."

The lights in the Dragon Nation's central conference hall were brightly lit. Despite the summer night, the heat remained undimmed. Around a large mahogany round table, over thirty high-ranking Dragon Nation leaders gathered, their expressions varied. Scattered on the table was a thick stack of diplomatic documents, recently delivered by the Eagle Sauce envoy, Black. The chief sat at the head of the table, his pipe occasionally emitting wisps of smoke. His sharp gaze swept across the faces of each person present, as if assessing their reactions.

"Comrades, what do you think about this 'olive branch' that Eagle Sauce suddenly extended?" The chief's tone was calm, but revealed a majesty that could not be ignored.

The conference room suddenly fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, no one willing to be the first to express their opinions. The Eagle Sauce and the Bear had been working together to impose a complete blockade on Dragon Country for the past two years, so a sudden show of goodwill was truly suspicious.

Finally, Li Desheng, Deputy Director of the Economic Committee, sitting third from the left, broke the silence. "I think we should consider accepting the Eagle Sauce's reconciliation proposal." He pushed his glasses, his voice cautiously optimistic. "my country's industrial development is currently at a critical juncture. If the economic blockade can be lifted, it will benefit us in every way."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Hu, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, snorted coldly, "Isn't Director Li too naive? The Eagle Sauce is friendly today, and then it turns hostile tomorrow. Haven't we seen this kind of drama too many times?" He looked around with a sharp gaze. "Two years ago, they imposed a complete blockade on us, and now they suddenly want to reconcile. What's going on?"

"I agree with Vice Chairman Lin," Industry Minister Qian Zhengqing took over, his tone serious. "The Americans have regarded us as a thorn in their side for years. Now that they're suddenly showing goodwill, I'm afraid they have ulterior motives. Moreover, we've made significant breakthroughs in various fields in the past two years. Why should we compromise with the enemy now?"

The meeting room immediately split into two camps: the "acceptance camp," primarily composed of economic officials, and the "caution camp," primarily composed of military and industrial officials. The arguments grew louder, with some even slamming the table.

Zhou Enlai tapped his teacup gently, and the meeting room gradually quieted down. He looked around, his gaze finally landing on Zhao Hongfei. "Minister Zhao just returned from the diplomatic front. It's worth hearing his opinion."

Zhao Hongfei stood up, his posture straight and his expression calm. "I believe the Eagle Sauce's overtures of goodwill are indeed meaningful. Our intelligence analysis shows that the Howell administration currently faces two major difficulties: First, the massive aid to the Russians has stretched the Eagle Sauce's domestic finances to the limit; second, in the Pacific region, their naval superiority is being rapidly surpassed by ours."

He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. "The Eagle Sauce's move is likely intended to divide us from Russia and alleviate their own economic pressure. But it's important to note that while they superficially acknowledge our position in East Asia, they're actually forced to do so. This is a result of our growing strength, not genuine recognition."

Zhao Hongfei's analysis sparked a murmur of discussion. The atmosphere in the meeting hall calmed slightly, but the debate continued. Some economic officials emphasized the importance of restoring trade to domestic development, while the military insisted that any promises from the Eagle Sauce should not be taken lightly.

As the debate heated up, Fang Yu, who had been silent until then, gently raised his hand. In recent years, due to his outstanding contributions in the fields of military industry and science and technology, he has become a frequent visitor to such high-level meetings.

The chief noticed his movements and asked, "Xiao Fang, do you have anything to say?"