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

At the same time, on the west side of the Moscow Kremlin, in the ancient and magnificent Ministry of Economics building, the atmosphere was so solemn that it was almost suffocating.

The summer sun was still shining brightly outside the window, but the light shining into the office seemed to carry a cold and desperate meaning.

Finance Minister Golovkin's office was filled with smoke.

The economic helmsman of the bear country has a pale complexion and sunken eyes, as if he has aged ten years overnight.

His desk was piled with various reports and telegrams, each of which silently told the same cruel reality - an unprecedented financial disaster.

"How bad is the situation?" Joseph's voice was low and hoarse, with unconcealable anger and a hint of uneasiness flashing in his eyes.

As the supreme leader of the Bear Country, he rarely shows such obvious emotional fluctuations in front of his subordinates.

Golovkin's hands trembled slightly as he flipped open the thickest report on the table. "A total of $12.7 billion, comrade."

“We have lost almost all of our available foreign exchange reserves.”

There was a dead silence in the conference room, as if an invisible hand had strangled everyone's throat.

This figure is tantamount to a disaster for the bear country, whose economy is already fragile.

"This... How is this possible?" Marshal Malinov stood up suddenly, the medal on the chest of his military uniform trembling slightly with excitement. "How could we suffer such a huge loss in the grain market? Who approved this investment?"

Golovkin smiled wryly and shook his head. "It was a collective decision, Comrade Malinov."

"You may remember that three weeks ago, when international food prices began to rise, our intelligence agencies reported to us that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Longguo is currently clashing with the four major grain traders, and grain prices are bound to continue to rise..."

His voice was filled with painful self-reproach: "At the time, the analysis was that we could take advantage of the opportunity to purchase large quantities of grain, which would not only ensure national food security, but also make huge profits after prices continued to rise, which we could use to support our military-industrial plan."

Commander Bogdanov, the always cautious old man, sighed heavily at this moment: "We have been dragged into a war that does not belong to us, and we have chosen the wrong side."

Economic advisor Petrov added: "Our intelligence system did not capture the true grain reserves of Longguo. When the four major grain traders collapsed and the market began to panic sell, we thought it was a short-term fluctuation and continued to buy in large quantities..."

"Until it was too late," Golovkin continued, his voice thick with despair. "By the time we finally realized the situation was irreversible and tried to sell our grain, there were no buyers in the market."

"Prices have plummeted, and the food we have has become almost like waste paper."

Joseph's face became increasingly gloomy.

The impact of this disaster goes far beyond the numerical losses.

The economic structure of the Bear Country is highly dependent on foreign exchange imports. From key components of military equipment to civilian industrial products, to consumer goods that ensure people's basic living standards, all require a large amount of foreign exchange support.

"Comrade Malikov," Joseph turned to the Minister of Defense Industry, "how will this affect our military-industrial plans?"

Malikov's expression was terribly serious.

He slowly opened the folder in his hand, his voice low and hoarse: "The impact is catastrophic, comrades. Without sufficient foreign exchange, we cannot import key electronic components and precision instruments."

"Production of at least 37 major weapon systems will be forced to be interrupted, including the latest strategic bombers and air defense missile systems."

He paused and swallowed, as if the next words were too heavy.

"Worse still, many weapon systems already in production will not be able to maintain normal operation within six months due to a lack of repair parts. It is estimated that our effective military strength will drop by at least 25%."

Marshal Malinov's face turned pale and he slammed his fist on the conference table.

"This is a disaster! At this critical moment in our Far Eastern conflict with Dragon Nation, our military strength is about to be reduced by a quarter?"

Joseph gestured for him to calm down, then turned to the head of the livelihood department and asked: "How will the lives of ordinary people be affected?"

Minister of Civil Affairs Mirkin's expression was even more serious: "The shortage of foreign exchange means we cannot import enough medicine, food and daily necessities."

“Bread prices could rise by 40% in a month, there will be severe shortages of basic medicines, and winter heating fuel will be a problem…”

His voice trailed off. “We expect the average household’s living standard to regress to where it was ten years ago. The risk of social unrest… is very high.”

The conference room fell silent again, everyone immersed in the shadow of this disaster.

Joseph's fingers tapped lightly on the table, his eyes flashing with complex emotions.

"Longguo..." he finally broke his silence, his voice filled with a strange mixture of admiration and hatred. "Not only did they thwart the conspiracy of the four major grain merchants, but they also dealt a heavy blow to our economy. It really killed two birds with one stone."

Commander Bogdanov mused, "This may not have been their primary objective, but it was undoubtedly an unexpected gain."

“This food war has reshaped the global food market, and we… have become one of the biggest losers.”

Joseph stood up and walked to the window. Outside, Moscow, bathed in the summer sun, looked peaceful and tranquil.

But he knew that this peace was about to be broken. The collapse of foreign exchange reserves would be like a time bomb, exploding a huge rift in the economic and social structure of the Bear Country.

“We need to adjust our strategy immediately.”

He finally turned around, a rare note of exhaustion in his voice.

"Malinov, prepare to negotiate with the Dragon Kingdom to seek a peaceful resolution to the Far East conflict. We cannot afford further military and economic pressure."

A trace of pain flashed across Marshal Malinov's face, but he nodded.

Even the most hardline hawks had to bow their heads in the face of this disaster.

“Bogdanov, reassess our military deployments and prioritize the integrity of our nuclear deterrent. Other conventional weapons systems can be reduced as appropriate.”

"Golovkin, immediately initiate emergency economic measures, including increasing gold sales and seeking loan support from friendly countries. We must rebuild our most basic foreign exchange reserves as soon as possible."

Joseph's eyes swept over everyone in the conference room, and they could all read an unprecedented worry in the eyes of this iron-blooded leader.

“Gentlemen, the Soviet Union is facing its most severe test since World War II. Our options are limited, but we must survive.”

Even as the Kremlin debated its response, changes were already beginning to appear on the streets of Moscow.

Imported goods are dwindling rapidly on store shelves, and some factories that rely on imported raw materials have begun reducing or even halting production.

At a large tank factory in Leningrad, workers stood beside empty assembly lines, looking confusedly at a slogan on the wall that read "Increase production to defend the motherland," unsure of what the future would hold.

In thousands of households in the Bear Country, people are still unaware that an economic storm is about to sweep through their lives.

But soon, when bread prices soar, medicines run out, and fuel supplies run low in winter, they will feel firsthand how this storm from a distant food market has changed their fate...