Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2555 An Opponent from the Streets (Third Update, Please Subscribe)
He who wins over the grassroots wins the world!

As he said this, Li Yi'an turned his gaze toward Reagan.

To some extent, Reagan was also a political novice.

He is also an outsider.

The last person to win an election by relying on grassroots means was none other than Truman.

He traveled throughout the United States giving speeches by train, addressing every station with a train station. Ultimately, Truman won the election by a landslide. His opponent, Dewey, only won in major cities.

And now?

Reagan would replicate his success, though he wouldn't need to. He could travel by train to every small town in America, like Truman, to give speeches—and besides, there aren't as many railroads in America now as there were back then.

But now we have televisions.

Facing Reagan, whose expression held a hint of doubt, Li Yi'an said:

"Ronald, do you remember Harry?"

Harry is Truman.

Although Reagan had never met him, he certainly remembered his former commander.

He nodded and said.

"Of course, he was a great man."

"So do you remember how he won the election that year?"

How did he win the election?

Reagan frowned, thought for a moment, and then said:

"You mean...no, back then his reputation, his advantage was still very significant, while Dewey only had a certain advantage in big cities..."

"that's enough."

Li Yi'an looked at his friend in front of him and said solemnly.

"The biggest similarity between you and Harry lies here—George's greatest advantage is that he has the support of the establishment and the political elite."

But you are different. Most of your supporters are ordinary people. All you need to do is win their support. Once you have their support, you've won.

Reagan frowned and said.

"But George might also get their support."

Li Yi'an shook his head and said:

“George has his strengths, but the core of the competition within your ranks is the struggle between conservative and moderate lines. What you need to do is shape conservatism into the Republican mainstream.”

The failure three years ago gave you experience and national recognition. Now all you need to do is integrate the conservative alliance—including the religious right, the financial conservatives, and the hardliners on the East. Once you have integrated these forces, you will have basically laid the foundation for victory.

And George…

Thinking of that person on the Texas farm, Li Yi'an smiled and said:
“He will have the support of the establishment, which is his biggest advantage, but Ronald—the elite of the establishment—is just a small group of people. The support of the grassroots conservatives will allow you to sweep everything away.”

Looking at Ronald in front of me, although he was an actor, who could have imagined that next year he would sweep across the entire American political arena and win the election with an unprecedented and overwhelming victory?

It was this actor-turned-president who, over the next eight years, launched a comprehensive campaign to strangle the Soviet Union, ultimately pushing it step by step to the brink of collapse.

His arrival at this time was the best thing for Li Yi'an, because it meant that he would have a most steadfast ally for the next eight years!
Although nothing has started yet, Li Yi'an believes that it is all destined. After all, some major historical events cannot be changed, just like the current American stars. The reason why Reagan was able to win an unprecedented and overwhelming victory is precisely because the American people have had enough of concessions and weakness.

So they needed someone tough on the Soviet Union, a tough guy, someone who could say no to the Soviet Union.

Thinking this, he leaned forward slightly. Looking at Reagan, he spoke in a low, seductive tone.

"Ronald, you have to believe that the time is ripe—the American people will eventually make their choice."

Believe in yourself, and you will achieve victory—an unprecedented victory.

Faced with such words, who could remain unmoved?

Reagan nodded, then said:
"Thank you, my friend. You always give me the greatest help when I'm lost."

Li Yi'an looked at his old friend beside him, smiled slightly, and then said:

"I think that after next year, we will help each other more, because we will work together to fight the Russians and bring peace to the world."

This statement is half true and half false. It is true that they will join forces to fight against the Russians, but what will happen after Russia is destroyed? Or after the collapse of the Soviet Union?
However, people in this era cannot predict the future.

They could see the Soviet Union's failure, but they could never imagine that a vast empire could be destroyed overnight.

This has always been Li Yi'an's greatest advantage—in everyone's eyes, the Soviet Union has always been the biggest threat, and it will be in the future as well.

Even Reagan could only imagine a complete containment of the Soviet Union, forcing it to withdraw its fist and claws.

However, the Soviet threat still exists. After all, the United States does not have the capability, or rather, no country in the world has the capability, to wipe a country with a large nuclear arsenal from the world.

This is the fundamental reason why only responsible major powers can possess nuclear weapons—because if a small country possesses those things, it also possesses a weapon to challenge major powers, and you can never predict what they might do with them.

In international politics, any uncertainty is dangerous. To fail to prevent it would be irresponsible to all of humanity.

"People should enjoy peace and live in an environment free from threats."

After Reagan expressed his deep agreement, he looked at Li Yi'an and said:

“I still remember that during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Nancy and I were driving south with the kids. We even wanted to escape to Mexico—in the fear of war, almost everyone was doing that, and the Mexicans had even closed their borders.”

When bringing up the old topic again, Reagan said:
"That's why I hope that one day all threats can be eliminated from this world. This is also the fundamental reason why we must defeat the Russians, in order to eliminate this fear."

Li Yi'an nodded in agreement with Reagan's initial intention.

Perhaps Khrushchev never imagined that his momentary arrogance would awaken a man who considered defeating the Soviet Union his mission.

Looking at his old friend, who was nearly 70 years old, Li Yi'an felt a complex mix of emotions, not just because this old friend would completely strangle the Soviet Union in the next eight years.

And by tightening the noose step by step, they eventually sent the Soviet Union to the gallows.

But to some extent, Reagan represented a certain type of American.

What kind of American is this?
He wasn't referring to either the poor or the rich, but rather to Americans with political ambitions.

They encompass many people.

Any child who can climb from the streets of America to the Washington, D.C. Capitol Rotunda has ambition.

Once you ignite that ambition, give them the best talent, and build a strong team, they will forge ahead.

No matter what situation the United States finds itself in, there will always be such figures.

Like Reagan, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, he, who originally intended to pursue acting as a career, unexpectedly entered politics and rose through the ranks to eventually enter the White House.

Their ambition led to their future success, and in a way, their ambition made America what it is today.

How many children like these are there on the streets?

Under what circumstances and in what way will they be awakened, or rather, in what way will their ambition be ignited?

No one knows!

But this is the opponent that Li Yi'an will have to face!

Thinking of this, he even thought of another guy who idolized Reagan decades later. Of course, it was just a fleeting thought, because Li Yi'an knew very well that he was the kid on the street!
Those street kids, one day their ambitions will be awakened in some way.

Reagan didn't notice that Li Yi'an was somewhat distracted. He looked at Li Yi'an and then said:

"At that time, we will join forces to fight the Russians. I don't know if we can win, but I know that we can definitely teach the Russians a very profound lesson."

This was precisely Reagan and his team's greatest weakness: they couldn't see the future. They didn't realize that the seemingly powerful and aggressive Soviet Union would become something completely different in just over a decade.

The Soviet Union's so-called strength proved utterly vulnerable under the comprehensive strangulation of the Western world, to the point that this nation, which had vowed to bury the Western world, was ultimately buried itself.

But who can imagine what the future will be like more than a decade from now?
They didn't even dare to think about it.

After all, even those who experienced it firsthand would find it all incredibly unbelievable.

But regardless, all of that in the future will eventually happen. Li Yi'an took a deep breath and then said:
"I believe we will achieve final victory, Ronald, as long as we unite and join hands. I believe the final victory will belong to us."

Regardless of what the future holds, the Soviet Union will be Washington’s number one target for the next decade.

These 10 years are also the last strategic opportunity period for the SEA. If it can seize this opportunity, it is not impossible to surpass the United States in 10 years.

All we need to do is keep the US focused on the Soviet Union.

And this is precisely where the Soviet Union's greatest value lay: being able to shield itself from bullets!
Ronald nodded in deep agreement with Li Yi'an's words, saying:
"Then let's join forces."

(End of this chapter)