Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2576 Let's keep throwing bombs (Third update, please subscribe)
Bangkok, the capital of Siam, is also the most prosperous city in the Indochina Peninsula.
For many years, Siam has been in the spotlight, and its rapid economic development is very attractive to many underdeveloped countries.

Twenty years ago, the SEA was the model that underdeveloped countries wanted to emulate. Of course, most countries merely learned from it without actually passing, or even just scratching the surface.

And now?

Their model of learning was Siam.

After all, the current Equatorial Miracle represents a shift in national identity. The move from the SEEA to Siam wasn't due to Siam's economic development, but rather because it offered a more authentic learning experience. At this point, the SEEA was an unattainable goal for most countries, so they had to settle for a more realistic objective.

The "Capital City Economic Zone," centered on Bangkok, is the most important part of Siam's economy. Last year, Siam's GDP exceeded US$2500 billion, and the Capital City Economic Zone, as the main economic engine, likely accounted for more than half of the country's GDP. This region is centered on metallurgy, machinery, electronics, automobiles, shipbuilding, and service industries, relying on large enterprise clusters to form a highly concentrated industrial network.

The highly concentrated industries make the city more prosperous, and the scene of a modern metropolis is novel and attractive to many outsiders.

Towering skyscrapers, bustling cars... but on the other side of this prosperous scene, in the heart of the city, in the central park, lies tranquility and comfort.

The rows of large trees spread their lush green canopies, cutting the harsh sunlight into scattered spots of light that fell on the gravel path.

A man in a white shirt sat on a bench under the shade of a tree, a newspaper between his fingers, his eyes fixed on the dense text. Because it was the weekend, the sounds of children laughing and playing could be heard from nearby.

Children were playing and laughing nearby, while the man was simply reading a newspaper, seemingly completely absorbed in it.

"A GDP of $2500 billion, that's roughly $5000 per capita..."

As he looked at the news in the newspaper and muttered the numbers, the man's expression was somewhat complicated, but at the same time, he couldn't help but sigh:
"No wonder some people say we should learn from Siam; it is indeed the case."

In the past few years, Siam’s economic development has been so rapid that it has been ahead of other countries in the Southeast Asian Free Trade Area. After breaking through US$2500 billion last year, newspapers have predicted that it will break through US$3000 billion this year.

This includes factors related to currency appreciation.

However, the man was not very familiar with these economic details. What interested him was that, as mentioned in the newspaper, one factor contributing to Siam's economic growth this year was that the government was considering approving restrictions on Siamese companies' investments in Tangshan.

Although there are still some issues to be resolved between the two sides, judging from the newspapers, the business community welcomes this development.

"That's a good thing."

Just as the man was thinking this, footsteps approached from afar, and the man subtly raised his gaze.

A blond, blue-eyed man walked over, wearing sunglasses and a brightly colored beach shirt, looking like a tourist on vacation.

He didn't say anything, but simply sat down in the empty seat next to the man.

Only after the blond man was seated did the man reading the newspaper slowly put it down, then glanced at the man beside him and said:
"I asked you to come here today because I want to discuss something with you."

His voice was low and his tone was somewhat solemn.

The blond man nodded slightly, his emotions unreadable behind his sunglasses. His lips were pressed into a straight line, and he didn't reply, simply using silence to signal the other person to continue.

The man in the white shirt leaned slightly forward, his tone still solemn:

"Now, the Thang Long faction is like the Cuba of the East. After achieving unification, they are expanding in all directions. They have already occupied half of Chenla. Once they succeed in completely occupying Chenla, their next target will be here. The threat facing Siam is also unprecedented."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the person beside him, trying to catch a glimpse of a reaction on their face.

The blond man nodded again, and this time finally spoke, his voice calm and unhurried:
"This is exactly what the treaty organization is concerned about. The security of Siam is guaranteed by the entire treaty organization, without a doubt. And we will do everything in our power to prevent them from trying to get their hands on this place."

Although his voice wasn't loud, no one doubted his stance. After all, their attitude had been extremely clear for many years.

Their bottom line is clear, and once it is crossed, they will retaliate decisively, rather than issuing repeated warnings and then leaving it at that.

Therefore, countries that have dealt with them are very clear that they must take what they say seriously.

"I think this is precisely where our interests lie."

A glint of light flashed in the eyes of the man in the white shirt, and he quickly replied:

"We should join forces to stop their expansion, completely shatter the expansionist desires of the Thang Long faction, and thus restore peace to the region."

"We are not against joining forces to contain Thang Long."

The blond man tilted his head slightly; although he was wearing sunglasses, his piercing gaze seemed to penetrate the lenses.

"But what exactly do you mean by 'joining forces to stop it'?" The man in the white shirt met his gaze, his tone earnest.

"Just as you helped the Zhenla people resist the invasion of the Thang Long, we hope to use your country as a transit point to provide assistance to the forces resisting the Thang Long and to make our own contribution to regional peace."

Upon hearing this, the blond man visibly stiffened. He slowly removed his sunglasses, a playful glint in his blue eyes, and sized up the man in the white shirt, a half-smile playing on his lips.

"You mean, provide aid to those people, is that right?" He emphasized the words "those people," his tone clearly sarcastic.

The man in the white shirt nodded without hesitation, his tone becoming increasingly earnest:
"Faced with a common enemy, I believe we should set aside our differences and first confront the common enemy..."

"contradiction?"

Before he could finish speaking, the blond man sneered, interrupting him. His laughter was full of disdain and disgust.

"I don't know what you mean by contradiction?"
But you should know our principles—we will not stoop to cooperating with those things, much less offer them any assistance. Stopping the Rising Dragon is important, but eradicating those creatures from this world is undoubtedly even more important!

The blond man's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over the white-shirted man's head. His expression changed slightly for a moment, a hint of surprise and resentment flashing in his eyes. His lips moved, as if he wanted to argue something.

But the blond man didn't give him a chance to explain. He stood up from the bench, then looked down at the man in the white shirt, his tone icy:

"You need to know that we have principles and bottom lines."

After saying that, he turned and left, his steady footsteps gradually fading into the distance, leaving only the man in the white shirt sitting alone under the shade of a tree.

At this moment, his face was as gloomy as an impending storm, and the newspaper in his hand was crumpled into a ball. After a long while, he finally calmed his breathing.

……

Meanwhile, at the ASEAN Military Command, in a conference room, a group of staff officers were conducting a simulation using a map. As the simulation progressed, the situation on the large screen was also changing. Soon, the situation in Chenla on the map changed, and the area occupied by the Thang Long army was completely occupied by the attacking side.

Along with these changes, the staff officers standing by did not smile. They simply reported various data from time to time. These data were not about casualties, but about fighter jets that took off from various air force bases in Siam. These fighter jets were not only carrying out strikes on the battlefield, but also attacking deep into the territory of the Thang Long Army.

"Faced with defeat at the front, Thang Long once again decided to send reinforcements in an attempt to salvage the situation..."

"It's like a piecemeal tactic. Thang Long is constantly adding fuel to the fire on the battlefield. They are trying to replicate their victory model in the South by continuously sending troops to gradually wear down the attacker's morale and try to win the war by prolonging it."

As the staff officer finished speaking, another staff officer frowned, staring at the rising dragon on the map, and said:

"In other words, if we simply limit the battlefield to Zhenla, we will fall into their trap and be trapped in a protracted war."

"Yes, if we cannot fundamentally eliminate the forces supporting the war on their own soil, then we will have to face a protracted war. With Moscow's support, they will definitely carry the war through to the end. Moreover, Moscow does not mind using support for Rising Dragon to deplete our strength, just like last time, when they used Rising Dragon to bleed the Americans dry."

The staff officers' assessment made the atmosphere in the operations room tense. They silently watched the situation on the screen. Although they had won the main battlefield, the fighting had not stopped. In the vast rainforest, resistance continued.

Although they have deployed a large number of drones, they still need to send ground troops for counterinsurgency operations, and in the process, casualties are increasing, while military spending is also increasing.

How long will this war last?
Without a doubt, as long as Thang Long has the resources to support their military operations in Cambodia, they will certainly continue the war. After all, the resilience they showed in the last war was remarkable.

So everyone stared silently at the screen, sometimes smoking cigarettes, sometimes whispering to each other. Finally, one of the staff officers said:
"Then there's only one way—like the Americans did with 'Operation Defender 2,' we'll shift our focus to the Rising Dragon itself!"

Operation Linebacker 2 was the collective name for a series of air strikes carried out by the U.S. military against North Vietnam seven years prior, primarily including Operation Linebacker 1 and Operation Linebacker 2. These operations were key measures taken by the United States in the later stages of the war to exert military pressure and force Thang Long to return to the negotiating table.

The most crucial of these was Operation Linebacker II, which B-52 pilots called the "Eleven-Day War." Operation Linebacker II was the largest bomber operation conducted by the U.S. military and the world since World War II. In just 11 days, it destroyed almost all of Shoryu's industrial capacity.

"If they can force Thang Long back to the negotiating table in 11 days and agree to end the war, then we can also use a longer period of time to carry out all-round bombing of Thang Long's territory through aerial bombing, forcing them to withdraw their troops from Chenla."

Then, raising his voice, he said:

"If we drop enough bombs, I believe they will withdraw. If they are unwilling to withdraw, then it means we haven't dropped enough bombs."

If there are enough bombs, I believe they will eventually compromise.

This statement seems very reasonable, yet it also seems to say nothing at all. If the other side doesn't compromise, then keep throwing bombs. If you keep throwing bombs and the other side still doesn't compromise, then keep going.

In short, it boils down to one sentence: just keep dropping bombs until the other side submits. Make them accept your terms, and you've succeeded. But how many bombs should you drop?

Only God knows the answer to this question.

(End of this chapter)