Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2674 The Real Weapon of Destruction (Second Update, Please Subscribe)
How to continuously apply pressure?
For Li Yi'an, he was simply there with his son discussing the purpose of carrying all of this out.

For those in the official residence office, what they need is to come up with a concrete implementation plan.

Contrary to popular belief, these plans were not formulated by experienced high-ranking bureaucrats.

They are just ordinary office workers, or even newly hired employees.

In the early morning, Sun Yuan didn't get out of bed. Instead, he sat at his desk, where the coffee cup had long since gone cold.

Once again, I looked at the proposal I had painstakingly written.

"Alright, that should be about right."

After another all-nighter, Sun Yuan took a shower to refresh himself.

Then, while washing up in front of the mirror, he looked at himself, took a breath, and encouraged himself.

"Alright, today is the day."

He then quickly tidied himself up and left the apartment dressed.

That morning, like many others working in the city, he took the subway to his workplace.

Office at the official residence.

It sounds like a very prestigious place, and it's the starting point for many young people to climb the corporate ladder.

In the annual civil servant recruitment examination, the top 20 candidates will have the opportunity to enter the official residence, of course, they need to pass through layers of examination.

Ultimately, anywhere from a few to a dozen people will be selected. They will undergo an apprenticeship at the official residence, and whether they can remain in their posts will depend on their abilities.

Sun Yuan, a graduate of National Chung Hsing University, was undoubtedly very lucky. He ranked at the top of his class with outstanding grades and passed through numerous examinations before finally entering the official residence.

Like other departments, the official residence has no comfort zones. New employees are thrown into deep waters and faced with all sorts of challenges as soon as they arrive.

Just like now, although Sun Yuan is a staff member of the Second Office Section and mainly handles legal matters, he also needs to participate in the formulation of plans.

He first needs to produce a draft, and if it passes the section chief's review, then he needs to discuss it with other sections in the meeting room.

The purpose of such discussions is not only to further improve the plan, but also to gain control over one's own department.

Competition within the SEA's bureaucracy is never about whether upper-level officials say you're capable. Rather, you must first prove that you are capable.

Therefore, the atmosphere at the meeting was extremely tense from the very beginning.

These young bureaucrats, who had just graduated with master's degrees, immediately displayed the drive and energy characteristic of youth.

"...The embargo is just the first step. There are many other measures that can be used, such as sending warships to patrol the Persian Gulf—prohibiting ships from any country from entering Iranian ports."

"The key is cooperation—we can impose sanctions, but such an embargo, if we want to implement it unilaterally, must obtain the cooperation of other Western countries, otherwise what will happen to their merchant ships?"

"I have already provided an explanation for this issue in my draft, and it requires consultation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Western allies,"

"Negotiation? You're kidding. The French didn't consult with us when they sent that guy back."

In the small conference room, they argued back and forth. While they argued and discussed, the section chiefs sat there silently.

Like wooden figures, they might occasionally take a sip of tea or smoke a cigarette, but otherwise they offer no opinions.

For these high-ranking officials who have been navigating the political landscape for many years, they are well aware that the purpose of such meetings is to introduce fresh perspectives.

Whether in companies or government, sEA has never been conservative. It is extremely bold in its use of young people and actively creates opportunities for them.

In their youth, they too had engaged in heated discussions here, just like these young people. Some of them distinguished themselves here, showing their early talent, and then, within a year or two, some of them would enter various departments, starting as administrative officers, and soon their lives would be on the fast track.

From central government departments to local government offices, some of these young people persevered all the way, while others dropped out along the way.

But in any case, some of them will eventually grow up.

This is where they take their first step into officialdom and become professional bureaucrats.

At the meeting, everyone strives to get their draft proposals approved, arguing their points repeatedly. It's a battle that tests the abilities of each proposer; only those proposals whose content and arguments withstand scrutiny are retained and submitted to the Secretariat's review section for discussion. The members of the review section are top performers selected from among the young and promising staff, usually the chief administrative officers of each department. Representing their respective departments, they all want their side's proposals approved, so they are all unwilling to budge, making the debates even more intense there.

This is the first battlefield. In fact, the discussion here is not just about national affairs; the outcome of the debate will determine the future of these young people.

In such public settings, they always argue heatedly, neither willing to back down. This recent "embargo implementation coordination meeting" has reignited these repeated debates.

Ye Qidong, the head of the administrative department, smiled and turned his gaze to the wall, as if all his attention was on it.

In reality, he had been watching Sun Yuan closely. During the argument, his voice was like water seeping from underground, continuous and relentless. He didn't deliberately raise his voice; his tone was flat, but he spoke with great confidence.

During this time, all other voices fell silent, except for that hoarse voice that continued speaking. It was a tone that was pressing closer and closer.

Although some of his suggestions were standard, familiar procedures, Ye Qidong nodded in approval in his heart, thinking:

"Not bad, I definitely didn't choose the wrong person!"

Sun Yuan was a young employee that Ye Qidong had been paying attention to for a long time, not only because they happened to be graduates of National Chung Hsing University, but also because Sun Yuan did have some special talents. The only question was whether he could truly stand out among these people.

"...Banning trade is only the first step; at the same time, we must also curb smuggling and send drones to patrol the border areas between Pakistan and Iran."

In short, the goal is to completely isolate Iran.

A truly isolated nation, unable to obtain or export any resources from the outside world, will ultimately see all the pressure fall on its ordinary people, especially regarding food! The pressure of food shortages is most acutely felt by ordinary people, and this is precisely the ultimate goal of sanctions—to plunge Iran into famine!

When Sun Yuan mentioned "famine," the section chiefs sitting around the conference table, whose expressions had seemed completely calm, finally showed some change.

The reason for letting these young people express their opinions is to gather ideas from all sides and hear some refreshing things.

Although it sounds extremely cruel—using famine as a weapon, it's simply insane!
But this is their responsibility as administrative officers. The Prime Minister's Office has hundreds of administrative officers who do more than just handle routine affairs. They may move to various departments in the future, and wherever they are, they will become key figures and policymakers. And when it comes to foreign affairs, they must maintain an extremely neutral stance.

When it comes to such confrontations between nations, what they need is to make the decision that best aligns with the SEA.

Based on interests, not emotions or anything else.

Sun Yuan didn't notice the slight raises in the section chiefs' eyebrows or other facial expressions; he continued explaining his plan, then emphasized again:
"For Iran, this year has been one of extreme turmoil, which has had a direct and severe impact on food supplies: social unrest has affected the supply of agricultural production materials and harvesting activities, even causing production disruptions. Under these circumstances, cutting off international trade and financial channels will inevitably hinder food imports. Panic buying and hoarding have led to food shortages and black markets in major cities. This will inevitably exacerbate soaring prices and shortages..."

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone retorted:
“Iran is a large country with modern agriculture and fertilizer industry, which will not affect their food supply.”

"Take a close look at Iran's agricultural data!"

Sun Yuan said in a deep voice:
“伊朗人口在3900到4000万之间，其粮食总产量约为1200万-1300万吨，包括小麦、大麦、水稻等主要谷物。小麦是绝对主食，约占谷物产量的60%。其次为大麦、水稻。人均粮食产量约310-340公斤，仅略高于基本温饱线也就是约300公斤/人。

Iran's food self-sufficiency rate is less than 70%, making it heavily reliant on imports, especially wheat. Its agricultural model is primarily small-scale farming, dependent on rainfall, with inadequate irrigation facilities and low productivity. Over the past decade, most regions of Iran have not significantly improved their agricultural modernization levels.

Listening to the data he listed, someone said:

“A little above the basic subsistence level is enough. It won’t cause famine. Such sanctions will only unite them against external forces, which will further help them consolidate their power.”

"That's only temporary. Their grain production seems to be slightly above the basic subsistence level, but their livestock industry also consumes a lot of grain. They need to eat meat, and this production is based on fertilizers. Iran's fertilizer self-sufficiency rate is less than 80%. At the same time, their fertilizer companies are heavily reliant on foreign equipment, not only in terms of equipment but also in terms of technology, especially our companies. With the withdrawal of our technical personnel from Iran, their oil fields, oil refining companies, and fertilizer production companies have all encountered corresponding difficulties..."

After recounting all this in an extremely calm tone, Sun Yuan raised his voice slightly and added:

"In addition, we have another very effective weapon at our disposal, namely the SWIFT system!"

We could simply kick Iran out of the system, preventing it from settling international trade transactions. This would mean it would be completely excluded from the current international trade system, unable to obtain dollars through oil exports or purchase the goods it needs on the international market, since all trade requires settlement.

The SWIFT system is the root of all this! And it's also our powerful weapon for imposing trade sanctions.

As Sun Yuan finished speaking, everyone turned their attention to him.

It's not just because of the methods he mentioned.

More importantly, he mentioned the "SWIFT system," and everyone present was well aware of the system's importance in international trade.

The previously seemingly calm section chiefs finally changed their expressions, and their gazes toward Sun Yuan also shifted.

"Tell me your thoughts in detail."

(End of this chapter)