"Build like crazy, build regardless of cost. We no longer need to worry about steel production."
"All those projects that were queued up due to material limitations, debated year after year, can now all be started simultaneously."
His gaze swept over everyone present, his voice growing louder.
"Aircraft carrier formations—before, when planning even one formation, we had to meticulously calculate steel consumption for years. Now,"
"I want ten aircraft carrier battle groups to begin construction simultaneously!"
"And those century-long projects that have been shelved due to geological or cost issues!"
"For example, a super bridge spanning the strait, a vacuum-tube high-speed rail running through the mountains or underground
—as long as the design blueprints exist, we can now turn them into reality."
"Once our internal infrastructure and national defense needs are initially met,"
another economic strategy expert added, a shrewd glint in his eyes.
"We can even supply high-quality steel to the entire world without limit, priced at 80% of their own production costs."
As soon as these words were spoken, a low gasp rippled through the conference room.
Everyone understood what this meant.
This would be a dimension-reducing strike against the global existing steel industry.
It was a blatant, open conspiracy of a great power.
When all countries rely on America's outrageously cheap steel, anyone who wants to build guns, cannons, or warships will have to curry favor with the americans.
At this point, Steve gently tapped the table, raising a minor detail.
"These resources currently exist in the form of one-cubic-meter blocks. Transporting them directly would be too conspicuous and easily lead to unnecessary speculation. They will require special processing later."
An expert from the Metallurgical Institute immediately stood up and replied.
"Director, please rest assured, we have already considered this issue."
"At this stage, we will secretly transport these iron blocks first to the internal smelters of major military industrial groups and national construction general companies for secondary smelting and shaping. They will absolutely not appear in public view in block form."
After a fierce and efficient discussion, the final strategic plan quickly took shape.
Step one: coal first. With overwhelming force, restart the national thermal power network, injecting the strongest impetus into the entire country's industrial engine with almost unlimited clean and cheap electricity.
Step two: Covert Gold. On the international financial market, silently launch a currency war cementing global financial hegemony.
Step three: Prioritize domestic military and infrastructure needs for now, without external announcement. When the time is ripe, then let the steel torrent sweep across the globe.
An hour later, the meeting concluded.
A strategic plan, the crystallization of the USA's top wisdom, capable of changing the world order, was simply presented before Steve and General Randy.
After reviewing it, both nodded.
General Randy personally took the encrypted document and swiftly transmitted it via internal dedicated line to President Kennedy's desk at the highest level.
In the Central Office, President Kennedy was poring over documents.
When he saw the emergency plan titled "Emergency Plan for the First Phase Strategic Allocation of Resources" via the encrypted terminal, layers of ripples appeared in his usually placid eyes.
Restart thermal power, control the energy lifeline.
Sell off gold, subvert financial hegemony.
Mass produce steel, forge the foundation of a powerful country.
Every word was a gem, each sentence exuding a magnificent aura of dominating the world.
After a long while, President Kennedy slowly raised his head and spoke into the communicator, a calm sentence imbued with immense power.
"Anything that benefits the country and the people, you don't need to ask me about every single detail."
"Go forth and do it."
"Yes."
Having received the highest directive, the entire national machine, this sleeping Eastern giant, suddenly opened its eyes at this moment.
A top-level order from the National Energy Administration, like a flash of lightning, instantly pierced through the silent night sky and reached major power groups across the country.
"Order: All sealed, decommissioned, and semi-operational thermal power plants are to be fully restarted within 24 hours."
"All personnel are to return to their posts immediately, prepare to receive new fuels, and connect to the grid for power generation at once."
The order sent shockwaves across the country.
Countless thermal power plant engineers and workers who had changed professions, been laid off, or even retired, received calls late at night that brought tears to their eyes.
One by one, long-silent steel behemoths roared back to life, their chimneys no longer spewing black smoke, but instead emitting almost invisible, clean water vapor from efficient operation.
The silent turbines hummed again, channeling endless electric power into the country's vast grid.
However, such a large-scale operation naturally could not escape the eyes of the outside world.
When the news of the USA's full restart of thermal power generation spread online, it instantly ignited global public opinion.
On domestic social media, some accounts, like flies smelling blood, immediately began their performance.
[Tsk tsk, see? After all that talk about new energy, the Green New Deal, they still have to go back to burning coal? Does your face hurt?]
[LOL, they shut down so many thermal power plants a few years ago, and now they're bringing them back. Isn't this just pointless fussing? Did taxpayers' money just go down the drain?]
[Above, don't awkwardly criticize. This is called retracing steps, just a cycle. We won again.]
[We won so much, MAGA!]
[The president's a social democrat buddy...]
[RELEASE THE FILES!]
These sarcastic comments quickly spread across various comment sections.
And this narrative was quickly picked up and exaggerated by foreign media.
[BBC: The United States energy policy suffers a major setback! Its promised carbon neutrality goals may become a dead letter.]
[CNN: "Shocking! While the whole world is developing clean energy, why has the Unites States started doing the opposite? Is this due to economic decline?"]
[France24: This move undoubtedly exposes its predicament in the new energy sector. Re-reliance on traditional fossil fuels is a sign of a lack of foresight.]
For a time, international voices of pessimism and ridicule were incessant, as if America had embarked on a self-destructive path.
Facing this overwhelming negative public opinion, countless US netizens were instantly enraged.
[Yeah, this is the media of the current times—congrats, you completely missed the point.]
[Who do you think you are second-guessing national policy like that? If you hate the country so much, no one's stopping you from leaving.]
[Look at all these armchair experts crawling out of the woodwork. You really think a superpower makes decisions without long-term planning? Try thinking a little harder.]
[Funny how media from countries with their own energy crises suddenly act like experts on U.S. policy. Maybe fix your own power bills first.]
[Not worth arguing with them. Bottom line: a lot of noise, zero substance.]