The Tyrant Billionaire

Victor then remembered something, "Boss, do you recall Mr. Xu, the person we did business with before?"

"Yes, I remember him. Why?"

Hardy, with his excellent memory, naturally recalled Mr. Xu.

"Recently, he came by with a few people from a company called 'China Resources,' who want to engage in large-scale trade with us. I suspect that this company might be connected with the communist authorities," Victor said.

China Resources? Hardy thought to himself, it was no secret that the company had strong ties to the communist regime.

China Resources is a rather controversial company.

The company often acted as an economic front for the regime, using trade as a means to circumvent international sanctions and support the struggling communist state. It operated less like a business and more like a tool for the regime's agenda, providing whatever was needed by the state even in desperate times.

"Their general manager, Mr. Qian, expressed interest in broader and deeper cooperation with Hardy's company. Since this involves dealing with the communists, I didn't dare make any decisions on my own. I was going to send you a telegram for instructions, but since you planned to come to Hong Kong, I figured I would report to you in person," Victor explained.

"Boss, should we strengthen our cooperation with them? The main concern is that the U.S. has imposed stricter sanctions on the communist bloc recently, and if problems arise, it could implicate our company," Victor said.

Victor's cautiousness was out of loyalty to Hardy.

Hardy chuckled, "Of course we'll cooperate, but we will do so cautiously. As for the sanctions, we'll find ways to navigate around them."

"Register several shell companies in Hong Kong, then use Cayman Islands companies to create cross-ownership. When working with them, conduct all transactions through these companies. Sell the goods to these companies, and as far as anyone's concerned, Hardy Group has nothing to do with who those companies partner with.

"If the goods are ever inspected, so be it. It's just a batch of merchandise. If someone tries to trace it back to the company, no problem—we can simply shut it down. And if anyone tries to drag Hardy Group into this, well, they'll find it's not so easy."

At this point, Hardy just laughed. Unlike the completely layman MacArthur and his cousin, Andy was a generational genius in economics, and with the future ideas and knowledge shared by Hardy, it can be said that Andy and his team are the number one economic team in the world.

Once they finish the process of these companies, it will be nearly impossible to trace them back to the Hardy group with the currently available resources in the current era.

"Be careful, but don't worry too much. We are already strong enough to take on this kind of storm head-on."

"No problem," Victor replied confidently.

"If it's the Hong Kong government, I'll have a good chat with Governor Grantham. If it's the British government, I'll speak with the Prime Minister or even His Majesty the King about loans and national debt. If it's the U.S. government, I'll personally take it up with President Johnson. And if it's MacArthur, I can have him booted from his position within days."

Hardy spoke with such confidence and authority.

Victor was deeply stirred by his words. Working under such a boss was exhilarating; who could possibly challenge them now?

The only real threats were Britain or the United States.

But the boss wasn't afraid of any investigations. If someone pushed Hardy too far, he would not hesitate to retaliate.

Besides, given Hardy's relationship with President Johnson, as long as Hardy didn't betray the West, no one could touch him.

After all, business is business.

Everyone was in it for profit. The U.S. itself often engaged in trade with questionable regimes; why should it be any different for them?

Victor didn't linger, knowing the boss planned to stay in Hong Kong for a few days. There would be time to discuss matters tomorrow.

After Victor departed, Hardy summoned John Wick, the head of HD Intelligence's Hong Kong branch. In the study, Hardy laid out detailed instructions, and Wick promptly set off to meet with representatives from Singapore.

Hardy's decision to get involved wasn't without reason. He had a keen understanding of future events and the evolving situation in Southeast Asia, and he aimed to influence some of those developments. Moreover, he saw potential opportunities arising from this situation.
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At that time, Indonesia had already gained independence, but Malaysia was still under British rule, with full independence still six or seven years away. HD Security had two military bases in the region—one in Penang and another in Singapore.

The land for these bases had been purchased from the British, who were more than willing to sell as their global empire waned and colonial territories edged towards independence.

It was the last chance to make some strategic moves while Britain's influence was on the decline.

He even considered the possibility of carving out another slice of territory, or at the very least, establishing an autonomous region that could expand the Hardy family's influence.

Later that evening, Wick returned with news from his meeting. The representatives identified themselves as part of the "Democratic Alliance," an organization striving to create a nation where different communities could coexist peacefully and with equal rights.

After listening to Wick's report, Hardy pondered for a moment before saying, "Tell them I'm not making any promises. The outcome is uncertain, but let's keep the lines of communication open. You'll be responsible for handling this."

"Yes, boss," Wick replied.

For now, Hardy was cautious about making any commitments; much depended on how the situation would unfold. Still, establishing a connection was a prudent first step—a seed planted with the hope of future gains.

After spending four days in Hong Kong, Hardy prepared to leave. He had been away from the United States for nearly four months, and pressing matters awaited his attention there. He planned to return to the U.S. for a while before heading to Japan after Christmas to address more significant tasks.