Chapter 551 The Hardy Group
Following a long day and night of travel, Hardy's plane touched down in Los Angeles. It was already December 20th, and Christmas was just around the corner. Upon his arrival at the estate, Ava Gardner rushed to greet him.
Ava embraced Hardy tightly. "Darling, I haven't seen you in over six months. It feels like an eternity," she said, her eyes glistening with emotion.
"I've been so busy," Hardy replied. "How's your new movie doing?"
"It just came out—a drama. I spent two months on post production, and the response has been pretty good. It's not a blockbuster, but I'm happy with how it turned out," Ava said with a satisfied smile.
That evening, Hardy devoted himself to rekindling their relationship, leaving Ava thoroughly content.
The following day, Hardy arranged a meeting with representatives from Bulgari Jewelers, who had recently completed a batch of custom jewelry for him. Additionally, a shipment of Rolls-Royce Silver Wraiths, which had arrived in Los Angeles months earlier, was finally delivered to the estate after being stored in a warehouse.
Hardy led Ava to the courtyard, where a purple Rolls-Royce convertible caught her eye. Smiling, he placed a diamond necklace around her neck.
"A Christmas gift," he said.
"Thank you, darling!" Ava exclaimed, embracing him with excitement.
Meanwhile, at the ABC television studio, a green Rolls-Royce convertible parked in the lot was drawing admiring glances. Irina, noticing the luxurious car, asked her secretary, "Whose car is that?"
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The secretary replied with envy, "It's the new Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, priced at $200,000. That's enough to buy a mansion in Beverly Hills."
Just then, a man in a tuxedo approached Irina with a smile. "Miss Irina, your car has arrived."
"My car?" Irina was surprised.
"Yes, this is your car. Also, there's a letter for you on the seat," the middle aged man in the tuxedo said.
Irina quickly got into the car and found an envelope. When she opened it, there was just one line: "A Christmas present for my dear Irina. I'm back, at the estate."
"Ah~~!" Irina screamed in excitement.
She knew it had to be Hardy who had returned. She immediately started the car, turned the wheel, and sped toward Hardy's estate, disappearing from the television station under the envious gaze of many.
"Who do you think could be so generous, giving Vice President Irina such an amazing car? Could it be a new admirer from Hollywood?" a woman gossiped.
Her friend rolled her eyes. "Are you dumb? Anyone with half a brain knows that Irina is our big boss's woman. Who would dare to pursue her?"
"I bet it's a Christmas gift from the big boss himself," the friend speculated.
The woman nodded, now agreeing that this seemed likely. She then sighed enviously, "Being the big boss's woman sure is nice. You get such wonderful gifts."
Her friend smirked, "Don't even think about it. You're not up to the standards."
"You~!" The woman was so annoyed she wanted to hit her friend.
Irina drove to the estate and parked the car below the mansion. Seeing the butler standing at the door, she excitedly asked, "Is Hardy back?"
The butler smiled, "Miss Irina, Mr. Hardy is currently discussing business with President Andy. He said that when you arrive, you should wait for him in his room. He will see you as soon as he's finished."
Irina, understanding the situation, made her way to Hardy's master bedroom. As soon as she entered, she noticed an exquisite jewelry box on the table.
There was a note on the box with a line of writing.
"This is also a gift for my dear Irina. Open it to see if you like it. If you do, I hope to see you wearing it later."
She opened the jewelry box.
Inside was a set of diamond jewelry.
A necklace, and earrings.
Irina admired each piece, unable to put them down. She held the necklace to her chest and tried on the earrings. Since she was wearing formal business attire today, the jewelry didn't quite match. Her eyes gleamed as she thought of a plan.
Hardy had been away for four months.
The group continued to operate smoothly, thanks in large part to Andy's efforts. Andy had become an indispensable assistant to Hardy, allowing him the freedom to expand the group abroad.
Over the course of four months, Hardy Group's development had been impressive. The security company was growing steadily, now operating in half of the cities across the United States with a staff of 9,000. Its overseas military bases had also begun operations.
The film company's performance was average, but the record label and talent agency experienced rapid growth. Hardy Records had become one of the top three companies in Hollywood, and the talent agency was also considered a leading player in the industry.
The casino was Hardy Group's cash cow, earning over $40 million this year and providing significant funding for the company. The investment arm had grown even larger, with around $150 million under management, supporting Wells Fargo's cash flow.
The lottery business had also launched, and though profits were modest for now, the future looked promising.
Caesars Palace and The Venetian hotels had completed their main construction phases and were now undergoing full scale interior decoration, with plans to open by mid next year.
The core of Hardy Group was Wells Fargo. This year, the bank's growth had been phenomenal, with over 200 branches established across U.S. cities, making it a nationwide bank rivaling Bank of America.
Wells Fargo had also opened branches in European countries such as the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and the Netherlands, as well as in Asian regions like Japan and Hong Kong, establishing itself as a truly international bank.
With Hardy Group at the helm, Wells Fargo's capital had reached $4 billion, providing ample funds for the company.
Hardy could afford to acquire assets in Japan on a large scale, all thanks to the financial support from Wells Fargo.