The Tyrant Billionaire

Hardy's romantic exploits were no secret in Hollywood; in fact, they were widely known. But to everyone, it seemed perfectly normal.

Not just Hollywood stars but even the general American public saw nothing unusual about it. For a man like Hardy, having a few girlfriends was no big deal. In this land of freedom, being romantically uninhibited wasn't against the Constitution.

After the awards ceremony ended, Monroe accompanied Hardy back to his estate.

The gramophone played one of Monroe's songs as she still wore her glamorous evening gown from the ceremony. Her figure, accentuated by the outfit, was stunning. Approaching the sofa where Hardy sat, she knelt softly on the carpet, resting her face against his thigh and rubbing it gently, like a cat.

Monroe looked up at Hardy with a gaze full of adoration, love, and a childlike yearning for care.

Hardy reached out, his fingers brushing over Monroe's cheeks and lips.

She playfully bit his finger—not too hard, more as a tease.

Who wouldn't want to keep such a golden cat?

A few days after the Oscars, Hardy returned to Japan.

During these months, the United Nations forces, led by MacArthur, engaged in several skirmishes with Chinese forces. However, they were outnumbered and repeatedly driven back, leaving MacArthur increasingly frustrated.

He began clamoring in the press about using atomic bombs.

He talked casually about dropping 30 or 50 bombs, as if they were toys.

But Hardy knew that President Johnson would never allow the lunatic to act on such impulses. Johnson had no intention of dragging America into a Third World War. China had little more than its vast population—even the Japanese had been able to terrorize them in the past. However, the current Soviet Union was strong, or so Hardy believed. These were not yet the corrupt bureaucrats of the future; the Soviet Union at this time was formidable—not as wealthy as the U.S., but certainly not less powerful. Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire

Johnson sent a telegram to MacArthur, summoning him back to Washington for consultations—a veiled warning not to escalate the conflict. However, MacArthur, arrogant as ever, ignored the President's orders. By April, Johnson decisively stripped MacArthur of all his duties.

When MacArthur received the order, he was dumbfounded, unable to believe Johnson would act so resolutely.

It wasn't just MacArthur who was shocked. Many worldwide were surprised by Johnson's decision—it wasn't merely a dismissal; it was a blatant termination, a humiliation for MacArthur.

And so, MacArthur silently left the stage.

When MacArthur returned to Japan to pack his belongings, Japanese officials initially planned a grand farewell ceremony. But Hardy stopped Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida.

"No, I don't think a lavish send off will do MacArthur any good. He should keep a low profile now," Hardy advised.

Yoshida regarded Hardy thoughtfully.

With MacArthur's downfall, Hardy, as the economic and cultural envoy, had become the most influential figure in Japan. Yoshida dared not oppose him.

When MacArthur departed, the airport was eerily quiet.

This filled MacArthur with rage. During his reign over Japan, the Japanese had treated him like an emperor, flattering him at every opportunity. Now, as he left, there wasn't even a proper farewell.

A few journalists captured the scene with their cameras.

One reporter asked, "General MacArthur, as you prepare to return to your country, what are your parting thoughts on the Japanese people?"

MacArthur smirked and replied,"The Japanese are true opportunists—unbelievably servile when weak, yet utterly arrogant when emboldened."

"Japan still needs reformation in all aspects, including military, economy, culture, beliefs, and daily habits. I hope my successors will not forget this."

"Toward Japan, the United States must always remain vigilant. Politically and militarily, there can be no leniency. The occupation forces and military bases must be preserved indefinitely."

MacArthur departed.

His remarks were quickly published in Japanese newspapers. When the Japanese read his statements, many were infuriated. They hadn't expected such demeaning words from MacArthur, and whatever lingering goodwill they had for him vanished instantly.

After reading the newspapers, Hardy couldn't help but sigh. MacArthur, though arrogant and a complete fool in military affairs, had, in Hardy's view, a remarkably accurate understanding and assessment of the Japanese.

Hardy had no desire to act as the stick over the Japanese but preferred to be the carrot. However, MacArthur was too troublesome to keep around. Hardy would have preferred a slightly more reasonable general in the region—someone who understood that their job was to manage the Japanese, not to antagonize the U.S. consortia operating in Japan.

In recent months, Japan's financial investment scene had grown increasingly active, almost giving the impression of a nation wide obsession with investing.

Riding the wave of the U.S. stock market boom, many Japanese investors had seen their wealth grow significantly.

Of course, this wealth was merely on paper, unrealized gains.

In just a few months,

Hans Biopharmaceutical's stock price had doubled again, now reaching $106 per share with a total market valuation of $400 million.

This valuation was highly abnormal, but in the frenzy of financial markets, logic often takes a backseat.

At this time, Hans Biopharmaceutical underwent several major transactions. A financial firm namedNicholas Antique Collateral Finance and Investment Companyspent a staggering $63 million to acquire 24.7% of Hans Biopharmaceutical, becoming its largest shareholder.

Following closely behind wereDowney Fund Company,George Mortgage Finance and Investment Company,Lambert Land Mortgage Finance and Investment Company, andWilliams Gold Mortgage Finance and Investment Company, all of which purchased significant shares.

The original African company that held a controlling stake in Hans Biopharmaceutical completely exited, disappearing with billions of dollars in proceeds.

These massive transactions quickly made headlines, shocking many investors.

In Japan, the deal received extensive media coverage. Since it involved several major Japanese investment companies, the news drew even more attention than it did in the U.S.

Many Japanese investors came to know the nameHans Biopharmaceutical.

Japan was not without financial experts. Some began to voice concerns, pointing out that Hans Biopharmaceutical's valuation was built purely on concepts and expectations. Pushing the stock price so high was unreasonable. If anything went wrong, the investments could be completely wiped out.

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AN:Hello! Hope everyone is doing great. Today, I just want to check if you guys understood the biopharmaceutical scheme going on. I know I've jumped around a lot, and it's been 15 days since we first talked about it, so you've probably forgotten how it all started. Let me know if you'd like me to describe it separately again.

If you want a real-life example similar to what's happening in the novel, think of the FTX crypto incident from November 2022—a modern Ponzi scheme.

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