The Tyrant Billionaire

However, Hardy was well aware that, in the decades following World War II, large-scale wars were unlikely to occur. Conflicts were expected to remain localized, making elite forces more suited to future warfare.

Furthermore, as a small territory, even with reserves, the lack of population and geographical depth made it ill-suited for protracted conflicts.

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His primary concern wasn’t competing with the major powers like the U.S., Soviet Union, Britain, or France. Instead, he focused on dealing with the Southeast Asian nations.

The autonomous dominion began military recruitment.

Strictly speaking, HD Defense Company was hiring locals to join its ranks. The initial plan was to recruit 20,000 personnel, comprising 10,000 for the army and another 10,000 for the navy and air force.

Following initial training, some recruits would be weeded out. Those who remained would undergo intensified training to become true mercenaries, integrated into HD Defense’s existing structure.

As for those eliminated, some would transition into roles as military police, serving local communities.

Once the first batch was stabilized, recruitment for the second phase would begin. Hardy’s vision was to establish a force of about 17,000 ground troops, 6,000 naval personnel, and 3,000 air force personnel, with locals making up over 80% of the force.

Hardy visited the HD Defense Penang headquarters, now a well-developed facility. That day, he prepared to meet with the experts in the "Strategic Research Office."

This office housed a group of high-level strategists, including former senior U.S. military strategists, intelligence experts, and policy analysts. Their task was to help Hardy analyze the strategic landscape of Southeast Asia.

Hardy assigned them three topics:

"The Future Direction of Malaya."

"The Feasibility of Uniting Singapore and Penang’s Autonomous Territory."

"Responses to Potential Military Conflicts with Indonesia."

Hardy sat down and began discussing the "future direction of Malaya" with a group of strategists. Their opinions were largely unified: independence was inevitable, and Britain could no longer prevent it.

However, the key questions revolved around how Malaya would achieve independence, the potential changes during the process, and most importantly, what benefits Hardy could gain from it.

The possibility of merging Singapore and Penang as dominions was one of the topics the researchers believed could be entirely feasible. Previously, Singapore, Penang, and Malacca had shared a similar status as dominions. But how could such a merger be achieved?

A social intelligence analyst turned to Hardy and suggested, "Mr. Hardy, I have a proposal. Princess Margaret is about to give birth, isn’t she?"

Hardy nodded. "She’s six months along. The baby will be born in three months."

"Do you think it might be possible to maneuver things so that Britain grants Singapore to your future child?"

Hardy’s eyes lit up.

This was an excellent idea.

As for the issue of "responding to potential military conflicts with Indonesia," this stemmed from the precedent set by Johor. Hardy’s investment company in Malaya had absorbed a substantial amount of assets, leading to a conflict with Johor that ultimately resulted in the fall of the Sultanate.

Six months ago, Hardy began laying the groundwork in Indonesia, initiating market entry and acquisition activities. He anticipated the likelihood of conflicts with Indonesia in the future, prompting his team to study how to respond.

Will Hardy inevitably clash with Indonesia?

Absolutely.

Whether due to disputes over interests or sheer provocation, Hardy entered Indonesia with the intention of stirring trouble. He approached deliberately, using economic maneuvers to create friction—a strategy reminiscent of the one used in Johor.

Critics might argue that Indonesia is not Johor; it’s not a country Hardy can easily manipulate. After gaining independence, Indonesia became a sprawling nation of 1.9 million square kilometers and over 100 million people—a bona fide regional power.

But Hardy wasn’t intimidated.

He wanted to test Indonesia.

Six months ago, Hardy’s company formally entered the Indonesian market, establishing several investment firms. At the time, Indonesia maintained friendly relations with the United States and pursued an independent foreign policy. Although it leaned toward the Soviet Union, it didn’t intend to become entirely dependent.

This strategy of courting multiple powers was typical for weaker nations and not inherently wrong. Diplomacy generally falls into three categories:

Nations like the US and USSR, which act as global leaders, commanding respect and dominance while rallying allies. Nations content to be subordinates, either due to geography or politics, aligning with a major power. Nations striving for independent agency, maneuvering through complex international landscapes for their benefit—Indonesia fell into this category.

During this period, Indonesia welcomed foreign investment. As a newly independent nation with a clean slate, it hoped that foreign contributions would spur development.

However, the policies of this newly independent country began to shift with the rise of anti-capitalist sentiments.

Wealth in Indonesia largely resided within the capitalist community. After an initial period of stability, the government started implementing measures to suppress capitalist and privately owned assets. For example:

The Ministry of Finance openly stated that while capitalist Indonesians represented only 5% of the population, they controlled 70% of the wealth—a situation that, according to the government, needed to be rectified. Policies were introduced restricting the rice milling industry to state-owned enterprises, causing many private-owned factories to collapse and subsequently be acquired at low prices by the government.

Laws mandated that the majority shareholders of companies be the state, relegating private capitalists to minority positions. This made it increasingly difficult for local capitalist and privately owned businesses to operate, leading to closures or forced sales.

Hardy’s Response: A Haven for Capitalist and Private-Owned Enterprises

Hardy’s investment company offered an alternative: private-owned businesses could join Hardy’s company and transform into joint ventures with foreign capital, which remained legally protected under Indonesian law. This provided a shield against government expropriation.

Hardy also provided resources and channels to integrate these businesses into his broader economic network. For these companies, entering Hardy’s "circle" felt like leaping from a quagmire into a vast, free-flowing ocean.

Moreover, Hardy encouraged these businesses to relocate their headquarters to Hardy’s dominion—the Cayman Islands—or even to the UK or the US, leaving only operational offices in Indonesia.

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