The Tyrant Billionaire

At the banquet, Queen Elizabeth announced that she would serve as David Hardy’s godmother and granted him the title of Viscount. Such honors were rare. However, the most shocking announcement followed: Queen Elizabeth declared Singapore as David Hardy’s viscountcy and elevated it to a dominion.

The decision caused a stir, prompting widespread speculation. Singapore was one of Britain’s few remaining colonies, and the growing calls for Malaya’s independence had already placed the region on the edge of transition. @@novelbin@@

Now, assigning Singapore to a newborn royal member, especially one whose father controlled a neighboring dominion, seemed a deliberate maneuver.

Hardy’s trip to England had not been merely about accompanying Margaret during childbirth. During his stay, he engaged in deep discussions with Queen Elizabeth about the situation in Malaya and shared his vision.

After reaching some agreements, Hardy met with Prime Minister Churchill. Three days of negotiation culminated in a deal: Hardy Group would invest over $500 million in the UK over the next three years, with Hardy free to choose the investment sectors.

For its part, Britain agreed to:

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Grant David Hardy a noble title and the viscountcy of Singapore. Support Hardy’s operations in Southeast Asia.

This effectively signaled Britain’s withdrawal from Malaya and the transfer of influence to Hardy. With independence inevitable, Britain opted to trade its diminishing authority for financial and strategic returns. Hardy, in turn, assumed control of the region’s future.

Reactions and Tensions

While Hardy and Britain were satisfied with the arrangement, the Malayan sultans were deeply alarmed.

Previously, Britain had maintained a relatively diplomatic and conciliatory approach. Hardy, however, embodied a quintessentially American style—aggressive and results-driven. His actions in Johor had already showcased his ruthless methods.

Moreover, Hardy’s dominion was undergoing rapid militarization, further unsettling the region’s rulers. The question on everyone’s mind: Was Hardy preparing to turn his growing power against the sultans?

Singapore

Hardy’s private jet landed at Singapore Airport, where Governor Mountbatten led all the officials from the Governor’s Office to welcome him.

In the Past When Hardy was still the Governor of the Penang Dominion, he and Mountbatten were equals. Back then, when Hardy visited Singapore, Mountbatten would merely send his secretary to greet him.

Now Hardy’s status had drastically changed.

As the husband of Princess Margaret, a member of the royal family, and an Imperial Earl, Hardy’s son had also been granted Singapore Dominion as his fiefdom. Hardy’s elevated position made it necessary for Mountbatten to greet him personally.

Hardy stepped off the plane, and Mountbatten hurried forward to pay his respects.

"Hello, Governor Mountbatten. We meet again," Hardy said with a smile, extending his hand.

Mountbatten quickly clasped Hardy’s hand with both of his. "Welcome, Earl Hardy, to Singapore."

"I look forward to our cooperation in building Singapore together," Hardy replied.

"Of course, I’ll do my best to work with you," Mountbatten assured him.

Although Singapore had been granted to Hardy’s son, the governorship of Malaya was not assigned to Hardy but remained with Mountbatten. Other Malayan territories were still British colonies, with the Malayan Colonial Governor’s Office still headquartered in Singapore. However, these operations were now technically on Hardy’s territory, and all affairs concerning Singapore fell under Hardy’s jurisdiction.

Hardy now held three territories in Malaya: Penang, Malacca, and Singapore. The Johor region had been merged into Malacca, making Malacca ten times larger than before.

Initially, Queen Elizabeth had planned to appoint Hardy directly as the Governor of Malaya, but Hardy declined.

Why did Hardy refuse? If he became the Governor of Malaya, he would be solely responsible for everything that happened in the region. By not taking the position, Hardy could share the responsibility with Britain whenever issues arose.

On his first day in Singapore, Hardy held a press conference where he outlined his future plans for governing Singapore.

Similar to Penang and Malacca:

- All residents of the dominion were treated as equals with equal rights of citizenship.- Personal property rights were protected.- Freedom of language, script, and religion was guaranteed.- A parliamentary system was established, granting all individuals the right to participate in governance.

In conjunction with these announcements, Hardy mobilized residents from Penang and Malacca to connect with the businessmen community in Singapore, promoting the advantages of Penang and Malacca.

The businessmen of Singapore were the wealthiest and most influential group. By securing their loyalty, Hardy could effectively control Singapore.

The business communities in Penang, Malacca, and Singapore were often connected through family ties or close relationships. This network facilitated the swift acceptance of Hardy’s leadership in Singapore.

Then there are the Chinese communities. Typically, they only caused disturbances when their survival was at stake. When provided with a stable environment, they are among the most adaptable and cost-effective working classes.

Singapore’s later independence was largely accidental. The Chinese community had never initially sought independence; they were content with colonization and viewed it as the most normal thing since that was what they were accustomed to in their hometowns. Even when Malaya imposed heavy taxes on Singapore, the Chinese considered it only natural, as they were living in someone else’s territory.

Independence came only when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began using the Chinese population in Malaya as a pretext to interfere with Malayan sovereignty. In response, Malaya decided to grant Singapore the status of an independent nation in 1965 to prevent further CCP interference in the region.

But unlike the Malays, Hardy wasn’t afraid of the CCP. Hardy was a billionaire backed by both the British and the U.S., two countries that China was trying to stay under the radar of and avoid drawing attention from as much as possible. Given the CCP’s way of operating—fearing and obeying the strong while bullying the weak—it was unlikely they would interfere in the region. This is evident in how they handled Hong Kong previously. Despite their army being at Hong Kong’s doorstep, the territory remained a British colony.

With stability achieved, Hardy announced further reforms:

- Increased funding for education, including the establishment of Singapore University.- Free basic education with lunch provided in primary schools.

He also abolished discriminatory policies left by the British, which had favored the Jews, these included advantages in government positions, scholarships, education, and trade.

The changes provoked resistance from the Jews community, which began protests, riots, and even acts of vandalism. These movements were fueled by the colonial Sultans.

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