The Tyrant Billionaire

Hardy refused to tolerate the unrest. "We have justice on our side," he declared.

As the rightful ruler of the dominion, Hardy acted decisively. He deployed security forces to arrest all rioters.

During the conflict:

- Dozens of Jews protesters were shot dead.- Leaders of the unrest were arrested, and many were executed.

Several Malayan sultans lodged complaints with the British government about the human rights violations, but Britain dismissed the matter as an internal issue of the dominion. Attempts to garner international support also failed, as media outlets showed little interest in covering an event involving a few thousand Jews rioting in a relatively obscure place called Malaysia.

Even the U.S. government refrained from involvement. With no external support, the Jews protests eventually subsided.

From this point, Singapore formally became part of Hardy’s domain.

July 1953 In Panmunjom, China, the U.S., and North Korea signed the Korean Armistice Agreement and the Temporary Supplementary Agreement to end hostilities. This marked the conclusion of the three-year Korean War.

Around the same time, Indonesia announced a new policy...

Increasing Restrictions on Foreign Investment in Indonesia

Indonesia implemented stricter regulations on foreign investments, explicitly stating that collaborations between foreign investors andIndonesianenterprises would face even tighter restrictions.

It was clear to everyone that this measure targeted the international capital investment__and specifically Hardy.

Hardy Investment Group had the largest collaborations with enterprises in Indonesia, with assets already exceeding $200 million. Essentially, Indonesia aimed to seize these assets for itself, barring foreign involvement.

After this policy was announced, Hardy Group immediately questioned the Indonesian government, arguing that the decision would severely impact their investments. However, the Indonesian government ignored Hardy’s protests.

Hardy refrained from taking further action but usedThe Global Timesto frequently criticize Indonesia’s investment environment, portraying the country as uncivilized and unfree.

This was part of a larger propaganda strategy: tarnish the opponent’s reputation so that any retaliatory action could be seen as justifiable.

For now, Hardy decided to wait patiently—time was on his side.

Time Flies

More than a year passed, bringing us to 1954.

During this time, Hardy Group continued to grow at an extraordinary pace. Its organizational structure evolved, dividing its businesses into several "sectors" instead of individual companies:

-U.S. Sector:Encompassing all American enterprises: Wells Fargo, ABC Television, Las Vegas casinos, Hardy Supermarkets,The Global Times, Hardy Airlines, Western Petroleum, Hardy Mining, and over 40 other companies.-British Sector:Investments in the UK exceeded $1.5 billion, an astronomical figure for the time.-European Sector:All European projects, including shipping companies and luxury industries, were consolidated here.-Cayman Sector:Offshore companies, casinos, and banks transformed the Cayman Islands into a true tax haven, attracting countless wealthy individuals. Billions of dollars flowed through the Caymans annually, with Hardy earning hefty fees from money laundering operations.- Japanese Sector:Collaborating with the U.S. consortium and Japan’s seven major zaibatsu, Hardy managed over 300 companies, including banks, shipping lines, red-light districts, TV stations, and film studios. Although Hardy no longer served as Japan’s special envoy, his influence remained significant.

-Hong Kong Sector:This included industrial parks, trading companies, real estate, racecourses, and pharmaceutical enterprises in Hong Kong.-Hardy Dominion Sector:This covered Penang, Malacca, and Singapore, which were still under heavy investment and development but had immense potential for the future.

Population Growth in the Dominion

After incorporating Singapore, Hardy’s Dominion saw a surge in population. With the implementation of favorable policies, immigrants—primarily Asian immigrants—flocked from surrounding countries.

By 1954, the Dominion’s population exceeded 2 million, a significant increase from the original 1.6 million.

Military Development

The past year also brought significant advancements in the Dominion’s military capabilities:

-Army:The defense company established multiple land, sea, and air force bases in Singapore, Penang, and the interior of Johor. The armed forces included 24,000 marines.-Air Force:Equipped with 356 aircraft of various types.-Navy:Featured 16 large ships (frigates and above), 56 smaller vessels (including torpedo boats), and 2 submarines, along with landing ships, repair ships, tugboats, and supply ships.

Hardy acquired most of these military assets from decommissioned or surplus U.S. equipment at minimal cost. However, maintaining such a large private army required substantial financial resources, which Hardy’s vast wealth could sustain.

While Hardy was in Las Vegas planning new investments for the city, his assistant interrupted with urgent news.

"Boss, we’ve received an emergency telegram from Penang Dominion. There’s been an incident in Indonesia."

Hardy read the telegram, his eyes flashing with cold light.

The Surabaya Incident

In various locations across Indonesia, anti-American investment protests had escalated into organized violence, with the clear intent of seizing assets. @@novelbin@@

Indonesia was struggling economically due to its inefficient and unmotivated workforce. While eager for development, the government was unwilling to allow foreign businesses to dominate and therefore tightened its grip on foreign enterprises.

The latest unrest occurred in Surabaya, the capital of East Java Province and Indonesia’s second-largest city. Surabaya had a population of about one million.

The violence included:

-A rubber processing plant:Thousands of rioters stormed the factory, assaulted workers, smashed equipment, and set the building on fire.-A foreign trade company’s warehouse:Stocked with sugar, coffee, tobacco, teak, and spices valued at approximately $300,000, the warehouse was looted entirely.

Both businesses were partners of the Hardy Group, and many other foreign enterprises and shops suffered attacks, with over 50 businesses reporting significant losses.

- Over 100 people injured.- Three fatalities, including Hamid saadani, a technical advisor from Penang’s rubber company, who had been sent to the Surabaya factory.

Hamid saadani, a Hardy Group employee and a resident of Penang, was among the dead.

Hardy immediately decided to fly to Penang.

Before departing, he instructed his secretary:"Send a telegram to the Dominion, demanding that they lodge a formal protest with the Indonesian government. Insist that all rioters involved in the violence be arrested and severely punished."

"Those responsible for the killings must pay with their lives. The Indonesian government must also compensate Hardy Group for all losses. If this matter isn’t resolved satisfactorily, Hardy Group will take action."

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