The Tyrant Billionaire

News of the attack in Surabaya spread rapidly, reaching the international community within hours.

It was clear that Hardy was behind the attack.

After months of escalating tensions and verbal sparring, the conflict had reached a breaking point. Few anticipated that Hardy would act so decisively and swiftly.

Public opinion, shaped by Hardy’s narrative, was unsympathetic to Indonesia. Many viewed the attack as a justified response to injustice.

That afternoon.

The Indonesian president announced that the attack had resulted in 569 casualties—514 soldiers and 55 civilians, though the "civilians" were, in truth, the gang members and riot leaders.

Speaking to reporters, he condemned the act: "This is a blatant invasion. Indonesia is a sovereign nation. For them to send warships and aircraft is a clear provocation. We will retaliate with full force."

A reporter asked, "Are you planning to declare war?"

"If they do not apologize and compensate us, Indonesia will consider going to war," the president declared emphatically.

In Penang.

Hardy also gave an interview.

A reporter asked, "Count Hardy, was the attack on Surabaya’s military forces orchestrated by your dominion?"

Hardy shook his head.

"No, this was not the work of my dominion. My dominion is a place of peace, cleanliness, vitality, and love. It is not a place for war."AN: ’The hypocrisy, but everyone is doing it, so...’

The reporter pressed, "But eyewitnesses confirm that the warships and aircraft involved belonged to HD mercenary group."

"That’s correct," Hardy acknowledged.

The reporter was puzzled. "Then how can you claim your dominion was not involved?"

Hardy smiled and explained, "You seem to misunderstand. Hardy’s dominion and the HD Mercenary Group are not affiliated in any legal capacity."

"My dominion is a British territory, my personal fiefdom, and my son’s as well. Meanwhile, the HD Mercenary Group is a U.S.-based company. Though they both belong to me, they are legally distinct."

The reporter, confused, asked, "Does that make a difference?"

"It makes a significant difference. To clarify, the attack on Surabaya was indeed carried out by the HD Mercenary Group, but it was simply fulfilling a client’s contract. It was business."

"The mercenary group operates independently as a company within my dominion. Legally speaking, it does not represent my dominion."

The reporter, nearly overwhelmed by the convoluted explanation, felt like Hardy was performing a comedy routine.

Soon after, newspapers reported Hardy’s statement.

Hardy openly admitted that the attack was carried out by the HD Mercenary Group. However, he emphasized that this was the act of a private company and had nothing to do with his dominion.

’Basically, what the U.S. did in Iraq: it invaded with its army, but the genocide and war crimes were committed by the mercenary companies they employed. These mercenaries also wore the same uniforms.’

Indonesia rejected this explanation outright. @@novelbin@@

Hardy was clearly shirking responsibility, blaming the attack on a corporate action. But what if Indonesia sent troops to Hardy’s dominion to apprehend the perpetrators? How would Hardy react?

Hardy later issued a warning: "Such an act would be an invasion, and my dominion would respond with the utmost force."

To be honest, Indonesia was just posturing. They didn’t truly have the courage to launch a direct attack on Hardy’s dominion. After all, it was still a British territory, and attacking Hardy’s dominion would be tantamount to declaring war on Britain.

Although Britain was no longer the global superpower it once was, it was still far beyond Indonesia’s ability to confront at the moment. After all, it hadn’t been long since Indonesia gained its independence, let alone acquired modern weapons. Even its ranks were in complete disarray.

Subsequently, Indonesia filed a complaint against Hardy at the United Nations.

This matter involved both the United Kingdom and the United States. The British representative to the UN responded, stating that the incident was unrelated to Hardy’s dominion. The HD Mercenary Group was an American company, and its actions were beyond Britain’s control.

Of course, the British representative also issued a warning to the Indonesian delegation:"Hardy’s dominion is British territory. Any attack on Hardy’s dominion would be equivalent to declaring war on Britain. The United Kingdom would then unite with all its allies to launch the most severe retaliation against anyone daring to invade British soil."

The Indonesian representative was utterly furious. This went beyond shamelessly covering for their allies; the Western countries were literally bullying them.

Not only did they fail to win the case, but they were also openly threatened by Britain.

Next, they lodged a protest with the United States, arguing that HD Mercenary Group, being an American company, was the U.S.’s responsibility. They demanded that the attackers be identified and handed over to Indonesia for prosecution.

"Even if it was a commercial act, killing is still a crime," they argued.

The American representative gave the Indonesian delegation a disinterested glance and replied: "This incident occurred in Indonesia, while the company is based in a British territory. What does it have to do with the United States? Is America expected to oversee the behavior of every overseas company?"

"This discussion at the UN General Assembly is laughable. You’re wasting everyone’s time."

"If you wanted to hold someone accountable, you should have apprehended them during the operation and then brought them to justice through legal proceedings."

"Frankly, this is your problem to solve."

The U.S. was a global leader in creating conflicts and equally adept at shirking responsibility.

Indonesia was left fuming.

Upon learning of the stances taken by Britain and the United States, the Indonesian president realized that these two nations were clearly shielding Hardy. What could they do now? Launch an attack on Hardy’s dominion? That was out of the question, given Britain’s warnings.

Eventually, they devised a plan: Blockade the strait, intercept ships.

Currently, Penang, Malacca, and Singapore were undergoing massive development. Moreover, Hardy had significant business interests in Hong Kong and Japan, all of which relied heavily on maritime transport. Hardy Corporation’s ships traversed the Strait of Malacca continuously.

Indonesia dispatched two warships.

These ships positioned themselves at the entrance to the Malacca Strait, inspecting passing vessels. Any ship identified as belonging to Hardy Corporation was forcibly turned away.

If a ship refused, the warships even fired warning shots. Continue reading at NovelBin.Côm

Upon receiving reports from his subordinates, Hardy immediately convened a meeting with his strategic research team. They formulated a plan of action.

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