The Tyrant Billionaire

Victor, who was monitoring the entire transaction from a distance, relayed the details back to Hardy.

"Boss, the CCP had no choice but to pay in gold and jewelry," Victor reported over the phone. "Qingtong handled everything well. Would you like me to bring the items over for inspection?"

"What kind of jewelry?" Hardy asked, intrigued.

"A few chests full of gold bars, rubies, sapphires, jade, and pearls. Qingtong sent the worthless items back, but the real value lies in the gemstones and precious metals," Victor replied.

Hardy was interested and made his way to the auction house. The appraisers were busy evaluating the gemstones. A batch of rubies, with the largest weighing over 30 carats, caught Hardy's eye. It was a deep pigeon blood red, and the appraisers valued it at around $30,000.

Next were the sapphires. One stone, weighing over 50 carats, was estimated to be worth $80,000. The smaller gemstones ranged from one carat and up, as Hardy had insisted only the best pieces be included.

As for jade, dozens of top-quality mutton-fat jade pieces were laid out, the largest the size of a suitcase. Among them was a particularly exquisite necklace made of imperial green jade beads, which Hardy found stunning.

"This one's for Irina," he decided. "Get it re-polished and sent to me."

"Yes, boss," Victor nodded.

Hardy paused to examine some of the other items, his mind already calculating their worth. "As for the rubies and sapphires, don't sell them. I'll take them back to the U.S. and have them made into jewelry. With so many women in my life, I need to be prepared," Hardy said with a grin.

Victor chuckled. "Planning ahead, huh?"

"Of course. And they can't be simple gifts. Take Elizabeth Taylor, for instance. By the time she turns 18, she'll need something more impressive." Hardy's thoughts were already on the future. Though it seemed like there was still time, he knew that it would pass quickly.

...

Huo Qingtong didn't stay long in Hong Kong. After unloading the cargo and restocking some daily necessities, he immediately returned to Iwo Jima, as the second ship should have already been loaded.

However, upon arriving at Iwo Jima, he discovered a small military vessel anchored in the harbor, with its cannons aimed at the shore. All the workers onshore were gathered at the camp.

Looking at the flag on the warship, it was the American flag. Huo Qingtong instantly knew it was an American warship.
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After the Americans occupied Japan, they established military bases in several locations, and these islands were within their patrol range. They must have noticed the transport of goods and decided to investigate.

As soon as Huo Qingtong disembarked, a Triad manager hurriedly approached him with a nervous expression, saying, "Qingtong, the Americans have arrived and issued a warning. We had no choice but to stop the work. Look at that warship, its cannons are aimed right at us."

Huo Qingtong glanced at the warship and said, "Don't worry. I'll go talk to them. Is the second ship fully loaded?"

"It's been ready for a while, just waiting for you to return."

Huo Qingtong boarded a small ferry and approached the American warship. The American soldiers noticed the approaching boat and issued a warning. Huo Qingtong began negotiations, explaining the purpose of his visit. Eventually, the captain agreed to let him aboard.

Standing high above him, the captain looked down at Huo Qingtong and asked, "Are you in charge here? Do you realize that the materials on these islands belong to the U.S. military? You've violated American law."

Huo Qingtong, undeterred, politely replied in English, "Captain, we have legitimate permits for gathering these materials."

"Permits? Who issued these permits?" The captain frowned.

Huo Qingtong pulled out a letter of authorization from Victor and handed it to the captain. The captain took it and found that it was an official document from the U.S. Logistics Department.

"Hardy Corporation? You're from Hardy Corporation?" The captain seemed to recognize the name.

"Of course. These are the documents for both of our ships," Huo Qingtong replied, presenting the ship's paperwork, all registered under Hardy Shipping.

After reviewing the documents, the captain nodded.

"Alright, finally someone is willing to take this junk away. OK, from now on, it's all yours," the captain said cheerfully.

"Captain, are you in charge of this patrol?" Huo Qingtong asked.

"Yes, we are from the Okinawa base," the captain replied.

"In the future, our company will be collecting post war materials from all the nearby islands. We'd appreciate your support," Huo Qingtong said as he discreetly handed over a roll of U.S. dollars, roughly 10,000 in total.

The captain's face lit up with a smile. "No problem. You're working with a U.S. company, and you have orders from the Logistics Department. You're pretty much one of us. Go ahead and conduct your business with confidence."

Not all bribes are for services some are for goodwill.

"Oh, by the way, there are still a lot of abandoned items on the islands around Okinawa. Every time we patrol, it's such an eyesore, like a persistent rash. We hope you can clean those up soon," the captain said.

"Don't worry, it won't take long," Huo Qingtong replied with a smile.

This is the value of mutual good will.

Everyone left satisfied.

After disembarking and returning to the camp, all the workers stared at him with hopeful eyes. Huo Qingtong climbed onto a cart and shouted, "Everyone, don't worry. It was just a misunderstanding. We are a legitimate U.S. company, and everything we're doing here is a lawful act."

"Good! Great!"

Hearing that there was no problem, the workers cheered in relief.

Earlier, with the cannons aimed at them, they had been terrified.

"I heard the second ship is full. I'll be heading back to Hong Kong soon. Is there anyone who wants to leave with me?" Huo Qingtong asked.

"Can we come back after we leave?" someone shouted.