The Tyrant Billionaire

"That's not guaranteed. If you leave, we'll hire new workers. We won't wait around for you, and you know how many people are looking for work right now," Huo Qingtong explained.

"Then we're not going back!" someone quickly replied.

"Yeah, there's food and shelter here, and we get paid. Where can we find such good work back home?" another person shouted.

"I've brought a shipment of fresh vegetables this time. After everyone eats, we'll continue working," Huo Qingtong said.
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Hearing about fresh vegetables, the workers became even more excited. They hadn't had any fresh greens for days; the only vegetable they had eaten was boiled seaweed.

Although most people didn't want to leave, a small group still decided to return. Out of over a thousand workers, only about a dozen had fallen ill due to the conditions, but the number was small.

The second ship quickly returned to Hong Kong, where it was received and directly transported to the steel mill. These buyers didn't withhold any payment. Once the goods entered the warehouse, they immediately settled the bill, and Huo Qingtong received 1.7 million Hong Kong dollars in cash.

Hong Kong was in the midst of rapid construction, especially with the Hardy Group's industrial zone, which required large quantities of steel. Additionally, more steel using enterprises were emerging in the industrial zone, such as factories producing nails and wires. The Hong Kong steel mill had no trouble selling its products, and there was even a shortage of raw materials.

The mill was more than happy to buy everything Huo Qingtong brought, paying in cash.

Huo Qingtong knew he couldn't rely on China for steady business. Their economy was struggling, and they often bartered with goods like medicinal herbs and sea products that were not in high demand. What he needed was cash to pay the workers and purchase daily necessities, not seafood or items that took time to convert into money.

He had already adjusted his strategy:

One part of his business would involve selling weapons to China—since arms were always in demand—but beyond that, there was no point in engaging. Instead, he set his sights on other Asian markets like the Philippines, where cash flowed more readily. The rest of the goods would be exported to these countries, ensuring a more stable financial return.

The Hong Kong steel mills were another reliable buyer for cash transactions.

He also expanded his workforce, hiring 500 more workers at the port.

This time, he sent them to the islands near Okinawa, dropping off personnel, supplies, and tents. Several Triad members were put in charge, with instructions to gather the island's materials. In a few days, they would come back and load the goods onto the ship.

Back on Iwo Jima, the ships were already loaded, The buisness of scrap materials had officially entered a stable rhythm.

Huo Qingtong did some calculations: At the very least, he could sell three shipments per month. Estimating at $200,000 per shipment, that amounted to $600,000. Ship rental and operational costs would be around $50,000, labor wages approximately $20,000, and food expenses around $6,000.

That meant a net profit of $520,000 per month.

The Triad could take $100,000, while the trading company would make $420,000.

The last time he went back, Mr. Hardy had called him over, expressing his satisfaction with his work and deciding to give him a 5% management share of the trading company.

This meant that Huo Qingtong could earn more than $20,000 a month.

He clenched his fists in excitement, trying to contain his emotions.

Twenty thousand dollars, or 160,000 Hong Kong dollars—something he had never dared to dream of before. He knew those factories in the industrial area; even with thriving businesses, they made only a few hundred thousand dollars a year.

But if his trading company could rent more ships and expand further, they might earn five million dollars a year, and his share would be over $200,000.

Mr. Hardy even said that if he performed well, his management shares could increase, and he might even be given company shares. With such a generous boss, how could he not give it his all?

As he was thinking, someone came running from afar in a panic.

"Qingtong, there's something big!"

"What is it?" Huo Qingtong asked in alarm.

"They found a warehouse on the island. It was sealed, but when they broke it open, they found a lot of U.S. military supplies, including ammunition and shells. What should we do?"

Huo Qingtong was startled as well.

"Let's go check it out."

He led a group to the warehouse several miles away. The warehouse was underground, built in a concealed location. The material collectors had been working along the coast, where there was an abundance of scrap metal, but as they moved inland, they discovered this warehouse.

The warehouse was about 300 square meters in size.

Inside were piles of weapons and firearms—Type 38 rifles, machine guns—both American and Japanese models. There were also boxes of shells. Huo Qingtong couldn't tell what type they were.

However, one of the workers, a man in his thirties, stepped forward and said, "I used to be in the artillery unit. There are several types of shells here. These are Japanese mortar shells, those are Japanese howitzer shells, and these are American shells."

At this moment, an old soldier said, "Judging by the situation here, it seems that after the battle, the U.S. military gathered some of the better materials and sealed them up, probably planning to come back for them later. But no one has returned since, and they've long been forgotten."

Huo Qingtong remembered the boss once told him that the U.S. military is the wealthiest in the world, with enough funding to arm its soldiers several times over, leaving plenty of resources to spare. The U.S. would never rely on old, outdated weaponry. Weapons that have rusted and aged bring a multitude of dangers, making them highly unreliable in any combat scenario.

For instance, structural weaknesses can cause firearms to break or misfire, potentially injuring the user or those nearby. Firearm malfunctions are another serious risk—an old gun could jam at a critical moment, or worse, explode due to compromised internal mechanisms. Explosives in outdated shells pose an even graver threat.

The chemicals inside may have deteriorated over time, making them unstable and prone to premature detonation, harming both the operator and their comrades.