The Tyrant Billionaire

Yamaha.

Originally a musical instrument company, Yamaha produced large quantities of aircraft parts during the war, and some of its factories were seized.

Nikon.

Nikon specialized in optical equipment. During World War II, it supplied all of the Japanese military's binoculars, targeting sights, rangefinders, aerial cameras, and periscopes.

NEC.

During the war, together with Sumitomo Electric, NEC produced radar systems, wireless phones, vacuum tubes, and other electronic and semiconductor equipment for the Japanese army.

Nissan.

Nissan produced large numbers of military trucks and vehicles during World War II.

Isuzu.

Isuzu provided armored vehicles, tractors, and military trucks for the Japanese army during the war.

Nakajima Aircraft Company.

Nakajima was one of the leading suppliers of fighter planes to the Japanese military during World War II, competing with Mitsubishi and Fuji. As a pure military contractor, Nakajima was completely seized and dismantled after the war.

Hitachi.

During the war, Hitachi produced military ships, tanks, engines for military planes, and various parts. Some of its factories were seized.

Hino.

Hino was the company that produced the engines for the Kamikaze planes. It also supplied parts for tanks, armored vehicles, military trucks, and tractors. All factories involved in military production were seized.

Additionally, there were companies producing bullets, chemicals, and logistical supplies for the military.

In total, there were about 300 companies.

Hardy thought to himself, even if he only took over these 300 companies, it would be enough to satisfy the seven major financial groups. As the 'Economic Envoy,' the government had given him the power to manage these companies.

Hardy was definitely going to take full advantage of this power.

If you don't use the power you have, it's wasted.

As he continued reading,

the materials also outlined the current state of Japan's large companies, including banks, commercial firms, heavy industries, electronics manufacturers, breweries, glass factories, steel mills, petrochemical companies, automotive companies, real estate firms, semiconductor companies, telecommunications firms, medical companies, textile companies, food companies, and more.

In total, there were over 600 companies.

After the U.S. occupied Japan, it remained highly vigilant, implementing economic policies aimed at suppressing and weakening Japan.

The Japanese zaibatsu (financial conglomerates) were dismantled, and large corporations were broken up. Previously powerful financial groups were all split apart, and strict controls were placed on finance and foreign trade.

In the years following the war, more than 40,000 pieces of machinery and equipment were taken and distributed among Philippines and Southeast Asian countries. Find exclusive stories on empire

Japan's domestic economy was on the verge of collapse, with factories operating at half capacity. Last year, the total output value of all Japanese companies combined was only a few million dollars, less than that of a single American company.

But from the list, Hardy could still see Japan's underlying potential. As long as they got some breathing room, these companies would quickly revive and grow.

Hardy spent an entire day reviewing the list, thinking deeply. Then, he called to convene the first meeting of the investment group, bringing together representatives from other financial groups.

A day later, the representatives selected by the various financial groups to lead their Japan investments began arriving in Los Angeles. They gathered at Hardy's Beverly Hills estate, where they met again.

Hardy also had Andy join the meeting.

Looking around at the dozen or so attendees, Hardy smiled and said, "You all should have received the list of Japanese companies. What are your thoughts after going through it?"

The vice president of Morgan Stanley spoke up: "Japan's financial sector is very fragile right now. The government has no money, the banks have no money, and the people have no money. I see this as an excellent opportunity for us to absorb their banking industry and assets."

Bankers see things differently than most. Where others might wonder how to make money when there's no money around, bankers see the lack of funds as the perfect time to offer loans and acquire assets.

The vice president of Rockefeller chimed in: "Japan's industrial chain is very comprehensive. From the Meiji Restoration until now, Japan has been learning from Europe, with rapid industrial development. They also have a mature workforce, and compared to the U.S., Japanese labor is extremely cheap—only a quarter or a fifth of American wages—making it ideal for industrial manufacturing."

Others also shared their opinions.

Everyone could see where the profit lay.

Hardy then said, "The reason I called you here is that, before we go to Japan, I want us to come up with a plan of action that will allow us to maximize profits."

Hearing Hardy's words, smiles appeared on everyone's faces.

They were capitalists, and making money was their favorite thing. The idea of maximizing profits was music to their ears.

"Mr. Hardy, what are your thoughts? After all, you're the leader of this delegation," someone said with a smile.

Hardy smiled back.

"Today, I want to focus on the Japanese military industry companies that were seized by the U.S. military. There are about 300 of these companies. During the war, they supplied the Japanese army with a large number of military products, and after the occupation, these companies were shut down."

"I once asked President Johnson, and he made it clear that these companies fall under the jurisdiction of the Economic Guidance Corps."

"I reviewed the list. It includes a variety of companies: eight major shipbuilders, four aircraft manufacturers, five automotive manufacturers, dozens of component suppliers, and many others, totaling more than 300 companies."

"Some of these factories have already been dismantled, with the machinery sent to Philippines, China and other Southeast Asian countries as part of the reparations. Some, however, have yet to be taken apart. The equipment isn't the biggest issue—the land and factories are still intact, and those alone represent a significant asset.

"I have an idea. If any of you are interested, let's discuss how to handle these companies."

The seasoned businesspeople in the room were all well aware of the value of these assets.

Of course, The key factor would be the price.

The vice president of Rockefeller asked, "It's possible some of these factories have already been stripped bare. How would these assets be priced, Mr. Hardy?"

Hardy shrugged.

"I don't know how they'll be priced. Technically, those assets no longer belong to Japan—they've been seized by the U.S. So, the price will be determined by the U.S. government."

"My thought is this: we gather here, and we assign each industry a 'reasonable' price. Once we get the president and Congress to approve that price, we can buy them ourselves. That way, we can 'legally' acquire these assets."

Hardy emphasized the words "reasonable" and "legal" heavily.

Everyone in the room, experienced and shrewd, immediately understood what Hardy was suggesting, and smiles appeared on their faces.

Hardy continued, "Once we've set the prices, we can discuss among ourselves who will buy which companies. Once Congress approves the prices, the purchases can be completed directly. What do you all think?"

"I think Mr. Hardy's idea is excellent!" the representative from the Texas financial group said enthusiastically.

"I support Mr. Hardy's suggestion," agreed the representative from the Cleveland financial group.

Setting your own prices and buying the assets yourself. Playing both athlete and referee. How could this not be a profitable venture?