The Tyrant Billionaire

During World War II, MacArthur had shown no respect for General Marshall or other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He even openly criticized his commander-in-chief, much to the frustration of Washington's officials.

At the time, Secretary of War Henry Stimson openly stated, "MacArthur's personality is unbearable, and he has offended everyone he has worked with in the Army and Navy. He even distrusts his own subordinates."

Hardy suspected that MacArthur was deliberately targeting him.

He sent someone to call Duncan from the intelligence company that had been sent to Japan. When the call connected, Hardy asked Duncan to investigate MacArthur's current whereabouts.

It didn't take long for Duncan to call back. "Boss, MacArthur's car left his residence and headed toward the Yokosuka Naval Base. Our people saw him sitting in the car."

So, it was now 100% confirmed.

MacArthur was indeed targeting Hardy.

A slow smile spread across Hardy's face.

He wasn't particularly bothered by MacArthur's tactics. Although MacArthur was the supreme ruler of Japan, he didn't have authority over Hardy, as Hardy was only responsible for economic matters.

MacArthur's actions could only annoy Hardy, but they wouldn't have any significant effect.

Given the situation,

Hardy decided to hold off on the factory takeovers. He convened a meeting with the leaders of the seven major conglomerates to update them on the situation, including MacArthur's refusal to meet and his supposed trip to inspect the base.

The conglomerate leaders were furious.

"Our acquisitions were approved by the president and Congress. What gives MacArthur the right to block us?!" one of them said angrily.

"MacArthur has always been arrogant, and perhaps he's upset that we proceeded with these factory deals without consulting him," another said.

"But this is an economic matter; there was no need to consult him," someone else added. Explore new worlds at empire

"Exactly, but maybe he feels we've challenged his authority in Japan."

The group's guesses were mostly accurate. MacArthur was indeed creating obstacles, and everyone found it amusing. Such behavior was unbecoming of a mature statesman, and it had unwittingly antagonized the seven major conglomerates.

However, given MacArthur's personality, it was entirely plausible.

"What should we do next? MacArthur could be away for a while, possibly a month or even two to three months," asked the vice president of Morgan Stanley.

Hardy calmly responded, "We'll have to wait until he returns. We certainly won't engage in any conflict with the soldiers; that would be absurd."

"The Japanese Prime Minister's office has invited us to a welcome banquet tomorrow evening. After the banquet, we'll move on to the second phase and begin our other acquisition plans. I don't believe MacArthur will stay away forever."

"That's all we can do for now," someone sighed.

"MacArthur once declared his intention to run for president. A man like him—impulsive and stubborn—would make a terrible president," another added.

"Haha, well, I certainly won't be supporting him."

Hardy found it amusing. MacArthur had managed to alienate all seven major conglomerates. He was certainly a unique character.

After the meeting,

Hardy, wary of phone surveillance, asked Duncan to come to the hotel to meet him. "Duncan, I have a tough assignment for you. This must be done with utmost care and discretion."

Duncan remained composed, his expression unchanged.

"Go ahead, boss."

"Investigate MacArthur. He's been in Japan for years and has likely taken plenty of bribes. I want you to look into who has bribed him, what favors he's done in return, how much national interest he's sold out, and where all that money is stored."

Duncan nodded.

"I understand, boss. I'll investigate thoroughly."

...

Hardy's speech in Japan not only caused a sensation there but also attracted attention elsewhere.

In the United States.

President Johnson, after reading the report in the Global Times, smiled and said to Michael next to him: "Hardy went to Japan with a clear objective. Do you know what he told me before he left?"

Michael shook his head.

"Hardy said, 'Japan cannot become a burden, but even more so, it cannot become a threat. We can use it as a stepping stone, but we must not allow it a chance to rise again.'"

"Hardy said that Japan should be restricted in terms of its industrial development, and we should use public opinion to continually suppress it. They can have wealth, but they cannot have power."

"The first thing he did when he arrived in Japan was to make the Japanese admit their mistakes in the war, suppressing them mentally. Haha, I think he did an excellent job. Honestly, Hardy would make a great politician, but he's just not too willing to be one."

Michael said: "Hardy and I talked about Japan before. He said we should always be on guard with that country because he once fought against the Japanese and witnessed their potential and madness. The obedience they show now is a forced compromise. But if given a chance to rise again, the madness within them will resurface."

"He said that if Japan ever rises and the U.S. declines, the first country they would seek revenge on would definitely be the United States. They will never forget the hatred caused by the two atomic bombs."

Johnson's expression turned colder.

He was the one who gave the order to drop the atomic bombs, and he figured the Japanese must privately harbor intense hatred toward him.

Johnson said in a deep voice:

"That's why the restrictions must continue, and we must always remain vigilant. When I step down as president, I'll write this into the 'Presidential Diary' and hand it to the next president."

The Global Times featured a front page report detailing Hardy's arrival in Japan as the special envoy for economic guidance.

The Japanese Prime Minister, accompanied by his entire cabinet and a large group of entrepreneurs, went to the airport to welcome him. Hardy's team was extraordinarily impressive, consisting of representatives from the seven major U.S. financial groups.

The newspaper focused on these seven major financial groups, listing dozens of well known American companies under their control. It concluded with a statement that the total assets controlled by these groups exceeded $200 billion.