The Tyrant Billionaire

$200 billion. That's an unimaginably huge number to most people.
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"Hardy's speech criticized Japan, stating that its current miserable state was a result of imperialism and a Nazi-driven mentality, which had led to its war of aggression."

Japan should admit its mistakes, break away from these two ideologies, and become a country accepted by the international community before it can rejoin the global society.

At that moment, the Japanese Prime Minister bowed and admitted that starting the war had been a mistake. On behalf of Japan, he expressed remorse for that war. It was the first time a Japanese Prime Minister had publicly admitted and repented for the war.

The newspaper mentioned that Hardy would be Japan's new 'economic czar,' following in the footsteps of General MacArthur, the previous 'governor' of Japan, and speculated about what changes he would bring to Japan.

...

Meanwhile, Japan's new economic czar, Jon Hardy, was attending a welcome banquet at the Prime Minister's residence.

To be honest, the banquet was far less glamorous than those held by the British royal family. It was filled with men—just politicians and businessmen.

Among the attendees,

Hardy saw some names that would become famous in the future: Mitsubishi, Sumitomo, Mitsui, Toyota, Honda, and others.

After Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida gave a welcome speech, he invited Hardy to speak again. Hardy took the stage, his face stern and devoid of any smile.

The people in the audience could feel the pressure emanating from Hardy.

When Hardy spoke at the airport earlier, he had smiled, but that was for the public. He knew well that with the Japanese Zaibatsu, especially the Zaibatsu of this era, he could not afford to be too kind. Kindness was reserved for the common people struggling to make ends meet.

Yes, they had fought before and were once enemies, but he couldn't bring himself to be ruthless with unarmed men simply trying to feed their families. However, when it came to the Zaibatsu who had supported the war, he had no intention of showing any kindness at all.

"I bring three messages from President Johnson. I hope you will all remember them."

The audience immediately became more alert.

They straightened their posture.

"The first message: From now on, Japan must not engage in the production or research and development of military industries. This is a requirement of the Potsdam Agreement and of the United Nations."

"The second message: Japan must quickly reach self-sufficiency. Any aid has its limits. The United States has been aiding Japan for four years now, with over two billion dollars in investments. This cannot continue indefinitely."

"The third message: It is not impossible for Japan to return to the international community, but it must accept U.S.-led reforms, including in politics, economics, finance, military, and culture. Once Japan is on the path to becoming a civilized nation, rejoining the international community will be possible. At that time, the United States will support Japan's entry into the United Nations."

What Hardy said would be considered a national humiliation if directed at any other country.

But the Japanese reaction was quite the opposite; they were moved.

Since Japan's surrender at the end of World War II, the U.S. had imposed strict control and reforms on Japan, with some policies even harsher than those applied to Germany.

Secondly, Japan was currently an occupied nation, and it was going to regain its freedom without having to fight for it.

MacArthur hadn't given them hope, but Hardy's 3rd message offered them a future.

As long as they underwent the reforms, they could regain their freedom.

When a person is lost in the darkness without direction, their heart is filled with immense fear. But when a glimmer of light appears ahead, no matter how faint it may be, they will summon all their strength to run toward that light.

This is exactly the bait that Hardy has laid out, giving the Japanese a reason to convince themselves as they undergo future reforms.

To regain their freedom and return to being a sovereign nation.

Any sacrifice becomes bearable.

As the special envoy for Japan's economic affairs, everyone was well aware of Hardy's close relationship with President Johnson, making Hardy's words highly credible.

So the Japanese reacted with great enthusiasm.

Hardy glanced at the audience and continued, "At the airport, I mentioned that Japan's future development path will focus on an 'outward oriented economy.' The delegation will prioritize supporting the livelihood industries."

"Today, the United States holds the largest market in the world and has a high demand for various products. The direction for Japanese companies should be to target the American market. Simply put, whatever America needs, Japan should produce."

"The United States leads the world in military and heavy industries—no one can dispute that. Therefore, it would be unwise for Japan to pursue development in those areas. Japan's development focus should be, first, on consumer goods, and second, on light industrial industries."

"Consumer goods encompass a wide range, including clothing, shoes, glassware, ceramics, furniture, household appliances, toys, fishing gear, cameras, film, musical instruments, medicine, cosmetics, and anything related to daily life. All of these have substantial markets."

"Light industrial industries include automobile parts, machine components, electronic parts, precision instruments, construction machinery, various factory equipment, and home appliances."

Many people understood at that moment—Hardy intended to turn Japan into an industrial base and a supporting factory for the United States.

This was undoubtedly good news for Japan's livelihood industries, as most of their factories were currently at a standstill. If these factories could resume normal operations, it would significantly alleviate the current predicament.

"As you know, there are many companies in Japan, and it is impossible to support them all. Our plan is to support some, while the rest will be allowed to 'develop freely.'"

Many entrepreneurs felt a jolt of anxiety.

Supporting some.

Leaving the rest to 'develop freely.'

"Free development" sounded nice, but in reality, it meant abandonment.

Of course, they all wanted to receive support and not be among those abandoned. In the current situation, being abandoned meant certain death.