The Tyrant Billionaire

"Do you like the story?" Hardy asked.

"I've read Hemingway's novel before, and I really like the story," Ava said.

Hardy smiled.

"If you like it, then go for it. There's no need to worry. This year's 'Super Idol' final will be held on Christmas Eve, and you'll have six months free in the first half of next year, which is perfect for shooting a movie. In the second half, you can continue being a mentor for the second season of 'Super Idol.'"

Ava nodded happily, pleased that Hardy had not only agreed but also arranged for her to continue as a mentor next year.

It was worth noting that the 'Super Idol' show had not only made her a lot of money but had also significantly boosted her fame, so she was reluctant to give it up.

The elections had ended, but Hardy wasn't in a rush to rejoin the delegation. The group was now in Belgium, and the next stops were Norway and Switzerland.

As for those countries, Hardy wasn't particularly interested in investing there.

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He had his eyes on three industries: shipping, banking, and luxury goods. He believed in focusing on these areas and doing them well rather than spreading his resources too thin. As long as these three sectors were well-managed, the returns wouldn't be any less than other investments.

As for luxury goods, Italy, France, and, to a lesser extent, the UK, were the places he was most interested in.

So, for the rest of the delegation's trip, Hardy left it to Andy to handle. If any major issues arose, Andy would communicate with Hardy via telegram. Hardy planned to rejoin the delegation once they reached the UK.

The next day, Hardy went to the security company.

After two years of development, HD Security had become the largest security company in the U.S., with over 5,000 employees providing a range of services: bank security, airport security, corporate department security, bodyguards for celebrities and politicians, and even city patrol teams in collaboration with the police.

The intelligence division had been spun off into an independent company called HD Intelligence, a subsidiary of HD Security, and was overseen by Henry.

Currently, the intelligence company had around 500 employees.

The security company was now turning a profit. After deducting all costs, they had made over $5 million last year, and this year's performance was even better.

However, Hardy hadn't taken a penny of the profits. Bonuses were distributed where deserved, and any remaining money was reinvested into the company's growth. Hardy never expected HD Security to be a major source of income for him—he had plenty of other ways to make money. What he wanted from HD Security was strength.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

When Hardy met with Ranst, he said, "The plan we discussed earlier—it's time to put it into action. Are you ready?"

Ranst nodded enthusiastically, "I've been ready for a while."

Hardy was planning to elevate HD Security to the next level by establishing a partnership with the Department of Defense.

He was no longer satisfied with just cooperating with the police.

What could HD Security do for the Department of Defense?

A lot. Hardy was planning to create a separate "HD Mercenary Corps" that could help the government handle situations they couldn't publicly intervene in.

Let's take a simple example:

If an American citizen were to be kidnapped abroad for political reasons, sending the regular military would require congressional approval and involve numerous steps and considerations. After all, deploying troops to another country is fraught with political ramifications.

However, hiring security personnel wouldn't face those limitations. The government could pay them to go to another country, take action, kill whoever needed to be killed, and rescue the hostage. The other country couldn't make much of an issue about it because the operatives could just be labeled as bodyguards.

Mercenaries also don't require the same lengthy procedures as the military, making them a quicker and more flexible option.

This was just one example. In reality, there were many more potential operations. As Hardy said, "I'll handle anything the military can't or won't!"

Decisive action, imperial authority!

That's what the HD Mercenary Company would be.

But that wasn't all. HD Security was also planning to establish a real military base and seek government approval to possess powerful weapons, such as tanks and fighter jets. These weapons would primarily be used for training within the country.

Hardy's idea was to purchase a large tract of land in a remote area suitable for military training, where he would train a genuine future special forces unit. Afterward, they could even train government special forces and provide support to the military.

Training could be quite profitable.

Additionally, once these individuals retired, they could return to HD Security, further strengthening the company. They could also assist the police with training.

If HD Security personnel were spread throughout the U.S., one could only imagine how vast their network would be and how much intelligence they could gather.

But there was more.

Hardy also planned to establish overseas military bases, officially for security services, but with many other purposes.

For example, establishing a base in Africa.

In the coming decades, Africa would be rife with conflicts, and the region was rich in resources—gems, copper, iron, gold, oil.

Wouldn't big companies entering these conflict zones need security?

In some small countries, if they wanted to seize power, they could bring a few tons of gold to Hardy, and if Hardy accepted their gift, he could offer a little help. What's the harm in that?

Or setting up a base in Asia.

Malaysia and Indonesia were good options.

The intelligence company could also offer military intelligence and send military advisors. There were plenty of services to offer.

Hardy was even planning to create a naval force.

His current exports included warships. If he could acquire two "Iowa-class battleships," he could use them to escort commercial vessels and combat pirates. Imagine the satisfaction of firing a 406 mm cannon to take out a pirate base.

However, the U.S. would never sell an Iowa-class ship, but he could buy smaller ones. For example, a couple of frigates and a supply ship would do just fine for taking out pirates.