The Tyrant Billionaire

The military's post war surplus sale list included a batch of frigates. Hardy had his eye on the "Ludlow-class" escort destroyers, which had a full displacement of 1,780 tons, a crew of 186, and a speed of 24 knots.

Originally, 50 of these ships were planned, but only a few had been built before the war ended. Many of the half-built ships were dismantled, and only three were completed and delivered to the Navy. But within a few days, the Navy had disbanded, and these ships were classified as surplus.

In fact, there were hundreds of warships being disposed of by the military. Some were classified and couldn't be sold, others had no buyers, and some potential buyers either didn't need them or couldn't afford them. After all, maintaining a navy is expensive, requiring massive initial investments and continuous logistical support—something few could manage.

That's why even the U.S. quickly downsized its fleet after World War II. There were 150 aircraft carriers, over 1,000 battleships, cruisers, destroyers, escort ships, and submarines.

Even the mighty U.S. couldn't afford to maintain them!

Most of the decommissioned ships were dismantled or turned into target practice.

Hardy wasn't aiming too high. He planned to acquire three "Ludlow-class" escort destroyers, mainly because they were brand new, having been built in 1945. Experience new stories with empire

Practically brand new.

He also wanted a few 600-ton patrol escort boats. Hardy had reviewed the sales report: 68 of these patrol boats were retired, with many already sold to small shipping companies. The weapons had been removed, and the boats had been converted into ferryboats and ocean going fishing vessels.

Hardy also wanted to acquire a few dozen 80-class patrol torpedo boats. These boats were 24.3 meters long, displaced 50 tons, had a top speed of 43 knots, and a range of 500 kilometers.

Though small, they packed a punch, equipped with two .50 caliber machine guns, a 20 mm Oerlikon cannon, four torpedoes, and a 40 mm anti-aircraft gun.

These boats were perfect for near-shore pirate hunting.

Hardy planned to establish a naval base in the southern region of the Middle East, stationing two warships there to escort merchant ships. Any passing vessels would be required to pay a protection fee.

Don't want to pay? Well, you will definitely encounter pirates. No pirates? With Hardy around, there will always be pirates.

Once the decision was made, Hardy immediately contacted President Johnson, explained the situation, and requested a meeting. President Johnson responded directly, "I'll be at the White House these days. Come by anytime."

Hardy boarded his private plane with Ranst and a few advisors and flew straight to Washington to meet with President Johnson.

Also present at the meeting was Secretary of Defense James Forrestal.

Hardy handed them each a copy of his proposal, and as Johnson and Forrestal read through it, Hardy explained.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The concept of mercenaries wasn't new. Europe had mercenary forces for a long time. In fact, after the American Revolutionary War, it was French mercenaries who helped defeat the British, contributing greatly to the United States winning its independence.

Even now, mercenaries were present in other countries.

The proposal outlined a collaboration between HD Security and the Department of Defense as one key focus. Another was to seek government approval for HD Security to possess heavy weaponry.

While the U.S. didn't prohibit light weapons, heavy weapons were restricted, especially since Hardy wanted to establish overseas security bases and operate warships equipped with large-caliber guns and torpedoes. This would require government approval.

"HD Mercenaries can assist the Department of Defense in handling sensitive issues, such as disputes where deploying official forces would be problematic or involve politically sensitive situations. Our involvement would simplify things without needing congressional approval, framing it as a commercial operation."

"I also own several shipping companies, with plans to expand. Establishing overseas military bases would ensure the safety of shipping routes. You know that pirates are rampant in some regions, and hijacking can result in massive losses. Having a properly armed force to combat pirates would protect U.S. assets."

"I have a lot of business in Asia, for example, in Hong Kong and Japan. The Strait of Malacca is a critical chokepoint, but it's also one of the world's most pirate-infested regions. I have some data here showing that hundreds of pirate incidents occur there annually, driving up insurance premiums for ships passing through."

"Recently, one of the surplus cargo ships we sold to Hong Kong was attacked by pirates, but fortunately, we fought them off. Nevertheless, I believe there's a need to establish a more effective security force."

Two days later,

HD Security and the U.S. Department of Defense reached a cooperation agreement, allowing HD Security to possess military forces below the level of escort ships to safeguard commercial operations.

Shortly after, HD Security's second subsidiary, "HD Mercenary Corps," was officially established.

Upon returning, Hardy immediately had three "Ludlow-class" escort destroyers registered under his name. The selling price for each was $1.2 million.

Three ships for $3.6 million.

He also bought six 600-ton patrol escort boats, the newest models on the list, at $650,000 each, for a total of $3.9 million.

As for the 50-ton patrol torpedo boats, they only cost $80,000 each, so Hardy bought all 30 of the 80-class boats on the list for a total of $2.4 million.

Next, Hardy purchased a batch of fighter planes.

He planned to set up a flying club to train his own air force. The planes came in many types, and the prices were quite reasonable. Fighter planes only cost around $1,000 to $2,000 each, and transport planes, though pricier, were only a few thousand dollars apiece.

Hardy waved his hand and ordered 10 of each type.

P-38 "Lightning," P-47 "Thunderbolt," P-51 "Mustang," B-17 "Flying Fortress," F4U "Corsair," F6F "Hellcat," B-25 "Mitchell," P-39 "Airacobra," F4F "Wildcat," A-20 "Havoc," B-26 "Marauder."

Why did he want so many? Partly for fun, and partly for collection.

Hardy called Colonel Adam Beach, a member of the military's logistics division. While Hardy had the rights to purchase, the actual equipment was under Beach's control.

"These escort destroyers and patrol boats need to be thoroughly inspected—no defects allowed. And make sure they're fully stocked with ammunition."

"I'll need the military to supply 10 loads of ammunition, as well as a large quantity of spare parts."

"As for the planes, pick the best ones for me. Make sure they're all in perfect condition, fully serviced, and equipped with plenty of spare parts. Each plane should come with two additional engines—four for twin-engine planes—and a 10-year, three-service maintenance contract."

Colonel Beach swallowed hard after hearing Hardy's demands.

He'd never heard of providing spare engines as part of a deal before, let alone two per plane.

"No problem, Mr. Hardy. I'll take care of it," Colonel Beach said with a big smile.

After all, he'd received plenty of money from Hardy. If he couldn't handle this, he might as well quit.

As for the spare engines,

The report would simply state that they had been scrapped and melted down into scrap metal.

Hardy nodded in satisfaction.

When dealing with people, sometimes you need to rely on these clever types.

This transaction, Involved so much equipment that the total cost exceeded $13 million. Hardy waved his hand and said, "Just put it on credit for now. We'll settle it with future profits."

Hardy had a 30% profit share from selling surplus military supplies, so there would be no issues balancing the accounts later.