The Tyrant Billionaire

The U.S. Defense Logistics Agency was different from combat units. It reported directly to the Department of Defense, and the Secretary of Defense had direct oversight.

With Hardy's relationship with Johnson, he could put in a good word privately, helping Williams connect with the right people. As president, Johnson would naturally prefer to use someone with whom he had a relationship, making it more convenient for him.

This is how political factions operate.

As for the current logistics director, he was about a year away from retirement, so William's opportunity would soon arise.

Hardy could arrange for someone to contact the logistics director in advance, inviting him to join the security company as a consultant, which would also allow Hardy to absorb his logistics connections.

It would be a win-win situation.

"This will take some time to work through. I estimate the position won't be solidified until the second half of next year, after your boss retires," Hardy said.

Waiting a year wasn't that long.

The most wonderful thing is having hope.

President Johnson had just been re-elected, with four years remaining in his term. Given General Marshall's extensive military network, appointing Williams as logistics director would be a breeze, with few daring to oppose it. Williams was just over 50, the perfect age for the position.

Everything was aligning perfectly.

"Thank you, Hardy," Williams said gratefully, his excitement barely contained.

"Haha, aren't we friends? Good friends should help each other," Hardy replied with a smile.

"Yes, helping each other."

Major General Williams wasn't naive. He knew Hardy had his own interests in pushing him into that position. This type of exchange of interests was very common in the political arena. In fact, it was the norm.

The president himself rose to power through an exchange of interests.

Officials were recommended by capital.

Legislators were elected with the financial backing of capital.

Everything was about the exchange of interests.

Major General Williams smiled and asked, "It's been a while since we last met. What have you been up to lately?"

"I've recently opened a new chain of supermarkets, aiming to cover the entire country. General, I think there's potential for collaboration with the Logistics Department."

"We have thousands of suppliers, and that number will only grow. When we cover the entire country, we'll have tens of thousands of suppliers. Supplying everyday essentials for the military is a very complex task. I think it would be more efficient to select a few large suppliers instead of purchasing everything directly."

"Hardy Supermarkets hope to become one of the military's logistics suppliers. If the military has any special requirements, we can even provide customized products."

Major General Williams nodded.

"That's absolutely true. Food, fuel, clothing, equipment, ammunition, tools, energy, medical supplies, construction materials—there are tens of thousands of categories. Quality control alone is a massive job, and you know how daunting this work can be."

"The Logistics Agency is the largest department in the Department of Defense. All other departments in the Pentagon combined have only six or seven thousand personnel, while we have more than 40,000 in the Logistics Agency."

"And don't forget, we currently have over a thousand overseas military bases. The logistical support for those bases is also our responsibility, which adds even more to the workload."

Logistics is a crucial aspect of warfare—no army dares to overlook it. The saying "an army marches on its stomach" is as true today as ever.

"At a recent Logistics Agency meeting, we discussed gradually bringing in private suppliers and logistics services to help solve these problems. We would shift from direct supply to oversight," Williams explained.

Hardy nodded. "Involving private companies and logistics firms in providing and transporting logistical supplies could greatly reduce the burden on the Logistics Agency. It might even save you money compared to handling it yourselves."

"We've already calculated that—it does save money!" Williams laughed.

At this point, Major General Williams said to Hardy, "The supplier arrangement hasn't been finalized yet, but I believe the Hardy Group is perfectly positioned to participate. I'll let you know in advance when the bidding process starts."

"Thank you, General Williams," Hardy said with a smile.

Then Hardy thought of something else and added, "Actually, aside from materials, we should also care about the mental health of our soldiers and prepare more entertainment for them."

General Williams hadn't expected Hardy to bring this up and asked, "What kind of entertainment are you suggesting?"

"Military life can be dull. If the army subscribed to some Playboy magazines, don't you think the soldiers would be thrilled?"

Williams was taken aback.

He had never thought of sending Playboy magazines to the troops.

But the U.S. military didn't have the strict regulations other armies did on these matters. They even provided condoms to soldiers, encouraging them to use protection during their outings.

"Purchasing Playboy magazines to address entertainment needs—that's actually not a bad idea. I'll bring it up at the next meeting," General Williams nodded.

Hardy, ever the businessman, wasn't about to let even small profits slip by. But was this really small money? Each issue of Playboy had a net profit of over a dollar. If the military ordered 100,000 copies per issue, that would mean an annual profit of over a million dollars.
Experience new tales on empire

Why not make money? After all, it was just a matter of saying a few words.

"Shall we keep playing?"

"Of course, the next shot is yours."

The two exchanged a glance, smiled faintly, and continued walking across the grass.

Despite all the talking, they had only played one shot so far.

After playing golf with Major General Williams, Hardy arrived in Washington to visit President Johnson.

Although Johnson was busy, he made special arrangements to have dinner with Hardy at the White House, and afterward, the two had a long discussion in the office.

"Hardy, I've heard that you've made a lot of investments in Hong Kong. Are you here to talk about Hong Kong?" Johnson asked.

Hardy shook his head.

"No, I'd like to talk to you about Japan, Mr. President."

Johnson was slightly surprised.

He knew that Hardy had recently invested heavily in Hong Kong. With the ongoing war in China, Hardy might have come seeking government pressure to protect his investments. Unexpectedly, Hardy didn't want to discuss Hong Kong but instead brought up Japan.