The Tyrant Billionaire

San Francisco.

At Giannini's estate.

After reading the news about the appointment, Giannini was momentarily stunned. He knew Hardy was planning to organize an economic investigation group for Japan, but he didn't expect that after just one visit to the White House, Hardy would return as the Economic Envoy.

On reflection, however, this position seemed more advantageous than leading an investigation group.

Giannini smiled to himself. This was the perk of supporting politicians—when you wanted to do something, you could.

"Ring, ring, ring!"

The phone in the living room of Giannini's estate rang.

It was one of the other partners from the California Consortium, calling to ask if Giannini knew about Hardy becoming the Economic Envoy to Japan.

Giannini chuckled, saying, "Before Hardy went to Washington, he stopped by to see me. He thinks Japan will develop significantly in the future and plans to invest there."

"I've already agreed that the consortium will follow along. Don't worry, before he heads to Japan, he'll definitely gather everyone. If any companies within the consortium want to invest in Japan, they can go together," Giannini explained.

"So that's what it's about. Is there really money to be made in Japan?" the partner asked.

"Hardy believes there is."

The person on the other end of the phone paused for a few seconds. "Hardy's investments always seem to come with a dash of unpredictability, but so far, he hasn't had any failures. I think we can trust him."

It wasn't just Giannini who saw the report on Hardy's appointment; David Rockefeller also noticed it. The European investigation group had long since concluded, and David had returned to New York.

Today, by chance, he saw the report about Hardy in the newspaper and was surprised.

How did Hardy suddenly become Japan's Economic Envoy? Could it be that he had new plans for Japan?

David had long been curious about Hardy's investments, including the recent investment in HSBC.

His interest was partly experimental. The political situation in China had been volatile lately, and David had been following it closely—after all, he had invested tens of millions of dollars there.

He was eager to talk to Hardy.

David picked up the phone and called the Hardy Group in Los Angeles, asking them to connect him with Hardy, mentioning that David Rockefeller was calling. The staff at Hardy Group didn't dare delay and quickly contacted Hardy in Washington.

It didn't take long before the phone in David's office rang.

On the other end came Hardy's voice.

"David, what prompted you to call me?" Hardy asked with a laugh.

"I've been wanting to talk to you about your views on Hong Kong. With the current situation there, I'm worried that my investment might go down the drain. Also, I saw in the newspaper today that President Johnson appointed you as Japan's Economic Envoy. What's that about?"

"I'm about to head to New York. Let's meet up and talk when I get there," Hardy suggested.

"Great, I'll be waiting for you in New York," David agreed.

Meanwhile, at Hardy's hotel in Washington, the Japanese ambassador was rushing over. The Japanese embassy had received notice that Hardy had been appointed as the U.S. Economic Envoy to Japan and would soon be heading to Japan to oversee economic matters. The embassy was asked to notify Japan to prepare for his arrival and reception.

Japan's economy was on the verge of collapse at the time.

The Japanese government had been continuously seeking assistance from the U.S., but the Johnson administration showed little interest in helping.

Now, with the sudden appointment of an Economic Envoy to oversee Japan's economy, the Japanese government felt a glimmer of hope. They immediately sent a telegram to Japan, and after receiving a response, the ambassador rushed to meet Hardy.

The ambassador was well aware of who Hardy was.

A renowned American billionaire with assets worth billions of dollars, he owned dozens of companies, was one of the partners in the California Consortium, and had been one of the biggest supporters of Johnson's presidential campaign. Your journey continues at empire

He owned The Global Times and ABC Television, making him the largest media mogul in the U.S. He had also been part of the European investigation group during the Marshall Plan, making massive investments across Europe. Both his personal wealth and official status as a special envoy made it impossible for the Japanese government to ignore him.

Hardy's secretary informed him that the Japanese ambassador had arrived, and Hardy set down his newspaper and allowed the ambassador to enter.

A short middle aged man in a suit walked in and, upon seeing Hardy, bowed deeply. "Hello, Mr. Hardy. I am Kato Ryōzō, the Japanese ambassador to the U.S. It is an honor to visit you. The Japanese government is overjoyed to know that you have been appointed as the Special Envoy for Japan's economy.

We look forward to your visit to Japan soon to provide economic guidance to our country."

Hardy nodded, "My trip to Japan has a few tasks. First, I need to address Japan's current economic difficulties. Second, I will supervise the implementation of economic policies. And third, I will offer guidance on Japan's future economic direction."

"I'm not very familiar with the current state of Japan's economy. Before I head to Japan, please provide me with a complete and accurate list of all Japanese companies and their statuses. This is essential for providing proper guidance."

Ambassador Kato quickly bowed again, "Yes, I will immediately notify our domestic office to prepare the necessary documents. May I ask when the envoy plans to visit Japan so we can make arrangements in advance?"

"It'll be a little while yet. This trip to Japan isn't just for economic guidance; I will also be bringing investments to help address the economic difficulties. As you may know, Congress has vetoed Japan's new year's aid request. Relying on aid indefinitely is not a long term solution. Self reliance is the right path forward."

"Japan's industries are currently in decline. I will see if I can persuade other financial groups to invest in Japan to stimulate the economy. What do you think?"