The Tyrant Billionaire

Afterward, Klos went to Japan and opened an investment fund company, which was already operational and running large advertisements in the newspapers.

The company's concept was simple: Japanese investors would give Klos their money, and he would transfer it to the U.S. for stock market trading, promising a 25% return.

This return was extremely attractive. Japan's economy was in a slump, with virtually no investment opportunities. Banks offered very low interest rates, inflation was severe, and even those with money had no good avenues for investment.

Klos's fund offered to invest in the U.S. stock market, with a high return rate. This appealed not only to ordinary people but even tempted some banks.

Some might say Japan was poor at the time.

That's true, Discover more content at empire

After Japan's defeat, life was indeed tough, but that was mainly for the average citizen. As wealth theory goes, 5% of the people control 95% of the wealth. No matter how poor the masses are, there are always a group of rich people in society.

For these wealthy individuals, letting money sit idle was a disgrace. Japan didn't have a suitable investment environment, but America did. Everyone knew how strong the U.S. was at the time—opportunities were abundant.

Slowly, people started investing.

Klos then used the same tactic of incentivizing others to bring in new funds. Anyone who brought in more investors would receive a commission, turning many clients into sales agents, helping Klos attract even more capital.

Of course, there were some who doubted Klos, sending telegrams to have him investigated in the U.S.

Klos had already been running a financial investment company in the U.S. for some time, and to this day, it hadn't collapsed. In fact, his reputation was quite good. Before Klos left for Japan, Henry's team had even launched a promotional campaign, branding him as an up-and-coming Wall Street financial star.

In newspapers, Klos was depicted as a financial investment genius, managing millions of dollars and generating hundreds of thousands in profits for his clients.

With such a portrayal, the Japanese no longer doubted Klos, and some wealthy individuals—even banks—began to approach him actively.

In just one month, Klos was thriving in Japan.

The money he wired to the U.S. was invested in the stock market, but although Klos was the nominal operator, he wasn't the one actually handling the funds.

No matter who tried to investigate Klos, he appeared to be a legitimate investor, and they would find nothing wrong.

Hardy had once told Henry that there was no rush to cash in. Klos was essentially a carefully nurtured asset, a "star account," as Hardy put it.

The current amount of money and the number of people involved were too small to satisfy Hardy's ambitions. He planned to wait until Klos became a financial star before letting it all collapse.

When that day came, the fireworks would be spectacular.

Aside from Klos, Henry had recruited other individuals as well—people who had been involved in Ponzi schemes, former bank executives convicted of fraud, pyramid scheme operators, and even counterfeiters.

It was a diverse collection of talent.

"Make sure you keep them under control. Don't let any of them slip out of your grasp. The most important rule is never to let them have access to the money. That way, they can never cause serious trouble."

"Of course, if anyone tries to rebel, take them out immediately, no hesitation. Erase all traces and cut off any potential ties."

Hardy spoke in a cold tone.

"I understand, boss," Henry nodded.

After Henry left, Hardy instructed his secretary to call in the representatives from Bulgari. Before Henry arrived, Hardy had already informed his secretary to ask the head of Bulgari in Los Angeles to come over.

Now, Hardy was a major shareholder of Bulgari, and his group was also Bulgari's exclusive agent in the United States. When he acquired these luxury brands, he encouraged them to open branches in the U.S., with the Hardy Group helping them expand their business in the country.

"Good day, Mr. Hardy," the Bulgari representative greeted respectfully.

Hardy waved his hand, signaling his secretary to bring over a box. When the box was opened, it revealed an array of gemstones, jade, and pearls, all of extremely high quality.

The representative picked up a large sapphire, marveling, "This sapphire must be around fifty or sixty carats."

"And these rubies, the quality is remarkable."

"Take these back with you," Hardy instructed. "Have them crafted into jewelry for me."

"Of course, Mr. Hardy."

"Design them as beautifully as possible," Hardy said.

The representative nodded immediately. Soon, personnel from a security company arrived to escort the box full of gems back to the jewelry company along with the representative.

Just as the representative left, the phone on Hardy's desk rang. He picked it up.

"Is this Mr. Hardy? This is Elsa."

Hardy was a bit puzzled. Why was Taylor's mother calling him?

"What's the matter, Mrs. Taylor?" he asked.

Elsa's voice was anxious. "Mr. Hardy, I just received a telegram from the UK. It says that Taylor has gone missing in England, and they suspect she's been kidnapped. I didn't know who else to call, so I'm reaching out to you."

Hardy's heart skipped a beat.

Taylor, kidnapped?

"Didn't you say Taylor was in England to visit Princess Margaret? How could something like this happen?" Hardy asked in a serious tone.

"I don't know either," Elsa said. "We just received the telegram today, saying Taylor was missing and they suspected a kidnapping. The people over there have been searching for her for a whole day and night, but there's been no sign of her so far."

"I understand. I'll take care of this," Hardy replied.

After hanging up, Hardy thought for a moment and immediately summoned Henry. He instructed, "Gather a team of skilled men right away. We're heading to England."

"Got it, boss. What happened?" Henry asked.

"Taylor's mother just called. She said Taylor went missing in England, and I need to go there. Gather the men. By the way, do we have any contacts in England?" Hardy asked.