The next day.
washington suburbs.
At a high-end private golf course, Hardy met President Johnson. Johnson had silver hair and wore glasses, looking more like a financier than a politician.
"Hello, Hardy." President Johnson extended his hand.
"Hello, Mr. President?" Hardy smiled and stretched out his hand, and the two held hands together.
The weather was very good today, with blue sky and white clouds, and the temperature was neither too high nor too low. There were no outsiders in the entire private golf course. Hardy and Johnson walked slowly on the lawn with their clubs in hand.
"Hadi, I really didn't expect you to be so young at first. You are only 27 years old this year, and it took you less than three years to develop your career to such a big scale," said President Johnson.
To be honest, when Johnson got Hardy's information, he was also surprised by Hardy's success story.
It took the other party only three years to build it from scratch.
He served in the Marines during World War II and returned home injured. He began to rise rapidly, starting a security company, a film company, and then went into business, creating Playboy magazine and Barbie dolls, from which he made a fortune.
Soon after, the industry began to grow explosively, including television factories, Hardy's Hotel, ABC TV, and the Global Times. Finally, with the help of Bank of America, it acquired Wells Fargo and established the Hardy Group.
Of course, as president, he also had some other intelligence.
The LA Gang, the largest gang in Los Angeles, is likely to have some connection with Hardy.
And the Las Vegas casino business.
The two casinos under construction have both invested hundreds of millions of dollars, which are huge investments even in the eyes of President Johnson. Most importantly, the shareholders of one of the casinos are a dozen Mafia families, while the other casino is owned by a California consortium.
Through these two casinos, Hardy has gained a very powerful influence.
His HD Security Company now has more than 5,000 veterans, making it the largest security company in the United States. It has also signed contracts with the Los Angeles and San Francisco police departments to become a supplementary force for urban security.
HD Security Company is also a very powerful force. At least it can ensure that no one dares to touch Hardy.
Of course, on the surface, Hardy is a very clean businessman.
Hearing President Johnson's praise, Hardy smiled and said, "I can only say that I have caught up with a good era. The United States is a country where dreams can be realized. With leaders like President Johnson, we can have room for development."
When it comes to flattering and praising others, Hardy is never vague.
"How will the Hadi Group develop in the future? Does it have any plans?" President Johnson asked again.
"I have drawn up a three-year plan. The Hardy Group will develop in industries such as media, gaming, security, retail, and luxury goods. Of course, we will also explore overseas markets. Recently, we have made a lot of investments in Hong Kong," said Hardy.
"Hong Kong? Why do you value that place?" Johnson asked in surprise.
In his opinion, the situation in the East is very unstable, especially in China. No one can predict how it will develop, so it is somewhat risky to invest in Hong Kong now.
"Hong Kong is in a very good location, radiating to Japan, North Korea, more than a dozen countries in Southeast Asia, and China. Although the market there is not as big as Europe now, it has a large population and a large market, and there is a high degree of market gap. It is a good time to enter the market," said Hardy.
"Aren't you afraid that the war over there will have an impact on Hong Kong's status?" President Johnson asked.
Hadi thought for a moment, chuckled and said, "I am indeed worried, and this is also what many people worry about Hong Kong, but my analysis and judgment is that Hong Kong may remain in its current state."
"Why do you judge like that?"
"Because no matter who wins, they will need to seek recognition from Western society and develop, and Hong Kong is an excellent buffer zone."
Johnson nodded slightly. Hardy's analysis made sense.
Of course,
This is just an analysis. Until things come to the end, no one knows which direction things will develop in.
After all, no matter how powerful the analysis is, it is only a judgment based on data from all aspects, and no one can really predict the future.
If the prediction is wrong, Hardy's investment in Hong Kong may be wasted. If the prediction is correct, he will get a rich return.
"So what do you think about the future of the United States?" Johnson asked with a smile.
Hadi smiled and said, "Of course, to become the most powerful country in the world, because we already have this strength and unique conditions, there is no doubt about this."
President Johnson also smiled.
"Mr. President, I would like to ask, how do you plan to lead the country forward next?" Hadi asked in return.
In fact, this sentence is meant to ask about Johnson's policy strategy and what he will rely on to attract voters. This is very important.
The two had just played a round and were walking forward. When they heard Hardy's question, President Johnson stopped and Hardy also stopped.
Johnson thought about it carefully and said:
"Some of my campaign plans have been announced, and some have not yet been revealed. In terms of economy, I will continue to implement the 'Marshall Plan' to support Europe. However, in this process, the United States will also gain a lot. We have a lot of business and political resources to exchange with them."
"Although the U.S. economy began to develop rapidly after World War II, some industries underwent major adjustments, which led to a significant decline in the employment rate. I will introduce a series of employment policies and implement affordable housing policies."
"Last year, the Labor Relations Act of 1947 was introduced by Congress to restrict workers' rights to join labor unions. After the bill was passed, there was a strong wave of protests in the country. I have always felt that this bill is very bad, and I hope to promote the removal of this bill during my term in office."
"I think if America wants to develop, it needs more progressive ideas. I am against lynching, racial segregation, and raising the minimum wage, etc."
"I will continue to promote the rapid development of the U.S. economy, protect the welfare of citizens, and continue to promote the national health insurance system, ..."
The Democratic Party's supporters are mainly composed of three major groups: urban workers, Southern conservatives, and Western progressives. Johnson's policies are mainly intended to consolidate the basic base.
Hadi listened quietly to Johnson's campaign strategy. To him, no matter who comes to power, they will only consider the interests of their own country. Hadi thinks this is normal. As for him, all he can do now is to fight for his own interests.
There is no point in thinking too much about other things.
Johnson said a lot, but there were some more personal things that Hadi knew he didn't say, such as his support for Jews and Israel.
Perhaps this was one of the important factors in Johnson's final turnaround, but Johnson would definitely not tell Hardy about these private transactions.
Even if Johnson has a few cards.
But now he is still at an absolute disadvantage.
So he sought more help.
Johnson and Hardy talked for four or five hours. When the conversation was about to end, Hardy said, "Mr. President, you know that ABC TV is mine. If you need any help with publicity, I am willing to help."
After hearing what Hardy said, Johnson knew that Hardy was ready to support him.
A smiling face.
"Thank you, Hardy, that's exactly what I need help with," said Johnson.
Now that he has chosen to support, Hadi is ready to do things perfectly.
"Mr. President, I am going to arrange an interview with you first. You must have watched "The Tonight Show with Elaine". I can arrange an interview with you first. This program is more approachable."
"In the future, if you are planning to hold a large-scale speaking event, ABC TV can broadcast it live."
"I also have an idea to make a few documentaries about you, starting from when you came to power, telling about your contributions to this country, such as ordering the nuclear bombing of Japan and ending the German invasion."
"If you have a policy proposal, you can publish it in the Global Times. The Global Times now covers the entire United States, and I believe it will help the public better understand your ideas for the future."
After listening to what Hardy said, Johnson felt a little excited. He didn't expect that Hardy had made such a complete arrangement.
The Tonight Show with Elaine, this show can show his close side.
If the speech can be broadcast live, it will be equivalent to giving a speech in front of the entire American people, which is definitely much more effective than a single speech.
Global Times Promotion.
The documentary in particular surprised Johnson, as he had never thought of this before.
After Hardy proposed it, he suddenly felt that this was definitely a very good publicity point. This was also one of the reasons why he was better than Dewey. Dewey was just a politician and governor of New York, while he had been president for more than three years. Ending World War II was indeed his most commendable political achievement.
"Hardy, you are so thoughtful. Thank you for your support, Hardy." Johnson expressed his sincere gratitude.
This year's election is indeed very difficult for Johnson.
His opponents were very strong. Dewey had the support of the Republican Party and a very high approval rating among the people. He had ample campaign funds and gave speeches everywhere. Now, in the eyes of the American people, Dewey had become the only choice for the next president.
And him.
He has little support within the party, low public approval rating, and a lack of campaign funds, and cannot even hold a large-scale speech.
People in the party had lost confidence in him. Party Chairman Robert Hennigan even advised Johnson not to show up at the election events to avoid damaging morale. Johnson had no choice but to stay in the White House every day.
Now that Hardy has clearly expressed his support for him and has put in such a big effort, Johnson is naturally surprised.
"That's the publicity aspect," Hardy said.
Johnson was stunned. Could there be other help?
Hardy continued: "I am prepared to put $2 million into your campaign fund to support your campaign."
Johnson was delighted.
He is very short of money now. Because of the lack of money, many activities cannot be held at all. So far, he has not been able to hold a decent campaign speech.
It is better to provide timely assistance than to add icing on the cake. Unlike ordinary election candidates soliciting sponsorship, which is an exchange of interests, Hadi extended a helping hand when Johnson was in the most difficult time, which really made Johnson grateful from the bottom of his heart.
Hardy continued.
"You know I own an airline. You will definitely need to travel around the country for speaking engagements during this time. HD Airlines can arrange your trip at any time, and I will cover all the expenses."
"Hardy, I sincerely thank you."
Johnson held Hardy's hand tightly, and Hardy could feel the excitement in his heart.
"Your Excellency President, if you need help with publicity, I can still provide some assistance," Hadi said again.
"You know I'm the 'President of the Screen Actors Guild'. If you need, I can invite a few Hollywood stars to come and cheer for you."
Hardy's idea is simple. This is also a big gamble for him, so since he has made the move, he will go all out.
Johnson knows how powerful those stars are. If he wants to organize a speech event for a thousand people, it may take a long time to organize it. But if a star arrives at a place and says he wants to meet his fans, thousands or even tens of thousands of people will flock to the venue in a matter of minutes.
This is the power of idols.