Chapter 364: Arthur, the Strong One

Hardy accompanied Han Ye-jin for a few days in Hong Kong. The woman was in a particularly good mood during these days. That night, the two of them were lying on the bed. Han Ye-jin leaned against Hardy and said, "You have a lot of things to do over there. You have been with me for a few days. Go and do your own things tomorrow."

"I was worried that something might happen to you, so I wanted to spend more time with you." Hardy said, stroking the woman's back.

"What can happen to me? There are housekeepers, chefs, nannies, and bodyguards here. Those traditional Chinese medical experts come to check on me regularly. There's nothing to worry about. There are so many women giving birth in the world. There's no need to be so nervous." Han Ye-jin said.

Hardy did have something going on.

"Okay, then I'll come and accompany you when I have time." Hardy said.

Han Ye-jin nodded.

The two of them were leaning against each other. The woman felt the changes in Hardy's body, looked up at Hardy and smiled softly, "Do you want me to help you?"

......

Hardy returned to Japan.

Managers from various departments came to report that all enterprises are now operating according to their plans. Industrial enterprises have become American parts processing factories, and light industries have become American daily necessities production bases. All of them are now entering the profit-making stage.

Although there are shipping costs, the labor here is so cheap that the cost accounting is much cheaper than production in the United States. Capitalists make money by doing the math, so naturally there will be a steady stream of business flowing into Japan.

The Japanese people earn wages through their work, which also stimulates the consumer market. Some daily necessities produced in Japan are also sold in Japan, making money directly from the Japanese.

As more people have money, the black market is booming.

The red light district is now open for business.

Nightclubs, pubs, love houses, and women's shops are places where women can do business normally and men can spend money freely, and things quickly become lively.

Don't doubt a man's sense of smell.

Even those places hidden in dark corners can be found. Such places with clearly marked prices and reasonable consumption are definitely a paradise for men. It is very normal for a man with money to invite three or five friends to drink and then enjoy himself.

There are also people who come here specifically to play slot machines and pinball machines. Gambling is still illegal now, but its variant forms are not illegal. Hardy asked them to try out the system of later generations of pachinko, with pinballs and slot machine coins, not money. If you win the balls and coins, you can exchange them for prizes. There is also a business that exchanges prizes for money, completing a perfect closed loop.

You call this opportunism and gambling in disguise?

No,

This is called the fair use rule.

legitimate.

No one cares.

In fact, Hardy also thought about promoting the legalization of gambling in Japan at that time, which might not be impossible to succeed, but later he thought better of it.

After gambling is legalized, the biggest beneficiary is actually the government, because the government can collect taxes, and gambling is heavily taxed, so most of the money will be earned by the government.

Under the current model, the government does not collect a penny of tax, and all the profits belong to the gangs. Of course, most of the gangs' money has to be handed over, and after being passed down through layers, it finally ends up in Hardy's hands. This money is more than what legal casinos make.

In the red light district next to the US military base, the party was even more lively, with singing and dancing all day long, as if there was a party every day, and the US soldiers were having a lot of fun.

He did not return to the barracks all night.

MacArthur was also a weird general. He thought it was nothing for soldiers to go out and play, so as soon as the American soldiers got wind of it, they would all run into the red light zone.

Here there are not only delicious food, beautiful women, drinks, and various entertainment activities, but also things that make them even more excited.

poison.

That's right.

In Japan, Hardy no longer prohibited his subordinates from doing this business, and he even specially assigned people to vigorously manage this project.

The main type is ice.

In fact, ice was invented very early. Japan had already used it in large quantities during World War II to enhance the combat effectiveness of its soldiers. Many Japanese soldiers in the Kamikaze assault team killed people crazily and were fearless of death, which was partly due to these drugs.

Even in the later stages of the war, in order to motivate soldiers to fight frantically, Germany and Japan simply added these things to their military rations.

After Japan's defeat.

The Allied forces occupied Japan and found a large number of pills.

It was said to be worth millions of dollars. Later, the Allies simply placed the pills in hospitals and pharmacies and sold them abroad, making a lot of money from them.

Because it is legal, it is popular among the people. Many Japanese artists, singers, writers, band members, and people in the arts and cultural circles have joined this group and become addicts. Later, the Japanese government discovered the problem and enacted the Stimulant Prohibition Law, and this blatant rampant use of drugs stopped.

However,

What has stopped is only the apparent one.

There was no decrease in the secret business, it was just that it was no longer sold in pharmacies and was controlled by gangs. Before Hardy formed the "Straw Hat Pirates", the drug business was one of the traditional businesses of Japanese gangs.

Among the companies acquired by Hardy, there are chemical companies. On the surface, they produce pharmaceutical semi-finished products and chemical products, but secretly they produce these things on a large scale and supply them in large quantities to the Japanese market. This is a major item of consumption in the red light zone.

Pornography, gambling and drugs.

The traditional skills of the gangs cannot be lost.

Our main purpose is not to make money, but to promote American traditional culture and enrich the cultural and entertainment life of the Japanese people.

It is a major event that will benefit the present and future generations.

His American father has legalized smoking jelly and is preparing to open a big opium den, so how can his son fall behind?

Because of the high production volume, drugs even flowed back to the United States. Hardy did not participate in drug trafficking in the United States, but those gang families were doing this business and quickly accepted the cheaper ice market.

It began to become one of the three main products in the US market.

The source of the supplier is a little-known secret chemical factory in Japan.

As for the funds for the transaction between the two parties, they do not need to flow to the other party, but instead enter the Cayman Islands. In the future, the Cayman Islands may become the largest drug trading market.

Hardy has calculated that he can make a fortune from several aspects, including shipping from the source, intermediate transportation, distribution by American gangs, and money laundering in the Cayman Islands.

With current annual sales, Hardy could earn hundreds of millions of dollars from this business.

And this business.

Hardy never hit the road.

After the heads of various departments had finished their reports, Hardy called the editor-in-chief of the Global Times's Japanese newspaper and instructed him:

"We will open an expert column in the Global Times Japan edition to discuss Japan's politics, economy, culture, etc. We will invite pro-American experts to criticize Japan's shortcomings, disadvantages, lack of freedom, and feudalism."

"Issues such as democratic elections, reflection on the war of aggression, the emperor's non-divinity, the improvement of women's status, and the welfare of the people can all be discussed. In short, the goal is to belittle Japan's political culture, elevate the United States, and make the Japanese people more obedient to the United States from the bottom of their hearts."

Hardy is preparing to vigorously cultivate Japanese public intellectuals.

These people have no real ability, they are just good at talking nonsense.

To put it bluntly, it means to praise the United States for being so advanced, so free, and so great, and to say that Japan is not good at this or that. The ability to be extremely derogatory is to suppress the other side psychologically.

The editor knows,

This is to launch a new round of public opinion and psychological warfare against Japan.

"Also, send a few good writers to the military camp to interview MacArthur, the chief of staff, and the divisional generals, and write a special issue introducing the army in detail, including the resumes of those generals, the army's configuration, and publicize the strength of the US military."

"By the way, notify the reporters stationed in South Korea and have them conduct similar interviews with the Eighth Army Group stationed in North Korea."

The editor-in-chief speculates that promoting the strength of the US military to make the Japanese more awed and less likely to resist is also part of cultural oppression.

Maybe everyone thinks so.

No one knows what Hardy is thinking more. The war may be coming soon. As the saying goes, only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you act in a targeted manner. Detailed reports on the commanders and military deployments of the two forces preparing to participate in the war in the future may help with certain decisions.

Even if it's just superficial knowledge, it's much better than being completely in the dark.

......

This day.

George Sutherland, Chief of Staff of the Allied Forces in Japan, received a call from Hardy and invited him to have a drink and chat.

George Sutherland had previously received a telegram from Major General Williams, who told Sutherland that Hardy was his best friend and partner and that he wanted to meet his friends in the Allied forces in Japan. Williams introduced Sutherland to Hardy.

Hardy is now a famous American tycoon, a media tycoon, and a good friend of President Johnson. In Japan, he has become a figure like an emperor and has close relations with the seven major financial groups.

Sutherland had long wanted to meet such a person, but had no way to do so.

Hardy thought it was his honor to meet him, so how could he not agree? When he received Hardy's call, he immediately said, "No, Mr. Hardy, I should treat you. I'll arrange a place in Tokyo to treat you to a drink."

"Haha, it's all the same, isn't it?" Hardy said with a smile.

The two were arranged to meet at a very famous club in Tokyo, which was originally the manor of a wealthy Japanese businessman during the Meiji Restoration. It was built in the traditional Japanese garden style and was later converted into a club.

The long table was filled with a variety of Japanese delicacies.

Four women in kimonos sat nearby to serve, while Hardy and Sutherland drank and chatted.

In front of outsiders, they would not say anything private, but just chat about general topics to get to know each other.

Both parties were interested in getting closer, so naturally they had a very pleasant conversation.

Hardy sighed: "Actually, a few years ago, I was a soldier under you, fighting on the battlefields of Asia. Looking back, time has passed so quickly."

"Special Envoy Hadit has built up this business in just a few years. You are now a legend in the United States. Many young people regard you as a role model," Sutherland complimented.

"I'm just lucky," Hardy said with a smile.

"I don't believe that luck can make Mr. Hardy achieve what he has today. The newspapers have reported your affairs in detail, and those major decisions have won applause from the public."

After a good meal,

The two came to the garden to take a walk and chat.

Hardy said:

"General Sutherland, I intend to have the Global Times conduct in-depth coverage of the Allied Command in Japan and publicize the power of the Allied Command. By doing so, we can strengthen the idea that the U.S. military is powerful and invincible in the minds of the Japanese, which will be very helpful for our future notifications." Hardy said.

The U.S. military has been conducting political propaganda against Japan, and as Chief of Staff, Sutherland is in charge of these matters.

"Of course, no problem. I fully support it," Sutherland agreed.

This is something that both parties are pursuing in their common interests, so how could he refuse it?

"I plan to start with General MacArthur, and then the commanders of the major divisions. I hope General Sutherland can help make the arrangements," said Hardy.

Sutherland hesitated a little, "It's no problem to arrange for the division commanders to be interviewed, but I can't guarantee it for General MacArthur. You know, sometimes we can't figure out the commander-in-chief's temper."

"Haha, just help with the communication. If General MacArthur doesn't agree, then forget it." Hardy said.

MacArthur is still in Osaka.

In fact, since Hardy came to Japan, he and MacArthur have never met, so to speak, kings do not meet.

When MacArthur received a call from Sutherland and heard that Hardy was going to arrange an interview for him, a smile appeared on his face. Arranging such an interview to promote him and his army should be Hardy's way of showing goodwill to him.

That's how strong MacArthur's heart is.

Moreover, MacArthur himself is a person who loves to show off. When someone interviews him to promote himself, he just takes the opportunity to show off in front of the Japanese.

"I agree to the interview," said MacArthur.