The Tyrant Billionaire

The meeting was not complicated. Hardy introduced himself briefly. The staff there had heard of Mr. Hardy\'s reputation and were very respectful.

After the meeting, Hardy left the work to George and Reagan, telling them to report any major issues to him.

Leaving the Actors Guild, Hardy had his bodyguards drive him to the auction house. For safety reasons, Hardy now traveled with bodyguards: a driver and a co-driver, with a car following behind with four more men.

With these six people protecting him and Hardy himself being fairly skilled, he felt confident that he could handle anything short of an attack by dozens.

Outside Elena\'s office, the female secretary stood up. Hardy smiled and motioned for her to sit down, and she obediently complied.

Hardy had moved Irina out, and this was the new secretary Elena had found.

Pushing open the door, Elena looked up. Hardy smiled and handed her a bouquet. She smiled and accepted it: "Congratulations on becoming the chairman of the Actors Guild."

Elena hadn\'t attended the party last night, which was attended mostly by people from the entertainment industry. Elena preferred tranquility.

"Thank you. It\'s just a small matter. Have you received anything good recently?" Hardy asked.

"Yes, quite a few British and French artworks have come in recently, and they are all of high quality. Come, I\'ll show you," Elena said, placing the flowers in a vase.

They walked into the treasure room, where many new artworks had been added. "These paintings are from the 18th century. The experts have authenticated them, they are genuine."

Elena introduced Hardy to the works and the artists. Some names Hardy knew, others he didn\'t, but since they were from the 18th century, they were undoubtedly valuable.

Hardy moved closer to Elena and grabbed her hand. She tensed slightly but didn\'t pull away, continuing to explain the artwork to Hardy.

Looking at her profile, Hardy smiled inwardly.

Not refusing was a form of consent. He held her hand tighter.

With just the two of them in the treasure room, they continued to look at the artworks hand in hand. After the paintings, they moved on to the antiques, which were also abundant, with over a hundred pieces, many of which were of top quality. There were gold and silver items and many more.

"Why so many good items this time?" Hardy asked.

Elena sighed softly. "It might be related to the current dire situation in Europe after WWII. Mr. Gray said many wealthy people are moving to the United States, bringing a few valuable items with them. Once their money runs out or they need a job, they sell these things."

Hardy thought of the time: in November 1947, Europe hadn\'t received United States aid yet. With how destructive WWII was to the European continent, Hardy immediately understood.

Right now, Europe\'s industry is in shambles, and their land is still filled with land mines. Putting all that aside, there is barely enough food for everyone to eat. Robbery, theft, and arson under the excuse of hunting Nazi remnants caused many people, especially the wealthy, to suffer. As such, many were fleeing to the U.S., bringing their valuable items with them.

Elena turned to Hardy. "I want to send some people to England. Many people are fleeing there. The ones who come to the U.S. are just a small portion of those who go to England. If we set up a purchasing company there, we could get a lot of good items in larger quantities."

Hardy thought it was a great idea. At that time, England was often the first stop for people fleeing, and as the British political structure remained intact, they somehow kept a stable environment compared to the rest parts of Europe that had been occupied by the Germans.

Setting up a purchasing company in England would undoubtedly result in a large influx of artwork.

And he knew more and more people would flee later, including major capitalists with significant assets.

"I agree with this idea. Who do you plan to send?" Hardy asked.

"I just had this thought and haven\'t worked out the details. It\'s quite chaotic there now. We need someone very capable to oversee things. We don\'t have anyone suitable in the auction house," Elena said, shaking her head.

Hardy immediately thought of someone. "Remember Victor?"

"The con artist?"

"Yes. Who\'s more cunning than him? I think he\'d be perfect for the job," Hardy said.

Victor was French, fluent in English, with some financial and artwork knowledge, and highly adaptable. He had the psychological resilience for the job.

"Is he reliable?"

"Don\'t worry. Sometimes these people are more reliable than regular employees because they understand the stakes better," Hardy said.

Hardy had his ways of controlling Victor.

Victor had pretended to be a drug dealer and deceived the Mexican gang, earning Hardy\'s favor. Hardy had rewarded him greatly. Victor\'s wife had recently moved to Los Angeles with their newborn daughter, and Victor now worked in LA, bringing his family over.

With his family there, Hardy believed Victor wouldn\'t mess around. Besides, Hardy paid him well, and Victor wasn\'t foolish.

Hardy contacted Victor, who came to the auction house promptly.

"Mr. Hardy, Miss Elena," Victor greeted respectfully.

"Victor, would you like to have your own business?" Hardy asked.

Victor was surprised. "My own business? I\'ve thought about it, but I know my situation. It\'s a luxury."

"It\'s not necessarily a luxury. I plan to set up an auction house in London to acquire artworks, especially oil paintings. We need someone capable to manage it."

"If you agree to take on the job, you\'ll have a good salary, and I\'ll give you management shares, up to five percent. If you do well, these shares can become actual equity," Hardy said.

To motivate people, Hardy was generous. He wanted those who worked for him to make money too.

Victor\'s expression became eager. "I agree. I\'ll do my best. By the way, Mr. Hardy, is it just the artwork business?"