The Tyrant Billionaire-Chapter 653 Communism And Capitalism Struggle

Finally, seeing an opportunity to annex another unstable yet wealthy business enterprise, he intervened, sending several hundred armed police and soldiers. Under the threat of firearms, the Idris family was forced to surrender.

The armed forces beat the Idris family associate indiscriminately, arrested dozens, and took the Idris family’s father and son into custody.

Idris Azman, the second son, managed to escape and sought help from Hardy’s company in Malacca. The Hardy Investment Group immediately reported the situation to the governor’s office.

Hardy listened to the entire account in silence. No one in the room dared to speak or even breathe too loudly, unsure of what their governor would decide.

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After a long pause, Hardy finally spoke. "I understand. I will handle this personally. You all may go about your business."

Then he added, "Also, notify Bill Reiser and Lance Bean to come see me as soon as possible."

The room grew tense.

Penang and Malacca did not have their own military forces. The security of the region was maintained by HD Defense Company’s two military bases in Southeast Asia.

Bill Reiser was the head of the Penang base, and Lance Bean oversaw the Singapore base. Enjoy new stories from novelbuddy

Was the governor preparing for military action?

Reiser, stationed nearby in Penang, arrived within half an hour. Bean, based in Singapore, flew in on a two-seater fighter jet as soon as he received the telegram.

Along with them came Smith, Hardy’s intelligence chief for the region, a shrewd and perceptive man.

Hardy looked at the three of them and asked, "How many ground troops are available right now?"

"Roughly 1,500 regular marines. If we temporarily reassign personnel from some ships, we could muster up to 3,000," Reiser replied.

"And aircraft?" Hardy asked.

"Both Penang and Singapore have ten planes each, including fighters and bombers," Bean said.

Hardy nodded. The forces weren’t vast, but they should suffice to deal with the local Sultan and his militia. "Go back and prepare for combat. I’ll give you no more than two days."

The two men were immediately energized.

Though they didn’t know who the target was, they didn’t care. Their job at HD Defense Company paid basic wages without assignments, but missions meant bonuses—the bigger the mission, the bigger the bonus.

For these hardened fighters, battle wasn’t something they feared; it was something they looked forward to.

After they left, Hardy turned to Smith. "What do you know about the Sultan of Johor?"

"I have a general understanding of the situation," Smith replied.

"Good. I have two tasks for you," Hardy said, motioning Smith closer. He whispered instructions into Smith’s ear, and Smith nodded repeatedly.

Once Smith departed, Hardy went to the living room and called for his secretary. "Go and meet with Idris Azman," he instructed, giving additional orders before the secretary left.

At a modest inn in Penang, Idris Azman was living through the most stressful days of his life.

The Idris family faced a crisis of unprecedented scale. He feared they might face complete annihilation. Thankfully, his elder brother had prepared in advance, relocating the women and children of the family to Malacca, where they were spared from the turmoil.

But his elder brother and nephew were now imprisoned, along with the family’s key managers and factory supervisors. The Chinese attackers’ intentions were clear—they aimed to seize the Idris family’s assets and showed no intention of negotiating in good faith.

Contracts and legal agreements held no weight. The Chinese were operating as little more than bandits, backed by the Sultan.

The Idris family had no choice but to turn to the governor’s office for help. They hoped that the British, given their ties and the taxes the family had paid, would intervene to rescue the imprisoned family members.

As long as the family could reunite safely, Idris Azman was willing to forgo some of their business interests.

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Startled, Idris Azman stood and opened it to find a Westerner.

The man nodded. "Are you Mr. Idris Azman?"

"Yes, that’s me. And you are?"

"I am the secretary to Governor Hardy."

Idris Azman was taken aback. He hadn’t expected the governor’s secretary to visit him personally. This was a figure of significant influence in Penang and Malacca.

"Good day, Mr. Secretary. Do you have news about my brother and nephew?"

"Not yet," the secretary replied.

Idris Azman’s heart sank. "Then why are you here?"

"I’m here to ask if you’re willing to hire HD Security Company to rescue your family. If you agree, you’ll need to sign a contract. Of course, there will also be a service fee of $200,000 for the special mission. If you can’t pay immediately, you may owe it as a debt."

"Additionally, no matter what happens in the future, you must state that this was purely a business arrangement and had nothing to do with politics," the secretary added.

"If I agree to this, you’ll take action to rescue them?" Idris Azman asked.

"That’s correct," the secretary confirmed.

Without hesitation, Idris Azman signed the agreement presented by the secretary.

"As long as you can rescue my brother, nephew, and the others in the factory, I’ll agree to anything. But can you tell me how you plan to rescue them?" Idris Azman asked.

The secretary shrugged. "Sorry, I don’t know the details."

"But perhaps when you read the newspapers later, you’ll understand what happened," the secretary added with a nod before leaving.

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