[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-tyrant-billionaire":3,"chapter-the-tyrant-billionaire-the-tyrant-billionaire-chapter-265":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Tyrant Billionaire",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1885076,2504,"Chapter 262: Chapter 262 The Godfather Praise","the-tyrant-billionaire-chapter-265",265,"\u003Cp>Hardy's speech not only stunned the celebrity guests present, but it also caused a massive stir when it was aired on the \"Irina Tonight Show.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"casting couch\" practice is incredibly common in Hollywood, having become an open secret that has harmed countless people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Hardy was challenging the entire entertainment industry, promising to stop this practice if he became the president of the Actors Guild.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one had ever wanted to stop it before, no one even dared to mention it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, Hardy's statements were featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and countless tabloids.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The newspapers first introduced Hardy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enlisting in World War II, he earned combat medals, returned home after a severe injury, and came to Los Angeles in the winter of 1945. Within two years, he became a millionaire through his ventures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He is now the owner of HD Security, HD Films, chairman of ABC Television, owner of Playboy magazine, and the Hardy Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition, he owns several publicly listed companies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To others, Hardy's resume seemed like a fantasy, straight out of a fairy tail, where luck isn't just by his side, but drinking with him every night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this is just the Hardy known to the public.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who truly understand him know that Hardy is even more formidable than the newspapers depict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regarding Hardy's comments, the newspapers offered various opinions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Producers, directors, investors, and those in power have emperor like control over actors. A single word can decide an actor's opportunity, even their future. Actors can only grovel to please them, many even sacrificing their bodies.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A former actress who left the industry revealed that in her three years in showbiz, she encountered over a hundred casting couch situations, sleeping with countless men. Although she landed a few roles, she became depressed after being subjected to perverse abuse for a role. She questioned the meaning of life and eventually left the entertainment industry in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The casting couch has become the norm in the entertainment industry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The chaos in showbiz has long been recognized. Many hope someone can change this. Can Jon Hardy do it? Hopefully, he can.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does sleeping with female fans count as a casting couch? This too should be condemned!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the entertainment industry, many discussed Hardy's remarks, often being victims of the casting couch themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They understood firsthand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a modest apartment in Los Angeles, two young girls watched Hardy's speech on TV, with one suddenly bursting into tears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What's wrong, Luna?\" her companion asked, hugging her for comfort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If Mr. Hardy's words are true, our agent wouldn't dare force us to sleep with men. I feel like a prostitute, not an actress,\" the girl sobbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other girl cried too, as they had both been deceived into signing with an agency and coerced into selling their bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Luna, we are also members of the Actors Guild. If Mr. Hardy takes office, we can file a complaint with the guild. They should handle it,\" her friend said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Will they really? This is a tough issue to handle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl nodded vigorously, \"I'll definitely vote for Mr. Hardy, for a glimmer of hope.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just small time actresses, even some who had made a name for themselves felt deeply about this. Even now, they had to make sacrifices to get roles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They too hoped to change the status quo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Voting for Hardy represented hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, certain producers, directors, agents, and even movie company bosses resented Hardy's remarks, as he unveiled something they had been deliberately hiding, threatening their interests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were an ordinary person, these powerful figures in Hollywood would unite against them, through verbal attacks or using connections to suppress them, eliminating anyone who dared to challenge them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But facing Hardy, they didn't dare, nor did they have the ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone who dared to act against Hardy would end up miserably and tragically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, someone couldn't hold back and secretly released a statement. A tabloid published an article titled \"Stirring up the Casting Couch Issue is Disrespectful to Colleagues.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The article claimed that most instances didn't involve coercion. Everyone is an adult, and many women voluntarily stripped for benefits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hardy was merely exploiting this issue for election purposes, disrespecting the entertainment industry, which could harm its popularity. Such a person becoming the president of the Actors Guild would not be a blessing for actors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hardy just laughed after reading the article. Was this a rebuttal? It only made things worse. Nevertheless, he instructed an investigation into who wrote the article.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Henry reported that the newspaper received an anonymous letter. The editor found the topic sensational and published it to boost sales and visibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hardy nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After the election, two weeks later, have that newspaper office experience a fire. No fatalities,\" Hardy said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Henry nodded with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless of your intentions, you attacked Hardy, and a counterattack is only fair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When you decide to offend someone, you should anticipate retaliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not, you're a fool and unfit for survival. Next time, it might not be a fire, but a catastrophe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Andy had assembled the management team for the 'Venetian Hotel' project, including a supervisor, two accountants, and two lawyers. The company opened an account with Wells Fargo, with funds from various families deposited into this account, ensuring proper and lawful use of the funds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hardy wasn't Sigel, he would do things legitimately, avoiding the mob approach, ensuring everything was legal and above board, leaving no room for criticism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Funds were already starting to come in. The first was from the Corleone family. Hardy called New York to speak with the old Godfather.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rest assured, this investment will not disappoint the Corleone family. I am confident,\" Hardy said with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old Godfather chuckled, \"Hardy, I have more confidence in you than you do in yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank you for your trust.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, your abilities have already told everyone. I can sense that this is not your limit. You will achieve even greater things,\" the old Godfather said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Being praised by someone he once admired made Hardy very happy.\u003C\u002Fp>",1022,"2026-06-10T06:49:56.249Z",1,"novelbin.me","f9e77dd892466c576af7e3df50585e9b19d96747de1364fe05ce4d898a3486fd","the-tyrant-billionaire-chapter-266","the-tyrant-billionaire-chapter-264",702,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-tyrant-billionaire-cover.jpg"]