The Tyrant Billionaire

"Hardy always shielded Taylor beneath him. Outside, the sound of exploding bullets continued, but Taylor found herself not as scared as she had expected.

Nestled in Mr. Hardy's embrace, she felt an unprecedented sense of security, as if hiding in his arms meant there was nothing to worry about.

Taylor even stole a few glances outside.

The robbery ended, and the robbers finally left.

As they emerged from their hiding place, they saw the entire street in chaos. Several pedestrians lay dead, and others injured on the ground wailed in pain.

The bank fared even worse.

All the windows were shattered, and inside was a mess. Hardy glanced at the bank sign, "Bank of America, Los Angeles Branch, Merriman Street Branch."

Hardy knew Bank of America, In later years, it was also known as the Bank of the United States, one of America's top commercial banks with branches all over the country. Even in 1946, Bank of America was one of California's top banks.

It was this bank that first invented the bank credit card in 1959, which later became Visa card.

Hardy pondered over who might have carried out this robbery?

Certainly not Red Bill's gang.

Hardy had previously issued strict orders that Red Bill's gang should only engage in gray business--absolutely no drug trafficking or robbery.

The slot machines business alone was bringing enough profit for the gang to function and expand.

The Austrian gang? That didn't seem likely, either.

These robbers were acting extremely recklessly.

Throwing grenades during a robbery, firing indiscriminately, and injuring civilians--this was extremely ruthless behavior.

After completing the robbery and getting the money, these guys even threw bombs into the bank. Their behavior was simply insane.

This was definitely not the style of the Austrian gang.

Could it be the Irish or Mexican gangs, or maybe sharks swimming in from somewhere else? Hardy couldn't guess at the moment.

Leaving the chaotic scene hand in hand with Taylor, Hardy put her on a motorcycle and took her home.

At the doorstep, Taylor looked at Hardy and asked, "Mr. Hardy, will you still teach me in the future?"

Hardy patted the girl's head. "In a couple of days, the script will be sent to you by the crew. Study it well during this time, and I'll come to find you when I have the time. If you have any questions, you can also call me."

Taylor nodded vigorously.

After bidding farewell to Taylor, Hardy returned to the security company and went straight to Lancer.

"An hour ago, there was a bank robbery on Merriman Street. I was nearby."

"There were six robbers. They used grenades to cause explosions and machine guns for sweeping. All eight security guards responsible for the cash truck were killed, and several innocent bystanders died. When the robbers left, they also threw two grenades into the bank."

"They took away four iron boxes. I estimate it was over a hundred thousand dollars. Lancer, do you think the police can catch these robbers?"

Lancer shook his head and said, "As long as they're Americans, no one will have confidence in the police. I've done some research recently. Just last year in Los Angeles, there were 12 bank robberies and armored cars robberies, with losses exceeding a million dollars, but solved cases are few and far between, only one out of all those incidents was solved, the rest remain unsolved."

"Lancer, I think our opportunity has come." Hardy said with a light smile.

"Oh, what do you have in mind?"Lancer asked curiously.

Hardy lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said, "What if we find these robbers and recover the money for the bank? How do you think they would feel?"

Lancer paused for a moment and said, "The bank was robbed, but they're insured, so the bank didn't suffer a big loss. However, if the money is recovered, it would be a great publicity boost for the bank."

"They can capitalize on this, showcasing how strong their bank is at protecting client's assets. Reputation is everything to a bank."

Hardy clapped his hands.

"Yes, it's all about reputation. Banks care a lot about reputation, and we can definitely capitalize on that."

Hardy picked up the phone and called Bill.

"Bill, there was a bank robbery on Merriman Street this afternoon. There were six robbers. Mobilize all our resources to find out where these robbers are hiding," Hardy said.

"Okay, boss."

After hanging up with Bill, Hardy called the head of the Austrian gang, Fred, and briefed him on the robbery.

Fred furrowed his brow deeply because Merriman Street was considered the Austrian gang's territory.

"Fred, I hope the Austrian gang can help us find clues to these robbers' whereabouts," Hardy said.

"What are you planning, Hardy?"

"I want to use those robbers to make a business."

"Recover the money they stole?"

"No, help the bank recover the money."

After hanging up with Fred, Hardy turned to Lancer. "Deploy all the security company's personnel to find clues. See if they can uncover anything."

"Okay, I'll get on it right away," Lancer replied.

With a few phone calls, the underground forces of Los Angeles were set into motion, all eagerly searching for the whereabouts of these robbers.

...

The next day, all the major and minor newspapers in Los Angeles had headlines about the bank robbery. Hardy flipped through them while eating breakfast.

Los Angeles Times: "Yesterday, an extremely brutal bank robbery occurred on Merriman Street. The Bank of America Los Angeles Branch's cash truck was gathering money at the Merriman Street branch. A group of robbers rushed out, using grenades and machine guns to kill eight security guards and steal $128,000 in cash."

"During the robbery, the robbers used grenades and machine guns. Three innocent bystanders were killed, and five were injured."

"Before leaving, the robbers threw two grenades into the bank, killing two people on the spot and injuring eleven."

"This was an extremely heinous robbery. The robbers showed no humanity, shooting and killing innocent people indiscriminately. In total, 13 people died, and 16 were injured. We strongly condemn such actions and urge the Los Angeles Police Department to solve this case quickly."

The newspaper was accompanied by photos of the scene, the bank blown to pieces, and several people coming out covered in blood.

Another article described the robbery process, concluding with: "Dozens of bank robberies occur in Los Angeles every year, causing significant losses to banks and the public. Some even call Los Angeles the 'City of Robberies' and 'City of Crime.'"

"The Los Angeles Police Department has done nothing, leaving the public to live in fear daily. As the second largest city in America, home to Hollywood, how can this city develop with such security issues? Where is the taxpayers' money going?"

Over a dozen newspapers covered not only the robbery incidents but also criticized the government's inaction and the police's incompetence.

City Hall. The mayor summoned Police Chief Ed and severely criticized him, insisting that he must solve the case quickly.

Ed bowed his head in response to the reprimand.

"The executives of Bank of America called me, saying this is the fourth robbery of their bank in Los Angeles in five years, greatly affecting the bank's reputation. The government must provide an explanation."

"Ed, I don't care what methods you use. Capture those bastards, even if it's just their bodies. I want to see results."

Back at the police station, Ed vented his frustration on his subordinates, cursing and ordering them to go out and find the culprits.

Once his subordinates left, Ed sat in his chair and sighed, In reality, he knew very well the chances of catching those robbers were slim.

Even in previous cases that were solved, there was a significant element of coincidence, such as internal disputes over the division of spoils.

It was never his incompetent subordinates who found the clues, he knew their capabilities too well.

Just wait. wait for the momentum to pass in a few days.

People will gradually forget, and it will all blow over.

But unexpectedly, the next day's newspaper reported another explosive piece of news: Bank of America expressed anger over the robbery and offered a $20,000 reward to apprehend the robbers.

Many newspapers quickly picked up the story.

Police Chief Ed was once again summoned by the mayor and scolded, given a half month ultimatum to solve the case. If he failed, he would be out of the job.

Ed called several deputy chiefs to inquire about any leads, they all reported no progress.

Ed pointed at them and shouted, "If we don't crack this case within 15 days, I'll be resigning. but don't worry, before I leave, I'll be firing all of you. Now, mobilize everyone to find some clues."

The deputy chiefs hurriedly left.

Five days passed in a flash.

The robbers seemed to have vanished, the police found no leads. Ed grew increasingly anxious but was at a loss.

HD Security Company, Strategic Research Office.

Hardy and Lancer were poring over a map of Los Angeles, with Lancer circling a location in red.

"The robbers are here, at a scrapyard."

Hardy chuckled softly, "Irish territory, perfect."

Confirming the robbers location took a lot of effort on Hardy's part, he mobilized all his resources to gather useful clues.

At a used car dealership, an employee provided a tip that a group had recently visited looking for a car similar to the one used by the robbers.

The brand and model of the car were provided by Hardy, who had seen the robbers vehicle at the scene.

That wasn't the main point, the crucial detail was that while selling the car, the employee overheard one of the men saying the trunk was big enough to hold a dozen boxes.

He didn't pay much attention to it at first, but he remembered it later during the gang investigation and provided this clue.

The employee described the appearance of the buyers.

On the day of the robbery, these individuals were masked, and no one knew what they looked like. Having their descriptions was a significant breakthrough.

The investigation continued, and more clues emerged.

Finally, a petty thief provided a tip: at a certain scrapyard, he saw people resembling those Bill wanted. Lancer immediately dispatched a team to investigate. After careful confirmation, they found the group at the scrapyard and even traced the black car.

When it came to finding people, the gangs were undoubtedly way better than the police.

Lancer looked at Hardy and asked, "What's next? Are we going to make a move on them now?"

Hardy smiled: "Not yet. Let's keep our people watching them. As long as they don't run, we won't make a move."

"Tomorrow, you will go talk to the Bank of America. Maybe they would become our first client, and then find Chief Ed. I hear the mayor has given him a strict ultimatum. If he doesn't solve this within two weeks, he's out. I think HD Security could also become a partner with the police department."

"There are many ways to work this out, we need to make the most of this rare chance."