The Tyrant Billionaire

"Supermarkets may have low profit margins, but they hold a lot of cash. Let's do some math. This Hollywood store will make $900,000 in annual sales. Regardless of the profit, we'll be holding over $600,000 of the suppliers' money, correct?"

"Correct," Sam agreed.

"And do you think we'll just sit on that $600,000? No, this is a massive resource. We can invest it in stocks, bonds, futures, or insurance. Even if we just lend it to a bank, we could get 4% to 5% interest, which is already as much as our profit margin."

"If we have 30 stores like this in the U.S., we'd be holding $18 million in cash. If we had 300 no imagine 3000 stores, we'd be holding $1.8 billion in cash. Let me tell you, with that kind of money, bankers would come begging for your business."

Andy nodded in agreement.

"Yes, if someone controls $1.8 billion in cash, bankers would treat them as a VIP, their most important and valued client."

"Even powerful banks like Bank of America, one of the largest in the U.S., couldn't easily come up with $500 million in cash at once. Cash sitting in the bank is a liability; it must be invested. But sometimes they need large sums of cash, and if you're holding a lot of it, the result is obvious."

Hardy continued, "Based on our earlier calculations, each supermarket could conservatively generate $1 million in profit. That might not seem like much, but with 300 stores, that's $300 million in annual profits—an amount no one can ignore."

"So the task now is for you, Sam, to keep pushing and open Hardy chain stores across the U.S. Every major city should have at least one or two. As the population grows, we can open even more. Every district should have a Hardy supermarket."

"Do you know what my ultimate goal is?" Hardy asked, looking at Sam.

"What's the goal?" Sam held his breath.

"Three thousand stores. In the future, there will be three thousand Hardy chain supermarkets across the United States. By then, sales will far exceed what they are now, and the cash we hold might reach a staggering 20 to 30 billion dollars."

Sam Walton's breathing quickened.

"And not just in the U.S.," Hardy continued. "Hardy supermarkets will expand to Europe, South America, Asia, and even Africa. At that point, Hardy chain stores will become the largest supermarket chain in the world, controlling the future of tens of thousands of suppliers."

Hardy's words were filled with passion, and they had a contagious energy.

Sam Walton's eyes reddened slightly, as if he had just received a shot of adrenaline.

"Boss, I understand! I will make sure to manage this business well, and I will expand Hardy stores across America and the world."

"Work hard. We're going to make a lot of money," Hardy encouraged, smiling at Sam Walton.

Hardy's ambition for chain supermarkets wasn't just about their profitability or cash flow. There was another goal—by becoming a terminal retailer, they could control the fate of thousands or even tens of thousands of companies. This concept would later be proven true.

Walmart, for example, has over 80,000 direct suppliers and hundreds of thousands of indirect businesses. If Walmart were to collapse, the chain reaction would be massive, perhaps even akin to a financial tsunami.

When Hardy's chain supermarkets grew, more and more companies would rely on the Hardy Group to survive. If Hardy made any moves, it would be obvious which way those companies would lean.

There was also another point to consider.

Once Hardy's chain supermarkets were established, Hardy planned to cooperate with the military and become a supplier for the U.S. military. The military didn't just need guns and ammunition—living supplies were a major expense, often comparable to the cost of weapons.

In later years, there would be many famous military weapons suppliers, such as Boeing, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Honeywell, Halliburton, and United Defense Industries.

But what no one noticed was that Walmart was the largest supplier of daily necessities for the U.S. military. They didn't just provide living supplies; they also handled logistics and delivery. Not just within the U.S., but to over 200 military bases worldwide.

If Walmart were to disappear, the U.S. military would face food and water shortages.

It's not just missiles and planes that are valuable. Bottled water is also valuable. In Afghanistan, a bottle of water costs $14, and a single cup can be priced at $3.

Moreover, unlike weapons, which can last for many years, daily necessities are consumed in massive quantities every day. The business is constant, and it earns as much as the big weapons companies do.

After Sam left, Hardy had a chat with Andy, who then went off to handle his own affairs. Hardy smiled as he thought about Sam's report on catching shoplifters. Professional thieves dealing with amateur ones had provided excellent protection for the store's assets.

This reminded him of Victor.

Victor had once been nothing but a con artist. But after Hardy took him in and reformed him, he performed exceptionally well in the U.K., and now he had become the perfect candidate to expand into Hong Kong."

It just goes to show that putting the right people in the right positions allows them to perform at their best.

As Hardy's thoughts drifted, he began to wonder if more people could be utilized, such as those involved in financial crimes.

Then his thoughts turned to Japan.

Could the same be done there? The more Hardy thought about it, the more interesting it seemed.

He called his secretary in. "Notify Henry to come over. Tell him I have something for him."

"Yes, Mr. Hardy."

The secretary went out to contact Henry. Read new adventures at empire

A short while later, Henry arrived. Hardy asked him to sit and said, "Henry, do you have any information on financial fraud criminals?"

Henry was slightly taken aback.