That night, Margaret kept feeling like she could faintly hear Taylor's voice through the walls. Perhaps it was just her imagination; those sounds might have been conjured by her mind, as she could easily guess what the two were doing.
The imagined sounds tornted the princess for a long ti before she finally fell asleep.
The next day, she woke up around noon again. Reuniting with Hardy and Taylor, she noticed Taylor's radiant expression and the trace of lingering joy in her eyes. Internally, Margaret scoffed.
The three headed to the restaurant.
After ordering their food, they started eating. Hardy asked the two what they wanted to do that day. Margaret, having had plenty of ti to think during her restless night, was prepared.
"Today, let's go to the racetrack. I want to watch horse racing. Actually, I have a few purebred horses back in the UK, bred specifically for speed. Maybe I could bring them here in the future to compete and possibly even earn so money," Margaret suggested.
"After the races, let's go clubbing. I saw on TV that the clubs here are wild and full of passion."
"Sounds good," Hardy nodded.
At that mont, two middle-aged n approached. Noticing Hardy eating, they hesitated about twenty ters away, unsure if they should interrupt.
Hardy noticed them and waved them over. Upon receiving his signal, the two n hurried forward. "Boss, sorry to disturb you. We need to report sothing," one of them said, casting a glance at Margaret and Taylor.
Hardy waved dismissively. "It's fine. Just say it." Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire
"Boss, it's about the shipping company. Shipping volus in Japan and Hong Kong have been increasing significantly. Previously, we relied on docking at other ports for refueling. But with the growing traffic, this approach has beco inefficient, costing us an additional twenty to thirty million dollars annually. The company is considering building our own port near the Strait of Malacca. It could serve as a docking and refueling station and also operate as a transshipnt hub."
"Having our own port would not only support our shipping operations but also open up opportunities for transshipnt business. It's a good idea. Where do you think would be the best location?" Hardy asked.
"Singapore. Singapore's geographical location is excellent and undoubtedly the first choice. Then there's Penang or Malacca," one of the n suggested.
Hardy thought for a mont and said, "Currently, the situation in Southeast Asia isn't stable. Building a port is a major investnt, and who knows what the future holds? What if the investnt turns into a loss?"
"That's a valid concern," the middle-aged man agreed.
The other middle-aged man chid in, "Boss, I have a suggestion. Since you're now a British baron and have already purchased the Cayman Islands, why not consider buying a piece of land in Singapore, Penang, or Malacca? If we own the land outright, we can build a private port without worrying about losing the investnt. It would ensure security for the company."
Princess Margaret, who had been quietly eating at the table, suddenly perked up upon hearing this suggestion and glanced at Hardy.
Hardy didn't return her gaze. Instead, he waved dismissively at the man.
"That's too complicated. It's not worth the trouble for just one port. For now, let's continue renting facilities in Singapore. Once the situation stabilizes, we can reconsider. Keep this plan on the table and monitor developnts in the region closely. If there are any updates, inform imdiately."
The two n nodded and left after bidding farewell.
Once they were gone, Hardy resud eating, stabbing a piece of at with his fork and putting it in his mouth. Margaret, however, was deep in thought. She looked at Hardy and asked, "Why do you think the situation in Malaisie is unstable and that there will be changes in the future?"
At this ti, Malaisie was still a British colony. As an imperial princess, she was naturally displeased to hear Hardy's remarks.
Hardy looked at Margaret, then smiled. "If you paid more attention to what's happening in Malaisie, you wouldn't ask. I can confidently say that Malaisie will eventually gain independence, just like India."
After lunch, They didn't head out imdiately. It was still early, and Las Vegas only truly ca alive from dusk until the early hours of the morning. The nightlife was the soul of the city.
Margaret returned to her room and called for the steward accompanying their group. She asked him about the situation in Malaisie. Being a diplomat, the steward was well-inford and gave her a detailed account. After listening, Margaret realized Hardy was correct. The unrest in Malaisie made independence seem inevitable.
Her thoughts raced as she formulated a plan.
Finally, she had the steward send a telegram to the British governnt:
"Sister, during my ti with Hardy, I learned that his shipping company proposed building a private port in Malaisie. Hardy is interested in Singapore, Penang, and Malacca, but he prefers to wait until the region is stable before proceeding."
"One of his subordinates suggested purchasing land there, similar to what Hardy did with the Cayman Islands. Although Hardy didn't outright reject the idea, he seed open to it. Considering the governnt's current need for funds to address overdue national bonds, perhaps we could sell these territories to Hardy in exchange for the money we need."
The telegram soon reached Britain.
Princess Elizabeth read it and didn't suspect Hardy of any ulterior motives. Given that Hardy was already the governor of the Cayman Islands and owned vast tracts of land, including a million square kiloters in Australia, small colonies like Singapore, Penang, or Malacca hardly seed worth scheming over.
Elizabeth focused instead on Hardy's apparent need.
If he truly wanted these territories, selling them wasn't out of the question. The constant troubles in the region made eventual loss likely, and turning them into cash now would benefit Britain. Any future issues would beco Hardy's responsibility to manage as governor.
Of course, Selling colonies required governnt approval. Princess Elizabeth imdiately contacted the Pri Minister for a discussion.
The Pri Minister arrived at Buckingham Palace and reviewed Princess Margaret's telegram. Like Elizabeth, he didn't suspect Hardy of scheming for the colonies. After all, the Cayman Islands were already sold to him, so what were Malaisie's three small territories in comparison?
---
Reviews
All reviews (0)