Pri Minister Shigeru Yoshida shook his head.
"Those firms are foreign entities, and their investnts took place in the U.S. We have no jurisdiction to investigate them."
At that mont, soone proposed, "What if we ask Hardy's envoy for assistance? I believe Hardy has the influence to uncover the truth."
"Hardy is in the U.S., isn't he?"
"Yes," replied a cabinet mber. "Recently, Hardy was appointed Governor of Penang and Malacca, as widely reported in the papers. He returned to the U.S. afterward, as his primary business operations are based there."
"Hardy is truly remarkable. A British hereditary viscount with three fiefdoms and businesses across the U.S., Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, and the Cayman Islands. It's said his total assets exceed $8 billion."
"Send a telegram to Hardy. If we want to investigate these investnt firms, we'll need his help," said Pri Minister Yoshida decisively.
anwhile, Hardy was en route to the airport when his secretary handed him a telegram. "Boss, this just arrived from Japan."
Hardy glanced at the ssage.
It was from the Japanese governnt, explaining that the financial panic caused by failed investnts had led to nurous suicides. They hoped Hardy could intervene and investigate whether the investnt firms had engaged in fraud.
Hardy shook his head.
"They really know how to pick their guy," he muttered.
"Make the arrangents. After wrapping up in Italy, we'll head to Japan," Hardy instructed his secretary after reading the telegram.
"Got it, boss."
The Japanese were looking for Hardy, assuming he was in the U.S., but he was actually in Ro, Italy.
Roman Holidayhad begun filming.
The director chosen for the project was William Wyler, the sa man who directed the originalRoman Holidayin the previous world. Although this version was being made two years earlier, Wyler was still a perfect fit for the job.
As for the male lead, Gregory Peck was once again cast in the role.
In the previous world, the originalRoman Holidayfaced budget constraints. Initially, they had planned to film in a studio, but after scraping together more funds, they managed to shoot on location in Ro. However, the budget was only sufficient for black-and-white film.
Many lanted that they couldn't enjoy a color version ofRoman Holiday. This ti, with HD Studios providing the funding, there were no financial worries, so of course, they were using color film.
So might argue, "The black-and-white version ofRoman Holidayis a classic, and a color version might lose its charm." Hardy, however, didn't see it that way.
He simply wanted a color version.
He was the boss.
This world'sRoman Holidaywas his call to make.
Besides, if anyone really wanted to watch it in black-and-white, it was easy enough to desaturate the film. Turning a color film into black-and-white was far easier than the reverse.
When Hardy appeared on set, the entire crew was abuzz. After all, he was the hottest na in Arica right now—a bona fide tycoon.
Gregory Peck, who had already t Hardy before, greeted him respectfully. Hardy then turned to William Wyler to inquire about the progress of the shoot. Audrey Hepburn stood nearby, dressed in the film's iconic white dress. Her large, expressive eyes blinked curiously as she gazed at Hardy.
"How's the progress?" Hardy asked the director.
"We've completed about a third of the shoot. Everything is going smoothly," Wyler replied.
With no financial constraints, the director felt like he was in heaven.
Hardy glanced at Hepburn. "How is Hepburn's performance?"
Wyler looked at her and praised, "Her charm is unparalleled. Those expressive eyes alone are enough to captivate any audience."
Hardy smiled.
"After working so hard, I imagine everyone must be feeling a bit worn out. Let's take a day off. Use the ti to explore Ro or relax at a bar. I'll personally give each cast and crew mber a $200 bonus," Hardy announced.
"Wow!"
Cheers erupted from the crew.
Everyone was elated.
Two hundred dollars was no small sum. For many of the cast and crew—excluding stars like Gregory Peck or the director—it was equivalent to a month's wages.
Giving $200 to over a hundred cast and crew mbers ant Hardy was shelling out at least $20,000 to $30,000—a significant gesture.
A day off with extra money? Who wouldn't be thrilled?
As for Hepburn, Hardy took her hand without hesitation and led her away.
So crew mbers whispered among themselves. One person remarked, "Our big boss sure is charming. Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe—all of them are Hollywood's most famous stars, and they've all been his girlfriends."
"Now Miss Hepburn is starring in this movie. She'll probably rise to fa quickly. And now she's also beco the big boss's girlfriend. My god, the boss has basically claid all of Hollywood's top beauties."
Another chid in, "Haven't you noticed? All these won were made famous by the big boss. Starting with Ava Gardner, then Taylor, nroe, and now Hepburn. The boss writes the scripts himself, funds the movies, and promotes them. Without him, do you think they'd be as famous as they are now?"
"That's true."
"And let's not forget, such flowers need powerful protection to bloom for long. Is there anyone in Hollywood more capable of protecting them than the big boss?"
"Nope. Whether it's wealth, influence, or power, nobody in Hollywood compares to the boss," another agreed wholeheartedly.
"Besides, the boss is so young and handso. Don't you think it's actually a blessing for Ava, Taylor, Monroe, and Hepburn to be his girlfriends?"
The group fell silent, realizing there was so truth to this. Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire
Who was really benefitting here?
In reality, these won were the ones who gained the most by being with Hardy.
In this world, Hardy was arguably the best choice for ensuring their safety and success.
So, being with him was their good fortune.
Hepburn held Hardy's hand, occasionally glancing up at him with her big eyes, radiating happiness from the depths of her heart.
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