Bab 224: Chapter 224: Selling Post-War Supplies
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March came quickly, bringing with it the annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony. Hardy attended with three women by his side: Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor, and Hedy Lamarr. Both Taylor and Lamarr were nominated for Best Actress this year, with Taylor starring in *The Killer is Not So Cold* and Lamarr in *Ghost Still in Love*.
Competition was fierce, but ultimately, Taylor won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for her outstanding performance in *The Killer is Not So Cold*. Holding her first major award, Taylor couldn't resist kissing the trophy in excitement.
The two films from Hardy's studio also picked up several awards, and after the event, Hardy drove Taylor home. As they neared her house, Taylor asked him to stop the car a couple of blocks away, wanting to savor the moment alone with him.
The two shared a passionate kiss, and Taylor, her eyes glistening with gratitude, said, "This is the first major award of my life. I'm so excited, and I owe it all to you, Hardy."
Hardy smiled. "You earned it through your hard work."
"No, it was your guidance that made it possible. I've learned so much about acting this past year. Watching other performances made me realize how much I had to improve. Without your help in understanding my character, I wouldn't have won this award," Taylor admitted.
"It's good that you're aware of this. Knowing your weaknesses is the first step to improvement. I believe you'll win an Oscar in the future," Hardy encouraged.
"So, that means I won't win the Oscar this time?" Taylor asked, sharp as ever.
"You've got a nomination."
Taylor was a little disappointed, but she quickly shook it off, smiling. "A nomination is still a big deal."
She leaned in closer, whispering, "Hardy, I want a reward."
"What kind of reward?" he asked.
Taylor closed her eyes, signaling exactly what she wanted, and Hardy obliged, kissing her again.
Later, Taylor returned home, still beaming from the evening. Her parents, who had also attended the awards, noticed the sparkle in their daughter's eyes and the smudged lipstick, but they knew better than to ask questions. After all, she was an adult now, and Hardy was someone they respected.
***
A few days later, the Oscars took place. ABC Television had secured the rights to broadcast the event nationwide, and countless celebrities graced the occasion. Irina was one of the hosts for the night.
Hardy, accompanied by several women, attended once again. This time, Hardy's studio made an even bigger splash, with their two films garnering 12 nominations. Although Taylor didn't win, Hedy Lamarr took home the Best Actress award for her role in *Ghost Still in Love*. On stage, Lamarr's eyes welled up with emotion as she thanked Hardy for his unwavering support.
"If there's anyone I owe this to, it's Mr. Hardy. He came up with the idea for *Ghost Still in Love* and believed in me for this role. He even wrote the theme song for the film. Hardy is the most talented person I've ever met," Lamarr said, prompting another round of applause.
The night continued to be fruitful, with *The Killer is Not So Cold* and *Ghost Still in Love* winning multiple awards, including Best Director, Best Editing, Best Original Story, and Best Original Song.
When Hardy took the stage to accept an award, the applause was thunderous. He was no longer just a businessman; he was a Hollywood powerhouse. His influence had begun to surpass even that of industry veterans, a fact not lost on the likes of Meyer, who had spent decades building his empire only to see Hardy rise in just over a year.
Addressing the audience, Hardy set aside the trophy and smiled. "I'm supposed to give an acceptance speech now, right?"
Laughter rippled through the crowd, followed by more applause.
"Honestly, that song was just a stroke of inspiration. I'm glad you all liked it," Hardy said modestly, eliciting more smiles.
"But if I were to say something meaningful, it would be this: Film is the seventh art, an art that combines the talents of many—actors, directors, screenwriters, lighting technicians, props masters, even stunt doubles and extras. Everyone contributes to this work of art, and while we often focus on the stars, we must also appreciate those who work tirelessly behind the scenes. It's their dedication that allows the art to truly shine."
The audience responded with enthusiastic applause.
At the after-party, Hedy Lamarr, overwhelmed by her win, clung to Hardy's arm. "I'm so happy tonight. I don't want to be alone," she whispered.
They ended the night together, with Lamarr holding Hardy close, her eyes filled with adoration. "Thank you, Hardy," she murmured.
***
With the awards season behind him, Hardy turned his attention to new ventures. He pulled out a planning document, detailing his vision for a national logistics company and a warehouse-style supermarket chain. This was an industry he had been eyeing for some time, and he was ready to dive in.
Building a logistics company and supermarket chain from the ground up would require significant investment—land acquisition, construction of logistics centers, and hiring a large workforce. But manpower was something Hardy had covered. He immediately thought of Major General Williams, who was responsible for veteran placement and had an abundance of personnel looking for work.
Hardy called Major General Williams, who answered after a few rings.
"Hardy, it's been a while," Williams greeted him warmly. The two had become close friends, speaking to each other with ease.
"I know you've been busy, General," Hardy replied with a chuckle.
Williams sighed. "You have no idea. I've been running around selling surplus military supplies like a shopkeeper. It's exhausting."
"That's why I'm calling," Hardy said, getting to the point. "I'm starting a logistics company and a national supermarket chain, both of which will need a lot of manpower. I estimate we'll need two to three thousand veterans this year alone."
"That's music to my ears, Hardy! You're solving a huge problem for me. I'll make sure you get the best of the best," Williams promised.
After wrapping up their business discussion, Hardy asked, "What's this about you becoming a shopkeeper?"
Williams groaned. "Well, with the war over, we've got an enormous amount of surplus—planes, tanks, ships, weapons, you name it. Most of it is just sitting in warehouses or out in the desert, costing us a fortune to maintain. So, the government set up the War Assets Administration and put me in charge of offloading all this stuff."
"There are tens of thousands of items across 181 warehouse bases," Williams continued. "I've been able to sell some of the more marketable items, like transport planes and vehicles, but who wants to buy tanks or fighter jets? And don't even get me started on the ships docked in the ports. I'm trying to interest some foreign governments in purchasing them, but it's tough going. If I can't sell them, we'll have to scrap them for metal."
Hardy's mind started working, sensing a business opportunity. "General, I think I can help with that."
"Oh? What are you thinking?" Williams asked, intrigued.
"I'm thinking you need a specialized sales team. You've already got your hands full with international deals. Let someone else handle the domestic sales. Outsource it. That way, you're just making decisions, not dealing with the day-to-day hassle."
"That's a good idea, Hardy. Why don't you come by my office so we can discuss this further?" Williams suggested.
"Sounds good. I'll head over now," Hardy agreed.
Bab 225: Chapter 225: Buy 30,000 Trucks First
Hardy, accompanied by his bodyguard and secretary, flew to the U.S. Army Logistics Headquarters at Fort Bever, Virginia, on his private jet the same day. Upon landing at the military airport, several military vehicles awaited them. An officer saluted Hardy and said, "Hello, Mr. Hardy. General Williams sent us to pick you up."
"Thank you," Hardy replied.
They quickly arrived at the logistics headquarters and passed through security without issue. Hardy walked into Major General Williams' office, where the general stood up with a smile and embraced him.
After they sat down, coffee was brought in. Major General Williams said, "It's been half a year, hasn't it?"
"Yes, time flies."
Williams looked at Hardy and said with a smile, "Your progress has been impressive. Congratulations on establishing the Hardy Group. I hear you've acquired a bank and joined the California Consortium. Many of the Consortium's weapons manufacturers are military contractors. I know some of the logistics providers."
He continued, "Your TV station is thriving too. The 'Super Idol' talent show has become the most popular program in the U.S. My family loves it. My niece visited recently and mentioned she wanted to participate in the competition but was worried about the possibility of being eliminated."
"How old is your niece?" Hardy asked.
"Nineteen."
"What's her name?"
"Linda, Linda Williams."
"The audition is for people who love to sing. I'm sure Linda will do well. Encourage her to participate. There's still a month left for auditions," Hardy suggested.
"I'll let her know," Williams said with a smile.
Hardy planned to arrange for Linda to reach the final stages of the competition. He was confident Edward would ensure she advanced if she had any talent at all.
"Now, let me show you the supplies," Williams said, rising. "It's been a real headache managing all this."
They exited the building and got into a jeep. The convoy drove to a series of large warehouses, stopping in front of one. A guard at the door saluted upon seeing the general.
The warehouse door opened, revealing tall shelves packed with various items. Williams explained, "This is a sample warehouse. To make things easier, I had them bring a bit of everything here."
He added, "There are tens of thousands of categories of logistics materials, and the catalog file alone is as high as a person."
They approached a shelf with wooden boxes. "These are field ration boxes, categorized as B, C, K, and D."
Williams opened one box, revealing tin cans inside. "This is a B ration. The can includes butter, instant coffee, dry food, chocolate, chewing gum, cigarettes, matches, soap, water purification tablets, a can opener, and towels."
"Other ration boxes contain similar items, but with variations—some include candies, instant orange powder drinks, different cigarette brands, and dried vegetables, macaroni, or egg powder."
They moved to another box, which was full of canned luncheon meat. "These canned luncheons were a staple for the army. Billions of cans were consumed during the war. Do you know the production cost?"
Hardy shook his head.
"Each can costs only 12 cents," Williams said with a smile.
Hardy marveled at the efficiency of military logistics, noting how well they lived compared to other troops who struggled with inadequate supplies.
"Are these rations still used by the troops?" Hardy asked, curious about why such items were left over.
Williams shrugged. "The soldiers don't want to eat these anymore. If they were served these rations now, there would be a rebellion."
"Currently, they receive fresh vegetables and meat. The food is made fresh daily, and they still complain about it."
Williams picked up a can and weighed it in his hand. "Did you eat many of these during the war?"
Hardy nodded. "It made me sick."
Williams laughed. "Yes, everyone hated these cans. General Eisenhower once said that if he ever met the owner of the luncheon meat company, he'd shoot him, ha ha ha."
Williams continued, "The field rations here number around 10 million boxes, with 125 million cans of luncheon meat alone. The production capacity was so high that they could make 15 million cans a week to supply our millions of troops."
"When the war ended, production was halted, but a backlog of hundreds of millions of cans remained. Soldiers refused to eat them, often discarding the cans in secret."
"Now, these items have been stored for three years, and their expiration date is approaching. If we don't dispose of them, they'll just have to be thrown away."
"Can they still be eaten?" Hardy asked, concerned.
"Absolutely. When we bought them, the shelf life was set for over five years. They contain a lot of preservatives," Williams said, lowering his voice slightly, "These cans have no production or expiration dates, ha ha."
They moved on to open more boxes, revealing a range of items like canned chicken, beef, pork, fish, tomato juice, and honey.
Williams picked up a medical backpack and emptied it. "This is a medical soldier's backpack. It contains sulfa powder, morphine injections, bandages, and a full set of surgical instruments."
"In addition to individual medical equipment, there are hospital supplies—sterilization cotton, syringes, infusion hoses, etc. These will expire soon and will be discarded."
Next, Williams opened a box containing condoms. "Have you ever used these on the battlefield?"
Hardy shook his head. "Never."
They continued through the warehouse, finding bundles of military envelopes, Christmas cards, candles, flashlights, mosquito nets, and various sizes of military tents.
There were also ovens, ice cream machines, and coffee machines—tens of thousands of each. They proceeded to individual equipment: military uniforms, backpacks, water bottles, belts, helmets, blankets, shovels, and daggers.
Further in, they found an array of weapons: rifles, pistols, machine guns, and mortars. Williams explained, "After the war, with over 10 million retired soldiers, many items were eliminated and just piled up here. Whether used or new, they are stored with nowhere else to go."
As they went deeper, they saw larger items: motorcycles, jeeps, trucks, ammunition carriers, tracked vehicles, artillery, and even tanks.
"If planes and battleships could fit, they'd be here too," Williams joked.
Hardy was interested in the trucks. "General, I'm setting up a logistics company and need a lot of trucks. Do you have any suitable ones?"
Williams led him to the truck section and introduced the models: the Dodge WC62 (1.5 tons), GMC military truck (2.5 tons), Stibeck US6 truck (2.5 tons), and the White 666 truck (6 tons).
"The best items here are the cars and trucks, but I still have a batch in stock. How many do you want?" Williams asked.
"What's the price?" Hardy inquired.
Williams smiled. "Dodge WC62 trucks are $200 each, GMC 2.5-ton trucks are $300, Stibeck US6 trucks are also $300, and White 666 trucks are $500."
"Okay, I'll take them all," Hardy decided.
The prices were incredibly low—new vehicles cost more than ten times these prices.
Williams was surprised. "I have over 30,000 trucks here. You really want them all?"
Hardy, taken aback by the quantity, realized the scale of the purchase. Even though it would cost millions, he could resell them for profit. "No problem, give them to me."
Williams was pleased. "Since you want them all, I'll offer a discount and include extra accessories for each vehicle."
He leaned closer and whispered, "Don't worry, you'll get five times the standard accessories and some additional parts that are just gathering dust."
Back in Williams' office, the general showed Hardy a pile of documents and said, "These catalogs cover all the materials we have. What we just saw is only a portion."
He pointed to a photo of a freighter. "This type of freighter, with a 7,000-ton capacity, was produced during the war. We made over 2,700 of them. Now, most are just sitting idle in the port."
"Also, there are Victory freighters with a 15,000-ton capacity. Over 500 were produced, many of which are no longer needed."
"We're looking to sell these, but many countries can't afford them. It's a real headache."
Williams added, "If we don't sell, we'll have to pay high maintenance costs to keep them. Eventually, they'll just be dismantled for scrap."
"Then there are the airplanes—hundreds of thousands of them. Most are obsolete, sitting in the desert. Even selling parts is challenging."
"If we keep all these items, annual maintenance alone will cost $50 to $60 million. The federal government doesn't want to pay for it. They'd prefer giving them away rather than spending money every year."
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