The Tyrant Billionaire

After reading the newspapers, the public began to engage in widespread discussion. Many who once held Dewey in high regard now realize that a law enforcement official, known for his fairness, had himself become a lawbreaker. This realization was difficult for many to accept.

Charge one: Accepting foreign political donations.

Charge two: Attempting to cover up the crime after making a mistake.

Charge three: Abusing authority by secretly mobilizing prosecutorial power.

Charge four: Suspected murder.

Although the FBI did not confirm the murder charge, the public was not easily deceived. Why would someone mobilize prosecutors unless there was something to hide? The car chase in Los Angeles, where dozens of shots were fired—was that an attempt to apprehend, or was it an attempted murder? People formed their own conclusions.

Many were profoundly disappointed in Dewey. Their perception of him underwent a complete reversal. Once people realize they have been deceived, the more they once admired someone, the more they come to despise them.

Dewey, after reading the newspapers, was enraged. He understood that while he might not end up in jail, the upcoming election would likely be incredibly challenging. The public finds it hard to accept a president with such a tarnished reputation, especially during an election period.

"Crash!"

Dewey hurled an ashtray at a bookshelf, knocking down several pieces of European artwork that shattered on the floor.

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Things had been going so well, but one mistake had caused him a significant downfall. The person he now loathed most was that man, Song Yong.

If he could navigate through this scandal, it would be due to his team's efforts. If it weren't so close to the election, and replacing him wasn't feasible, he might have been dropped altogether. However, with only two months left, there wasn't enough time to change candidates, so they had no choice but to stick with him. Dewey remained the candidate for the November election.

Yet Dewey no longer possessed his previous confidence of assured victory. Although he wasn't definitively charged with murder, the threat of an investigation loomed over him. At any moment, the FBI could reopen the case, offering him no peace.

President Johnson, after reading the newspapers, smiled faintly. The impact of this incident on Dewey was undeniably severe.

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Dewey's greatest appeal to voters had been his track record as a former prosecutor, successfully taking down hundreds of gang members. But now, this once-celebrated enforcer of the law has become a lawbreaker himself.

Although Dewey wasn't sent to jail, his public image had collapsed. Following this scandal, Johnson's support would surely rise significantly. He needed to prepare for speeches in San Francisco and Los Angeles to further expand his lead. Hardy had promised to organize the grandest speeches for him in these two cities.

Johnson chose to go to Los Angeles first, aiming to seize the moment and deliver a grand speech of the century while Dewey's morale was at its lowest.

Hardy, after reading the newspaper, set it aside. Regarding Dewey, there was no way to destroy him completely. If the investigation continued, Dewey's team would likely sacrifice a subordinate to protect him, claiming the assistant acted independently, allowing Dewey to avoid jail time.

A few days earlier, Giannini had called him. Some financial tycoons had reached out to Giannini, asking him to intercede, hoping Hardy would let the matter go and not pursue it further. Regarding the casino lottery issue, they were willing to help mediate, promising Hardy would soon get the outcome he desired.

That was their offer. They also expressed that they owed Hardy a favor, potentially paving the way for future business cooperation. Hardy decided to accept the favor from the head of the consortium. It wasn't a life-or-death conflict, and the terms didn't affect the upcoming election.

As for fair competition? That was hardly possible with so much at stake. Since Dewey was still backed by the consortium, Hardy had no qualms about exploiting his vulnerabilities further to suppress him.

Arnold's video footage had two copies—one with the FBI and another with the Global Times. Hardy called in Mark Keane, president of Global Times, and Edward, president of HD Films, instructing them to collaborate on creating a documentary.

"Boss, do we need to find someone to portray 'Thomas Dewey'?" Edward asked.

Hardy dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand.

"No need. We'll use Arnold's footage as our foundation. What I want is authenticity—raw, unfiltered truth. I've reviewed some of Arnold's material; there's over eight hours of footage. That's more than enough to edit into a compelling documentary."

"Keep in mind, we need this documentary to appear neutral—not overtly biased, at least not in a way that outsiders can detect. But it must have a clear narrative focus: 'knowingly breaking the law.'"

The two presidents thought to themselves, "Unbiased? You might as well point directly at Dewey and announce, 'I'm going to expose all your dirty secrets.'"

"Boss, what do you think the documentary should be titled?" Edward asked.

Hardy thought for a moment, then said, "Let's call it 'Black Gold 1948.'"

Producing the documentary wasn't difficult. With the available video and audio recordings, all that remained was the editing. It took about a week to complete.

After watching the final cut, Hardy couldn't help but admire the director's skill. The documentary, though it didn't explicitly state that Dewey ordered the hit on Arnold, left viewers with the unmistakable impression that Dewey was involved in criminal activity throughout. To cover up his initial crimes, Dewey wasn't above committing further illegal acts.

Hardy took the documentary to Mayer. "I've made a documentary about the recent Dewey case and would like MGM to help distribute it."

Mayer was taken aback. He was wary of offending Dewey, who had high approval ratings in his previous campaign, and many believed he would be the next president. Offending a potential future president could spell disaster for MGM.

"Mr. Mayer, you also have a stake in the new casino. You wouldn't want to see its operations restricted, would you? You know that would result in significant financial losses," Hardy said.