The Tyrant Billionaire

Yesterday, Hardy proposed to Johnson that he challenge Dewey to a televised debate. After a night of rush work from the team, the proposal was published in all major newspapers this morning.

The challenge immediately caused a huge sensation.

The Global Times reported: "President Johnson has issued a challenge to presidential candidate Dewey, inviting him to a live televised debate on ABC. The two can ask each other questions on governance philosophy, economic development, foreign policy, the nation's future, and issues of public concern. The questions can come from each other, the host, or even the audience.

"This kind of challenge helps the public better understand the future president, which is beneficial for the election. Now, Johnson has issued the challenge, and Dewey has two days to respond. Will Dewey accept the challenge? We'll see."

The Los Angeles Times commented: "A presidential candidate debate is indeed an interesting proposal. It shows that President Johnson is full of fighting spirit and willing to confront Dewey head-on. We'll have to wait and see if Dewey has the spirit of a knight to face this duel. Two days is all we have to wait."

The Washington Post added: "Whether a televised debate is effective remains to be seen, but it's clear that President Johnson is ready for a fight. Dewey's support has plummeted since the 'black gold scandal,' and polls show Johnson is already ahead. If Dewey agrees to the debate, it might be a chance for him."

At this time, Dewey was giving a speech in Detroit, Michigan, a Republican stronghold in the North. It was the industrial capitalists in the North who had once helped the Republican Party defeat the Southern landowners.

As long as he secured the support of these northern states, he still had hope of victory.

But that morning, when he saw the newspaper headlines, Dewey's face darkened.

Johnson had actually challenged him.

If this had happened a few months ago, Dewey would have gladly accepted, confident that he could leave Johnson speechless in the debate, and shine in front of the public. After all, he was a former prosecutor, and debate was his forte.

But now, he didn't have that confidence.

As some newspapers had pointed out, the 'black gold scandal' had severely damaged Dewey's reputation. It had shattered the image he had spent decades building, and its impact on him was enormous.

If Johnson brought up foreign relations in the debate, how could he respond?

Instead of winning face, he might lose it completely.

Two days passed in a blur.

Dewey's camp remained silent. Johnson's campaign team cheered in celebration—Dewey was afraid, he chickened out, not even daring to respond. Find more to read on empire

Immediately, they organized writers to publish articles attacking Dewey as much as possible.

The Global Times and other newspapers published a series of articles.

"Dewey is a coward!"

"He doesn't even have the courage to accept a challenge; how can he be a good president?"

"If he backs down in the face of a personal challenge, what will he do when faced with a challenge from another country?"

"Dewey, quit the race. You're not qualified to be president."

The public, already skeptical of Dewey, disliked him even more. And many who had planned to support him began to reconsider—was someone like this really fit to be president?

Dewey's reputation among the people took another nosedive.

After reading the newspapers, Dewey angrily smashed his desk. He had indeed avoided the debate to prevent Johnson from embarrassing him. But now, he was branded as a coward, and it pained him deeply.

"Damn it, I should have accepted the challenge in the first place. If he asked something difficult, I could have just deflected. Now I've been labeled a coward."

"After this election, I might never get another chance to run again. Even my party colleagues won't support me anymore."

President Johnson's speech in Miami was a great success, with more than 100,000 people attending. This was partly due to the publicity, but Hardy also played a role.

He called the head of the Lucchese family in Miami and asked him to help gather more people. The Lucchese boss gladly obliged and mobilized his subordinates to gather supporters at the event.

With the help of the local power player Lucchese, the turnout doubled compared to expectations.

Monroe, as a special guest at the event, performed a song before the speech. As soon as she appeared on stage, she was greeted with a roar of applause.

Monroe had now become a national symbol of sex appeal.

Hardy was standing below the stage, watching Monroe. When Monroe greeted the audience while singing, her eyes suddenly met Hardy's. A flicker of panic flashed through her eyes, and she quickly looked away, continuing her performance.

But Hardy caught that brief moment.

He smiled lightly to himself.

He enjoyed the feeling of teasing women like this.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

After the speech in Miami, Johnson's team left for the next city. They had three more speeches planned before the election. Johnson was really pushing hard.

Hardy, on the other hand, was planning to return to Los Angeles.

The seven contestants from the "Super Idol" talent show, who had also come to perform and support Johnson, were preparing to return to Los Angeles as well to participate in the top 24 competition. A different group would handle Johnson's future support performances.

Knowing they were going back, Hardy offered them a ride on his plane, saving them the trouble of paying for flights. They gladly accepted the chance to hitch a ride on the big boss's private plane.

On the plane.

Hardy went to his private room.

Once the boss was gone, the contestants relaxed. They curiously looked around at the luxurious decor of the plane, whispering among themselves.

"This plane is really luxurious. These seats are so comfortable, and they can even recline halfway. The seats on regular flights are narrow and hard," one girl said.

"Of course, this is the big boss's private jet. I bet the boss's room is even more luxurious. Hey, Monroe's been in the boss's room before, right? What's it like inside?" another girl asked.

As soon as she said this, a few people chuckled quietly.