[Chapter 207: Opening of Davis Prison]
After returning from South Korea, Ian's first stop was to see Gaskill. He wanted to catch up with the old man, see Lena, and meet his son.
Starting with his son, the little guy was almost three months old and absolutely adorable. His big, light blue eyes stared up at Ian, clearly a trait he inherited from Ian. Holding his son, Ian sat on the sofa, playing with him while discussing work with Gaskill.
"Lino Bank is still too small," Ian said straightforwardly. "It's time we considered elevating Lino."
Each bank had its fixed goals, and Lino Bank currently managed only $40 billion in assets. Lending $10 billion was already pushing their limits; to increase their lending capacity, Lino Bank would need to elevate itself to another level. If Lino Bank could manage $300 billion in assets, lending out $80 billion wouldn't be a problem.
Gaskill chuckled, "That's not easy. Do you have any ideas?"
"How about buying Palos Bank?" Ian suggested.
Gaskill shook his head gently. "There's no way I could use Lino's money for that."
That was true. Private banks could use managed assets to expand their operations, but it came with restrictions. The essential point was that they needed to have a certain level of profitability and asset ratios. Currently, Lino Bank's profits were average; a large part of the reason was the low interest rates given to Ian, while the proportion of loans kept increasing. This meant Lino Bank had no more funds to acquire other banks.
Thinking about finances also gave Ian a headache. Carr Media was continuously acquiring companies and its scale was skyrocketing, but so were its debts. The total assets of the Carr Group were valued at about $26.5 billion, with total liabilities amounting to around $23.5 billion, and annual interest payments were a staggering $1.221 billion.
When he calculated this, Ian felt lucky if his company dividends could even cover the interest, let alone expanding the bank. After contemplating, Ian mentioned, "There's a sum of money from Afghanistan."
"Huh?" Gaskill looked at him in astonishment. "What did you say?"
Ian outlined the deals he had with Afghanistan, leaving Gaskill astonished. "Wow! Ian, you've really leveled up! You're even doing business with Afghans?" He couldn't help but admit it was a lucrative venture -- at least tenfold profits.
According to the agreement with Afghanistan, they would provide Ian with a hefty sum to help manage, and then he would convert the profits into weapons, food, and medicine to be sent back. He had initiated the first deal of $500,000 through some connections not long ago. The issue was that, although the profit margins were high, the amounts were still small.
At that point, Ian didn't even care about those few million anymore. However, Gaskill had come to understand Ian well enough. Since Ian had decided to pursue this course, Gaskill did not try to dissuade him and asked, "How much are we talking about?"
Ian shrugged, "I'm not entirely sure; they didn't specify. The key is that these guys are cautious and won't give me much upfront, but I estimate it won't be less than $10 billion."
The Afghans were certainly more careful than the Syrian terrorists, who had wanted to bet $1.5 billion without even meeting. The Afghans wanted to confirm their sincerity before investing further.
'I can't stand doing business with the financially challenged!' Ian thought. 'Afghans are both poor and stingy!'
Gaskill said, "That money can't be directly used for bank expansion; you'll need to start a few more companies. Let me help you think it through; it's best if we can have a scapegoat!"
Ian understood that this couldn't be rushed and nodded, "Alright, I leave it to you."
...
After discussing things, Ian noticed the time was getting late. Just as he was about to leave, he caught a glimpse of Lena's eager eyes. She reached out and held his hand, her gaze filled with desire. Having recovered, her appetites had clearly returned.
Gaskill, sensing the tension, smiled and said, "I'll step out for a drink; you keep Lena company."
With that, he hobbled out of the room with his walking stick.
...
Now it was just Ian and Lena. As she embraced him, Lena, who had given birth, appeared significantly fuller, her eyes glowing with passion. She tugged Ian toward the bed, and at that moment, Ian felt an overwhelming sense of obligation -- "Babe, take it easy..." he whispered.
Lena shot him a fierce look. "You owe me a lot; you better pay it back... with interest!"
"Damn it!" Ian found himself pushed onto the bed, overwhelmed. Being a banker's wife was certainly something else; this was definitely a kind of interest.
The debt he owed wasn't just to her but to Kate, Scarlett, Britney, Jessica, and a whole bunch of others... At that moment, Ian deeply understood what it meant for heaven to feel like hell.
By the time he left the next day, his legs felt like jelly. Women who had given birth had insatiable appetites!
---
Los Angeles, Davis Prison.
After months of hard work, Ian's private prison was finally completed. Located on a stretch of land on the outskirts of Los Angeles and transformed from an old inn, it was right next to California Highway 1.
Tall walls, electrified fencing, and armed guards at the watchtowers created a unique scenic view. Guests could enjoy a pleasant stay at Davis Prison Hotel, where they lived in specially designed rooms with thick iron bars surrounding them, while diligent guards kept watch at night. During the day, they could play basketball, jog, and enjoy their time comfortably.
In their free time, they could work at a garment factory, and thanks to the proximity to Highway 1, they could even go on outings. Life there was fulfilling.
...
After leaving Gaskill's home, Ian's first stop was Davis Prison to check out his new "hotel".
In the warden's office, Ian sat behind the warden's desk looking over the reports. The new warden, Ichabod Kauff, was a former guard who had worked for MTC, one of the three major prison corporations in the U.S.
Warden Kauff was known for his rich experience and mild demeanor. Under his management, there had been no escape incidents, and he was known for his solid operational skills, which had generated significant profits for the prison. Even though his management led to many inmates suffering severe physical strain and long-term malnutrition, the inmates' psychological needs were largely satisfied.
They no longer worried about boredom; coming back after a day's "work" meant fearing and cursing Kauff had become their new normal.
Once Ian confirmed that Kauff was a top-tier management talent, he had recruited him for a hefty sum.
Sitting in the warden's seat, Ian looked at the files in his hand and asked, "The occupancy rate is only 26%?"
Kauff smiled, "Well, it's just opened, and the initial clients are mainly from the construction sites. But don't worry; California has promised to ensure over 90% occupancy by the end of this year. I've already contacted local judges; they will try to prioritize us to send inmates here, but of course, this also depends on the number of available inmates."
"There will be plenty," Ian said casually. "People never disappoint in terms of crime. Just give those judges some cash, and they'll help us push those sentences."
Kauff respectfully poured Ian a cup of coffee. "I've contacted the nearby lumber mill; they're willing to release some business to us. It won't be long before our business scope expands again. Davis Prison is going to be your cash cow."
Ian smiled, "I like that part, but we need to take care of the connections."
"Of course, I won't neglect what you've instructed," Kauff nodded, "By the way, I suggest we establish a VIP area in the prison for better living conditions, of course, they'll need to pay up for that."
While Ian had insisted on taking care of certain connections, money had to be spent, even if it was his employees' wallets -- they had to be squeezed a little, right? Some people had money but no connections, and if the connections were available, they should be satisfied.
Ian nodded, "That's a good idea, but under what pretense?"
"How about human rights? Inmates also have rights and obligations to receive good care," Kauff suggested.
Ian continuously nodded. "That sounds good. We need to be as warm as spring breeze to these misguided lambs."
With money, there would naturally be spring breezes; without it, there would only be chill.
At that moment, Ian smiled, "I like your business acumen regarding the prison; I knew I made the right choice in you. Let's go take a look; we should at least meet our clients."
...
The two men left the warden's office and walked toward the yard. Several armed guards closely followed behind them as Ian made his way across the grounds.
In the yard, he saw inmates clustered in groups: some playing ball, others smoking, their eyes filled with anger, viciousness, and despair.
Ian strolled through the yard with a smile, like a visiting dignitary. Not far away, a few young men were talking, and as they saw Ian, their faces quickly lit up, waving to him.
These were the three from the Palos Bank robbery, Gannon and his crew. sentenced to three years last year, they had been brought to Davis Prison after its completion.
As Ian approached them, he smiled and asked, "Hey, how are you doing? Eating well?"
Gannon excitedly replied, "The warden looks after us well; I don't have to worry about my own hide anymore. Thank goodness your prison is finally completed! Too bad we don't have long before our early release."
There was a sense of regret in wishing to serve a longer sentence, which was ironic.
Ian laughed, "No worries, Davis Prison will always welcome you."
The three young men laughed goofily in response.
Ian added, "If anything comes up, you can speak with Kauff. As long as it's serious, he'll relay it to me. Remember, you're now essentially part of Carr Media, so do good work."
The three nodded enthusiastically.
...
After chatting for a bit, Ian continued on with Kauff as they surveyed the prison. Observing the surrounding inmates, Ian remarked, "Looks like there are gangs here?"
He could easily determine this by the way the inmates gathered.
Kauff replied, "Primarily the Crips, Bloods, and the Fort City Boys."
Even though the crazy Jitt had been killed by Ian, Bloods hadn't disappeared; they had simply retreated from the core area. They still existed and were even in competition with the Crips, providing Carr Media with continuous news material and clientele for Davis Prison.
Ian warned, "Don't let them cause trouble, especially manage the Crips effectively. Tell them they can only expect living conditions here, but if they dare to cause trouble... you know that the best soldiers fear not just the enemy but also their commanders, right?"
Kauff smiled, "You're right, Mr. Carr. They must fear us even more than they fear the enemy."
He was glad that his boss wasn't offering unlimited support to these people.
Ian said nothing further and continued to explore the inner parts of the prison, checking out room after room.
...
Some inmates preferred to stay in their own cells instead of going outside, as it posed a risk to them. So they quietly sat in their rooms, reading books or doing other things.
At that point, Ian entered a relatively isolated section and spotted a cultured young man sitting there, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and reading a book.
Ian looked over, confused, "This guy looks familiar."
Warden Kauff immediately responded, "Ryan Galbraith, an accountant from Enron."
"Ah! That's why he looks familiar!" Ian exclaimed, suddenly realizing.
Enron had gone bankrupt due to accounting fraud, and someone had to take the fall; Galbraith was that scapegoat.
Whether he actually did something was no longer important.
Ian asked, "Davis is a high-security prison; why is there a white-collar criminal here?"
Kauff laughed, "He's very capable, and the prison needs skilled accounting personnel. Since Davis isn't full yet, I brought him in to provide some special care."
Ian murmured, "The Shawshank Redemption."
Kauff answered, "There's no sewer for him to crawl through here."
"Even if there is, it could make for a good news story," Ian replied.
Kauff: "..."
But a private prison wouldn't lose its operating rights over one or two inmate escapes.
Ian looked at the young man and said, "Someone like this should be kept around; perhaps I'll need him in the future. How many years was he sentenced?"
"Not too long, a year and a half; he started his sentence last year and will be released in February next year."
Ian nodded thoughtfully.
He turned to Kauff and said, "Prison is a great place; it holds the most precious information and the best talents. Kauff, I want you to understand that money isn't our only goal. Valuable information and outstanding talent are equally important. If necessary, I would like this place to provide me with special talents, so take good care of such individuals. This might reduce the prison's profits, but you will have my gratitude!"
Kauff nodded repeatedly, "Don't worry, boss; I won't let you down!"
*****
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