PRI Chapter 15: What's Hidden Beneath the Surface Gradually Emerges

After befriending Avery, other matters naturally fell into place.

Regarding the Y2K technical upgrade, Avery could provide Lind with technical personnel while adding an additional $100,000 subsidy.

As for prisoner funding, through Avery's application, December's payment would likely reach Lind's account by early January.

The full year 2000 detention fees would require two months of approval.

This was quite normal. If Lind hadn't gone through Avery's channels, he might not have gotten reviewed until mid-year.

There was no choice, as the other major private prison companies were large-scale with sufficient political donations, so they had to receive the first payments each year.

For a small prison like Lind's to rank so highly was already quite good.

Not to mention having applications to detain serious offenders.

Companies like CCA mainly focused on detaining minor offenders.

Not because they lacked capability, but for profit maximization.

Their prisons were spread across America with personnel compressed to the extreme. If they detained too many serious offenders, problems would easily arise.

But Lind was different. He didn't have capital to open prisons everywhere, with only Border Prison under his company.

So detaining serious offenders and illegal immigrants was the profit-maximizing choice.

After sending Avery back to his quarters, Lind had just returned to his office planning to rest when George, covered in cold and travel-worn, pushed open the door.

"Edward! What the hell happened?" He entered full of anger and confusion, "Why did the state corrections people come so quickly!"

George had planned to ask about the prison's situation upon returning, but walking all the way he discovered the prison had been taken over by the special team, not allowing others to wander around.

The other guards had also gone off duty back to town.

So he was completely in the dark about what had happened.

Seeing him enter, Lind sat in his boss chair, waiting until his panting subsided before saying, "I'm not sure either, maybe they drove faster?"

"But you said they'd arrive tomorrow!" This answer clearly didn't satisfy George.

Lind shrugged and scratched his ear, "Things don't always go as planned, George."

"Fine, Edward, how did today's search go?"

Lind was silent for a moment, "So-so."

"What do you mean so-so!" George held his head with one hand, looking helpless, "I knew it, this was a huge mistake. You shouldn't have sent me to deliver the check. Now it's over, everything's finished!"

George sighed, "I warned you, Edward, these corrections officials are difficult to deal with. You have no experience. You don't know how strict they are. If they find contraband, the prison will be temporarily taken over by them."

"In that case, the government's internal evaluation of our prison will decrease, and that's fatal, Edward!"

"Really?" Lind poured himself a drink, looking absent-minded, "If it decreases, it decreases. At worst I'll sell the prison."

"Really? Are you serious?" George was stunned.

Lind drank his wine and frowned slightly, "Of course, I'm tired of managing the prison. Every day I not only have to face a bunch of garbage prisoners, but also endure their provocations and insults. Those guards aren't worry-free either. Damn it, why did my father establish a prison, looking for trouble?"

Hearing this, George was delighted and quickly said, "Then why don't you sell the prison, Edward? Listen to me, while the state corrections hasn't issued their final notice yet."

"Sell to whom? Do you have suitable people?" Lind asked.

George thought for a moment and sat in front of Lind, "I knew a construction businessman before. He was very interested in opening prisons. He even approached your father wanting to invest in Border Prison, but your father didn't agree."

"Really?" Lind crossed his hands, "Who is it?"

"Travis McCallo, the head of Rio Grande Construction Company," George answered.

"Why is he so interested in the prison business?" Lind couldn't help being curious.

But George thought about it and said hesitantly, "I'm not sure about that. Maybe he saw the development prospects of private prisons? Or wanted to put money in different baskets? Who knows what rich people think."

"Mm-hmm." Lind was noncommittal, "So how much is he prepared to offer?"

"I need to ask." George shrugged, he really didn't know how much the boss planned to spend.

"Alright, then help me ask now." Lind nodded, indicating he should make the call immediately.

George hadn't expected Lind to be so urgent, but this suited his wishes.

He picked up his phone and was about to go out when he heard hurried footsteps.

"Knock knock!"

The door was knocked twice, then Andy pushed it open and came face to face with George.

"George." Andy was stunned, then very naturally arranged, "You're back just in time. A prisoner suddenly got sick, go take him to the doctor."

"What? Andy, who are you talking to!" George immediately became angry.

It was one thing that he couldn't do anything about Edward, but how dare a mere guard order him around.

Andy didn't care, "George, you might not know yet, but you're no longer deputy warden. You're a guard now."

George looked back at Lind in disbelief.

Seeing he couldn't hide it, Lind spread his hands, "That's right, George, unfortunately. I think you did a terrible job, so I've temporarily demoted you."

"Edward! Do you know what you're doing?" George was furious.

He had only been away for two days, how did it feel like the prison had changed completely?

He said, "Your father entrusted the prison to me before he died, Edward. You can't demote me!"

"No." Lind smiled, "George, the prison doesn't need an inactive deputy warden, so I'm officially notifying you now that you've been demoted to guard. And Andy is now captain, you need to accept his management."

"Also, let me remind you, the current owner of the prison is Lind Edward, not Bell Edward."

"Fuck!" George cursed angrily, "You'll ruin the prison sooner or later with this mess!"

"That's not your concern." Lind stopped pretending and put his feet on the desk, "Leave the check and you can go get busy."

George was extremely angry. He felt like a clown.

He seemed to have planned everything, but discovered nothing went as he expected.

Looking at Lind's expressionless face and Andy's gloating expression.

No matter how stupid George was, he now knew Lind had deliberately tricked him into leaving the prison just to demote him.

Even the talk about selling the prison might have been a lie.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He couldn't help cursing "shit" and stormed out of the office.

After he left, Lind looked at Andy, "Keep a close eye on George during this time. If he makes any moves, tell me everything."

"Understood, Warden!" Andy straightened his chest and agreed, then left as well.

When the office returned to quiet, Lind rubbed the stubble on his chin and murmured, "Travis McCallo, construction businessman."

"George, prison guard."

"Casas, Mexican drug dealer."

"George colluded with Casas to mess up the prison to make me sell it."

"But why would Travis want to acquire the prison?"

"Hiss!"

He suddenly realized something and sat up straight.

"These guys wouldn't want to use the prison for drug trafficking, would they? Damn!"

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