I bought a prison in the United States.

The next day at four o'clock in the afternoon, the golf course at Tulsa Country Club was deserted.

As winter approaches, the lawn has already turned a withered yellow, and the bare branches of the oak trees on both sides of the fairway sway gently in the wind.

Few people play golf this season.

But the private rooms in the clubhouse were well heated.

The private room is about forty square meters, with dark green wainscoting and several horse racing prints on the walls.

In the center of the room was a round table covered with a red cloth, and on the corner of the table was a crystal decanter, in which a little over half of the whiskey had been poured out.

Hammond sat by the window, his coat draped over the back of the chair, a glass of whiskey on the rocks in front of him.

Hart was sitting to his left, and County Fire Chief Donnelly and County Health Director Porter were to his right.

Donnelly was a burly man with a thick neck that made his Adam's apple almost invisible. He always liked to use gestures to emphasize his words, just like an Italian.

Porter, on the other hand, was the complete opposite—small, quiet, and wearing glasses.

What the two men had in common was that their positions were appointed by the county council, and there were several people in the county council who owed Hammond favors, big or small.

Hart brought a twelve-year-old Scotch whisky today, instead of his usual eight-year-old bourbon.

The fact that he switched to better wine meant he sensed that the matter to be discussed today would be more complicated than usual.

"Robert, you called us all here today, it wasn't just to find someone to drink with you, was it?"

Donnelly placed the whiskey glass on the table, the bottom of the glass hitting the mahogany surface with a dull thud.

Hammond picked up his glass, swirled it gently, and put on a very serious expression:

"Of course, it's not just about drinking. I'd like to talk to you about some recent developments in the county."

"You guys know McLean County Correctional Center, right?"

Donnelly and Porter nodded at the same time.

There's only one private prison in the whole county, so it's hard not to know about it.

"I have recently received some reports about the fire and sanitation conditions there."

Hammond said the words "I received some reports" with such natural ease, as if they had been handed to his desk on their own initiative, rather than old documents that he had Margaret rummage through the filing cabinet for.

"The regulation of private institutions has always been more relaxed, but the necessary standards still need to be in place."

"Especially in places like prisons, if something goes wrong, it's not just the operator's problem; the entire county's emergency response system will suffer as a result."

Donnelly put down his glass and raised an eyebrow as he listened to Hammond's words.

Every time he hears the words "fire safety standards," his brain automatically switches to the mindset of administrative inspection.

"The prison you're talking about had its last fire inspection about a year and a half ago."

"Crawford did a routine check when he was still there and made several suggestions for improvement."

"Later, nothing came of it, and no one followed up because the county felt that the prison would have to close down sooner or later."

"The problem is that it's not closed, and not only is it not closed, it's cramming even more prisoners in!"

Hammond said in a serious tone, as if the prison had committed some heinous crime:

"With a large number of prisoners, the management pressure is high, so the requirements for fire protection and security are naturally higher."

"As county officials responsible for public safety, you have a responsibility to ensure that standards there are not neglected due to operational pressures."

Potter adjusted his glasses, seemingly pondering the judge's purpose in summoning them to discuss this matter. After a moment, he said:

"Judge Hammond, we have limited manpower for health inspections, and our schedule for routine inspections this year is already full."

"If we're going to add another surprise inspection, we need a legitimate reason."

"For example, have you received any reports, or have other departments requested a joint inspection?"

"I know."

Hammond nodded:

"Of course, inspections cannot be conducted without a valid reason."

He turned and glanced at Hart.

Hart listened quietly the whole time, his fingers resting on the bottom of the whiskey glass, slowly swirling it around.

Receiving a glance from Hammond, he cleared his throat:

"The procurement committee has also been paying attention to the prison construction issues recently."

"Haskins has won a contract to replace all the door locks, totaling about $150,000, which is paid through state grants."

"But as far as I know, these door lock modifications involve the laying of electromagnetic circuits, which may change the original structural layout of the building."

"From a building safety perspective, such modifications should first be approved by the county building safety committee."

"If they start construction without obtaining the necessary permits, that's a violation of the law!"

Donnelly looked at the two of them and quickly understood what was going on, immediately responding:

"Since the procurement committee has concerns about building safety, the fire department can cooperate by conducting a compliance inspection of fire exits."

"The width of fire exits is clearly regulated. If the width of a corridor is less than the standard, it is a fire hazard."

Potter pushed up his glasses again, and his little eyes behind the lenses blinked twice quickly.

He didn't mind doing the judge a favor and giving him face:

"The health bureau can simultaneously inspect the food storage temperature and hygiene conditions of the canteen."

"Standards are standards, and prisons are no exception."

Hammond smiled with satisfaction, raised his glass, and the ice cubes inside gently clinked together in the drink.

"Gentlemen, I have no intention of targeting anyone. Within your respective responsibilities, investigate what needs to be investigated and punish what needs to be punished."

"I'm just reminding you to pay attention to the condition of that prison out of concern for public safety in the county."

"After all, it is now the correctional facility with the largest number of detainees in our county."

"If something goes wrong, some unpleasant names might appear in the newspapers, and I don't want any of you to be among them."

This sentence is like a pebble thrown into a calm pond.

Donnelly and Porter exchanged glances and frowned simultaneously.

If something goes wrong in the prison, they need someone to take the blame.

If they discover the problem and issue a fine before it happens, they will be a positive example of being dutiful and exempt from liability when they are held accountable in the future.

Hammond put down his glass, stood up, and picked up his suit jacket draped over the back of his chair.

"I have a court hearing to prepare for, so I'll be leaving now. Gentlemen, you can chat a little longer."

"Hart, put this bottle on my tab."

He had just reached the door when Donnelly called him back in time:

"Judge Hammond, I'll arrange for someone to conduct the fire inspection on Monday."

"At that time, we may need the county police station to send two people to assist us. After all, it's a prison, and you understand the security considerations."

"Of course, thank you very much for giving me this favor."

Hammond gave an understanding smile and then left the private room.