I bought a prison in the United States.

Ringo ignored Hobbes's self-pity and instead gently wiped away some of the "dejected" look from his head, saying at the same time:

"Mr. Hobbes, I can now give you two choices."

Hobbes looked up at that young yet earnest face and suddenly felt a little dazed.

"Your first option is to stand up now, leave your uniform behind, and walk out."

"Your salary will be calculated based on the actual number of days you work."

"I also won't write anything detrimental to you in your file."

"If you want to find another job, I can even write you a letter of recommendation saying you are an experienced prison guard."

A flicker of disbelief crossed Hobbes' eyes.

"My second option is for you to stay, but on a few conditions."

Lingo raised his finger:

"First, from now on, no drinking alcohol during working hours. This is a rule for all prison guards, not just for you."

"I can't control when you leave work, but if you come to work smelling of alcohol, I'll fire you immediately!"

"Secondly, you will need to be monitored; Hamon will check on your status daily."

"If you look suspicious, he'll send you home and deduct your wages for the day."

"Third, you need to go to Alcoholics Anonymous."

"Several churches in Tulsa offer free services. Go at least twice a week. Hamon will help you get in touch with them."

"fourth……"

Ringo paused, giving Hobbes time to write down what he had said:

"You need to understand one thing: I'm keeping you here not out of pity, but because you have experience."

"They told me that I had been in this line of work for eight years, that my colleagues didn't ostracize me, and that I knew how to deal with prisoners."

"This experience is valuable, but if you let alcohol ruin that value, then you are truly worthless."

Hobbes opened his mouth, something inside him loosening:

Why are you willing to give me this opportunity?

"You don't even know me. To you, I'm just an alcoholic loser."

"You could just fire me and save a salary."

Lingo stared at the fading "decadence" and explained:

"Because I'm doing a business deal, Mr. Hobbes."

"In business, there is a principle: never give up a valuable asset because of emotions."

"You have a problem, but problems can be solved. If you can solve your problem, you are an asset to me."

"If you can't, you're a liability to me, and I'll abandon you without hesitation. It's that simple."

Ringo's unfeeling advice was exactly what Hobbes needed at that moment.

Some people need warmth, some people need coldness.

Hobbes was clearly the latter.

If Ringo shows sympathy, he will feel like he is being given charity, which will make him hate himself even more.

But if Ringo reduces all of this to business, he can find a way out; he's not accepting charity, and his existence still has meaning.

Hobbes pondered for a while.

The roar of machinery could still be heard from the factory in the distance, seemingly coming from the stamping press... Has the prison's stamping press been repaired?

When he began to pay attention to the operation of the prison again, he had already determined his answer.

Hobbes slowly stood up, rebuttoned the wrong buttons, straightened his collar, and his voice held a firmness he hadn't shown in a long time:

"I choose the second option, please let me stay!"

[Gained: 25% approval rating; Congratulations, your persuasive language skills have increased by 5%]

Hearing the unusual prompt in his mind, Lin Ge sensed something and stood up, extending his hand:

"Very good, Hobbs, go wash your face, shave, and change into a clean shirt."

"You'll stay in the office today and help Hamon organize his files. You can go back to the cell block once you're in a more stable condition."

"As for your salary, it will remain the same for now. If you perform well next month, I will consider raising your salary to be the same as that of other prison guards."

Hobbes grasped his hand:

"Thank you, Mr. Chen!"

When he came out of the locker room, Hamon leaned against the wall in the corridor, holding a cup of coffee that had gone cold.

He looked at Ling Ge with a complicated expression:

"You seem very good at persuading people, but do you know he might not last a week?"

Lingo took the coffee cup from Hamon, took a sip, and was surprised to find it was cold and bitter, making his tongue feel astringent.

He returned the cup to Hamon, saying:

"You said before that this prison would turn good people into bad people, but I'm thinking that maybe the reverse is also true."

Harmon raised his eyebrows:

"Do you think you can turn an alcoholic into Superman?"

Lin Ge shook his head and said:

"No need. I'm not responsible for turning anyone into a better person; I'm only responsible for giving them a chance."

Whether they can catch them or not is their own business.

He turned and walked towards his office, but stopped after a few steps and said:

"By the way, Hobbs will still get paid today, but let him know that this is an advance on my trust in him."

"Trust is something that must be repaid once it's been borrowed!"

Harmon watched his retreating figure, picked up his coffee cup, took a sip, then frowned. It was ice cold and bitter.

In the office, Lin Ge sat in a chair with a stack of blank letter paper spread out in front of him.

The second thing he had to do was write a prison reform plan.

This is not just a bureaucratic document written for the state corrections department; it is a practical operational plan that can be implemented.

This plan is an improvement on his experience from his previous life; he needs to turn the ideas in his mind into new rules for this prison.

After thinking for about 10 minutes, Ringo picked up his pencil and wrote on the first line:

McLean County Correctional Center Operational Reform Plan, Phase One (September-December 1984)

He stopped and looked at the headline.

It seems too formal, like writing a report to the board of directors of a multinational corporation.

But then he realized that this was exactly what he needed.

You can't manage a prison like you manage a roadside stall, even if the prison is currently worse off than a roadside stall.

Rules are rules, and form itself is a part of power.

He began writing the main text:

I. Current Situation Assessment:

The McLean County Correctional Center (hereinafter referred to as "the Center") currently faces the following core issues:

1. Low occupancy rate:

The facility was designed to accommodate 150 people, but currently has 63 people in custody, resulting in an occupancy rate of 42%.

The main reasons were dilapidated facilities, chaotic management, and a lack of trust in the center from judges and county prosecutors.

2. High operating costs:

The average daily cost per prisoner is approximately $34, higher than the state average of $28.

The main reasons are inflated procurement prices, unreasonable allocation of manpower, and energy waste.

3. Single source of income:

Currently, the factory relies solely on state government subsidies for prisoners, its capacity utilization rate is less than 30%, and it has no other sources of income.

4. High management risk:

The idleness rate among prisoners reached 65%, far exceeding the industry's safety threshold of 30%.

There is a serious risk of gang infiltration, violent conflict, and prison break!