I bought a prison in the United States.

"Mr. Chen."

"Um?"

Ringo, sitting in the back seat, was staring at the numbers on the check with smug satisfaction when he heard Craig's voice and instinctively responded.

"You brought me out today, it couldn't just be to answer technical questions."

Craig turned his head:

"But I don't understand your reason for doing this."

Ringo put away the check. Of course, he wouldn't tell Craig that he brought him out because he was the only person in the entire prison who could read blueprints.

He was also the only one who could maintain composure in front of clients.

A former Lockheed engineer standing in front of you is worth more than a thousand sales pitches.

He thought for a moment and chose a version that sounded better:

"When I first went bankrupt, nobody was willing to give me a chance because once the 'bankruptcy' label is attached, people's perception of you changes."

"They're not looking at you as a person, they're looking at the label. All your past achievements are covered up by that label."

Bowers turned the steering wheel, swerving around a pothole, and then subconsciously watched Craig's actions, whose expression was thoughtful.

"What I'm doing today is lifting that label. Do you even know what's underneath your label?"

"Now they know."

That's a very well-spoken argument.

This would make Craig both grateful and willing to continue working for him.

Kill two birds with one stone.

The dazed look on Craig's face gradually faded, and he turned his head to look out the window.

A gas station flashed past the car window; its sign was a faded Pegasus logo, the old Mobil Oil logo.

The red horse grew wings and galloped through the sky, even though a rust mark on its wing remained on its body like a scar.

After a while, he turned back:

"There was one F-117 blueprint that I spent two whole weeks drawing and revised eleven times, each time because the tolerances couldn't be met."

"When I finished drawing the final version, I sat alone in the drawing room, looking at the drawing."

"I know it will become a part of a groundbreaking aircraft, and that is the greatest achievement I can make."

A new label has appeared above his head: "Meaning".

A satisfied smile curved the corners of Lin Ge's lips.

now it's right.

Only someone who feels useful will work hard.

Even in prison, receiving appallingly low pay.

Ringo won't treat Craig unfairly, at least not for now.

He is the prison's cash cow, and cash cows need careful maintenance.

It's much cheaper to appease him psychologically than to give him a raise.

……

Back at the prison, Bowers took Craig back to the cell block, and Ringo went into the office.

Harmon was sitting in the chair opposite his desk, waiting for him, his expression showing some anticipation.

"How's the delivery going?"

"Danforth is very satisfied."

Ringo placed the check on the table:

"He gave us all of General Motors' monthly order of 12,000 units, starting next month."

"Twelve thousand pieces a month..."

Hamon frowned:

"That old stamping press can't do that many."

"I know."

Ringo walked around the table and sat down in his seat:

"Therefore, at least two stamping machines, one deburring roller, and one anti-rust spraying machine are needed."

"I already have a source of equipment, Peterson Equipment Rental Company."

Harmon took a sip of coffee:

"Equipment rental costs money, wages cost money, and materials cost money. This 7,000 yuan won't last long."

"So I'm going to Winston Hardware."

"Who?"

"Paul Winston, a young man I met at the Chamber of Commerce, who runs a hardware wholesale business, had his warehouse catch fire the day before yesterday."

Ringo's tone was flat:

"If nothing unexpected happens, he should have a batch of orders that urgently need to be outsourced, otherwise he will be in breach of contract, and I can take them over at a low price."

Harmon's lips curled up slightly:

"You mean taking advantage of someone's misfortune?"

"I mean seizing market opportunities."

Lingo remained unfazed:

"He needs a supplier who can deliver on time, and I need orders; it's a win-win situation."

Harmon clapped his hands, his expression full of admiration:

"Great, it seems this prison is really going to turn into a factory."

He stood up and, before leaving, gave a reminder:

"By the way, the prisoners all know about you taking Craig out to deliver the goods. The people from Ghost Fang's side said a few things in the cafeteria at noon today."

"What did you say?"

"Things like, 'Why can he go out while we have to be locked up inside doing hard labor,'"

Lin Ge chuckled, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table:

"It seems the prisoners have too much free time."

……

At 1 p.m., Ringo dialed Peterson's number.

"Mr. Peterson, I am Ringo Chen. We met at the Chamber of Commerce."

"I remember you called about those sewing machines?"

"The sewing machine is only one part."

Ringo got straight to the point:

"I also need two stamping machines, a deburring roller, and a rust-preventive spraying machine."

"If you have any, or know where to find some, I'd like to rent them."

There was a short wait on the other end of the phone.

Ringo could hear the sound of metal clanging in the background, probably from Peterson in the warehouse.

"I have stamping presses, two Niagara, which I got from a bankrupt auto parts factory. They've been sitting in the warehouse collecting dust for a year."

"We also have roller deburring machines, small ones, which are sufficient for deburring small parts."

"I don't have a spray painting machine, but I know that Zhongxi Steel has one that is not in use. Their boss originally bought it to use himself, but later found that he could not use it."

"I can buy it and then rent it to you."

"How is the rent calculated?" Lin Ge asked.

"Stamping machine, 400 per month each; roller mill and spraying machine, 200 per month each."

"The minimum lease term is three months. If you want to buy the property after three months, 50% of the rent already paid can be deducted from the purchase price."

"This is a special offer I give to my long-term customers."

Lin Ge quickly did the calculations in his mind.

The monthly equipment rental fee of 1,200 yuan is exchanged for a monthly production capacity of 12,000 stamped parts.

With a processing fee of $3.50 per unit from General Motors, that translates to $42,000 in processing fees per month.

Equipment costs account for less than 3%.

Even after factoring in materials, labor, and other costs, the profit margin remains considerable.

But he said something else entirely:

"Mr. Peterson, 1,200 a month is not a small sum for a prison factory that is just starting out."

"I still have to pay for the materials and wages upfront. Could you give me some leeway on the installation fee?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone:

"The installation fee will be included in the first month's rent and will not be charged separately. This is my final concession."

"it is good."

Lin Ge's tone was decisive.

He knows when to haggle and when to back down.

Peterson offered him a way out, and he accepted it.

In business, it is unwise to corner your opponent.

He looked out the window.

The rhythmic clicking of sewing machines could be heard from the factory in the distance.

Those sewing machines were old equipment from the prison, and they had been producing uniforms for the state government.

The order volume is not large, but it is stable, bringing in three to four thousand US dollars in revenue each month, which is better than nothing.

"Mr. Peterson, I need some more sewing machines."

"How many units?"

"Of the ten working machines, or those with all the parts that can be repaired, half of the sewing machines in my workshop are broken."

"I have plenty of sewing machines, ten will do, fifty per machine per month, for a three-month rental period, the rental fee will offset the purchase price."

"make a deal."

Peterson’s voice was steady, but Ringo could hear the business logic behind that steadiness.

This is someone who treats business as a long-term relationship.

He offers you a good price and provides extra services not as a charity, but so that the next time you need equipment, he'll be the first person you think of.

Besides zero-sum games, capital also involves repeated games.

In repeated games, integrity and reciprocity are the most rational strategies for maximizing long-term benefits.