I bought a prison in the United States.

The air in the office felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked out, leaving only Omar's question echoing back and forth between the walls.

"Ha ha!"

Montes chuckled, his shoulders shaking violently.

He took another step forward, the scar on his face twisting into a grotesque arc with his smile:

"Hey Warden, are you fucking insane or do you think we're idiots?"

"You ask us to help you make hundreds of thousands, and then you give us a worthless piece of paper that we don't even know if it can be redeemed?"

Morris pushed up his glasses, which had slipped down to the tip of his nose; the lenses reflected the light from the fluorescent lamp.

Although he didn't speak, his slightly taut jawline betrayed his attitude.

This hardware engineer, who had worked at IBM for twelve years, had never been treated like this in his life!

Even on the day the federal court convicted him of insider trading, the judge gave him the right to appeal.

Ringo leaned back in his office chair. He didn't fly into a rage as Montes had expected, nor did he start haggling as Omar had anticipated.

I'll repeat it again.

His eyes were devoid of any emotion, as if he were looking at three silent machines.

"Starting tomorrow, the three of you will be assigned to the technology research and development team to design a closed-circuit monitoring system."

"If you follow the arrangements, you can get points, a reduced sentence certificate, and a job after your release."

"If you do not obey..."

He looked at the three people's faces in turn:

"You will see what happens at McLean County Correctional Center if you disobey the warden's orders."

"fart!"

Montes, like a powder keg that had been ignited, slammed his hand on the table, causing the coffee cups to bounce violently.

"What can you do to us? Increase our sentences? Put us in solitary confinement?"

"When I was exhausted, I was locked in a dark room for three months, and I even ate raw rats! You think this little trick can scare me?"

He took a step forward, and Coffey immediately stepped forward to block Ringo's path, his burly body forming a wall that separated Montes and Ringo.

Coffey's hand was already on his baton as he shouted:

"Step back, or I'll assume you've assaulted a police officer."

Montes burst into laughter, turning to look at Omar and Morris:

"Did you hear that? In this dilapidated prison where there aren't even any guns, he dares to accuse me of assaulting a police officer? Prison guards are nothing!"

Omar gently tugged at Lamontes' arm, signaling him to calm down.

He looked at Lingo, his tone now carrying a clear threat:

"Mr. Chen, I think you should be aware that Section 115 of Chapter 57 of the Oklahoma Code states that prisoners have the right to refuse to perform dangerous work that is unrelated to their skills."

"Designing a surveillance system is not one of our legal obligations, and you cannot force us to do so."

As he said this, a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth:

"Furthermore, if you force us to engage in illegal work, we have the right to file a complaint with the state corrections department."

"I believe that a joint complaint from three technical inmates, coupled with Judge Hammond's Class D audit report, will put your pilot status in jeopardy."

Hamon leaned against the door frame, the cigarette in his mouth already burned down to the filter.

He cursed under his breath, "Damn it."

Omar is right, this is exactly the situation Hammond wanted to see.

If these three inmates really cause trouble at the state corrections office, Hammond will definitely seize the opportunity to make a big fuss about it.

At that point, not only will the $70 grant be lost, but even the prison's operating license could be revoked.

He glanced furtively at Ringo, wanting to see how the young warden would react.

Lingo finally stood up from his chair.

He walked around the desk and stood in front of Omar.

He was half a head shorter than Omar, but when he looked up at Omar, Omar involuntarily took a step back.

What kind of look was that?

There was no anger or contempt, only utter indifference, like a butcher looking at livestock waiting to be slaughtered on a chopping block.

In those eyes, Omar saw no human emotion, only cold calculation and absolute control.

Lin Ge slowly opened his mouth:

"You're right. The law stipulates that prisoners have the right to refuse to perform dangerous work that is unrelated to their skills."

Omar's smug smile was shattered by Lingo's next words.

"However, Article 117 supplements the provisions that the warden has the authority to arrange for prisoners to perform any necessary labor as required by the security and operation of the prison."

"Upgrading the prison's security system is a top-priority operational need."

Ringo took a step forward, and Omar took a step back, his back hitting the cold wall.

"Prisoners who refuse to obey the warden's legitimate work arrangements will have all their points deducted for the first time and will be placed in solitary confinement for 7 days."

"The second offense will result in a deduction of three months' worth of points and a 30-day solitary confinement."

"The third time, a request was made to the state corrections department to extend the sentence by 6 months to 2 years."

His voice was like a heavy hammer, striking Omar's heart again and again:

"You just said you were going to file a complaint with the state corrections department?"

"Sure, but I'll submit your disciplinary report before your complaint reaches Oklahoma City."

"Three disciplinary reports for refusing to comply with work orders, plus the fact that all three of you are serious offenders, who do you think the state corrections department will believe?"

Ringo turned to look at Montes, his indifference turning into a chilling coldness:

"You said you spent three months in solitary confinement in Lawton? Very well, then I'll let you experience what solitary confinement in McLean County is like."

"The solitary confinement cell here is much smaller than the one in Lawton's cell. There are no beds or toilets, and each person only gets a cup of water and a piece of black bread each day."

"I'll see how long you can last."

Montes's face immediately turned ugly.

He was indeed put in solitary confinement in Lawton, but at least the solitary confinement cell in Lawton had a hard bed and a toilet.

He had never heard of a solitary confinement cell without even a toilet.

"You dare!"

Montes, though blustering, roared, "This is prisoner abuse! I'm going to sue you!"

"Abuse?"

A cold smile crept across Lin Ge's lips, even more chilling than his previous indifference:

"I offered you jobs and opportunities for reduced sentences, but you refused them yourselves."

"Under Oklahoma state law, the warden has the authority to restrict the food rations of prisoners who refuse to work, providing only the minimum calories needed to sustain life."

"I didn't cut back on your food rations. I was just providing you with an appropriate amount of food according to the law. How can that be called abuse?"

He patted Montes on the shoulder, a very light touch, yet it sent chills down Montes' spine.

"You like to reason, right? Then let's reason."