Chapter 87: Surrender (Part 2)

[Chapter 87: Surrender (Part 2)]

In the room, Ian casually analyzed, "Apart from the money, there are other benefits. For instance, you'll become celebrities! You'll get numerous interviews, each paying nice sums; plus, I can help you get into showbiz and become actors. You'll get famous, traveling and speaking about the bad things you did, but of course, it'll end with how you realized your mistakes and inspired others to turn their lives around."

He looked at the three of them seriously. "Three guys who came here from Italy, deciding to turn over a new leaf. You'll write your own legendary story in America! That's the classic American Dream!"

The three fell silent simultaneously.

After a while, Gannon spoke up, "Sounds pretty good, right?"

Freckles shook his head, "I don't trust him. What if he doesn't keep his word?"

Lyle nodded in agreement, "Yeah, if he goes back on his word, we're done for. I think it's better to take him hostage; we're good at that. Isn't there a saying about not making money outside your understanding?"

Ian chuckled, "You know that saying?"

Lyle had his gun aimed at Ian, "If I were you, I'd choose to honor the deal."

Ian remained calm. He had already disengaged the safety on his gun.

He said, "No, you're just afraid. Afraid I'll trick you. But I have plenty of reasons not to."

The three listened intently.

Ian continued, "You know I own a major media company. The Los Angeles Herald? That's mine. WND? Also mine. For me, this situation has a few advantages. First, I can land a blockbuster story. I found you guys and persuaded you to turn your lives around. I'll have a share of the credit when you turn yourself in. Just from that story alone, I'll earn more than $200,000. Not to mention it'll boost my reputation."

They all nodded in agreement; that was indeed true.

Ian went on, "Then, there's the book deal -- a serialized story in the Herald. I'll make even more than you guys."

The news about the Palos Bank robbery was hugely explosive; it'd be a massive waste not to turn it into a boon for the Herald.

The newspaper industry wasn't like online news sites where videos could be shared; it could dig deep into personal stories instead.

That was something TV networks and news websites struggled to do.

So, the best move was to leverage this situation, conduct in-depth interviews with the bank robbers and serialize it like a novel in the newspaper.

Using real-life robber interviews to amp up the paper's sales -- long serialization aimed at daily bestsellers!

It was a masterstroke, showcasing Ian's business acumen -- CBS would see him as a capable businessman, not just a talented reporter.

Freckles exclaimed, "You're offering too little."

Gannon replied, speechless, "We haven't even agreed to this yet."

The three lowered their guns together, looking at Ian with the seriousness of elementary school kids, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Ian's proposal was sounding pretty good!

Ian continued, "After you turn yourselves in, I'll hire a lawyer to handle your case. The fees won't be small, but for me, it'll be worth it. This case will be newsworthy on its own, and more importantly, it's the kind of story that keeps on giving, with ongoing coverage. And I'll be the only one who can report and do exclusive interviews with you! The Palos Bank case already gave me two hot headlines, and your turning yourselves in could deliver another! I've got five hot bets with my readers; just you three have already helped me complete three. With one more, I'll have fulfilled my betting agreement by the end of June! I'll become the most famous businessman in America, beating out the Los Angeles Times! The benefits to me are immense, so why would I go back on my word?"

This time, the three young men spoke in unison, "You're still not offering enough!"

Ian laughed.

That's what he wanted to hear.

Them being willing to negotiate was a good sign.

Ian chuckled, "Although I'll be making a lot, my expenses are high too. To bail you out and reduce your prison terms, I'd need to get you the best lawyers. Just the lawyer fees could run into the millions."

The three cursed, "Damn! They can rob better than we can!"

Ian said, "Don't worry about how long you'll be in prison; remember how I mentioned putting you on TV, giving interviews, acting? You can't do that from behind bars, only when you're out, so for my own profits, I wouldn't keep you locked up too long. I expect the best-case scenario is a three-year sentence, but you could be out on parole in a year."

He looked at the three of them, "One year in jail, and after that, you can be successful! You'll each be millionaires, legally! By the way, I'm also looking at contracting a prison. If luck is on my side, I might get you into the prison I contract, where I can make your stay quite comfortable... Of course, I can't guarantee this, and I guess you'll probably miss out on that bonus, but I can still give you some advantages in jail... You can be big shots in there!"

A fiery expression surfaced in their eyes simultaneously.

Seeing they were genuinely interested, Ian slowly unzipped his bag and pulled out three contracts, handing them over. "Once you sign these, you'll be my employees, and I'll make you stars!"

The three exchanged looks and finally nodded.

Lyle asked, "What about the stolen money?"

Ian answered, "That has to be returned."

Gannon hesitated, "We've already spent a lot."

"How much?"

"Twenty... fifteen... around fifty thousand." Gannon looked at Ian's sharp gaze and regretted spending so slowly.

Ian said, "I'll help cover that fifty grand for you. If you don't return it, your prison time will be longer and it'll affect your ability to rake in big money."

The three finally decided to go along with it.

...

They quickly signed their names; Gannon looked at Brydon, "What about him?"

"He doesn't need to," Ian replied. "Just the three of you; the driver was just some temporary help. That's it!"

Lyle grinned at Brydon, "Guess you're not going to get rich after all."

Brydon snorted lightly, "Mr. Ian offered me a job as his driver with pretty good pay, and I don't have to go to prison."

They all looked at each other, speaking in unison, "This is a necessary sacrifice!"

With that, they stood up, "Let's go?"

"Where to?" Ian asked.

"To turn ourselves in!" Gannon replied, "Isn't that what you said to do?"

"No, no, no, don't rush!" Ian hurriedly interjected. "Didn't you see I brought a camera?"

The three looked confused.

Ian explained, "What we just talked about can't go public; we need to re-record this discussion. I'll convince you, and you need to tell me about the unfair treatments you've suffered... You've faced hardships, right?"

The three nodded, "Of course!"

Ian smiled, "Then let's hear it. School bullying, racial discrimination, gender bias, and everything."

Freckles blurted, "I haven't been discriminated against; I'm white; it's us who discriminate and oppress others!"

Ian was speechless.

He looked seriously at Freckles, "You're going to write a book. You need tragic experiences and a tumultuous life! Don't worry; I've got people set up for this. Now, tell me everything about your past; I'll help rework it. These will become your new backgrounds that will sell your book and also provide evidence for a lighter sentence in court."

The three were ecstatic!

he was right; they weren't the bad guys; the bad guys were society and the world!

Freckles asked, "Do you need me to be sodomized?"

Everyone: "..."

Ultimately, it was still Ian who said, "We'll discuss the details later."

...

Ian taught them how to weave a new past based on their backgrounds, how to blur the truth and fabricate lies.

Once they memorized everything about themselves, Ian redesigned the negotiation scene.

This time, the content changed.

Ian solemnly spoke to them about dropping their weapons and turning themselves in, while the three young men began to tearfully recount the dark sides of society.

It was truly a great performance.

...

"Cut! Let's do that again; get your emotions up a bit more, and make your hands shake, act it out!"

"Cut! One more time, be more pessimistic, desperate, hysterical..."

"Damn, don't pull the trigger; you're overacting, idiot! Good thing the safety was on; you almost blew my head off!"

In the little room, Ian directed them like a filmmaker, showing them how to work together, turning it into a 'live interview.'

...

Brydon, standing at the door, overseeing the scene found it oddly humorous.

Was this the guy who scared the Crips to death?

He not only had terrifying methods but also a ruthless cunning.

Well, his days as a driver should be quite interesting.

*****

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