America 1982-Chapter 67 - 23: We Are Fools by Nature

Producer Elton Burn had just finished perusing the collection of information on Stephen Binn and CSLS on his desk when he remembered to take a sip of his now tepid coffee. He then said to his assistant Butch:

"It’s hard to imagine that students from three public highs schools came up with this summer camp and caught the attention of Princeton. Even more astonishing is that they went to a country I’ve never even heard of, convincing that nation to join them in a political simulation game. It certainly sounds more interesting than ’American Heritage’."

"That country isn’t much bigger than a small town on the outskirts of New York," the assistant added with a laugh.

Elton nodded, "True, it might not even be as big as New York’s Madison Square, but it is a real country. This summer camp precisely combines the two elements we urgently need: entertainment and depth, and both are stronger than those in ’American Heritage’. We’re talking about real high school students here, not some child actors from ’American Heritage’."

"So, are you going to talk to the director about this idea?"

"No, you know what, Butch? I have a feeling this gimmick is bound to attract viewers. Americans love watching kids show off, so our job is to keep this program in our own hands, not let it belong to the Nickelodeon channel. Our own production company will settle a partnership with the summer camp before deciding on other matters. I talked to that initiator, a high school student named Tommy. His attempts to sound adult are really quite comical, thinking he’s all mature. Just flatter him and treat him like an adult, and all the benefits can become ours." Elton picked up his cigarette and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the bustling Broadway district:

"The most important thing is, we need to move fast. New York real estate mogul Leon Binn is about to pass away, and his grandson, who is designated to inherit, is at that summer camp. If everything’s well-prepared, using Binns’ name could attract another round of attention—America’s richest high school student."

The assistant burst into laughter, "Speaking of which, who’s easier to please, a high school student or a Baby?"

"Trust me, definitely high school students. Praise them, encourage them, satisfy their desire to show off, and they will consider you a close friend. But it’s much more difficult with Babies. Take my personal experience, for example. My nanny encourages and praises my two-year-old son every day, hoping he will learn not to play with his own poop. But clearly, my son doesn’t take the nanny’s praise to heart and does whatever he pleases every day." Elton drew back his gaze and looked at his assistant:

"Book the tickets, get in touch with a four-member shooting team experienced in fieldwork, add the two of us and a legal officer who can draft a contract immediately. We’re going to see for ourselves that magical country ruled by American high school students."

...

While Elton Burn was intent on grabbing the benefits for himself, Tommy Hawk was personally driving an old Jeep to the airport to pick up Rhode Island’s top litigator Andy Nelson flying in from Providence to Kingston.

"Which do you think would make you feel more respected, Mr. Nelson, being received as the Prime Minister of the host country or as the chairman of the CSLS committee?" Tommy, gripping the steering wheel, started the car leisurely, and asked Andy Nelson, who was sitting in the back with a briefcase.

Andy Nelson looked back at Tommy Hawk through the rear-view mirror and laughed, "With all due respect, Mr. Tommy Hawk, who’s only a few years older than my daughter, it’s the check that your summer camp pays me that shows me the greatest respect. Otherwise, I certainly wouldn’t come to a place that makes me feel like I’ll break out in a rash as soon as I land."

"Thank you for your candor." Tommy Hawk didn’t drive towards the government building; instead, he kept going along the road for several kilometers until the sugar factory of Bolton Sugar Industries came into view. Then he slowly parked the car by the roadside: "This is the problem I need to solve."

"When you called me, I briefly informed myself about this sugar company through a classmate from my law school. American Sugar, Imperial Sugar, Midland Sugar, and Crystal Sugar—these four companies collectively hold 78% of the U.S. refined sugar market. The Bolton Sugar you’re talking about is one of the many companies fighting over the remaining 22% market share under the pressure of the big four, and its label is ’other’," Andy Nelson opened his briefcase and handed Tommy Hawk a document.

Tommy flipped through the document, and Andy Nelson continued to explain: 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Bolton Sugar Industry’s headquarters is located in Hendry County, Florida, and sits right next to the largest sugar company in the United States, U.S. Sugar Corporation. However, compared to its neighbor which owns 230,000 acres of sugarcane fields in Florida, Bolton Sugar Industry is in a bit of a mess. Under the pressure and encroachment of U.S. Sugar Corporation, Bolton Sugar Industry only has 26,000 acres of sugarcane fields left in Florida, and even these are at risk of being lost. That’s why its founder made donations to the Reagan Government to secure an ambassadorship to the Caribbean, expanding the business to the Caribbean to avoid being completely devoured by U.S. Sugar Corporation."

Tommy finished reading through the documents that the lawyer had prepared and then looked up at the other party:

"Let me talk about the issues I want to consult on now. First, I want to use a television program to expose the dirty deeds of this country, but I don’t want to cause trouble. So, secondly, I hope to play the fool, luring a TV producer into the trap and using him to promote the issue. The reason for this is to convince Americans that I, my high school students, and everyone in this country are all kind and naive. Any subsequent plots that are unrelated to joy will have been orchestrated by that producer seeking sensationalism, leading us astray step by step. If anyone gets upset and wants revenge, make sure not to target the wrong person."

Andy Nielsen looked at Tommy Hawk with a smile that was not quite a smile for over a dozen seconds before bowing his head to light a cigarette and casting his gaze toward the distant sugar refinery:

"These words don’t sound like they come from a person who’s kind and naive, Tommy. When Miss Melanie Bianconi called me to introduce me to this business, she briefly described you, mentioning you were willing to pay a hefty consultation fee and reimburse my travel expenses. I always appreciate quality clients, so I did some digging on you. Along with the questions you just asked, if I’m not mistaken, Miss Melanie’s recent stunt was a cost-saving method you thought up when you couldn’t afford the consultation fee, right?"

"I don’t need to save money now, so I’m ready to hand over this kind and naive matter to professionals to handle it for me," Tommy replied with a smile.

Andy Nielsen gave Tommy an approving look and said affirmatively, "Right decision. So, as a professional, my advice for you now is that from the start, there will have been no dissatisfaction among high school students or citizens of this country towards Bolton Sugar Industry, nor will they be aware of just how filthy it gets under the surface. The exposé is simply a result of competition within the sugar industry. You kids, both innocent and eager, are just induced and incited by people from the TV station. The TV station only wants to attract viewers by using alleged tax evasion issues to investigate the sugar refinery and get hold of their ledgers as a gimmick. You could never imagine that the sugar refinery would actually commit tax evasion, so it’s perfectly normal for the ledgers to be leaked due to poor protection by a group of high school students who haven’t undergone professional confidentiality training. I will hand over the leak-worthy material to a newspaper I trust and have worked with for years to act as an intermediary. The newspaper will do the exposé without revealing the real source, creating an opportunity for the company ready to take over Bolton Sugar Industry’s 26,000 acres of sugarcane fields. When the time comes, the big fish will know how to gobble up the small fish. The advantage of this approach is that it ensures you and your friends remain naive and kind while I can also earn some consulting fees from other sugar companies. However, your consulting fee will need to be paid normally. Any problem with that?"

"No problem." Tommy nodded in satisfaction.

After snuffing out his cigarette, Andy Nielsen took out a throat lozenge, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth. "Great, since the sugar refinery issues have nothing to do with you guys, you can naively claim your dues from America along with the rest of the people in this country. Treat it like a comedy; Americans love comedies, especially teen comedies. That’s why shows like ’Siblings at Crandell College’ and ’The Happy Times at Richmond High School’ consistently have good ratings."

"I feel that check I wrote to you to serve as the legal consultant for the summer camp was money well spent, Mr. Nielsen," Tommy said wistfully. "My friend once suggested that I seek well-known lawyers to help the country claim its dues, which I rejected. Did I do the right thing?"

Nielsen thought for a moment before replying, "If you had consulted a professional, no one would make such a suggestion. I’m guessing the person who came up with that idea was one of your high school friends, and he probably has a personal lawyer employed by his family to deal with such matters, right? So he’s used to leaving everything in the hands of lawyers?"

"Yes," Tommy affirmed.

Nielsen laughed:

"Most lawyers wouldn’t suggest to their clients to leave such matters entirely in their hands. It’s too much pressure for the lawyer and too much preparatory work. It might even require forming a separate team specifically for such cases, as American laws are numerous and lawyers are not experts in every area. Hence, the fees would be too high and unlikely to be accepted by clients. For instance, if America really pays out twenty million, I doubt this country would agree to give twelve million of that as a fee to my law firm. So most lawyers, unless planning a big final job before retirement, or newcomers trying to make a name for themselves, or clients dead set on going to court, would astutely suggest a peaceful resolution to avoid getting too serious and causing embarrassment to both sides. Just like I just recommended, settling the debts in a happy manner with everyone watching, then letting the lawyers remind the other side how to pay up afterwards. I might only make a couple hundred thousand, but it would be almost effortless and I think, if the client runs into trouble again in the future, the first lawyer they’ll think of will be me, who gave them sound advice, not the one who took twelve million off them."

"So, my friends and I just need to play along with the TV program producer," Tommy pondered. "When signing the contract specifically, you’ll help us control those terms?"

"Exactly," Andy Nielsen confirmed. "There’s just one issue: how good are you and your friends at playing fools."

Tommy opened the car door, looking towards Nielsen, "You don’t have to worry about that, because we are, in fact, fools."