Cherreads

Chapter 44 - Chapter 44: Inspecting Companies and My Own Bank

***_Important Notice from Translator (MUST READ )_***

Enjoy

________________________________________________________________________________________________

After reviewing the accounts of all the companies, George informed Paul that they would begin site visits in three days and told him to prepare accordingly.

During this time, George visited PL Winery and met with the 120 security personnel stationed there. After more than ten days of training, these individuals had regained much of their military discipline. George, accompanied by Ryan, observed their drills, and the team finally came face-to-face with the true boss, who had previously remained behind the scenes.

Their training mainly focused on physical conditioning and discipline. Firearms and other weapons training were not yet included.

Following the inspection, George introduced the concept of the "Elemental Seed "—a term he coined himself, as constantly referring to it as "Chakra" felt awkward in English. While promoting it to the security personnel, he emphasized that acceptance of the Elemental Seed was a requirement for being considered for positions such as Squad Captain, Brigade Captain, or Instructor. Those unwilling to accept it would be demoted to regular security staff. After one month of standard training, they would be assigned to the security departments of George's companies.

For those who accepted the Elemental Seed, the daily wage was set at $10. The cool abilities associated with the Elemental Seed, combined with the decent pay, led everyone to accept it. George also explained the major downside: once implanted, their lives and deaths would effectively be in his hands.

The 120 personnel selected by Ryan all came from difficult family backgrounds and were strongly family-oriented. In an environment with high unemployment, the identity of the employer mattered little, so long as the work was stable. Thus, they all agreed to receive the Elemental Seed. Over the next month, Ryan would teach them how to extract Chakra and master the Three Body Technique. Afterward, they would be transferred to a specialized training base for firearms instruction. George also designed combat uniforms for them, inspired by Deadshot's combat suit. However, due to the difficulty of acquiring helmets, all-black masks were used instead.

Out of the 120, 110 were designated as combat personnel, and 10 as logistics staff. Ryan divided them into 12 squads and assumed the role of chief instructor.

Regarding the winery, it had stabilized. Allison was promoted to General Manager with a pay raise. From now on, he would oversee winery operations, while Ryan focused solely on managing the security company.

Having entrusted Ryan with the training, George returned to New York.

The next day, George and Paul began their inspection tour. Their first stop was the PL Broadcasting Company in Pennsylvania.

What was called a broadcasting company was, in reality, just a temporary warehouse for broadcast equipment. It had only two employees—both retirees from the former Westinghouse Company.

George was displeased with the situation. Since FM technology had yet to emerge, broadcasters needed to negotiate air times. As one of the only two legal commercial broadcasters, they needed to capture audience attention and build a reputation.

George immediately dismissed the two retired employees and instructed Paul to hire new staff: a maintenance technician familiar with broadcasting equipment, two articulate announcers (one male, one female), two editors, four reporters, and ideally, a newspaper director to serve as the General Manager.

Within two days, all personnel were recruited. George didn't remain idle during this time—he purchased a commercial property in the downtown area.

Once the team was assembled, George issued a personnel plan detailing each person's role and salary. He set the wage at $6 per day per person—quite competitive for the era. The station manager, naturally, would receive more. These arrangements were temporary and subject to adjustment.

Next, drawing on his previous experience as a hybrid online/offline training instructor, he designed a soundproof broadcasting studio. The studio would take several more days to complete, so George and the new station manager began planning the program lineup.

They would start by retransmitting competition content and airing public domain stories, novels, and children's books as separate shows. Additional programming would include live news reports from their journalists and musical performances. George also hired a financial and logistics manager.

Paul was instructed to deposit $10,000 into the company account as initial funding. George's strategy was to cultivate listener loyalty early. In a few years, as radio stations proliferated, it would be crucial to stand out. There was no rush—it was important to build a strong foundation first.

Leaving a detailed plan, George didn't linger. He would revisit the station on his return trip.

Next, George visited several small home appliance companies. Since the second-generation injection molding machine had not yet been completed, he focused on morale-boosting factory visits, leaving the management structure unchanged.

He then arrived at PL Aviation Company and met with Boeing, the Lockheed brothers, and other key figures. George toured the aircraft manufacturing and R&D departments and raised base salaries, earning gratitude from employees. Boeing praised George's generosity for reinvesting profits into research and development instead of pocketing them.

George proposed dividing the R&D department into specialized teams and introduced concepts for future aircraft types—transport planes, fighter jets, and civilian aircraft.

Under Boeing's supervision, George also piloted a plane himself. The experience felt very different from flying using his bone wings or transforming into a bird.

After two days, he proceeded to the main stop on the tour: Wells Fargo Bank headquarters in California.

Rumors had been circulating that Wells Fargo Bank had been acquired—some claimed it was by Morgan Bank. When asked outside the bank, President Harry gave evasive answers.

At the San Francisco headquarters, Harry and a group of executives greeted George.

Harry introduced George to the Vice President and department heads, including those from Savings, Investment Management, Human Resources, Legal, and Administration. Branch managers from other regions had also arrived.

George delivered a short address, assuring the team that no personnel changes would be made. He praised their work and promised to discuss raises with Harry.

He then announced that the PL Group would be formed, with Wells Fargo Bank serving as the financial hub. All transactions from his thirteen companies and two labs would be routed through the bank. This would make financial flows more efficient.

Additionally, funds would be allocated to establish branches in major U.S. cities. The economic crisis had bankrupted many small banks, allowing George to acquire their properties at low cost without assuming their debts—a near-total gain.

From an investment standpoint, buying up dozens of defunct banks was a smart move.

George wasn't worried about generating business. He planned to ask Corleone to deposit Mafia money into the bank, but only their legitimate earnings. George made it clear he wouldn't help launder illicit funds.

Not all Mafia revenue was illegal; many owned restaurants and other legitimate enterprises. These could become standard banking clients.

Given his cooperative relationship with the Mafia, George believed they would agree.

Wells Fargo Bank offered full banking services—community banking, insurance, loans, and more—and facilitated transport and finance across the Midwest and Pacific coast. While conservative in growth, its internal structure was solid, making rapid expansion possible.

George and Harry held a private meeting in the president's office.

George smiled. "Harry, I now hold 100% of Wells Fargo Bank's shares."

"Yes, Boss. What are your instructions? Or are you replacing me?"

George shook his head. "No. As I've said, I'm pleased with your work. You've managed the bank well post-acquisition. I want you to stay on as Executive President. Together, we'll make this the best bank in America. What's your current salary?"

"$4,000, Boss."

"I'm raising it to $6,000, with a 5% annual increase. Plus, you'll earn a 0.005% commission on the bank's profits."

Harry's heart stirred. Money motivates everyone, and this offer was generous. With commissions based on profits, Harry could earn far more in the future. With his capabilities and George's backing, the bank was poised for rapid growth.

"What do you need from me, Boss?"

"Just keep things stable and expand the bank."

Harry nodded. "Understood. I can do that."

The acquisition had gone smoothly, thanks in part to Morgan Bank's influence. Had George pursued it alone, it might've been far more difficult.

Two days later, major news broke: Wells Fargo Bank was preparing to delist. Most delistings are due to bankruptcy or low stock value, but this one was voluntary—George's third such move after delisting Pepsi and Lincoln.

Owning 100% of the shares meant George didn't need shareholder approval or buybacks. Delisting simplified operations and eliminated the need to disclose annual financial reports, giving him greater financial discretion.

That evening, a grand reception in San Francisco celebrated Wells Fargo Bank's rebirth. Local elites and the bank's key partners attended.

The reception served to showcase George's financial strength and introduce the companies under his control, building trust and creating new collaboration opportunities.

For banks, customers are assets. The next phase would focus on expanding the customer base.

The following day, George met again with Harry to discuss rapid branch expansion, especially in cities where his businesses operated. All corporate accounts would be funneled through Wells Fargo Bank, starting with New York.

________________________________________________

Translator's Note

Hey everyone! It's me, your lovely translator 😊 Just dropping in with a quick update. I'm almost done setting up my Patreon, and you can expect the official launch within this week!

Now, here's the deal — I've already translated and edited over 100+ chapters of this fanfic, and they're currently going through final proofreading. That's a lot of content ready for you all!

But I need your help with setting the right subscription tiers on Patreon. The minimum price allowed is $3, so I've set up the following tiers:

$5

$10

$20

$59 (This one is just a generous donation tier — for those who want to go the extra mile and support the project heavily 💖)

Since I'm currently focusing on just one story, I'm offering bonus chapters with each tier:

$5 Tier – 20 Advanced Chapters

$10 Tier – 40 Advanced Chapters

$20 Tier – 80 Advanced Chapters

I know — that's a lot of chapters! You might not even be able to finish them all at once 😄. Remember, this is not the final chapter, there are high chances the chapters on Patreon may get reduced or even half of what's currently on here shown.

Now, here's where I could use your input: If any of you are already subscribed to other Patreons (or run your own), could you tell me how advanced chapter releases are typically handled? Do they:

Provide a one-time bundle of extra chapters, then shift to posting daily with limited extra chapters, like 2 or 4, or 5?

OR 

Do they release bundles weekly or monthly?

Or use some other schedule?

Your feedback would help me structure things better — and in the end, it benefits you, too!

Oh, and some more exciting news: I've already lined up some more fics for the future, including a slice-of-life fanfic, and one of my favorite fiction works — a WARHAMMER 40K, baby!!! You can expect them to drop on Patreon and Webnovel within this month.

So, stay tuned and get ready!

Lastly, thank you so much for all the support. Just last night, our total views and collections doubled in a single night! And the power stone in my bag is increasing daily without any sign of stopping. The chart is only going up. Keep this up everyone love you guys. Bless the algorithm, and huge thanks to all of you from around the world who gave me your time, your feedback, and your support.

Love you all!—Your Translator 💙

More Chapters