Chapter 5: Georgia: Transformation into a Wolf

As long as there's money on hand, for a bank, a credit crisis is often the least of their worries. The current $1.28 million cash reserve at Blake Bank is enough for them to last two days.

As people gradually withdraw their deposits, the murmurs grow quieter. Even a few customers familiar with Old Blake give Carter a thumbs-up as they pass him in line, seemingly affirming his ability to take over the bank from the elder Blake. Faced with such praise, Carter can only twitch his lips into a formulaic smile in response.

Taking over Blake's business? What's that? A time traveler like him, just dealing with a rural bank?

Carter is ambitious. Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to start his own business during his internship in his previous life. Nor would he have been killed in a car accident while running errands.

The failures of his previous life not only didn't extinguish Carter's ambition but also, because of his rebirth in 1979, made his ambition even stronger. As long as Paul Volcker takes over as chairman of the Federal Reserve in two months as history dictates, Carter can be sure of the future development trajectory, just like in his previous life!

With that in mind, in the field of investment, no one will be his match. After all, he's got the edge. How can they compete? Taking down Goldman Sachs, kicking J.P. Morgan Chase; it's just a matter of time!

"Goodman, follow up on the loans. I'll go back to take care of school matters."

Ambition is for the future, while the present is for survival. Just as Carter finishes expressing his ambitions inwardly, he checks the time, sighing with some frustration.

This unfortunate boy he's transmigrated into, Carter Blake, isn't so bad, except that instead of taking off from scratch with a rural bank, he's fortunate enough not to have to start by setting up a street stall to earn his first pot of gold. Moreover, he's tall and handsome, fitting the American aesthetic, although Carter doesn't know if he fits the American notion of handsome, he certainly fits his impression of foreign handsome guys.

But, unfortunately, this Carter Blake is only sixteen years old this year! In accordance with Georgia law, he must dutifully complete his high school education, or else it's a crime. As for whether breaking this educational law will land him in jail singing behind bars, Carter doesn't know, and he doesn't have the mood to find out for now.

"Okay, no problem. But, Carter, out of professional ethics, I still have to remind you about borrowing so much."

"Alright, Uncle Goodman! If Blake Bank goes bankrupt, it won't be you! If I were you, I'd seize this opportunity to make some money for myself. So, if you want a comfortable future, hurry up and borrow money!"

In two months, when Volcker takes office, he'll make a big profit without mistreating him; if Volcker doesn't take office, then he's probably done for, and Goodman, this professional manager, will also lose his job. So, to live a wealthy life in the future, he has to seize this opportunity and make a hefty commission.

Ah, he's such a thoughtful guy~

After sighing inwardly and urging Goodman, Carter walks out the door and hops into his Mustang GT, roaring away.

The Blake family home is a typical American-style villa on the outskirts of Douglas. Of course, in Chinese terms, the nature of this villa should be a self-built house in the countryside.

It's puzzling that in this day and age, except for the top-level wealthy people who hire servants to live in mansions, most wealthy Americans actually prefer apartments in urban areas. Such small villas have become symbols of backwardness in their eyes. Less than forty years later, any American middle class would rather buy a villa in the suburbs than an apartment in the city. Apartments in the city have, in turn, become symbols of poverty.

"Jenny, it's almost eleven o'clock as agreed with Mrs. Mary. Are you ready? Let's go!"

After parking on the street, Carter quickly walks into the house. But before he actually enters, he stands in the entrance hall, shouting at the top of his lungs. Jenny, Blake's mother, is a bit unfamiliar to him to be called "mom".

"Coming, coming! Is everything at the bank sorted out? My poor Carter."

Jenny, with a small bag over her shoulder, walks downstairs and asks Carter with concern. At the same time, she steps forward, opens her arms, hugs him, and then presses her cheek against Carter's, whispering:

"It's hard for you to shoulder the family's burden at such a young age. I'm sorry, please don't blame me or your sister."

"It's okay, let's not talk about it anymore. Let's go quickly. Today, we need to discuss school matters, and I'll be in charge of the household affairs in the future."

Carter gently pats Jenny's back and reassures her with a somewhat awkward expression.

Jenny is a beautiful woman, even though she's nearly forty this year, she still takes good care of herself. With smooth and soft skin, a fitted black dress matched with black stockings on her legs, one might believe she's a glamorous woman in her thirties. From appearances alone, it's hard to tell that she's already a mother of three.

Being suddenly hugged by such a beauty and having her soft cheek rubbing against his, even though he has experienced it several times these past two days, Carter still finds it difficult to remain calm.

Half pushing and half letting go of Jenny, Carter leaves the house first to start the car. He can't guarantee that he won't do anything worse if he stays in the house any longer. After all, it's America in the 1970s, what can we say about America at this time?

Why do you think HIV wasn't publicly disclosed until 1981? It's because the Americans at this time were just too promiscuous!

The Americans in the 1970s could be said to be the happiest people on the planet, without a doubt. While people in many countries were struggling to survive amidst gunfire and hardships, what were these Americans doing?

Without the threat of war, they even went to the moon; without the distress of hunger, they could have a sip of Coke anytime, anywhere. With no pressure for survival, the Americans fixed their gaze, and, lo and behold, they had already been to the moon, what else couldn't they achieve?

The collapse of American family ethics didn't begin to recover until around the turn of the millennium. In this era, news like a man marrying a family of five was quite common. Yes, you didn't mishear, marrying a family of five.

Carter is sure that this little bastard, Little Blake, had definitely thought about it before, but now that he has taken over, the psychological barrier is gone. Because Carter doesn't agree with it now, treating it purely as a debt to repay, to support this family.

In this case, can Carter dare to stay here longer? If he stays for real, he's afraid that Hollywood will film him, and the movie will be called "Georgia: Transformation into a Wolf".