Chapter 12: Summer Vacation Travel Plans

Carter's intentions were far from simple!

Through a brief and rough review of the information in the afternoon, Carter fully understood why Goodman was so worried about loans and why Mrs. Mary was so insistent on not delaying her studies to deal with bank matters.

Compared to big cities like New York and Los Angeles, the atmosphere in Georgia was poor! Or, to put it bluntly, except for Atlanta, it was too poor!

Even if he borrowed a large amount of money, it would be difficult to spend it in this place. If he wanted to spend money like a real financial tycoon or banker, he had to leave Georgia, this small place.

It was already June, and summer vacation in American schools usually began in mid-June. Paul Volcker's historical tenure began in August, conveniently falling within Carter's summer vacation.

So Carter wanted to take advantage of this summer vacation for a road trip across the United States. He planned to visit New York, check out the Gulfstream Aircraft Company in Savannah, make friends with Paulson, and perhaps persuade him to lend money to New York. Then, he would turn around and cross the United States, head to Washington, D.C., and see if Volcker would indeed be appointed as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, as in history.

If things developed as they did historically, he would witness history! It was quite historic, and he could also spend money along the way.

Carter was not in a hurry, especially since the projected profit was after the Federal Funds Rate increased in a few years. So, even if the money in hand only brought him a one percent return per year during this time, it was still a profit.

In this day and age, short-term investment operations like this were almost impossible in Georgia. Before the development of internet technology, there were only two ways to trade securities: telephone orders and on-site orders.

On-site orders meant being in the stock exchange or brokerage hall, constantly watching the market, and immediately instructing the securities broker to buy or sell when a decision was made. As for telephone orders, although they were not restricted by geography, you couldn't watch the market in real-time. It was fine for long-term value investing, but for short-term trading, the time difference in information alone could make you lose your pants.

Setting off in mid-June, spending a month in New York, and making some small transactions. If he could make some money, great; if not, he would set a stop-loss line for himself, as long as it didn't affect the future fund balance, he would be fine, as he could always earn it back. In August, he would go to Washington, D.C., then head south to Los Angeles to see what urban life was like in this day and age, before returning home to continue his studies.

That was Carter's plan for the summer! Absolutely delightful!

"What? You're going on a road trip across the United States? Where's the money coming from? The bank's problems have just stabilized a bit, and now you're going out, and when you come back—"

After Carter finished explaining his plan, Jenny immediately became furious. Just during dinner, she was relieved, thinking that this unreliable family had Carter, a reliable child, who supported the family.

But in the blink of an eye, even reliable Carter started acting crazy! You've just solved the bank's bankruptcy crisis, where are you going to find the money to travel the country now?! Don't tell me you'll come back from your trip, and instead of averting bankruptcy, you'll just make it happen.

"You don't need to worry about the money issue; I've already taken care of it. And Jenny, this time going out isn't just about spending money; who knows, I might even make some money."

Carter never mentioned borrowing money from Blake Bank to Jenny. The reason was the same as before; Carter simply couldn't explain why he was so confident that this loan would make a profit.

Explaining this issue, telling Jenny that they had borrowed over three million dollars, and would have to pay back five million in five years... Carter was afraid that if he said it, Jenny would follow in old Blake's footsteps right away.

That would be too much excitement, wouldn't it?

So from this perspective, Jenny's thoughts were not wrong. If Carter couldn't achieve an average annual profit rate of over fifteen percent during these five years, Blake Bank would definitely go bankrupt after five years!

"What are you going to use to make money? Since Blake Bank is in your hands, you can make your own decisions. Remember to be safe on the road, and before you leave, you must buy a gun for self-defense. Wait, let me see if Chris's gun is still here."

As Jenny spoke, she suddenly realized that Carter had become the man of the house. From the moment he took over Blake Bank, he was no longer the naive child. After sighing with a hint of emotion, Jenny put down her knife and fork and went upstairs.

Facing Jenny's advice, Carter did not object. Although he had never experienced a shooting incident himself, the joke "Land of the free, home of the gunshots" couldn't just be baseless, could it?

For such a long-distance trip, it was indeed necessary to have a gun for self-defense. But Carter seemed to recall that he didn't have a gun license.

"Carter, are you going to Los Angeles? I want to go with you!"

Seeing Jenny disappear at the foot of the stairs, Meliss couldn't hold back her excitement any longer. Just now, Jenny was present, so she couldn't speak up. Now that Jenny was gone, the star-struck Meliss immediately started pestering Carter.

"Hehe, I won't stay in Los Angeles for long. I plan to spend most of my time in New York. Are you sure you want to go with me? It's going to be very boring on the road! Well, it's almost the same in New York; I don't have time to take you out for fun."

Taking advantage of Meliss's request, Carter reached out and ruffled the girl's golden hair. According to his memories, whenever he dared to touch her hair in the past, Meliss would behave like a protective tigress, chasing after Carter and making a fuss for quite a while.

But at this moment, Meliss seemed to be enjoying it. Blinking her eyes, she nodded repeatedly:

"I want to go! In Los Angeles, I only need to stay for three days, um, two days would be fine too! Carter, I promise to behave on the road, and I won't cause you any trouble. How about it?"

"You should say that to Jenny. You know, my agreement doesn't mean much! Although ruffling her hair felt great, Carter was also aware that his goal for this trip. Bringing Meliss along would only add someone to talk to on the road and prevent him from getting drowsy while driving, with almost no other benefits. So, Carter pragmatically retracted his hand, using Jenny's statue to suppress Meliss.

Although it seemed like Jenny couldn't control Carter, she was still a mother. For this 13-year-old girl Meliss, she had a strong grip. From Carter's understanding, Jenny would never allow Meliss to behave like this.

But unexpectedly, Jenny, who came downstairs, said directly:

"I heard everything you just said. Whether to bring Meliss along or not, Carter, it's up to you! You're grown up now, and you have the right to make decisions about family matters."