Then, Lockhart enjoyed a hearty lunch with the two lovely fans, and it was then that his appearance began to improve.
After lunch, he politely bid farewell to the two fans and headed to the private room he had rented. He intended to take a nap before going to Gringotts to withdraw his savings.
Lockhart had his own plans for the next few days: he decided to travel the world while completing his autobiographical novel, "Struggling in the First Half of My Life," and also write some travel stories. He was convinced that, with his writing ability, it wouldn't be long before he became a popular and successful bestselling author once again.
Hmm, it's better to publish the travel stories under a pseudonym to avoid tarnishing my reputation. As for the autobiography, I can decide whether to use my real name or publish it under a friend of Lockhart's. I'll have to think it over carefully.
While envisioning his bright future, Lockhart opened the hotel room door. However, just as he entered, he felt something sharp pressing against his lower back. Then there was a click, and the room door closed.
Sweating, Lockhart realized that someone had ambushed him in his room. But what could he do? His wand was pointed at his waist, and he was like a fish waiting to be sacrificed.
Lockhart felt the person behind him rummaging at his waist for a moment and then taking his wand away.
"Mr. Lockhart, please don't make any noise, otherwise, I can't guarantee your safety," warned the voice. The wand that had been pointing at him moved away. A suitcase slid out from under the bed, and the lid automatically opened.
It was an opening! Lockhart realized that he should seize this opportunity to deliver a powerful left hook to the person behind him and snatch their wand. That way, he could take control of the situation. However, his body was as immobile as if he were paralyzed.
Finally, the electrical signals from Lockhart's brain reached his muscles, and he reacted, trembling slightly. At that moment, the hard object pointed at his waist once again. So, all the plans he had made in his mind vanished in an instant.
"Please, step into this suitcase," a polite request was heard from behind. But in Lockhart's ears, those words sounded like a whisper from the devil.
Lockhart lifted his head and recognized the suitcase: it was his personal suitcase that contained a rather large secret room. Upon seeing this suitcase, he immediately knew who was behind him.
Tom Yodel!
The despicable little wizard! Ever since he encountered him, Lockhart had been going through a streak of bad luck. First, he was arrested by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for speeding, and then he was locked in that box for a year. Not only did he imprison him, but he also exposed all the things he had done, which eventually led him to Azkaban.
The hatred between the two was immeasurable. Faced with his enemy, Lockhart decided...
"Yodel, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has released me... You can't imprison me!"
The wizard who had ambushed Lockhart in his room was Tom. After learning that Lockhart would be released, he immediately went to Azkaban. All the Dementors in the prison were his informants, so Lockhart had no way to escape his clutches. He followed Lockhart to London and finally caught him when he was alone.
"Whether you can get out of prison or not is not the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's concern; only my word counts," Tom responded coldly. "Hurry up and step into the suitcase."
Tom used his wand to push Lockhart. He obediently did so, with a look of sadness on his face, and entered the box.
Shortly after, Tom left the hotel with the suitcase in hand, walking with great confidence.
Once out of the city of London, Tom headed west and finally arrived at the Isle of St. John in the Atlantic. This island used to be desolate, but in recent years, it had become lively. The reason was simple: the government planned to build a maximum-security prison on the island.
Construction had been intermittent for ten years. In the fall of this year, most of the buildings were already completed, and the prison was nearing completion, but the prison's ownership had discreetly changed. Instead of the British government, it was now in the hands of an international businessman named Yuri.
However, the nature of the prison hadn't changed; it was still a maximum-security prison.
Because Yuri purchased the prison, he was responsible for paying the final part of the construction cost. At the same time, as part of the purchase deal, the prison was required to house prisoners at a very low cost to the government.
Yes, the prison, which was already 95% complete, was practically given to this businessman. The government would still have to pay Yuri every year! It seemed too good to be true, but almost everyone thought that Yuri would lose every last penny. Government bureaucrats quickly approved all of Yuri's requests, as if they were afraid he would back out.
If the prison remained in government hands, it would become an economic black hole that would swallow tens of millions of pounds every year. And in a few years, the costs could increase to a hundred million pounds. But if it were subcontracted, it would only cost a few million pounds a year, and the saved funds could be used to increase the salaries of bureaucrats. As for the money spent on building the prison, it had already gone down the drain.
Due to the urgency on both sides of the transaction, the process was also carried out quickly. Now that the transfer had been completed here, construction had come to an end. Once it passed into private hands, the construction speed of the prison accelerated.
The overall structure of the prison was in the shape of three interconnected squares with a central hallway. On the left was the men's prison, and on the right was the women's prison. In the central square was the prison yard.
Tom had his own idea about the layout of this place. He decided to eliminate the distinction between the male and female prisons and concentrate the prisoners in a single square, which he called the residential area. The other square would be where the guards and logistics staff lived, which he called the work area. In the prisoner's prison area, there would only be cells, while on the other side, there would be facilities such as a library, a work factory, a church, and others.
Only inmates with outstanding performance could access work in the work area.
Yuri was a human rights-respecting merchant and wouldn't force prisoners to work. Instead, there would always be half of the inmates resting in the residential area.
It's simply the glow of humanity!
Tom shared his idea with Lockhart, who was bewildered when he heard it: "And what does that have to do with me?"
Of course, it has to do with you!
Tom smiled at Lockhart. "In fact, this prison needs a part-time psychologist with chaplain skills, and I think you're fit for the job."
Lockhart: ???
Tom's idea left Lockhart dumbfounded: I'm a wizard!