I became a son-in-law in the United States

Chapter 25 Touching Party

Everyone turned around and saw Daniel running over excitedly, carrying two bottles of wine.

A bottle of Scotch whisky and a bottle of Rémy Martin.

Both bottles of wine are vintage, and they're clearly not ordinary. Daniel must have gone to great lengths to get his hands on these kinds of wines during Prohibition.

After all, he's the club's leader, and today is Rudd's first time out, so Daniel should pay the bill.

"Guys!" Daniel slammed two bottles of liquor on the table, a smug look on his face. "It's on me tonight!"

Everyone glanced at it, and their eyes lit up.

Tony the Bearded was the first to reach out and grab the bottle of Scotch whisky. He flipped the bottle over to look at the label, then whistled excitedly.

"Daniel, did you empty out your dad's wine cellar?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Daniel replied, then took more cups from the side and filled one for each person.

The whiskey was poured into a glass, and the amber liquid swirled under the light, emitting a stimulating and enticing aroma.

Luther picked up the glass and took a sniff. He could smell a strong smoky aroma mixed with the fragrance of malt. It was indeed authentic Scotch whisky.

This kind of wine will be considered a good thing in later generations, and in this vintage it is an even greater luxury.

"Come on!" Daniel raised his glass. "To the fraternity!"

"Homage to the Owl Club!"

The group clinked glasses, then tilted their heads back and downed the drinks.

The strong liquor went down his throat, and instantly a wave of heat rose from his stomach. Luther exhaled and felt completely refreshed.

Although he is also a drinker, this Scotch whisky is much stronger, with a rough texture and a powerful kick. Taking a sip feels like someone has set fire to your throat, but the taste is surprisingly enjoyable.

After a few drinks, the atmosphere gradually became more lively.

Tom Flint put down his glass, his smile fading slightly. He sighed and said, "Daniel, business at the docks hasn't been good lately. The workers get drunk and cause trouble all the time; someone even died yesterday."

He paused, glanced at Alice, seemingly reluctant to say these things in front of his sister, but continued anyway: "Yesterday, or maybe the day before, a stevedore got drunk, got into an argument, fell off a three-story shelf, and died instantly. My parents went to help, which is why they left me to watch over Alice."

Jim Green chuckled dismissively, "Really? Maybe there have been a lot of deaths lately. We're doing pretty well here. We can make two hundred dollars on a single order. We're swamped with work."

He said this with a relaxed expression and a slight smile on his lips.

If Luther hadn't known that his family was in the funeral business, he would have almost thought he was talking about something good.

However, on second thought, for the funeral industry, "there have been more deaths recently" is indeed good news.

Just like in later generations, this profession, though considered unlucky, was undeniably highly profitable.

As you can see, funeral service companies are among the most profitable businesses in the world, from ancient times to the present.

Because not everyone gets sick, but everyone has to die.

A standard coffin bought for $20 can be resold for five times that price. For a "luxury" coffin made of walnut wood, inlaid with gold, silver, or copper trim, the price is even more outrageous.

To sum up this industry in one sentence: make a fortune quietly.

After chatting for a while, Tony asked with concern, "Daniel, what's wrong with you lately? You've been going out less often."

After all, he was the head of the club, and the group relied on Daniel a lot. Although his brother-in-law was lazy, he had a lot of ideas and could often come up with new tricks for everyone.

Upon hearing this, Daniel also looked emotional, took a big gulp, and then poured out his grievances.

"You wouldn't believe it, I haven't been having a good time lately either. My dad wants me to take over the shipyard, but I have absolutely no interest in it. I hate wrenches and screws!"

As he spoke, his gaze wandered, finally settling on Alice not far away, his eyes softening slightly.

"Then why don't you tell your father that your ambitions lie elsewhere?" someone asked.

Daniel gave a wry smile.

"If I really said that, I'd be sleeping on the streets tomorrow."

The group fell silent for a moment, all understanding Daniel's feelings at that moment.

In the presence of an autocratic father like Joseph Sr., children are never independent individuals, but rather part of the family's assets.

If you say you don't want to do this today, your trust fund will be frozen tomorrow, your car will be repossessed, and your checkbook will be taken away.

For Daniel, sleeping on the streets wouldn't be the case, but life would certainly be difficult.

Tom Flint patted Daniel on the shoulder, but didn't say anything to comfort him. In this kind of circle, comfort is the cheapest thing, and everyone knows it without saying a word.

The atmosphere became slightly subdued. Tony finished the last sip of his drink, slammed the glass on the table, and exclaimed excitedly, "Guys, you guys carry on, I'm going to start the hunt!"

Upon hearing this, they all nodded and smiled at each other.

The so-called "hunting" here actually means finding a female companion.

If the other person is willing, they can dance a waltz together; if the other person doesn't object to taking it a step further, they can do something else together.

Without hesitation, Tony straightened his tie and headed to the dance floor.

He slipped in like an eel, found a white girl, and under the influence of alcohol, the two quickly started dancing face to face.

He put his arm around the other woman's waist, initially just cautiously probing, but after receiving affirmation and permission, he gradually became bolder. Luther clearly saw that this guy put his hand directly under the other woman's skirt.

In the 1920s, such parties had a special name: touch parties.

"Awesome!" Luther thought to himself.

Seeing Tony thriving, the others couldn't resist joining in.

However, in Luther's view, given the scene on the dance floor, with men and women entangled together, it was really hard to say who was hunting whom.

The smartest hunters often appear as prey.

Luther initially considered joining, but upon closer reflection, he decided against it. Firstly, he was already married, and although it was a marriage of contract, he still had to abide by the rules.

Secondly, the body odor in this small dance floor was simply too strong, and he really couldn't stand it.

Sweat, perfume, whiskey, and cigars—all these flavors come together and ferment in a confined space, creating a suffocatingly complex odor.

No matter what, although he has the body of a European or American, he is a Chinese youth at heart. How could his compatriots, who are used to not having body odor, stand this?

However, Luther didn't stay idle; he decided to take a walk around while everyone was dancing.

He stood up and slowly walked around the dance floor, only then realizing how cleverly the place was designed.

There's a hidden door behind the bar and a secret passage behind the kitchen; these are all preparations to deal with the cops.

But just then, a sharp, short scream came from the other end of the dance floor, like a knife slicing through the noisy air.

Luther turned around and saw that it was Alice, who was surrounded by people.