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

Chapter 33 Dreaming of Hollywood

"Is it not delightful to have friends coming from afar?"

"Is it not the mark of a virtuous person to remain unperturbed when others do not understand him?"

"Time flows on like a river, never ceasing day or night."

"Whether someone knows me or condemns me, only history will tell..."

About half an hour later, JFK's clear reading voice came from Kennedy's study.

As Luther taught him a word, he repeated it, and although his pronunciation was not very accurate and his enunciation was not very clear, he was already getting the hang of it.

Johnny Jr. had no idea what it meant, but he found the pronunciation of Chinese quite amusing.

Great, very energetic!

After reading for a while, little Kennedy couldn't resist his curiosity and asked:

"But brother-in-law, this person's name is so strange, it's Confucius. Why do you want me to read his books?"

Luther paused for a moment before explaining:

"Actually, it's not just me; even the founding fathers of the United States held this Eastern saint in high esteem. For example, Jefferson, Franklin, and so on. His moral values ​​are still relevant in the United States today. His ideas can be used in legislation, and many law schools in the United States regard him as a secular saint."

This wasn't just Luther making things up; it was indeed true.

In his memory, a few years later, around 1935, the federal courthouse was rebuilt, and at the very top of the courthouse, statues of three great sages were erected, one of whom was Confucius.

In fact, this proposal was awarded back in the 20s and is now in the creative stage, so it's nothing new to Americans.

These three sages, or rather, the forefathers who influenced American legislation, are Confucius, Moses, and Sauron.

Confucius, needless to say, represents the origin of Eastern civilization and morality.

Moses, as the representative figure of Judaism, is in the center, holding the tablets of the Ten Commandments, representing religious law.

On the other side, Soren represents the foundations of democracy and the rule of law.

It was precisely because of all of the above that Luther decided to start with Confucius, beginning with the oldest and perhaps the most difficult part.

However, given John F. Kennedy's intelligence, he wasn't too worried. The little guy had only been learning for half an hour, and he was already doing quite well.

After some further reinforcement, Johnny's Chinese learning journey has officially begun.

In the evening, old Joseph returned home, a rare occurrence, and even had dinner with his family.

Since this wasn't a test, my brother-in-law was more relaxed and finally got to eat a good meal.

After finishing his meal, old Joseph paused for a moment and said to Luther, "Luther, come with me."

Soon, the two arrived at the study, and soon Mrs. Rose followed.

Looking at Luther before him, old Joseph didn't waste any time with preamble, but went straight to the point:

"Luther, as I mentioned to you before, I intend to entrust you with managing a portion of the family affairs."

Thank you for your trust.

Old Joseph nodded, and then began to talk about his business.

"Around this time last year, I acquired a company called Box Office Films. The company is operating quite well overall, and its performance is quite outstanding. Although it can't compare to the big Hollywood studios, I believe it will be a good experience for you. If you do well, then I plan to hand over more of the family business to you, provided that you do well."

At this point, old Joseph took a sip of coffee and said slowly:

"Of course, if you can't prove your abilities during this process, I won't say anything. I'll arrange a suitable job for you so you can live a leisurely life."

Hearing what old Joseph said, Luther finally understood what his father-in-law meant.

Ultimately, this was a waste test.

He would use one of his own small companies as a test. If Luther could prove his ability and talent, then Joseph would entrust him with important responsibilities; otherwise, he would be put on the verge of elimination and left to fend for himself.

In other words, Luther's first test came after he entered the Kennedy family.

The test was set by old Joseph, who was also the proctor and even the opponent.

At that time, Luther was not completely ignorant of Hollywood. The box office film company that Joseph Sr. acquired had been hovering between second- and third-rate for many years, relying on low-cost Western movies and popular dramas to seize the market. It was completely different from the "Big Four and Small Three" of that era.

The so-called "four big and three small" mainly refers to:

The Big Four: MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox

The "three small" mainly refer to Universal, Columbia, and United Artists.

The films that Joseph Sr. acquired were outside the "Big Four and Small Three" and had a weak presence in the box office.

In Hollywood, box office hits are also known as "Poor Man's Hollywood".

In other words, the company's movies are inexpensive, usually costing only 10-20 cents a ticket, making them the preferred choice for the vast majority of poor people.

As for the middle class and wealthy in the United States, they tend to buy movie tickets for 30 cents or more.

Therefore, the target audience for box office hits has been clear from the beginning: the vast number of poor people.

These were all the scenarios that came to Luther's mind.

In short, the problem posed by old Joseph was not too big, but it was certainly not small either.

In the fiercely competitive world of Hollywood, building up a small company like this requires not only vision and talent, but also funding and manpower. However, judging from Joseph's current situation, he probably doesn't intend to provide anything.

Although his father-in-law was rich, he was also notoriously stingy, fitting the general definition of a nouveau riche.

For a moment, even Luther had the illusion that his father-in-law wasn't testing him, but simply throwing a bunch of garbage at him to get rid of him.

But since things had come to this point, Luther couldn't say much and simply accepted it.

"In that case, take the next couple of days to get a feel for it. I'll have my assistant take you there, and then you can prepare to take over."

"OK."

Luther thanked old Joseph and then came out.

Not long after, his brother-in-law came over again, and after hearing about old Joseph's story, he couldn't help but feel a little envious.

"Luther, I think you should manage the shipyard, and it's more appropriate for me to handle the Hollywood business."

Of course, even if he said that, his brother-in-law wouldn't take it to heart.

As a member of the Kennedy family, how could he not understand how box office movies work?

Ultimately, this is just a small company with little taste, accustomed to producing shoddy, low-budget films.

However, Luther didn't care too much. After all, he was a time traveler, and no matter how unfavorable the situation was, he could turn the tide.

The key was Hollywood in 1927, which was an unprecedentedly huge opportunity.

Even a pig could fly if it stood on it, right?

P.S.: Please, everyone, read this! I'm begging for recommendations, votes, and monthly tickets! Thank you so much! This kind of writing is so difficult. I need lots of votes!!