pjbooks Chapter 41, 55,000!
Chapter 41, 55,000!
Luther readily agreed to the conditions offered by Morris.
Given the current situation, it's best for him to keep his antique business low-key and not let others know, especially the Kennedy family.
Some might ask, since the male protagonist can earn thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in one go, why does he need to rely on the Kennedy family? Wouldn't it be better to earn his own money and spend it himself?
That's wishful thinking; reality is much more complex.
Luther was indeed doing well in Europe, and even had staunch allies like Little Beard. If he couldn't make it in Europe in the future, he would surely join Luther and become the Commander-in-Chief of Europe.
But in reality, Luther came to America alone, to Boston, in order to survive and for his future.
This place isn't just about lobsters; it also has gangsters.
He was nobody in this place, completely unaware of the factions and powers here, as well as the countless thugs and hooligans, big and small.
To try and do antique business under the noses of these people is nothing short of a pipe dream; you'd be lucky if you didn't get robbed and shot.
Therefore, for Luther at that time, marrying into the Kennedy family was clearly a good option.
Joseph had good connections among the Irish community and was also on good terms with the local gangs (they had sold alcohol together). Now that he was rich, he was a frequent visitor to Wall Street. With such a person as his backer, how could Luther not want to?
Otherwise, he would never have dared to start an antique business so rashly.
Putting everything else aside, even if Maurice suddenly denied everything or even had someone kill him, he really wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
Of course, this is only one aspect. Now that his antique business is in order and the basic business model has been established, there is nothing else that needs special attention except for keeping it a secret for a while.
"Maurice, I also have a condition: don't reveal my identity to the clients."
"Of course, we always respect our clients' privacy."
And so, the transaction ended in a pleasant and harmonious conversation between the two.
This time, Morris was equally decisive. At Luther's request, he did not issue a bank draft but instead used cash for the transaction.
"Mr. Luther, please wait a moment."
After saying that, Maurice turned and left, and returned a short while later with a paper bag full of cash.
It was said to be full, but it didn't look like much; it certainly wasn't enough to make the bag bulge.
Luther took the bag, looked at it carefully, and was immediately startled.
"A 1000 denomination?"
"Of course, I finally got it after a lot of trouble." Morris smiled.
As soon as he finished speaking, he remembered that the United States had $500 and $1000 banknotes in 1927.
Of course, the US government doesn't produce such large denomination banknotes to buy things like watermelons or cakes; their primary purpose is to facilitate large-scale commodity transactions.
After all, in previous years, especially when World War I broke out, hot money from Europe kept pouring in, and the American economy was booming.
If the denominations are always 50 or 100, it will become inconvenient for wealthy people to make transactions.
Ordinary buying and selling is fine, but if you want to buy a house or an antique, you can't really carry a sack, can you?
Moreover, above these two are the business deals between merchants that often involve hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
That's why, I don't know which brilliant person came up with the idea, but they simply issued a thousand-yuan note.
Don't underestimate this; these thousand-dollar bills are based on the gold standard and can be exchanged for an equivalent amount of gold at a bank, just like bank drafts.
And this one thousand-dollar bill is basically the annual income of an average American worker.
Luther pulled out a bill and looked at it, discovering that this thousand-dollar bill was quite large, at least much larger than the US dollars of later generations.
Originally a tool used by bankers for transferring funds between vaults, it was rarely seen by ordinary people, carrying a natural sense of alienation and mystery.
The front of the banknote doesn't feature Washington or Franklin, but rather a guy named Alexander Hamilton.
Don't underestimate him, he's incredibly impressive. He's also a founding father and the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.
He founded the First Bank of the United States, established the national credit system, and laid the foundation for the financial stability and economic take-off of the newly born United States. He is known as the "Father of American Finance".
The banknote has "FEDERAL RESERVE NOTE" printed horizontally on the top, and the denomination "1000" is printed in each of the four corners.
The portrait is flanked by the green circular seal of the Treasury Department and the name of the issuing bank, "FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS," with Cleveland's signature at the bottom.
Of course, the most eye-catching feature on this banknote is the Gold Clause.
The ticket clearly states "REDEEMABLE IN GOLD".
As a Federal Reserve note, it is equivalent to a "certificate of gold".
Luther glanced at the list; there were 55 in total. He then shook hands with Morris and drove away.
Watching Luther leave, Maurice remained stunned for a long time before finally remarking, "What a strange fellow."
However, at this moment, his mind was not on Luther, but on these European artworks.
"Looks like it's going to be another night of revelry," he remarked sincerely, touching the painting of spring scenes.
On the other side, Luther's side.
After leaving Morris's place, Luther did not return home, but instead went to the town of Wellesley.
Today is Friday, another holiday in Gia. With summer vacation fast approaching, the whole town of Wellesley is filled with a cheerful and lively atmosphere.
Unlike universities in China, American college students typically have three breaks: summer break, winter break, and spring break.
Summer vacation usually lasts from June to mid-to-late September, which is the longest and most enjoyable time, and this is when people typically play with marijuana and other drugs.
Secondly, there's the winter break, which lasts roughly from late December to early January, about 20 days.
Finally, there is spring break, which usually takes place between March and April and lasts for about a week. Many people simply call it "Easter break".
Luther soon arrived at the gates of Wellesley College. The students had already put the classes down. The girls from the women's college were scattered in twos and threes, some shopping, some drinking coffee, and some just idling around.
Just as Luther was about to go for a walk, he suddenly saw someone walking towards him; it was Gia.
Today she is still wearing her school uniform, which consists of a shirt underneath a blazer and a skirt on the bottom, a common outfit for this era.
Luther opened the car door, and Gia got in with practiced ease. Although she looked calm and was no different from usual, Luther still noticed that there were dried tear tracks on Gia's face.
The saying that eyes become clearer from shedding many tears and hearts become more tender from enduring much hardship clearly applies to Gia.
She had always been an independent and strong girl, but at this moment Luther knew very well that she was very wronged.