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

Chapter 86 Jenny's Caresses

The previous film, "Walden," earned nearly $800,000 at the box office.

The Luther couple only withdrew the costs; the remaining funds stayed in the company account for the company's development.

Later, under Jia's leadership, the company spent nearly 50,000 yuan to purchase brand new recording equipment and cameras, and then spent another 70,000 yuan to build a medium-sized professional photography studio.

The two carefully calculated that expenses in other areas could be saved, but not on equipment and supplies, especially for musicals like "The Sound of Music," which have particularly high requirements for sound quality.

Of course, if you want to build a large soundstage like a Hollywood studio, the cost would start at 20.

As a result, after deducting the actors' salaries and staff wages, Luther had less than $500,000 left in the entire box office revenue of the film.

In the silent film era, this amount of money would have been enough to make a film that was 90 minutes long or even longer, but not now.

Because of the need to deliver lines and record on set, there is inevitably a certain rate of scrapped footage, which drastically increases costs.

Putting everything else aside, the cost of film alone is several times higher than before.

According to Luther and Reynolds' estimates, the final cost of this version of "The Sound of Music" is likely to be between 60 and 80.

In other words, Luther still needs to raise at least some funds to ensure that the film can be completed smoothly.

When it came to funding, Luther's mind immediately started working, and he called McFarlane right away.

"Yes, Mr. Luther, a ship just docked yesterday, and there's work for you."

"Thanks, old Mike, I'm coming right now."

After the previous "win-win" cooperation, McFarlane trusted Luther very much. As soon as the European ships docked, the documents would not be passed to Kennedy's house at all; he would notify Luther directly.

Of course, this was also necessary for Luther; it was best not to let anyone know about his antique business, including Gia. Let's keep it a little secret between husband and wife.

Soon, Luther drove away from the box office and headed towards Boston Customs.

This time, he didn't go directly to the service hall, but instead followed a familiar path to a door where McFarlane was already waiting.

"Sir, I've sorted your goods for you. There are four boxes in total." He then handed over the order form.

Luther nodded, took the form, and after just one glance, his eyes lit up again.

Compared to the last time, this time the old butler sent over more cultural relics, and the types were even more bizarre.

Besides the Ludwig family's old collection, there are also paintings or sculptures from other European noble collections, some of which can even be traced back to the Roman Empire. In short, they are quite valuable.

It is worth mentioning that among the many cultural relics, there is one that is the most special and the most noteworthy.

This is a double-headed yaksha, with the two heads opening and closing at about 130 degrees, like a "Y" that has been broken open. It can stand up or lie on its side, which is quite strange.

Especially on the handle below, it is covered with engraved textures and dots, and even some strange incantations and words, which Luther himself could not understand.

This artifact comes from the family of Luther's distant cousin, who was also a dissolute playboy. He was said to have slept with people all over Europe by the age of eighteen. He is currently suffering from syphilis, and it is said that his whole body is ulcerated and his brain has a hole in it. It seems that he doesn't have much time left.

He knew his cousin well; if he was even selling this kind of thing at this point, he was probably forced into a corner.

The more people indulge in pleasure, the more they fear death, especially when they realize that death is really coming soon.

For these kinds of people, death means the end of everything, so they will desperately seize every opportunity to survive.

Just like in the hospital, when faced with the same terminal illness, even the doctors shake their heads and sigh, some people can take it calmly, while others know there is no hope but still frantically seek medical treatment. His cousin is probably the type of person who is like that.

However, Luther accepted them all. He wrapped them in oil paper, placed them one by one on the car, and then headed towards Maurice's side.

Boston Antiques and Art Shops.

When Morris opened the box and saw the list of connoisseurs on this shipment, he nearly went crazy.

With trembling hands, he unfolded the oil paper and examined each of these treasures that had traveled across the ocean.

His eyes widened, his breathing became more rapid, and he kept muttering to himself:

"My God...where...where did all of this come from?"

Luther didn't answer directly, but continued to emphasize, "Maurice, don't ask questions you shouldn't ask, or I wouldn't mind finding a different partner."

"Sorry, sorry! I was just too excited!"

Without hesitation, Morris took out a magnifying glass and began to examine the object closely.

The largest treasure in the first box should be the bronze figurine of "Sleeping Venus" belonging to the King of Old Naples.

The piece is about the size of a palm and is carved with Venus, the goddess of love, lying on a bed. The lines are smooth and the figure is voluptuous.

What's most astonishing is the craftsmanship of this bronze statue. The old Sicilian goldsmiths used the gold and silver inlay technique to carve out the girl's long, flowing hair and the folds of her clothes, making them incredibly lifelike and detailed.

Especially noteworthy is the Latin inscription on the base of this statue: "The gaze of Cupid is reserved for kings."

This treasure was also borrowed from the Bourbon royal family by the old king during the Ludwig family's visit to Naples in 1830. After the old king passed away, the word "borrowed" became obsolete, and it became part of the Ludwig family's collection.

The second thing is the Prussian Iron Cross, which is rumored to have been awarded by Frederick the Great himself.

This medal is probably from the 18th century. It has a black iron core and a silver border. The front is engraved with the word "FW" and the back is "GOTT MIT UNS" (God with us).

The medal has several fine scratches on its surface, which are said to be from shrapnel damage during the Seven Years' War.

The origin of this item is also unique. Legend has it that it was personally awarded by Frederick the Great after the war in 1763 to an officer who fought to the death to protect the flag in the Battle of Torgau.

The officer was rumored to be related to a distant relative of Luther, having been married into the family. The medal was then passed down through the family and is now being sold for money.

If Frederick the Great knew that his descendants were so unworthy, he would probably be so angry he'd come back to life.

The third item is a relief jewel from the Duke of Gonzaga's household.

This is an ancient Roman gemstone relief set on a silver pendant, dating back to around the 1st century BC, depicting the profile of a Roman nobleman wearing a laurel wreath.

The gemstone itself was already valuable, but what truly made it priceless was the silver badge added by later generations.

The emblem is engraved with the coat of arms of the Gonzaga family in fine gold thread.

This family ruled Mantua, Italy during the Renaissance, and was one of the most prominent art patronage families in Europe.

This piece of jewelry was originally a relic from ancient Rome, and was later collected by the Duke of Gonzaga, who added the family's silver coat of arms to the back.

In the 19th century, it passed through marriage and eventually fell into the hands of Ludwig I, where it was kept in the royal treasury. It was later lost in war.

Maurice held the pendant up to the light, examining it closely, muttering, "Gonzaga...this is Gonzaga..."

In addition, there are royal silverware from the time of Louis XIV, and medieval German reliquary caskets, among other things.

Neither item is particularly valuable, but both have a distinguished provenance. The silverware was a gift from Louis XIV to a diplomat in 1685.

This reliquary comes from a Bavarian monastery and is made using 14th-century Rhineland craftsmanship, making it extremely rare.

Morris was trembling, exclaiming repeatedly, "Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable!"

Finally, when Maurice saw Luther's distant cousin's treasured collection, his eyes lit up.

"This...this is Jenny's caress! Rumor has it that the old King and his queen used it together...How did you manage to get your hands on this?"

Morris was stunned, and his gaze toward Luther changed.

Luther paused, somewhat embarrassed, and then explained the origin of the artifact.

Morris cleared his throat: "Your cousin... is quite a character indeed..."