Josh removed his hood when he left the warehouse and hit the road.
Although it was a convertible, Josh had raised the soft top before leaving, so as long as he pulled up his collar, people outside couldn't see his face.
Josh also didn't drive the car directly back home.
After all, a Cadillac V-16 in this era was too conspicuous. If Josh drove this car back home, it would be like telling the Mafia he had stolen it.
So Josh drove the car straight out of the city.
Then, not far from the city, he found a secluded forest and stored the car there. He then changed into a set of clothes he had never worn from the system's warehouse and burned his original clothes in a fire.
Perfect.
Let the Mafia search for it. They can turn Chicago upside down and see if they can find it.
The only problem was that he had no means of transportation without the Cadillac.
It was a few kilometers away from the city, not too far but not too close.
Josh didn't want to walk back.
So after leaving the forest, he went to the side of the road and prepared to hitchhike.
Hitchhiking culture in America had already emerged when cars became popular in the 1920s, so it wasn't anything new.
Of course, there were risks involved, but this was the outskirts of Chicago, and those professional bandits wouldn't operate in such areas.
If Josh was unlucky enough to encounter them, he had plenty of guns in his system's warehouse.
However, not all car owners were willing to pick up hitchhikers.
The first few cars ignored Josh's waving.
Fortunately, his luck was alright. After about ten minutes, a car that had just passed him suddenly slowed down and stopped.
Josh hurriedly ran up to it.
This is a beautiful convertible car similar to Josh's Cadillac V-16. Of course, like Josh's car before, the roof of this car is raised. After all, the weather is still quite cold, and if the roof is open, it's enough to freeze people into popsicles.
The car's hood ornament, the flying lady badge, reveals the car's identity, Packard.
People in the 21st century rarely hear this name because the brand ended its history in 1958.
But in the 1920s to 1940s, Packard was a renowned luxury car brand like Cadillac in the United States.
The brand's badge is not just one kind but three types based on different production times and models: the flying lady, the swan, and the crystal lady. Among them, the flying lady is the most abundant and representative of its peak period.
For example, this Packard 8 is a classic model.
Although the price is not as high as the Cadillac V-16, it still costs more than two thousand dollars and is definitely a luxury car.
But when Josh saw the car's driver, he realized that the car was beautiful, and the person in the car was even more beautiful.
Yes, the driver was a woman and a very beautiful woman.
With delicate snow-white skin, bright red lips, exquisite facial features, and a head of gold curly hair that was a symbol of the era, wearing a smooth fur coat, she was elegant and graceful, a beautiful contemporary American woman.
"Hello, handsome boy. Are you in trouble?" The woman in the driver's seat smiled and asked Josh.
She was going to ignore Josh, but a casual glance made her see Josh's appearance, and she couldn't help but stop the car.
There's nothing to be done. Although Josh looks a bit young, his looks and physique are really impressive.
With his characteristic German golden-brown hair and light blue eyes, paired with delicate facial features and no freckles, although he is not yet 16 years old, he is already close to 1.8 meters tall and very upright.
The only flaw is that he seems a bit malnourished and lacks exercise, making him look a bit thin, but this adds some femininity to Josh. Of course, this kind of soft and feminine beauty is similar to that of an older brother, not that of someone who like eats bananas."
So no matter what era it is, having a good appearance is always good.
This beautiful woman also saw Josh's handsomeness. Otherwise, as a lone woman, she would not have stopped the car in such a place.
"Good afternoon, beautiful lady. I'm sorry to bother you, but my friend played a prank on me and left me stranded in this wilderness, so I was hoping you could give me a ride." Josh politely asked for help.
"Oh, poor child, it seems your friends are not very nice. Get in the car quickly, don't freeze." Upon hearing Josh's words, the woman immediately invited him warmly to get in the car.
"What's your name?" After Josh got into the car, the beautiful woman started the car and asked.
"Josh, Josh Kane. What should I call you, madam?" Josh asked. The word "madam" was not a problem since the large diamond ring on the woman's left ring finger on the steering wheel was quite noticeable.
Although diamonds in this era were not as expensive as they would be in the future, they are still not cheap.
And that diamond ring on the lady's hand is at least 10 carats or more, which later generations would call a pigeon egg. In 60 years, it would be worth millions of dollars.
Even though diamonds just started marketing in this era, this ring is estimated to be worth nearly $10,000.
Wow, this is a rich woman.
Of course, the diamond ring may be fake.
But judging from the lady's attire and this Packard, the probability of that is low.
"Margaret Wendys." Margaret smiled and replied.
"Hello, Mrs. Wendys, you are a kind and beautiful angel. If not for you, I would have had to walk several miles with an empty stomach to get home." Josh complimented.
"Oh, Josh, you really know how to flatter people." Margaret was also pleased to hear Josh's compliment.
"Madam, I'm not flattering you. I'm sincere. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life." Josh said seriously. Hmm, he's not lying. At least in his current life, Mrs. Wendys is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, far surpassing even Daenerys.
Especially that mature female charm, which is completely lacking in the petite and slender figure of the Dragon Queen.
And for some reason, Josh always felt that this lady was somewhat familiar. Could she be a celebrity?
He didn't know much about the celebrities of this era, and for a moment, he couldn't recall who she might be.
"Stop it. Save that kind of talk for those young girls. It won't work on me." Margaret said, not taking it seriously, but her smile indicated that she was still charmed by Josh's words.
"Madam, are you a female star? I feel that the Hollywood actresses don't have your grace." Josh asked tentatively.
"Is that a compliment? But I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. I'm just an ordinary housewife." Margaret smiled and shook her head.
An ordinary housewife? Yeah right! Josh looked at the luxurious car beneath him, the huge diamond, and the luxurious fur coat, silently rolling his eyes in his mind.
Under Margaret's driving, the car quickly returned to downtown Chicago.
Along the way, thanks to Josh's deliberate flattery and his experience as a time traveler, Margaret and he chatted quite happily.
Josh thus gained a certain degree of trust from this beautiful woman and, through their conversation, gained a general understanding of Margaret's family situation.
As Margaret had previously stated, she was not a celebrity but a housewife.
However, this housewife was not ordinary, just as Josh had suspected.
Her husband was a tennis star who was constantly active in tournaments throughout the United States and rarely was at home.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was Margaret herself.
Her father was a famous jewelry and real estate dealer in Chicago, and she was his only daughter.
After her father's death two years ago, his wealth naturally fell into her hands.
So whether it was luxury cars, diamond rings, or other luxury goods, they were all paid for with her own money.
In comparison, although her husband was a tennis star, the income of sports stars in this era could not be compared to that of later generations, and he could not support the family's luxurious consumption. Instead, to maintain a decent lifestyle, he needed Margaret's support.
Therefore, Margaret was a wealthy woman.
Josh couldn't help but marvel at his luck. Just by hitching a ride, he could meet such a top-notch woman.
However, from their conversation along the way, Josh could also sense that this lady was relatively simple-minded and was not satisfied with her current life, especially with her husband, who was often absent and had many complaints about it.
Although Josh did not have any particular thoughts about Margaret because of this, it was undoubtedly not a bad thing to know such a woman from Chicago's upper-class society.
Especially with her deceased father being a jewelry dealer, this meant that if Josh could get along well with Margaret, he might have a secure path for selling gold in the future for the jewelry industry, and hundreds or thousands of kilograms of gold were no small matter.
Furthermore, this was a win-win situation.
For jewelry dealers, having an additional source of goods was also a good thing. The Roosevelt government's control over private gold made it difficult for the jewelry industry to obtain enough gold.
Of course, while extracting Margaret's personal information, Josh also subtly revealed some of his information.
For example, the deaths of his parents and the fact that he was alone and looking for a new place to live.
To some extent, this evoked Margaret's sympathy, and she took the initiative to offer help.
"When it comes to houses, my father once developed a community in Evanston. Although it's not very good, it's a very safe community. Most of it has been sold, but I still have a few buildings left. You can go and have a look," Margaret recommended.
"Oh? How much do they cost? If they are too expensive, I may not be able to afford them," Josh asked with some interest upon hearing Margaret's words.
Evanston belonged to a satellite city of Chicago.
But that didn't mean Evanston was not good; on the contrary, it was perfect because it was in the north of Chicago.
What is the north of Chicago? That is a legitimate wealthy area.
Although Evanston was only a satellite city, its environment was similar to the North District. The famous Northwestern University was also located there.
And the place where Josh had lived before was in the near North District. Although it had "north" in its name, it differed significantly from the real North District regarding the environment.
Of course, it was much better compared to the black community in the south, Little Italy and Chinatown in the southwest, and the Irish community in the west.
What? Why is there no east district?
Of course, there couldn't be an east district because the east side was Lake Michigan.
So there was no strictly defined east district, only the Lakeshore area.
"Buy? No need to buy; you can live there. It's empty anyway," Margaret shook her head. "You are still a child. When you are an adult and have a job, we can discuss it again."
She was genuinely considering Josh's situation. Josh is alone and not yet 16 years old, so that he couldn't find a good job.
"That won't work, Madam. Don't worry; my parents also left some assets before they passed away. Although not a lot, it's enough to buy an average house and support me until adulthood." However, Josh refused Margaret's kind offer without hesitation. Although he intended to use Margaret, he wouldn't take advantage of her.
Although the housing prices in Ashton wouldn't be low, they wouldn't be sky-high.
"Okay, but there's no need to rush about the price. Let's go take a look first. Do you have any other business here? If not, why don't I take you to see it now?" Margaret said.
"Well, I don't have any other business, but I haven't had lunch yet. Madam, since you just returned from outside the city, you probably haven't had time to eat either, right?" Josh never expected this noblewoman to be so concerned about him, so naturally, he couldn't refuse. However, before that, he still wanted to fill his stomach.
After all, Josh was at the age where he was rapidly growing, and he couldn't bear to go hungry.
Margaret had gone horseback riding at a stable in the western part of Chicago in the morning that it was also her personal property. Based on the time she returned, she probably hadn't had lunch yet.
"I had a light refreshment at the stable, but just as you said, I am feeling a bit hungry now." Margaret nodded.
"May I have the honor of inviting the beautiful lady to lunch? It's also a way to express my gratitude," Josh immediately invited.
"Of course! I happen to know an excellent restaurant nearby," Margaret agreed readily and turned the steering wheel towards the lakefront.
They arrived at an upscale lakefront restaurant about ten minutes later.
It was a Turkish restaurant, which was somewhat unexpected for Josh. However, Turkish cuisine was one of the world's three major cuisines, so it was still a good experience for him.
Honestly, Josh hadn't eaten much Turkish food in this life or the previous one. Of course, the concept of the world's three major cuisines didn't exist in this era, especially with Chinese cuisine, which would eventually dominate the list, not being popular at the time.
After all, cuisine is a form of culture, and its popularity is closely related to the strength of a country. The real popularity of Chinese cuisine worldwide began after Nixon's visit in 1972.
Turkish cuisine, on the other hand, was different. Turkey's location is at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, with more exposure to Europe. Turkish cuisine is greatly influenced by Mediterranean culture, and its cooking methods, serving procedures, and dining etiquette are closer to Western cuisine. Naturally, its popularity in Europe was higher.
So in this era, the popularity of Turkish cuisine among Western countries was far higher than that of Chinese cuisine.
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