บท 43: Chapter 43: Howard! Captain America!
Time flies, and before anyone realized, summer had arrived, bringing with it the sweltering heat of Chicago.
Early in the morning, Josh, dressed in a polo shirt, sat leisurely in the yard, sipping coffee.
Of course, it wasn't just coffee he indulged in. He wasn't some city dweller from Shanghai, dependent on coffee to survive. Occasionally, he would have some black tea too.
As for green tea, it wasn't that he didn't want to drink it. The issue was that, much like in Britain, black tea dominated the market in the U.S. Outside of Chinatown, finding green tea was nearly impossible.
But with the raging Pacific War, Asian goods were hardly making it across the ocean. Even in Chinatown, green tea was scarce, and whatever was available was mostly low-quality tea dust. The situation might be slightly better on the West Coast in Los Angeles, but in a Midwest city like Chicago? Sigh.
So, for the time being, Josh had resigned himself to drinking coffee and black tea.
Honestly, he could count himself lucky. Thanks to his wealth and influence, he could afford such luxuries. For an ordinary person, even coffee and black tea were hard to come by—both were rationed items. Coffee was limited to one pound every five weeks per person, and black tea to 20 grams per week. What kind of rationing is that? Feeding a cat?
Well, he only had to endure this for two more years.
He was young and could wait it out.
"Darling, I've got some bad news. It seems you've caught the attention of the USO," said Margaret, wearing a sheer white dress as she sat down beside Josh with an invitation in hand.
"...Three months? They're here to sell bonds again?" Josh groaned at the mention of the USO.
It was early July. Back in late March, he had purchased $3 million worth of bonds, which had indeed brought him considerable fame and benefits.
For example, the establishment of three factories had gone almost without a hitch, with raw material supplies guaranteed.
The syrup factory, in particular, had hired researchers from the University of Chicago, leading to the successful mass production of glucose isomerase just a month ago. The first batch of corn syrup had passed military testing a week ago.
After evaluation by military representatives, the entire batch, along with future production, was contracted by the military. Josh had thus secured a partnership with the world's most powerful military at the time—not necessarily for the quality, but because, in terms of scale and equipment, the U.S. Army was undoubtedly number one.
However, there was a price to pay. Since then, he had been targeted by numerous anti-fascist organizations of that era, constantly seeking donations.
"Aren't you a pioneer against fascism? You can afford $3 million in bonds. Surely, a few thousand or tens of thousands for our cause isn't too much to ask?"
Thankfully, most of these small organizations were easy to handle.
He would often excuse himself by saying, "All my money went into bonds. How about I donate some bonds instead?"
At that point, they usually backed off.
These organizations needed cash and supplies. Bonds, while valuable, couldn't be liquidated in the short term.
But leave the bonds untouched? Then the question arose—were these groups really fighting fascism or just lining their pockets?
However, if they tried cashing the bonds at a bank? Impossible. The military sold bonds to raise funds for the war effort. Cashing them in early? That was out of the question. A regular citizen lacking money might be excused, but an anti-fascist organization doing so? It would look like they were undermining the U.S. military.
The ones tied to the military, however, weren't so easy to dismiss.
Josh's syrup factory had just secured a massive military contract. Claiming poverty wouldn't work.
The U.S. military was a model client in this regard. Most contracts were prepaid or paid upon delivery—no delays or IOUs.
Unlike the British neighbors, who were notorious for handing out IOUs.
But Josh had barely received the money when the USO came knocking.
The invitation they sent him was clear: You've made quite the profit from your orders. Isn't it time to support us? Maybe buy some more bonds? The interest is decent, and you wouldn't lose out, would you?
Could Josh refuse?
If he didn't buy, he could kiss future military contracts goodbye.
Of course, Josh wasn't particularly attached to the military orders. With his trading system, selling the same syrup to Daenerys would yield profits far greater than selling to the military.
But the title of military supplier mattered to him.
This title was his ticket to climbing the social ladder in the U.S. and integrating into elite circles of capital.
Two years later, when World War II ended, that title would become even more valuable.
Whether he went to Europe or Japan, it would grant him a superior status, allowing him to extract resources at a minimal cost.
So, whether it was buying bonds or outright donations, he needed to maintain that status.
Still, the way the military held him over a barrel left him frustrated.
"Haha, darling, don't look so glum. Compared to Howard in New York, you've got it easy. He was outright conscripted by the military," Margaret teased, trying to comfort him.
"I can't compare to him. He's an aviation expert. I'm just a high school dropout," Josh replied, shaking his head. But he couldn't help but wonder—wasn't Howard Hughes supposed to live in Los Angeles?
"Darling, you shouldn't underestimate yourself. You're only 16 and already own three factories and have secured military contracts. Especially with the glucose isomerase and high-fructose syrup your sugar factory produces, those are monopolistic products. Your future accomplishments will undoubtedly surpass his," Margaret said, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and leaning against him. "Oh, and guess what? This USO tour in Chicago includes many Hollywood stars, like Jane Russell, Whitney Frost, Paulette Goddard, and more. Especially Whitney Frost. Her performance with Judy Garland in Ziegfeld Girl was outstanding."
Whitney Frost? Josh was confused. He'd never heard of her.
Jane Russell, however, rang a bell. She was Howard Hughes' mistress and had faced backlash during World War II for wearing overly revealing outfits in a movie. Afterward, her roles dwindled to minor parts.
"Let's check the program on the invitation," Margaret said excitedly.
Josh smiled wryly and opened the invitation.
The next moment, his expression changed drastically.
"Margaret... what's the full name of the Howard you just mentioned?" he asked.
"Howard Stark, of course. Why?" Margaret replied, puzzled by Josh's sudden nervous tone.
Standing behind him, Margaret didn't notice Josh's pale face as his eyes locked onto a program item titled "Captain America."
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