"What's this?"
Niall took the envelope and sighed. Spring had come a little late this year, and it felt like it was only about 10 degrees outside. But by noon, it would get better, probably.
"It's from Chicago," Frederick replied, heading back into the room, bringing two large barrels of oil for Niall.
Niall's small motorcycle was really good. The five-kilometer ride was over in an instant. Even his cousin Patrick wanted to buy one for when he got married. Now, the price had dropped to just thirty dollars a bike, which Patrick could easily afford.
As for their old friend Frederick, he had bought a nearly brand-new Ford sedan for just eighty dollars. Now he was the coolest young man in the whole town. Whenever the sound of a car horn was heard, it was always him.
It was the kind of vibe you get from those who make a modest salary but drive a Porsche to work.
When he went out for gas, he also brought Niall two boxes of oil. There was no mention of money, since Niall had made their family so much money—two barrels of oil didn't matter.
"I'll take a look," Niall said, opening the envelope. It wasn't sealed, just loosely put in an envelope without a postmark. It probably had been delivered by some mob boss in person.
He opened it, and inside was a letter of recommendation that he could fill out himself, signed by Thomas Dewey.
Seeing the signature, Niall thought to himself, "Well, well." This was the future Republican candidate for president, who had run twice and helped others with presidential campaigns three times. Even the future head of the Republic's transport department, Chang Kaishen, had publicly supported Dewey, though Dewey had lost to Truman, making Chang so angry that he slammed the table.
"It's a recommendation letter," Niall handed the letter to Frederick.
"So, does that mean you're good for university now?" Frederick wasn't interested in university; he didn't care about this stuff.
"Whoa!"
Before Frederick finished his sentence, Niall let out a loud gasp. Along with the recommendation letter, there was a check for one thousand dollars.
"Ten thousand?" Frederick peered over to take a look, equally surprised by the amount.
A life buried at the bottom of a mine was worth only $1,500. For the sacrifice of American lives in Europe during the First World War, where men were blown apart by Prussian aristocrats, it was only worth a little over $1,000. But when Chicago's Meyer Lansky made a move, it was ten thousand. Incredible.
"I don't think this is for me," Niall looked at Frederick.
"They said it's for whoever wants to make ginger beer. That's you, right?" Frederick had no intention of contesting it. He directly handed the ten thousand to Niall.
Meyer Lansky must have thought Frederick came up with the idea, but Frederick knew it was all Niall's brainchild.
True brotherhood!
These days, some would kill for ten thousand dollars, but here Frederick didn't even argue, handing everything over to Niall. Niall knew Frederick's character well. Though the guy had two faces, when it came to their relationship, Frederick was straightforward, and his word was law.
"I just want the recommendation letter. The money's for you," Niall still felt it was too much.
"Hahaha! Take it. Besides, my family has benefited from you far more than just ten thousand bucks," Frederick waved his hand.
That was true. Their family's two generations running the hotel business, as well as the recent profits from selling ginger beer, all came because of Niall. Not just ten thousand, but even ten times that amount wouldn't be enough to repay him.
"Alright!" Niall looked at the check. It was from a brewery in Cleveland. It was clear that they were using clean money to issue the check.
Money that had been washed was safe to use without worry. If it were dirty money, it could be used, but who knew when the police might come knocking.
"By the way, I heard your brother's getting married?" Frederick asked, watching Niall put the envelope away.
"Yeah, yeah. But it's too cold right now. We'll wait until it warms up a bit," Niall answered.
The Campbell family had no objection to marrying off their daughter to an Irishman. They were happy about it, as long as Patrick didn't go work in the mines. Even joining the National Guard and following his father's footsteps was fine.
Many people had died during the First World War, and now with the economic crisis, isolationism was becoming popular. Ordinary folks didn't want to join the military, so serving wasn't about dying—it was just a job.
Patrick wasn't planning to work in the mines anyway. He planned to get married first and then find a job. He had already promised his father-in-law he wouldn't work in the mines. With that assurance, the rest was just about organizing the wedding.
According to Irish customs, giving two sheep as a dowry was standard. But sheep weren't worth much anymore, and they didn't need them, so Aunt Ginny decided to offer one hundred dollars instead. The Campbells, however, thought it was too little, insisting on giving five cows as dowry, even though they only had ten cows.
As for the reception and inviting the priest, that was Patrick's responsibility. The bride's family was just waiting for her to get married. The tentative date was set for April, as Irish people, being Catholics, believed that you couldn't marry during Lent before Easter, and the cold weather wasn't ideal for a big celebration.
In any case, Frederick would be there to drink a toast.
Niall had come into town today to buy some things. Aunt Ginny had asked him to pick up two boxes of whiskey, and naturally, he had to ask Frederick for help. Two bottles were easy to get, but for two boxes, they needed to give a heads-up.
Niall hopped onto his small motorcycle, and the two of them quickly zoomed to the pharmacy. The owner was of German descent, and with Frederick's help, they made a deal. However, they couldn't pick it up today. The store only had a few bottles left. They agreed to come back in three days. Niall also ordered five boxes of Coca-Cola. Sweet carbonated water always made people happy. If only they had a fridge—then opening a bottle of cold Coke would double the fun.
Meanwhile, in Washington, President Hoover had heard about the situation after his son Herbert's inspection of the industrial areas around the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. He was deeply concerned.
Factories were going bankrupt in large numbers, and agriculture was facing severe droughts. The economy was collapsing quickly. In such a situation, what could be done to save it?