Chapter 1

In Chicago in February, the weather is still cold.

Although it is 1943, it is the time when the world war is in full swing in Europe and Asia.

But as the most important industrial city far away from the battlefield and the most important industrial city in the United States, Chicago is still a scene of singing and dancing.

During the day, the streets are full of traffic, with a dazzling array of shops, gentlemen and beauties, and the lively level is not inferior to the 21st century.

If it weren't for the occasional war posters posted on the streets, it would be hard to believe that the other side of the world at this time was carrying on a war with the greatest scale and casualties in history.

But none of this has anything to do with Josie.

At this time, wrapped in a coat that did not fit his body, he walked through the busy street and got into a roadside shop.

"What do you need to see for yourself!" With the crisp sound of the doorbell hanging, the elderly old shopkeeper in the hall said without raising his head.

This is a grocery store, everything from scissors and cutlery to big radios and vinyl records can be seen here, all in very orderly places.

But Josie didn't come to buy, but to sell.

"I heard you collect gold here!" Josie walked straight to the counter and asked the old shopkeeper who was playing with an old radio.

Hearing his words, the old shopkeeper raised his head slightly, glanced at him, and saw a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy, slightly surprised, but nodded.

Josie didn't hesitate, took out a pocket from her bosom coat and opened it on the counter, revealing the gold ornaments inside.

"Huh? It looks a bit like Indian craftsmanship, but it's not very similar. Where did you get it?" Seeing the gold ornaments in the bag, the old shopkeeper said a little surprised.

"What? Can Indian crafts be worth more?" Josie didn't answer, but asked instead.

"No, after all, it doesn't quite fit the public's aesthetic." The old shop owner shrugged. The public's aesthetic here is undoubtedly the aesthetic of the white people. The rough Indian craftsmanship can't attract the attention of those ladies, so the fate of these golds , only the fate of being smelted.

"Then how much can you give?" Josh asked again, he didn't care about craftsmanship, because he knew it wasn't Indian gold jewelry at all.

"Don't worry, kid! Just a moment!" The old shopkeeper reassured, then turned around and started looking for it.

Seeing this, Josie was not in a hurry, because he had also inquired about it before he came here. This is a relatively well-known old-fashioned grocery store near this block, and it is also a "pawn shop".

And what he wants to sell is only gold, not some illegal items.

Well...if Roosevelt enacted a decree ten years ago, it is indeed illegal to buy and sell gold privately, and even that law won't be fully repealed until more than two decades later in the Nixon era.

But in fact, since the Second World War, this law has actually been less strict than it was at the beginning.

Coupled with the influx of refugees during the war, the U.S. government turned a blind eye to private gold transactions, so a small amount of gold transactions are actually very common.

Of course, the safest way is to sell the gold to the bank for $35 per ounce. Converting one ounce to grams is about twenty-eight grams.

But it would be a waste to do so.

Because now the private gold price has already risen to fifty dollars per ounce.

The difference of fifteen dollars is not a small number.

After all, the purchasing power of the dollar in this era is extremely powerful.

Taking a big city like Chicago as an example, a set meal with coffee, meat and vegetables in a typical restaurant is only fifty or sixty cents, and a large hamburger is only twenty cents.

That is to say, for ordinary people, even if they go out to eat every day, fifteen dollars is enough to eat and drink for more than a week.

And the gold that Josie brought this time is not much, not much, not much, ten ounces. This is a full $150 difference, which is already two or three months' income for ordinary people.

Don't look at the per capita income of the United States in 1943 has reached more than a thousand dollars.

But what per capita is a thing, everyone knows it.

In fact, the annual income of ordinary people in the city can reach seven or eight hundred dollars, which is already a high salary.

Why did American youth actively join the military during World War II?

Isn't it because the military pays enough?

The basic monthly salary of a private soldier is fifty dollars, and the rank is increased by ten to twenty dollars. Basically, if you reach the sergeant, you can get one hundred dollars a month, which is not counting various subsidies.

So one hundred and fifty dollars is definitely not a small sum of money.

The gold in Josie's hand is not too much, and naturally he is reluctant to give up such a large difference to Bank of America, so he is willing to take a little risk.

Fortunately, the old shop owner did not do anything wrong, but returned quickly with some tools, such as measuring cups, water, scales and other things.

"The purity of these golds is not too high, only about 80%. I can only give the price of forty." The old shop owner used a bunch of tools to measure the proportion of gold and came to a conclusion.

"Deal!" Qiao Xi was not too surprised by the old shopkeeper's conclusion, because the purity of these golds cannot be too high. After all, the metallurgy level in that world is not advanced, not to mention that even steel can't be smelted. barbarian gold.

So Josie also decisively agreed to the price given by the old shop owner.

"Very good, it's 9.8 ounces in total, and I don't lose you any money, just 10 ounces, here's four hundred dollars, get the baby!" Seeing Josie agreeing happily, the old shop owner didn't write any ink, and turned from the counter. He took out a roll of dollars, took out two, and handed the rest to Josie.

Josie took the dollar roll, untied the cowhide, eight fifty-fifty dollars, no more, no less, just right.

After all, the United States has not yet entered the era of credit cards, so large US dollars are not rare, unlike in the 21st century, it is difficult to see US dollars in fifty denominations on the market.

"This fifty is exchanged for change, five yuan is the best, ten yuan is fine!" Josh finished counting the money, confirmed the authenticity, and pushed back fifty dollars.

It is not uncommon and not uncommon, but due to the high purchasing power, it is still inconvenient to have no small money around.

The old shopkeeper didn't say much, just nodded and exchanged it for a roll of five dollars.

After counting and confirming that there is no problem, Josie tied the money again, put it in her pocket and was ready to leave.

"Next time there is stock, you can still find me. Old Hawk has a good reputation in this area!" When he was about to go out, the old shopkeeper's voice came.

"Of course!" Josie was stunned for a moment, nodded, and then went out.

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