Chapter 60

Just as Wilhelm was getting ready to sleep comfortably, on the other side of the vast ocean, the new day's sunlight shone upon the land of hope, the United States.

If you looked down from the sky, the Newark area across the Hudson River looked like an ugly moss patch, with a myriad of "matchboxes" crowded together, stretching for dozens of kilometers. Since the economic crisis, many New Yorkers had lost their homes due to bankruptcy and were forced to move here. Manhattan and Long Island were known for their high cost of living, leaving them with no choice but to settle in this place, becoming the new urban scavengers, relying on tin houses and tents for shelter.

Whenever adults had spare time, they would try their luck across the river. Children dropped out of school to help collect any recyclable garbage and metal to support their families, while women went to the outskirts to gather wild fruits and mushrooms. This was the present-day United States, a country that had lost its dreams, future, and color. People wandered around, lost and bewildered, living their lives numbly, only concerned about filling their stomachs.

In New York, a nursery rhyme became popular: "Mellon pulled the whistle, Hoover rang the bell, Wall Street gave the signal, and the country went to hell." With the collapse of the stock market, the entire American economy plunged into a devastating disaster. Terrifying chain reactions quickly followed: frantic bank runs, bank closures, factory shutdowns, unemployment, poverty, organized resistance, and the edge of civil war. Agricultural capitalists and large landowners destroyed "surplus" products, using wheat and corn as fuel instead of coal, and pouring milk into the Mississippi River, turning it into a "river of silver." Homeless people in the city built crude shelters with wooden boards, old tin, and canvas, creating villages known as "Hoovervilles." The begging bags of vagrants were called "Hooverbags," and cars that had been converted to animal-powered due to the lack of fuel were called "Hoovercarts." Even the newspapers covering homeless people sleeping on park benches were called "Hooverblankets." Apple vendors on the streets became one of the most well-known symbols of the Great Depression. Many of these vendors were former successful businessmen and bankers forced to run mobile fruit stands for a living.

In the crowd, the short figure of Lilienfeld moved slowly. He used to be an engineer at Foster Telephone Company, a job that was once enviable. However, due to the boss's heavy burden during the stock market crash, the company was seized by the bank, and he lost his job instantly. He had planned to become a university lecturer, but with thousands of students dropping out during the Great Depression, the schools could only keep the most talented ones, leaving no hope for people like him.

Overnight, he went from being a middle-class man admired by all to being destitute. This kind of gap was unimaginable for ordinary people, and many of his colleagues divorced or even committed suicide because of it.

Lilienfeld slowly followed the snail-like crowd, wondering if he should go to Washington after receiving his ration and try his luck there, searching for a new job. Suddenly, someone tapped his shoulder from behind. When he turned around, he saw an unfamiliar middle-aged man dressed elegantly and wealthy. "Are you Mr. Lilienfeld?"

"I am Lilienfeld. May I ask who you are?"

"Hello, Mr. Lilienfeld, I'm Louis. This is not the place to talk. Let's find somewhere else..." The man introduced himself as Louis and gestured to a nearby restaurant. "Shall we talk over drinks there?"

Lilienfeld couldn't help but swallow nervously. It was a high-end restaurant that he couldn't afford to visit even when he was an engineer. "You will pay?"

Louis smiled gently and nodded. "Of course I will pay."

Lilienfeld's feet seemed to have a will of their own and turned towards the restaurant.

Once inside the restaurant, Louis immediately asked for a private room and ordered several dishes and a bottle of high-end red wine. Lilienfeld couldn't help but be amazed; the price of that bottle of wine could cover his entire month's salary from before.

As Lilienfeld anxiously waited, the waiter finally brought in one dish after another.

As Louis poured wine for him, he said, "Mr. Lilienfeld, please don't be polite. Enjoy yourself."

"Thanks, thank you." Lilienfeld eagerly picked up the knife and fork and began cutting into the juicy and tender steak in front of him, savoring each bite with delight. It had been so long since he had tasted such delicious food, he almost felt like crying tears of happiness. His stomach seemed to grumble even more, urging him to devour more food.

Louis kept a gentle smile on his face and occasionally refilled Lilienfeld's glass with wine.

After finishing two portions of steak in one go, Lilienfeld finally let out a satisfied burp and wiped his slightly flushed face due to the alcohol. He asked, "Mr. Louis, what brings you to find me?"

Louis took a sip of wine before speaking, "Mr. Lilienfeld, it seems like your life hasn't been going so well recently, hasn't it? I represent a company that wants to hire you as an electrical engineer."

Lilienfeld scratched his head, still a bit puzzled. "Um, Mr. Louis, let me put it this way, there were many people with better skills than me in the queue just now. Why did you choose me?"

Louis didn't hide anything. "Our company values your transistor patent. Once you sign the patent transfer contract, you'll receive a $1000 patent fee. And we'll pay you a monthly salary of $300. We'll also take care of your wife and children, and our company will cover all the tuition fees for your children's college education. Your family can live a middle-class life at the very least."

"$300 monthly salary?" Lilienfeld's mouth dropped open in surprise. You see, even before the Great Disaster, the average annual income of an ordinary American doctor was only about $2000, and a Model T car cost $200. Then he quickly regained his senses and shook his head. "Mr. Louis, I'm afraid you've misunderstood. I registered a transistor patent, but it's a useless thing with many flaws. It's not practical at all." He was an honest man, and even after such a sumptuous treat, he didn't want the other party to suffer a loss.

Louis' smile remained. "That's why we want you to come back and work with us to improve it."

"..." Since the other party was willing to buy trash, Lilienfeld no longer tried to persuade him. "I agree. By the way, you haven't mentioned which company you're from." He was curious since many American companies were laying off employees, wondering which company could afford to hire a small engineer like him with such generosity.

Louis narrowed his eyes slightly. "Deutsche Zeus Company."

The mouthful of mouthwash tea that Lilienfeld had just taken almost spurted out. "Germany? You're German? Zeus Company? Is it the company founded by your Crown Prince himself?"

Louis nodded. "Yes, that's right. Are you willing? Your whole family can move to Germany at any time, and we'll provide you with accommodation."

Lilienfeld only hesitated for a second, thinking of his wife and son at home who couldn't even get enough to eat, and quickly nodded. "No problem. I'll go back and pack right away. We can leave this afternoon."

"That's excellent." Louis raised his wine glass. "Here's a toast to Mr. Lilienfeld's bright future that's about to come." As he spoke, his other hand slipped into his pocket and touched a small booklet. The booklet was densely filled with the names and addresses of dozens of people who needed Louis to visit and persuade to work in Germany.

It seemed that Lilienfeld was off to a good start, and he hoped that the rest of the tasks would go just as smoothly.

For those on the list who agreed, it was all good; they could move to Germany and live a happy life. As for those who refused, he didn't know what would happen. He just had to report the list of those who declined to his superiors.