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Chapter 36: The Great Heist
🕑 Added 2024-11-28 15:22:39 +0000 UTCThe next morning, after finishing breakfast, Josh sat in the living room, reading the newspaper. His expression was peculiar, a mix of emotions, leaving it unclear whether he was upset or pleased.
“Darling, what’s wrong?” Margaret walked over, kissed his cheek, and asked with a smile.
“To be honest, I find it hard to believe that the person this paper describes is me!” Josh replied helplessly, handing her the newspaper.
It was a copy of the Chicago Tribune, one of the city’s oldest publications and the third-largest newspaper in the U.S.
Margaret took the paper and couldn’t help but laugh.
The front-page headline read: "Three Million! Austrian Aristocratic Youth's Anti-Fascist Resolve!"
The article detailed last night’s charity gala, where Margaret, under Josh’s name, purchased $3 million worth of war bonds. However, after some creative editorial flair, the report had taken an unusual turn.
The article painted Josh and his late parents as a heroic noble family from Austria, persecuted for resisting fascism during Germany’s invasion. It claimed they fled across the ocean to America, where they continued their struggle.
After their untimely deaths, Josh supposedly inherited their legacy, dedicating his life to the cause by donating his fortune—a whopping $3 million—to support America’s anti-fascist efforts.
The passionate and vivid descriptions in the article left Josh feeling disoriented.
When had he ever been so noble? And when had his family become aristocrats?
Oh, wait! During an interview after the gala, he had mentioned that his grandfather—this body’s grandfather—was a military officer in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and had a minor noble title.
But, come on! The Austro-Hungarian Empire had collapsed over two decades ago, and the Habsburg dynasty was long gone. That grandfather had even died during World War I!
Apparently, the journalist had decided to elaborate this detail. Josh found it absurd, though he could understand it, given Americans' fascination with nobility.
Of course, the real purpose of the article was to promote war bond sales. The underlying message was clear: Even a native of "that guy's" homeland is going all in to support the war. Shouldn’t you, as an American citizen, do your part?
“This isn’t bad at all. At least we achieved our goal. By the end of today, your name will be known throughout Chicago and even parts of the United States. That will be a great help for your future business ventures,” Margaret said with a gentle laugh. “And in my heart, you’ve always been the greatest.”
“But this isn’t fair to you!” Josh sighed. He hadn’t wanted this attention, but Margaret had been adamant. She even threatened to burn the bonds, worth a total of $6 million, if he dared reveal she was the one who paid for them.
Faced with this kind of 'soft power', Josh had no choice but to relent.
“Do we really need to talk about fairness? If you feel indebted to me, then start your factories as soon as possible and build a successful business,” Margaret said, giving him a warm hug.
Her encouraging words reignited Josh’s determination.
....
“Oh, my God, look at this! 'The Leibler Family Vault Robbed: One Guard Injured, One Thief Shot; Renowned Crime Expert Erwin Lind Schneider Suspected.' So the police were telling the truth—John’s family vault really was robbed!” Margaret exclaimed as she turned to another page in the newspaper.
“Yeah, I saw that. But don’t worry about your Uncle John. In cases like this, the insurance company is far more anxious than the victim,” Josh replied casually.
Under normal circumstances, this kind of heist would have made the front page.
But during wartime, such news couldn’t overshadow Josh’s headline. The U.S. was in full swing, elevating war heroes and narratives to support the effort.
However, Josh’s point was valid. This was a commercial insurance vault, not a private family vault, meaning it was insured. The insurance company would undoubtedly be more concerned than the Leiblers.
“You’re right! Insurance! That’s such a relief,” Margaret said, finally relaxing after Josh’s reminder.
“By the way, what do you think of that lawyer, Emery? What kind of person is he?” Josh suddenly asked.
“Lawyer Emery? Why bring him up?” Margaret asked, puzzled.
“Well, he’s one of the top legal experts in the city. I’ll need a lot of legal support soon when I start my company,” Josh replied, without mentioning his suspicions about Emery.
“In terms of expertise, Uncle John says he’s among the best. But as a person…” Margaret trailed off.
“What about him?” Josh pressed, curious.
“I’ve heard his private life is a mess. He keeps a mistress young enough to be his granddaughter. I only know this because I hired a private investigator a while back,” Margaret said quietly.
Hearing this, Josh raised an eyebrow.
Margaret’s comment about the lawyer seemed like a subtle warning aimed at him.
Honestly, Margaret was overthinking. With a stunning woman like her by his side, few could catch his eye.
Still, as he thought that, Sabrina’s face briefly flashed in his mind.
Shaking his head, Josh dismissed the thought. Without a movie-star aura, she wasn’t particularly special.
“By the way, I have a meeting at McKinsey later. Want to come with me?” Josh asked, changing the subject.
McKinsey, in this case, was a management consulting firm, not related to the controversial McCarthyism of the ’50s.
Josh needed to build three factories, and he couldn’t do it alone. He needed to hire professionals. Management consulting firms like McKinsey were already providing headhunting services in the 1930s.
Last week, Josh had submitted his staffing requirements, and on Friday, McKinsey had sent over a list of candidates. Now it was time for Josh to interview them.
“I’ll pass. I’m not interested in that. Besides, I’ve managed to get a set of equipment from Uncle John. It’s arriving today, and I’ll be busy cutting The Pink Heart diamond for a while,” Margaret replied.
The Pink Heart was the massive pink diamond Margaret planned to cut in private, given its immense value and sensitivity.
