By September, Chicago was already showing signs of cooler weather. This was likely due to its proximity to Lake Michigan and, as we mentioned before, the lack of large north-south mountain ranges in North America to block the cold Arctic currents. The pedestrians on the street had already begun to don their coats.
It was a far cry from the hot Nevada!
When Niall had left Brooklyn earlier in June, he had packed only light clothes. Coming back to Chicago, he was surprised by the chill and regretted not having a coat.
Meyeranski noticed this and reminded Niall that he needed to gather funds and speed up the development of Las Vegas. Once the Hoover Dam was finished, Las Vegas would have all the water and electricity it needed, ushering in rapid growth. They couldn't afford to fall behind.
"Mario, take Niall to that store on Ninth Street," Meyeranski instructed before getting into the car.
"Where are we going?" Niall still needed to find Frederick.
"There's a department store with a ready-to-wear shop," Mario replied curtly, maintaining his stoic demeanor as a cold Italian gangster.
It turned out they were going to buy Niall a coat, which was much needed. And he could also check out the department store, which wouldn't take too long. The department store at the time wasn't much different from future versions. It had central air conditioning, escalators, and bright neon signs. Perhaps in the future, it would have fewer milk tea shops, but the rooftop garden attractions were typical.
Due to the economic depression, there weren't many customers, but still, there were plenty of wealthy people. Honestly, as long as the world didn't end, some people would always have money. The so-called middle class was a fabricated concept, and during an economic crisis, they could easily perish faster than small self-sufficient farmers.
The affluent ladies were still looking for jewelry, stockings, and shoes. Their lifestyle hadn't changed much because of the economic crisis. The only real change was for the fools who thought they had moved up in society. Nothing much to discuss there.
They arrived at the large clothing store on the second floor. As soon as the manager saw Mario, he put on a perfect professional smile. Upon learning they were ordering a suit for Niall, the manager kept sneaking glances at him.
The store assistant brought coffee, and they carefully took Niall's measurements. They even asked if he had any special requirements. It was impeccable service.
After some time, they gave Niall a temporary coat to wear, promising that the new one would be delivered by the next afternoon. Niall had never experienced service like this before, and if he had change on him, he would have tipped. But the bill was naturally put on Meyeranski, and even if Niall wanted to pay, Mario wouldn't allow it. Fine, Niall thought, he would consider it a token of appreciation for the trip to Nevada. The suit must've cost at least a few dozen dollars, which was about the monthly salary of an average worker.
Mario had other matters to attend to, so he arranged for Niall to be driven back to the hotel—the same place he had been staying with Frederick. It was safe and convenient.
As soon as Niall entered, he bumped into Frederick, who had just returned. Niall had told Frederick earlier that he would be back this afternoon, but the timing was a bit too perfect.
It had been almost two months since they last met, and Niall couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration when he saw Frederick. The young man looked completely like a successful businessman now, exuding confidence and energy. His business was undoubtedly doing well—there was no doubt about it.
Without further ado, they sat down to eat together. What they ate wasn't important; it was the opportunity to catch up on what had happened in the past couple of months.
Niall's experiences were widely known, especially the news about Nevada legalizing gambling, which had caused a stir across the U.S. Every state with Indian reservations wanted to follow Nevada's example and sell a few gambling licenses to make a quick profit. However, Nevada, being the first to act, could justify it as protecting the traditions of the Native Americans. Other states, however, wouldn't be able to use the same excuse and would be criticized for copying Nevada's move.
The topic shifted back to Frederick's business in the Great Lakes region. Just as they were about to continue, Frederick stood up to greet a middle-aged man who had entered. Niall initially thought this man looked to be no older than 35, which was the prime age for a man to be at the peak of his career.
Frederick seemed to have forgotten to mention to Niall that he had another appointment for dinner, though it appeared to be a casual dinner with no urgent matters to discuss. The middle-aged man smiled at Niall before sitting down.
"This is my friend Niall," Frederick introduced.
"This is my lawyer, Mr. Wendell Lewis Willkie, whom Herbert introduced to me," Frederick continued.
"Hello!" they greeted each other.
Niall felt like the name was familiar, but he couldn't immediately place it. But then again, American politics was often like this—today, someone could be a prominent lawyer, and the next day, they could be running for governor. It wasn't unusual for someone who was once a big capitalist to become president.
Changing identities was all about timing and the resources you controlled. Willkie had been recommended by Herbert, who ran a mining company, so it was safe to assume Willkie was an elite in his field.
"Mr. Willkie will be my legal advisor for the next three years. He specializes in business management and handling tax-related lawsuits," Frederick added.