Chapter 97 Kui Niu
America, Los Angeles, Monchi Manor.

After receiving the news that the war in Yemen had ceased and that there had been reconciliation with the British, Zhang Feng couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and his heavy heart finally settled down.

If the British do not compromise, it will be another protracted war. At that time, the British will definitely take real action, mobilize a larger fleet, and completely blockade the entire coastline.

Without replenishment of heavy weapons and ammunition, we can only fight a war of attrition. We may win in the end, but the benefits we gain will be greatly reduced. The most important thing is that we waste time for development.

With good news, comes a good mood, and Zhang Feng needs to indulge himself completely.

Zhang Feng called the three girls over. At this time, Geteli Monchi also changed her clothes and wore a gray French chiffon knee-length dress, revealing her smooth and white calves. She had a waist belt tied with a bow. Her curvy figure was perfectly displayed. Her long hair was draped over her shoulders and had not been completely dried. She exuded a mature charm.

She strolled to the bed and sat down. The scent of shower gel mixed with her unique body fragrance instantly reached Lin Dao's nose, making him a little uneasy.

Zhang Qin Qingning was wearing a white silk short-sleeved top with translucent lace from the chest up, through which her smooth collarbone and the whiteness of her chest could be vaguely seen. She was wearing a black knee-length gauze skirt and black silk stockings, and a pair of red high heels on her feet.

Zhang Lin Huiyin has long straight black hair draped over her shoulders, a delicate face, and a white shirt.

The bottom of her shirt was gathered tightly under a brown tight skirt, and a white belt was tied around her slender waist, which perfectly highlighted her soft and graceful waist. The hem of her brown tight skirt reached her knees, revealing transparent black stockings wrapped around her graceful and well-proportioned calves. Her entire beauty below the waist was extremely slender.

Zhang Feng was extremely busy tonight.

The city in the morning light The first ray of sunlight in the morning gently shines on the land of the city, bringing a touch of warmth to the sleeping city.

The trees on both sides of the street swayed gently, as if welcoming the arrival of a new day. There were few pedestrians on the road, and the air was filled with a fresh scent, making people feel relaxed.

The skyscrapers in the distance gradually wake up, as if they are guardians in the night, silently watching the dawn of the city.

Zhang Feng sat in the car, quietly admiring the beauty of the early morning. When he turned another street, a different scene appeared.

The line of people waiting to get bread on the street was so long that there was no end in sight. Women covered their faces with headscarves for fear of being recognized by acquaintances, and then rummaged through the trash cans for leftovers.

In fact, this is the norm in America at this time. Millions of people can only live like animals to avoid death. Of course, this is much better than three years ago.

A large number of public construction projects created many jobs, but the unemployment rate was still over 20% and wages were not high. Most people could only survive on government relief.

If it had not really happened, it would be hard to believe that this was America in the 20s. If you stopped an American at that time and told him that America would become the most powerful and richest country in the world in a dozen years, he would most likely spit in your face and say what does this have to do with me, a person who earns $30 a month.

Of course, if you are unemployed and waiting for relief, they will probably look at you like an idiot.

At that time, the American people could not imagine that a dozen years later, almost every American would be able to eat delicious fried chicken and live in a modern big house by virtue of living in the center of the world order. In fact, no matter which country the rich people are from, their lives are always similarly luxurious, but the living standards of the poor in Europe and Africa are very different. Because the quality of life of the poor is closely related to the overall development level of the country, the poor are more concerned about national affairs.

Ordinary people in some countries can rely on the dividends of the times to live a life that most people can't imagine, such as the high-welfare countries in Northern Europe and the easy life in the 80s.

At this time, the American economy had fallen off a cliff and politically was caught in a wave of isolationism. You cannot imagine how glorious America was a few years ago. From the perspective of later generations, these ten years were the lowest point of the wave.

After the First World War, the United States also wanted to gain some economic benefits from the colonial system dominated by Britain and France and establish its leadership position by intervening in European affairs.

However, the 14 points proposed by President Wilson were in name only and basically became a piece of waste paper. In order to ease the dissatisfaction of the United States, Britain and France agreed to establish an international league. When Wilson returned to America with this remaining achievement, he was greeted with suspicion and humiliation.

On November 1919, 11, the U.S. Senate rejected the treaty. The League of Nations proposed by America and Wilson's final political legacy were also spurned. Five years later, Wilson died in hatred. America's first important appearance on the international stage was thus thwarted and its political ideals were shattered.

This also aggravated the isolationist tendencies in the United States and laid the social tone for the United States in the 20s. With the deep integration of industrial productivity and the electric revolution, various new products such as cars, telephones, and movies emerged in an endless stream. Americans no longer cared about European affairs, but plunged into the dazzling array of consumer goods and indulged their desires.

Skyscrapers are erected one after another, private cars fill the roads, and fashionably dressed young girls walk out of shopping malls in groups carrying large and small bags.

If the New York street scenes of the 1920s were moved to the present, they would not feel outdated. The 20s was a period when America quickly entered modernization, and the achievements of electrification began to be commercialized on a large scale and entered the homes of ordinary Americans.

以福特为代表的美国汽车公司，生产了全世界80%的家用汽车，从1920到1929年美国汽车千人保有量从86辆上升到了219辆，作为比较东方大国在2022年的汽车千人保有量为225辆，刚刚追平了美国在100年前的记录。

At the same time, the mass production of automobiles stimulated the construction of highways in the United States. In order to improve and expand the highway system, the steel, rubber and other industries, President Harding signed the Federal Highway Act, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the construction of the highway system, injecting a large amount of capital into the American economy.

The total mileage of highways in the United States continues to break records, and the hotel industry in major cities has begun to prosper, welcoming tourists from all over the country. New job opportunities have attracted a large number of rural people to cities. For the first time in history, the urban population has exceeded the rural population. The real estate industry has been growing at a rate of 10% every year. At the same time, household machines such as washing machines and vacuum cleaners have liberated women from housework. New urban women no longer revolve around their husbands and children, but have started shopping or working as white-collar workers.

When everyone was chasing after new products and new entertainment, personal loans for pre-consumption emerged and soon became a trend. America during the Roaring Age was shrouded in an atmosphere of prosperity and peace.

No one could have imagined that the beautiful scene of prosperity would suddenly collapse overnight. At this time, the American people were frightened and desperate.

According to our traditional view, economic prosperity is always associated with political clarity, but the actual situation may be the opposite.

On the one hand, during his term, President Harding set a record for the highest average annual income growth for Americans, which has not been broken to this day;
On the other hand, the Harding administration was plagued by scandals. In every opinion poll of the American president, he often ranked last. Albert Fall, Secretary of the Interior during Harding's term, accepted huge bribes and became the first cabinet member in the United States to be imprisoned for crimes committed while in office. The Attorney General was also forced to resign for allegedly covering up smuggling trade and conducting illegal transactions with foreign companies. He himself was also famous for his immoral private life.

The level of corruption in state governments was no less serious. Due to the surge in private wealth and the enactment of Prohibition, gangsters became a force that could not be ignored in American society.

Al Capone, the Chicago gangster, relied on the profits from the bootlegging business to make his way around the Midwest of America. He extended his influence into the police and judicial systems of major cities, causing corruption in the local systems.

In the movie "The Great Gatsby", the police chief indulges in illegal places where bootlegging is sold, which illustrates this point well.

Comparing with Europe during the same period, we can find that countries such as Britain, France and Germany also experienced a round of economic recovery during this period. This period was called the Golden Twenties in Germany and the Crazy Years in France.

This is due to the needs of post-war recovery in various countries and the technological achievements brought about by the electric revolution, and has little to do with who is in power and their policy lines.

This phenomenon also existed in ancient society. The prosperity of a dynasty often appeared at the beginning of its establishment. People often attributed this prosperity to the court's recuperation and called the rulers at that time wise monarchs.

So we have the feeling that economic prosperity and political clarity will appear at the same time. In fact, where a dynasty is established, there is often a lot of work to be done, the land is vast and sparsely populated, and all of it is arable land waiting to be cultivated, forming a huge incremental market.

During this period, even if there were landlords, bullies, and corrupt officials, they would not cause major social problems due to uneven distribution of benefits. In today's words, the speed of development masked social contradictions.

As a large amount of arable land is reclaimed, it becomes a market for existing competition. Contradictions will be intensified. Ordinary people cannot compete with the powerful. At this time, the imperial court will also introduce various countermeasures, but these countermeasures will often become tools for local officials to levy heavy taxes.

Therefore, the fact that ordinary people can live a modern life is the result of the development of the times and their own efforts. There is no need to sing praises for anyone. Instead, it is the upper class that plunders the rights and interests that should belong to the majority of ordinary people, but is still not satisfied.

Zhang Feng's car arrived at the factory of Phoenix Sports Company. He came here today to check out two products of Phoenix Sports, one is Martin boots and the other is sports shoes.

Martin boots originally originated in Germany in 1945, when a doctor and his friend accidentally injured their foot while skiing.

During the recovery process, in order to make themselves feel more relaxed, the two designed a pair of boots that looked rough but were more comfortable to wear, which are now known as Martin boots.

Later, Martin boots became a pair of shoes specially used by the British army and police, and also became work boots for some production workers. They are relatively durable and quite comfortable.

Zhang Feng plans to use this pair of boots as his first product, preferably as military boots for the American Army, so that he can make a fortune and gain fame.

"Boss, we all admire your creativity. Martin boots are very convenient to wear on rainy days and are suitable for a variety of work scenarios. They are also very good for women to wear and can be matched with various clothes. They will definitely lead the fashion trend."

A white designer said with excitement and admiration.

"Boss, we have designed two types of this kind of shoes. One type is thicker, which is warmer to wear in winter. This way, we can divide them into spring and summer and autumn and winter styles to increase sales."

Another designer reported.

"Well, you all did a good job. If the sales are good, each of you will receive two extra months' salary at the end of the year." As long as they can complete their tasks, Zhang Feng will not hesitate to reward them in addition to making promises.

As for the second product, sports shoes, nylon uppers were used to increase breathability, air cushions were added to the soles, and rubber anti-slip spikes were designed at the bottom. Although it was still far from later generations, it was already very advanced in that era.

Zhang Feng named the newly established shoe brand Kuiniu, and the trademark pattern is a red Kuiniu.

Seeing the red Kuiniu logo on several pairs of shoes, Zhang Feng couldn't help but think of Red Bull, which is also a sports product.

(End of this chapter)