Chapter 21: Coffee
"It couldn't be a portrait of Hoover, could it?"
At this thought, Colin couldn't help but shiver, quickly shaking his head to dispel the terrifying image that had appeared in his mind.
No, I won't allow that to happen!
Let alone what kind of powers an imprint of a portrait of Hoover might grant, the mere thought of having to look at the pattern on the back of his hand every day was unacceptable to Colin.
Therefore, he had to find a way to change all of this.
Of course, theoretically, the Anti-World also possessed the conditions to harvest [Faith]. However, considering the sheer difficulty of the process, Colin decided to focus his efforts on The Messenger Newspaper in the Main World.
With this firm conviction, he closed his eyes.
As his consciousness was pulled away, he returned to the era of the Great Depression.
...
"Hoo..."
New York in December was bone-chillingly cold.
Colin stepped out of his house, braving the howling morning wind.
"It's so cold."
The wind whipped snowflakes against Colin's face. He pulled his thick coat tighter, trying to ward off the assault, but the chilling wind blew from all directions, seeping through every gap to drill into his very bones, threatening to extinguish the last trace of warmth within his body and freeze him solid.
Bringing his frozen hands to his mouth to warm them with his breath, Colin stepped onto the thin layer of snow covering the ground and walked toward the street where the office of The Messenger Newspaper was located.
The sudden drop in temperature made life even more difficult for people in the Great Depression.
Along the way, Colin saw more than one homeless person. They were huddled in corners, wrapped in thin, threadbare blankets—or in some cases, just a pile of newspapers—shivering as they watched passersby with numb, desperate eyes. This might be the last day they would live in this world.
Further down the street, Colin saw a long line forming in front of a small factory.
Even on such a cold day, a large crowd was lined up at the factory gate. Dozens, even hundreds of people, were willing to shiver in the howling wind for a low-paying job rather than miss this slim 'opportunity'.
Colin knew this small factory. It was involved in the shipping business and occasionally received contract work from the shipyards, hiring unskilled laborers.
However, such contracts were not common, so the people in line often arrived full of hope only to leave disappointed, having wasted their time for nothing.
Even so, a large crowd still gathered in front of the factory gate every morning.
"...Someone's coming out!"
"Could there be work today...?"
"Pick me, pick me! I'll take the most basic pay!"
"Me! I can do the work of two men, as long as you feed me."
Usually, the final notice these people received was a disappointing rejection.
Today, however, the situation seemed slightly different.
A middle-aged man in a camel-colored overcoat emerged from the factory. He scanned the long line of people at the entrance with an indifferent gaze, then turned and posted a 'Hiring' notice on the factory's cold wall.
This notice listed no salary or benefits, yet it seemed to possess some kind of magical power, causing a huge commotion in the crowd the moment it was posted.
They began shouting, hoping to attract the middle-aged man's attention.
"Quiet!"
The man frowned at the chaotic line.
He uttered a single sharp reprimand, and the noisy queue immediately fell silent. Clearly, no one wanted to lose this hard-won job opportunity.
"In a moment, you will come in for an interview one by one, in the order of the line. The shipyard only has four positions open today. If I find anyone causing trouble, they can get the hell out immediately."
After saying this, without waiting for a reaction from the line, the middle-aged man turned and went back into the factory.
This left the crowd to shiver in the howling wind, each person praying that 'luck' would fall on them.
...
Averting his gaze from the line outside the factory, Colin turned and continued forward, stepping on the snow that had grown considerably thicker.
Clang—
He closed the office door of The Messenger Newspaper, shutting out the biting wind.
Colin shook the snow from his clothes, took off his wet hat and coat, and hung them on a nearby coat rack.
"Boss, your coffee."
Inside the newspaper office, Old John handed him a coffee that was already prepared.
"Thank you."
Colin took the cup and took a sip. As the rich, bitter taste spread through his mouth, his mind, numb from the cold, began to thaw.
Colin didn't have any strong preferences when it came to coffee.
The only reason he chose it as the office beverage for The Messenger Newspaper was that it was cheap.
Much like the burgeoning radio industry, the coffee industry wasn't as heavily impacted by the Great Depression.
America in this era was already one of the world's largest coffee consumers, responsible for half of the global supply annually. Surprisingly, despite shrinking profit margins and increased competition due to the Depression, the coffee industry as a whole did not suffer significant losses.
Some giants, like The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, even remained highly profitable.
According to later statistics, even from 1929 to 1932, the most difficult period of the Great Depression, these major companies earned net after-tax profits of over $100 million.
"You're the cream in my coffee, You're the salt in my stew, You'll always be my necessity, I'd be lost without you..."
These were the lyrics from the love song "You're the Cream in My Coffee," released in 1928.
The song was still very popular, which showed just how important coffee was to Americans.
In fact, the popularity of coffee was influenced by various factors of the era, such as war, public opinion, legislation, and the economy.
During World War I, two million American soldiers went to the front lines. They drank coffee after every meal and thus learned to taste and appreciate it. After the war, they returned to their normal lives but continued their coffee-drinking habit, which became the foundation for mass coffee consumption.
At the same time, the implementation of Prohibition created a favorable environment for the growth of coffee consumption.
Coffee industry professionals seized this opportunity, and coffee began to be served in diners and corner stores. Some factories also started offering free coffee to motivate their employees, gradually allowing coffee to replace alcohol as the primary beverage in various social settings.
Furthermore, the continuous expansion of the highway network also made coffee the preferred beverage for staying alert.
(end of chapter)