Compared with the chaotic United States, Australasia is much more prosperous at present.

Of course, prosperity here does not refer to the size of the economy, but to the happiness and economic mobility of the people.

With the impact of infrastructure construction, there is no shortage of jobs in Australasia. More than 20 percent of jobs are undersaturated, and a large number of immigrants are needed to fill the vacancies.

In 1927, Australasia's entertainment industry was booming, and Arthur's World Film City became a veritable mecca for world cinema.

Of course, the main thing is to take advantage of other countries that are in the economic crisis. In times of economic crisis, the blow to cinema is unparalleled.

Because people can't use their own food money to buy movie tickets, it also means that movie theaters have almost no income, except for those who are wealthy.

Obviously, the rich don't go to the movies very often, after all, they also have their own jobs and lives.

This slowed down the development of films, and a large number of European and American film industries quickly migrated to Australasia.

At present, there are more than 200 film companies registered in the World Film City, and more than half of them are foreign film companies from Europe and the United States.

The influx of studios has allowed Australasia's annual film production to grow from around 150 a year five years ago to 400 a year now.

Although the approval rate of the film is only 72.5%, the number of films released last year was as high as 290.

In addition to patriotic films made by the national government, there are also a large number of sitcoms, horror films, cartoons and romance films, heroic films and so on.

The annual Sydney Film Festival is also in the spotlight, with winners not only boosting their fame but also getting paid more for their work in the coming year.

Although the Sydney Film Festival's awards are not yet global, the films that participate in the selection are only screened and filmed in Australasia.

But judging from the current influence, the Sydney Film Festival should be the most standardized film festival in the world with the largest audience.

Because Australasian films have sold well in Europe and the Americas. Without the effects of the economic crisis, the income from the film industry alone would be enough to feed a large population.

It is worth mentioning that Disney, which was supposed to be born in the United States, also followed the trend and relocated to Australasia.

No way, the economic environment in the United States really can't afford to support film companies, even animation companies like Disney.

Children in the United States can't even afford to go to school, let alone spend expensive movie tickets to see an animated movie.

This also made Mickey Mouse, who was supposed to be born in the United States, born in Australasia smoothly, and became a favorite anime character among Australasian children.

Arthur is still happy to see the birth of these children's anime. After all, education should start from a young age, and it is more effective to cultivate the patriotic concept of Australasian children from an early age than to influence them when they grow up.

Because of this, many children's films in Australasia have begun to add some propaganda and education about patriotism.

This also makes the review rate of the film continue to increase, at least it will not make the film company's year-old hard work go to waste.

In contrast to the thriving film industry in Australasia, newspapers and magazines are growing rapidly around the world.

Because the biggest difference between newspapers and magazines compared to movies is that they cost almost nothing to visit newsstands and magazine shelves, which is also a way for people to learn about the outside world, to relax their minds, and not to be too depressed.

Compared with the high cost of movies, an occasional visit to a newsstand or magazine bookstore is the normal life of most ordinary people in Europe and the United States.

This has led to the rapid development of another industry, and that is the public library industry, which was born in the United States.

According to a survey by the American Library Association, since the outbreak of the economic crisis, the number of new borrowers has continued to increase every year, and even exceeded 2 million in 1927.

This may seem like good news for the library industry, but the increasing demand for borrowing books is also a burden for public libraries, as books are depleted and accidents are inevitable along the way.

But looking at the unemployed people in the United States who are almost dependent on books, does the library association have the guts to reduce the frequency of borrowing books for these Americans?

You know, but there are unemployed people in the United States who openly claim that it is the library that keeps them from going crazy or committing suicide.

If reducing the frequency of borrowing by these people leads them to go crazy or commit suicide, sooner or later the blame will be placed on the library association.

The library association had no choice but to grit its teeth and persevere, while waiting for support from the government and the outside world.

The situation in Europe is not much different from that of the United States. Because of the increasing number of unemployed, high-consumption industries are facing continuous contraction.

However, the low-consumption entertainment industry such as newspapers and magazines is constantly growing, and it is also expanding the newspaper and magazine market around the world.

In the midst of this economic crisis, Arthur also bought several European and American newspapers and media.

It is more important to grasp public opinion, whether it is in Australasia or Europe and the United States, mastering public opinion always allows Arthur to take the lead and have the initiative in something.

The current royal consortium has a number of newspapers in major European countries and the United States, and these newspapers belong to different owners on the surface, which is also convenient for Arthur to carry out public opinion propaganda without making people suspicious.

Coupled with the major media in Australasia, Arthur is also one of the world's largest public opinion controllers, and can easily convey his ideas to the world.

January 11, 1928, Los Angeles, California, USA.

"Ellie, you have to leave early today. If we go late, we won't be able to grab the fruit. The middle-aged man in the house said to his busy wife as he straightened his clothes.

"Got it, Tom. Didn't you say that the government had enacted any relief policy? Why do we even want to grab those rotten fruits? The woman named Ellie looked puzzled, but the movements of her hands did not stop because of her words.

"Who knows? This question may only be asked to God. Maybe it will take some time for the policy to be communicated, but rest assured, dear, we will be fine. Tom hurriedly comforted his wife, and then took the family to the nearby dock.

Although it was a cold morning, the pier was bustling with activity. It's not that there's anything appealing here, it's just that every once in a while, rich people throw their leftovers and rotten fruits and vegetables onto the docks, and these ordinary people who live in the city come up and grab them, which is quite spectacular.

The rich laughed and said that these poor people were pounced on by vicious dogs, and some even threw rotten food at the poor people like shooting targets, which would cause the poor people to rejoice and thank them one by one.

Taking Ellie and his daughter to the docks, Tom first found a place with fewer people, and then quietly waited for the rich man to arrive.

In the long economic crisis, the poor and the rich in Los Angeles have reached a tacit agreement that every few days they will throw away their unwanted food and rotten fruits and vegetables here, which is also the help of the poor in the eyes of the rich.

As for why it was thrown on the pier? In fact, every once in a while, fresh food, fruits and vegetables are transported to the docks and then loaded onto trucks to transport to the homes of the wealthy.

When the rich count fresh food, fruits and vegetables, they simply throw away what they don't want, which is why so many poor people gather.

Some poor people even chase after trucks frantically, but after being threatened with guns a few times, and even killing several people, they switch from chasing trucks to picking up vegetable leaves that may fall after them.

"It's coming, it's coming!"

I don't know who suddenly shouted, Tom immediately stood on tiptoe and looked, and sure enough, he saw the transport ship that was about to dock at the dock outside the dock.

The arrival of the transport ship also means that the trucks of the rich will also arrive. And the trucks are carrying the food that these poor people want, and what these poor people are waiting for.

"Ellie, let's split up. I go to crowded places, and you're here to see if there's a chance. Tom said to his wife.

In the very center of the dock were hundreds of poor people looting food, and it was obviously unwise to have their wives join the procession.

After all, the scale of the dock is not too large, and the looting of hundreds of people can easily cause a stampede, which is simply unaffordable casualties for the poor.

There are no words between the poor and the rich. With the arrival of the rich man's car, large quantities of rotten vegetable leaves, rotten fruits, and moldy food were thrown directly on the ground of the docks.

Tom didn't care if it was something he didn't usually look at at at all, and just reached out and grabbed it into his basin.

Not to be outdone, the other poor people around him were stronger than the other, like wild dogs guarding their food.

"Mom, look, these people are grabbing garbage!" A little girl's surprise cries suddenly came from the car, which reminded Tom of his own daughter, who was just as innocent but whose current status and life were completely different.

"Alice, what's so nice about those wild dogs?" The lady in the car pulled up the curtains of the window and said to her daughter with a disdainful face.

"But aren't they human too?" The little girl asked curiously.

"Alice, you have to understand. It is human beings who can contribute, and only animals who do not contribute. The lady patiently explained to her daughter, and quietly waited for her things.

Yes, the noble lady did not come to receive those cheap fruits and vegetables. As a rare wealthy family in Los Angeles, the purpose of the noblewoman has always been high-end jewelry, perfume and red wine, and this trip is just a coincidence.

Thinking of his daughter made Tom in a trance, and he fell behind in the ensuing scramble.

By the time Tom had reacted, most of the food on the dock had been snatched by the others, and the rest was indeed moldy and uneaten.

Shaking his head helplessly, Tom quickly got up and went to look for his wife. Now we can only hope that Ellie will be able to get a little more to eat, and make sure that the family will not go hungry in the next few days.

The dock was so busy that no one noticed that in the house not far from the pier, a businessman who didn't look like an American face was looking at it with a smile on his face.

After returning to their home, Tom and Ellie hurriedly packed up the food they had picked up today, handled the food that could still be eaten simply, and divided it into many portions in detail, making sure that there was something to eat at every meal, so that they could hold on to it until they snatched it again several days later.

Divided and divided, Ellie was a little impatient. Looking at the food in front of her, which she was not usually happy to eat, Ellie lost her energy and said very depressedly: "Tom, when will we be able to eat normal food?" ”

Tom was silent.

No matter how confident he is in the government, no matter how much he loves the government, he can't give any answer to Ellie at this time.

The economic crisis has been going on for more than a year, but the status quo of these American civilians has not changed in the slightest.

President Hoover's relief plan has already begun, and the Hoover Dam is about to be built.

It looks like it will radically improve the United States, making it what it was before the economic crisis. But only the real American people understand that nothing has changed in the United States since President Hoover took office.

Whatever the reason, it did frustrate Tom, a former soldier, and his unwavering patriotism had begun to waver.

Knock knock!

As there was a knock on the door, Tom and Ellie looked at each other, a flash of surprise and delight in their eyes.

Could it be that President Hoover's relief plan worked? Has anyone come to their aid?

When they opened the door, they realized that it was an unfamiliar face. Tom guarded his wife behind him, and asked cautiously but expectantly, "Are you?" ”

"Are you Mr. Tom?" The visitor did not answer Tom's question, but looked at Tom with interest.

Tom nodded, his eyes cautiously looking at the visitor, and the meaning of the inquiry was self-evident.

"Mr. Tom, introduce yourself. You can call me John or you can call me Hahn. The man smiled and said, "I have good news for you, maybe this will change your current life." ”

Hearing that someone was not here to help them, Tom and Ellie were a little disappointed. But hearing this guy named John say that he could change their current lives, a spark of hope flashed in the eyes of the two.

"How can you help us?" Tom asked.

The guy named John didn't rush to answer, and said to himself, "If I'm not mistaken, you should be a soldier during the First World War, right?" ”

Hearing people talk about his service in World War I, Tom became more cautious.

The war ended not long after he went to war, and Tom, who had not made many meritorious deeds, naturally did not regard his military career as an honor, and naturally did not brag about it to the outside world.

Add to that the fact that they moved to Los Angeles a few years ago, far from their former rural hometown, and it's even less likely that any neighbors will know that Tom was once in the military.

This also means that the people in front of you are either US officials or some people with ulterior motives.

But will the official people in the United States keep asking questions like this? Not necessarily, I'm afraid This also means that the answer is likely to be the second.

"Who the hell are you, sir?" Tom asked calmly as he quietly approached the wall with his wife hanging from the shotgun.

Tom's every move John naturally watched, and in order to prevent unnecessary accidents, John smiled and said, "Don't be nervous, Mr. Tom." I have no ill intentions, and my aim is simply to change the way you are living.

Maybe I didn't introduce myself thoroughly enough, but I'm a Democrat and my current job is to investigate and help some Americans improve the situation.

Rest assured, regardless of my aims, our interests are clearly aligned, which is to do everything we can to improve the situation of civilians in the United States so that people like you, Mr. Tom, can afford to eat. ”

"Democrats?" Tom didn't fully believe John's words, but his defensive movements stopped.

"Yes." John smiled and said, "To tell you the truth, we are planning a march about the early payment of military benefits, and the people involved are veterans like Mr. Tom, which is why we know your identity, Mr. Tom."

We have gathered tens of thousands of veterans to participate, and I believe that the government will not remain indifferent to the march of tens of thousands of people. Mr. Tom, what do you think? ”

I'll do it today.

(End of chapter)