The so-called high-fructose corn syrup is actually the fructose-glucose syrup, which is very common in the food processing industry and has gradually replaced sucrose in the later years.
This sugar originally appeared after the 1950s but the process is not complex.
The main ingredients are two substances: saccharase and glucose isomerase.
The former was extracted as early as the 1930s, but it was not commercialized. The latter was only discovered in the 1950s.
But for Josh, the former is enough, because the latter's role is mainly to convert glucose in the syrup into fructose, thus increasing the sweetness of the syrup.
Only the former is responsible for hydrolyzing starch to produce syrup.
Josh learned about these two substances because of a person he met before crossing over, a person who got him into the raw materials processing business for fast-moving consumer goods — basically a supplier of ingredients for bubble tea shops.
At the start of his business, Josh often helped in his spare time so he has some understanding of this field.
However, Josh is not a biologist, so he definitely can't produce saccharase or make fructose-glucose syrup by himself.
But that's okay. This type of work can be outsourced.
Chicago is the educational center of the Midwest, with 19 four-year universities, including famous institutions such as the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois, as well as many research institutes.
Finding a few professionals in this field is not difficult.
"Since you are confident, go ahead and do it. Just tell me how much money you need!" After Josh revealed his plan, Margot responded.
"However, since you want to start a business, you will need to interact with some influential people. By the way, I received an invitation to a weekend wine party yesterday, sent by Uncle John. I wasn't planning to attend, but since you want to start a business, let's go together! I'll introduce you to some people. It will be helpful for your business."
Speaking of which, although Josh had been with Margot for a while, she had never taken him to such an occasion.
It wasn't because Josh couldn't handle it.
In fact, after her father passed away, she had attended fewer of these parties.
At first, it was because people kept badmouthing Tony Wendis in her ear, which she disliked, and she had even argued with some of her old friends because of it.
When she later found out that these badmouthings were all true, she was even less interested in attending these occasions...because she was afraid of losing face.
Moreover, due to the entanglement with David Leibler, she had no desire to go, so this matter was never brought up.
But if Josh wanted to start a factory business, he would need various connections, so attending this wine party was necessary.
That's why she brought it up.
"Oh? What kind of wine party is it?" Josh asked upon hearing this.
"It's a war bond fundraising wine party hosted by the city government, and Uncle John is the organizer. All the prominent figures in Chicago will be attending!" Margot explained.
Upon hearing this, Josh felt that attending this wine party was indeed necessary.
"Will it cause you any trouble?" Josh asked. He had never attended such a high-end wine party in either of his lifetimes.
"What trouble could there be? It's a perfect opportunity for them to know that I'm doing well now," Margot smiled gently.
"Is there anything I need to be mindful of?" Josh asked.
"Just dress nicely!"
...
Soon, the weekend arrived.
After getting all dressed up, Josh and Margot arrived at the venue for the wine party — the luxurious estate of the Leibler family.
By the time they arrived, many guests had already gathered, and the yard was filled with various luxury cars of the era. In comparison, Josh's wine-red Lincoln Continental seemed a bit unremarkable.
Of course, if he had taken out the Cadillac V16 from the system's warehouse, it would definitely attract more attention.
But now was not the right time.
Although Josh, through his association with Margot, had half entered Chicago's upper class, this wasn't enough to guarantee his safety.
After all, those Italians could act crazily enough to even plot the assassination of a president.
So, without adequate means of self-defense, that car could only be considered a private collection for now.
Fortunately, the system's space was time-locked, so the car wouldn't face any maintenance issues.
After Margot handed the invitation over to the doorman for inspection, they were smoothly admitted into the party hall.
"Hey, Margo, long time no see!" As soon as they entered, a familiar face spotted Margot.
It was a beautiful lady, about the same age as Margot.
"Long time no see, Gabrielle!" Margot responded enthusiastically, clearly very familiar with the person.
Then, with an apologetic look, Margot was pulled aside by Gabrielle for a private conversation.
As women usually have private talks, Josh couldn't interfere or stop them, so he could only look around to relieve his awkwardness. He casually picked up a drink from a passing waiter.
Josh didn't dislike drinking, but he wasn't fond of it. He had tried it before, and this body's tolerance to alcohol was decent.
"May I ask your name?" At that moment, an elegant middle-aged man approached Josh and asked.
"Josh, Josh Kane!" Josh introduced himself.
"Patrick Chess. Gabrielle is my wife!" The man introduced himself and pointed to Gabrielle, who was talking with Margot.
Josh suddenly realized why the man had come to talk to him.
Soon, the two of them started chatting casually.
Since they weren't familiar with each other, they couldn't discuss anything too private, so the conversation soon turned to the current war situation... which was a typical topic for men to discuss. Furthermore, this was a war bond fundraising wine party, so discussing the war was quite fitting.
However, through this conversation, Josh left a deep impression on Patrick, who had initially just treated him as an ordinary conversation partner.
Patrick was the owner of a department store in Chicago, but during World War I, he had served as a logistics officer in the military, so he wasn't inexperienced in military matters.
Some of Josh's insights into the current war situation gave him a fresh perspective.
"Josh, with your knowledge, it's a pity that you're not serving in the military to make a name for yourself!" Patrick lamented.
Josh inwardly rolled his eyes at this.
Join the military? This body had only attended high school (ninth grade) — what could he do in the military? Carry artillery shells on the front line?
Although the rapid expansion of the military during World War II allowed many to join, not everyone could become an officer. The better branches, such as the Air Force or Navy, required at least a high school diploma.
So, if Josh were to join the army now, he would only be a regular infantryman.
Moreover, Josh had no intention of joining the military. What kind of brainwashing would make him want to sell his life to a country that had no emotional ties to him?
Wouldn't it be better to comfortably sleep with a rich woman?
"Mr. Chess, Josh isn't even 16 yet, so he's not old enough to join the army!" Margot, who had just finished talking to Gabrielle, overheard Patrick's words. She walked over and linked her arm through Josh's, saying disapprovingly.
Hearing Margot's words, Patrick was stunned.
He took another look at Josh and realized that he did look a bit young. However, Josh's tall figure, calm demeanor, and impressive knowledge had made him overlook this detail.
But 16...Patrick glanced from Josh to the mature and alluring Margot.
Tsk...
Fortunately, in this era, the law wasn't as strict, and this kind of situation wasn't unusual among the upper class.
If it were the 21st century, Margot might be facing criminal charges...