Making Money

A bright‑eyed young man steps onto Fifth Avenue just as the city’s electric lights flicker to life, his stride carefree and his imagination already racing toward the future. Fresh from school and full of the restless optimism of a new generation, he takes in the bustling crowds, glittering shop windows, and the promise of a world where ambition can turn into fortune. This opening portrait of a city on the brink of modernity captures the thrill of stepping into an unknown but dazzling landscape.

Soon the newcomer finds himself drawn into a web of ambitions—business, romance, and the allure of quick wealth—that each offer a different path to “making money.” He meets mentors, rivals, and a spirited woman whose dreams intersect with his own, setting the stage for decisions that will test his confidence and ideals. The story balances the excitement of early twentieth‑century New York with the timeless question of how far one will go to turn hope into reality.