Chapter 28: Goodbye, Eddie Morra
That evening, Jake returned to the real world feeling somewhat frustrated.
His plans hadn't exactly worked out. Not only was Mia only 17, but it seemed inappropriate to push things further under her grandmother's watchful eye, especially with the constant paparazzi taking pictures; she was understandably cautious.
"Sigh," Jake exhaled, but he wasn't too upset. Their relationship was official now; she wasn't going anywhere.
Lying in bed, he called Madison to check on the shop's situation. She was proving to be very responsible.
"Hey Jake, today was the first day of business. I'm thinking of doing a promotional event tomorrow to increase foot traffic."
"You make the call."
"Also, I'll email you today's numbers later. Take a look when you get a chance."
"Sounds good."
They chatted for a bit longer before hanging up.
Jake didn't particularly care whether the shop made money or not, but since she was sending the reports, he opened them when they arrived.
The records were in a spreadsheet, each item clearly documented with color-coded notes—very professional.
Jake was impressed. He'd basically appointed someone at random as assistant manager, and even if Madison had been skimming funds, he wouldn't have bothered dealing with it. He hadn't expected her to be so thorough.
Limitless
New York City.
At nine o'clock in the morning, this international metropolis was already fully awake. The bustling crowds filled the streets. Jake suddenly appeared among them, but no one paid any attention.
This time, he was wearing a white suit, and his hair was neatly styled.
Two pistols, fully loaded, were concealed at his waist, safeties off.
His logic was simple: if Eddie Morra broke his promise, Jake wanted to leave this world wearing a red suit; he actually hated white.
So far, everything was going smoothly. When Jake took out the phone from this world and dialed Eddie Morra's number, the other party answered immediately.
Eddie seemed slightly surprised, especially upon hearing Jake's voice.
The two agreed to meet at a coffee shop in Times Square.
Times Square, located in the heart of Manhattan, is known as "The Crossroads of the World." It's home to nearly forty shopping centers and theaters, a thriving entertainment and commercial hub.
Approaching Times Square, one is surrounded by vibrant digital billboards and street performers, with massive screens constantly displaying news, advertisements, and entertainment—a sensory overload.
Jake chose this location because of the sheer number of people; he believed that even if Eddie had prepared some kind of ambush, it wouldn't be practical here.
Nearly a month had passed, and Jake was no longer the same person. Eddie had also undergone a dramatic transformation.
Now, Eddie Morra wore a custom designer suit, his hair perfectly styled, exuding the confidence of a Wall Street titan. Of course, his car was also incredibly luxurious—a stretch limousine.
Jake estimated that the custom vehicle alone was worth hundreds of thousands.
"Hey, boss man," Eddie greeted Jake with a wave. He'd come alone and looked confident, completely unlike the desperate writer from their first meeting.
"I thought you might not show, or that I'd be greeted by federal agents," Jake said, acting surprised, as if genuinely startled by Eddie's casual arrival.
If Eddie had used the seed money Jake provided to amass wealth, his first move would undoubtedly have been investigating Jake's background. Jake's pointed comment made him realize that even Eddie wouldn't blindly trust such a mysterious benefactor.
"No, you're my partner," Eddie's smugness dimmed slightly. It wasn't that he hadn't investigated Jake's identity, but rather that no matter how hard he tried, he'd found nothing. And the smarter someone is, the more they tend to overthink.
"I'm here to collect what's owed, Eddie," Jake said, showing no fear of Eddie Morra, who was clearly enhanced by NZT-48.
"One hundred million dollars, you don't think I..." Eddie clearly wanted to negotiate, a basic instinct for any businessman.
However, Jake calmly placed a newspaper on the coffee table. He didn't seem to use much force, yet the coffee in the cup rippled.
The headline read: "Wall Street Wunderkind Eddie Morra: The Man Who Makes Millions Daily!"
This article completely shut down whatever Eddie was about to say. He chuckled awkwardly, "Haha, I photograph well, don't I?"
"Alright, Eddie," Jake tapped the table firmly, making the already quiet coffee shop fall completely silent, but he didn't care. "I hope you remember the partnership we discussed."
"Of course I remember, boss," Eddie smiled. "Sorry, been spending too much time with politicians lately. Some habits are hard to break."
"I trust you've had that hundred million ready for a while now, haven't you?" His gaze turned slightly menacing as he looked at Eddie, this time not bluffing, but projecting genuine danger.
Eddie Morra tensed visibly.
"Of course," he nodded, his face slightly pale.
Even a genius fears a gun, right?
At this moment, Jake felt less like a business partner and more like a collector. But this feeling wasn't unpleasant; his role in this world was that of a mysterious figure who'd exploited the protagonist—a character who, according to typical plots, would be defeated by the protagonist's triumph at the movie's end.
However, Jake wasn't from this world; he could escape at any moment if things went south.
Eddie was currently worth billions, and that number was growing at an exponential rate.
Perhaps in a few years, he would be one of the richest people in the world.
Finally, Eddie made a phone call and had an armored truck brought in, containing $100 million in cash.
Why all cash? Because it was Jake's requirement; credit cards from this world wouldn't work in other worlds.
"Have you solved your NZT-48 problem?" Jake inspected the armored truck's exterior; he could sense its security features, but for safety's sake, he opened it to verify.
A truck full of cash—if Jake weren't too proud to show his amazement in front of Eddie, he might have meticulously counted it all, experiencing the thrill of handling that much money, maybe even diving into it.
How many people earn a hundred million dollars in their lifetime?
After verifying everything was legitimate, he looked at Eddie Morra, waiting for his response.
Eddie didn't speak immediately, but made another call. This time, it was Eddie's girlfriend who arrived; clearly, only someone trusted could handle something this important.
The two didn't exchange many words, but Eddie, with his exceptional intelligence, had already understood Jake's intentions. Most importantly, Eddie suspected that Jake wasn't from this world, even though this idea seemed incredibly far-fetched.
"Thank you, miss," Jake said, taking the bag from Eddie's girlfriend. Opening it, he found nearly a thousand clear pills in vacuum-sealed packets.
"I've solved the side effect problem with these. Though the efficiency is slightly reduced, there are no negative consequences," Eddie explained, putting his arm around his girlfriend. "However, you should significantly replenish calories after each use, as mental exertion causes substantial energy depletion."
"Understood," Jake replied briefly, finishing his inspection before preparing to leave.
"So our deal is done?" Eddie seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. "I've been working nonstop, risking everything, to complete your terms. I haven't had a break in weeks, and now I should finally get some rest."
"Unless something unexpected happens," Jake nodded. Although he'd slightly altered Eddie's trajectory, the ending remained the same: he was still a success story, still getting the girl.
"Can you tell me who you really are?" Eddie asked directly. "I've investigated your background, and the truth is, you seem to have appeared out of nowhere. Your first documented appearance was the day before Vernon died."
"Sure," Jake didn't hide anything. "I'm not from this world; I came here to secure resources."
"That explains it," Eddie understood. This matched his hypothesis. Jake was probably a fugitive from another reality.
But after a moment, he frowned. "What if I hadn't intended to keep my promise today?"
"I planned to leave wearing a red suit," Jake pointed to his pure white suit.
"Glad I made the right choice," Eddie exhaled in relief.
Their conversation seemed cryptic, leaving Eddie's girlfriend completely confused, not understanding what they were discussing.
With the handover complete, Jake would never return to this world, and of course, there was no need to hide anything. He climbed into the armored truck and, under the watchful eyes of Eddie and his girlfriend, drove it into an alley and back to the real world...
Author note - hey i am making mia 17 because its wrong to date 15 year our mc not into minor world also this is au world so please help me tell more suggestion so i will correct it
also if you dont like this setting tell me i will edit it also please give me positive review