Chapter 37: Operation Condor
Now that the deal with Yuri was arranged, Jake needed to "acquire" some assets to pay for it.
He already had his ideal source in mind for funding the tanks and attack helicopters.
The next day, as night fell, an ATV pulled up in front of a luxury villa, and a figure dismounted from the vehicle.
It was Jake, who had just left the world of Lord of War after finalizing his first arrangement.
He took out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and shone it on the address plate to confirm his target location.
This was an action film, and the protagonist was well-known in certain circles for treasure hunting and adventure.
Armour of God II: Operation Condor was the film world Jake had entered this time, marking his first Jackie Chan movie.
His target was two hundred tons of gold left behind by the Nazis at a desert base during World War II.
It was already dark, and visiting a woman living alone late at night wouldn't normally be appropriate, but with a legitimate reason, it would become perfectly acceptable.
He straightened his suit and tie; the red and black striped tie gave him a more youthful and professional look, matching modern fashion standards.
He gently knocked on the door with his left hand, then it opened, revealing a very attractive foreign woman.
Jake had rarely encountered European women with such delicate features; they typically had stronger bone structure and more pronounced features that contributed to maturity and presence, but a softer beauty was less common.
However, Eva Cobo in this era was an exception.
It was striking that this blonde woman was so petite and refined.
She'd left her mark in action cinema, but unfortunately, her career had been brief.
He paused slightly, as if recognizing something significant.
It wasn't until she spoke that Jake reacted. "Who are you?!" She was somewhat wary, looking at Jake with suspicion.
"I heard you're selling this property?" Jake didn't rush to introduce himself.
She nodded. "If you're interested in buying, you should come back tomorrow." After saying that, she dismissed Jake and closed the door firmly.
Looking at the door that nearly shut in his face, Jake rubbed his jaw. Hadn't she noticed his expensive watch? His designer suit? He remembered this character in the original film being quite motivated by money.
Turns out, not every woman prioritizes wealth.
Perhaps that's true in reality, but in movie worlds, women with strong principles were everywhere. Most importantly, these women were not only principled and loyal, but also remarkably attractive. This was why Jake preferred pursuing relationships in movie worlds.
Jake didn't leave. Instead, he slowly pulled a piece of gum from his suit pocket and casually chewed it.
He didn't actually want to buy a house. In the real world, his place and the estate in The Princess Diaries were sufficient. The reason he came here inquiring about property was to establish contact with the female lead, Elsa, and prepare for his real objective.
He wasn't waiting here hoping Elsa would reconsider, but rather for an inevitable cry for help.
Sure enough, before he'd even finished his gum, a scream instantly pierced the quiet night.
"Go!"
Jake tried the door, but found it locked solid.
He quickly chose another approach, targeting a second-floor window. With a running start, he grabbed the window frame, using his arms to pull himself up and into the villa.
He immediately saw Elsa, wearing a red robe, running frantically and screaming for help, with a Middle Eastern man in hot pursuit.
The small villa didn't have enough space for a proper chase. Elsa was quickly caught and pushed to the ground.
"Don't be afraid, as long as you stay quiet, I won't hurt you," the man said, his voice shaking. Clearly, he was inexperienced at threatening people.
Elsa huddled fearfully, clutching her robe closed. Any woman bathing at home would be terrified if a strange man suddenly broke in. "What do you want? I can give you money."
"Hey, no, I don't want your money." This man wearing traditional headwear was completely unaware his words were making things worse. His statement only made Elsa more nervous.
"I just..."
Having watched this scene long enough, Jake couldn't wait any longer. With a quick approach, he launched a flying kick!
Elsa saw someone else appear and instinctively screamed.
The intruder, kicked by Jake, crashed into the white wall behind him, but Jake didn't expect there to be someone hiding behind a panel, who let out a cry of "Ow!"
The panel fell, and two people tumbled to the ground. One was the intruder, and the other was the film's protagonist—an adventurer named Condor.
When encountering the protagonist, Jake had his own approach.
He extended his right hand to position Elsa behind him. "Get back."
He loosened his shirt collar, adjusted his tie slightly, rolled his shoulders, and then lunged forward again.
Facing an action movie protagonist, as a show of respect, he had to engage him!
Instantly, the three of them engaged in combat, or more accurately, a fight between Jake and Condor, with the intruder simply taking hits.
The two exchanged blows continuously. Jake's close-combat techniques, learned from Léon, were somewhat street-fighting style, while Condor's fighting style was definitely trained martial arts. The initial exchange was manageable, but the longer it went, the more Jake felt outmatched in pure hand-to-hand.
A heavy kick swept toward Condor's head, forcing him back.
Jake didn't pursue, but instead reached behind his back and pulled out two pistols, pointing them at both men present.
The intense hand-to-hand combat turned into an armed standoff.
The scene instantly calmed.
Jake, weapons drawn, slowly retreated to Elsa's side, but kept the guns trained on both men.
"Who are you!" Elsa broke the silence.
"Yeah, who are you?" Condor, warily eyeing the two guns in Jake's hands, asked the same question.
"I'm asking you first."
"Huh? Me?" Condor pointed at himself in disbelief. "I'm here to help you. The real question is who are they?" He gestured to the Middle Eastern man who was nearly unconscious from taking hits, and then to Jake beside Elsa.
"I know who he is." Elsa wasn't bothered by the topic shift. "He came about the house earlier."
"Alright, the question is, do you know who he is?" Condor grinned, ignoring himself and pointing to the intruder beside him.
Just then, another Middle Eastern man appeared, armed with a gun.
He held a weapon. "Nobody move!" he shouted, confident he had control of the situation.
"We are a forgotten people," the newcomer declared, his pistol pointed at Condor, whom he clearly considered more dangerous. Jake, armed with two guns, was somehow overlooked.
Hearing this, Elsa exclaimed with sudden realization, "Oh, I know! You're the ones who keep calling me!"
"You're Hans's granddaughter, so you must know where the gold is hidden. Tell me or someone gets hurt!"
"Gold?" Jake suddenly asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice. His words immediately drew everyone's attention, especially the armed intruder, who, realizing the man he'd overlooked possessed two weapons, instinctively redirected his aim at Jake.
"Gold, Nazi treasure left behind during World War II that was never recovered," said the armed intruder. "We need this gold for our cause!"
"For our cause!" the other intruder echoed, raising his fist.
What's with this dramatic energy?
"Oh, I see," Jake nodded. "Gold, you say? I'm interested too."
At this, the gazes of the others, already fixed on him, intensified.
It would be strange not to be interested at this point.
"I just came up after hearing Miss Elsa's screams. Didn't expect such a discovery," he chuckled, casually chewing his gum.
He inhaled sharply, then spat the gum out, hitting the armed intruder in the face. The man instinctively raised his weapon and fired.
BANG!
The shot caused Elsa to scream loudly.
Condor reacted nimbly, performing a forward roll to appear in front of the armed man and disarming him.
Without their weapon, the two intruders lost their nerve, but the group didn't pursue them too aggressively. After being subdued by Condor and kicked a few times by Elsa, the two would-be treasure hunters were released.
With the danger over, Jake saw no need to stay.
"Goodbye, Miss Elsa," Jake waved to Elsa, who was still in her red robe, and nodded at Condor.
His confident demeanor made Condor uneasy. A skilled and intelligent competitor also after the gold—this could complicate things.
"Perhaps we can discuss the property tomorrow," Elsa said, watching Jake's departing figure.
"Of course," he said, though inwardly he dismissed the idea. Who wanted to buy this house? He had no interest in the property or its complications.
Leaving the villa, Jake saw a somewhat worn Land Rover next to his ATV—it was Condor's vehicle.
After checking his ATV, Jake pulled out a small GPS tracker and attached it underneath the Land Rover. He then mounted his vehicle and sped off.
The engine roar echoed through the night.
This operation went very smoothly. Not only did he legitimately enter the plot, advancing the progress bar, but he also established himself as a formidable competitor.
With Jake as pressure, Condor would likely find the treasure even faster.
Jake's next destination was the Sahara Desert...
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