Chapter 359: The Biggest Opportunity

[Chapter 359: The Biggest Opportunity]

Jennifer Connelly woke up early, staring at the empty space beside her. She realized that Eric had not returned to the bedroom all night, and this discovery left her feeling a bit down. They had been intimate just a couple of nights ago, and logically, a man would be pretty infatuated with her body during this time.

However, Jennifer quickly found a reasonable way to comfort herself. From how Eric had rushed away from the party the night before, something important must have come up. Despite thinking this, she still felt a bit distracted. After a quick wash-up without even changing her clothes, she went downstairs in her spaghetti strap nightgown.

After wandering around the villa, checking the kitchen, gym, and terrace, she finally remembered Eric had gone into the study located in the basement when he returned last night. That room had the strictest security measures in the villa. The other rooms had standard locks and were often left unlocked, but that room featured a high-tech keypad lock, with a specially made alloy security door. Although curiosity about the contents inside stirred her, Jennifer clearly understood the boundaries; Eric hadn't invited her in, so she hadn't asked.

Standing at the study door, she hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should disturb Eric. Perhaps he had finished up whatever he was doing last night and had simply gone to sleep in there. It was barely five in the morning, and anyone who had been up late would probably be in a foul mood if abruptly woken.

Yet, Jennifer soon reassured herself by considering that Eric sleeping in the study wasn't very likely. Although they hadn't spent a lot of time together, she had picked up on some of Eric's habits. For instance, he liked to cuddle with a woman while asleep. Just a few nights ago, she subconsciously tried to pull away from his embrace several times and each time he instinctively pulled her back in.

What could possibly be in that study? Was he really planning to sleep surrounded by a few hefty books?

Finding this thought amusing and a bit satisfying, she decided to press the doorbell.

"Jennifer?" Eric's voice came through the intercom beside the door, sounding rather weary yet calm.

"It's me, Eric. I just wanted to see if you were in there."

"Oh, it's already five," he responded again, awakening as he spoke. "Babe, could you bring me some breakfast? I still have some things to take care of."

Seeing that Eric didn't even open the door, Jennifer made a face at the intercom in annoyance before saying, "Alright, I'll go do that."

...

Inside the study, Eric glanced over a few pages filled with dense text. This was the result of his brainstorming about the memories of the Gulf War collected the previous night. If this information got out and were later proven to have been written in late June 1990, as opposed to being regurgitated by some fake clairvoyant, it would surely cause quite a stir.

Therefore, this material shouldn't have been written down in the first place. But Eric needed a clear outline. His memories of the Gulf War were fragmented, so he made a timeline, listing every detail he recalled from his past forty years regarding the war in chronological order.

The human brain does not work like a search engine on the internet. Although his past memories were etched into his mind like a hard drive, they were large volumes of chaotic information. Even when sorted and stored in different virtual partitions, finding a specific file became cumbersome if there was too much data. Not to mention trying to sift through decades of memories from the past for information on a war he didn't particularly care about.

Because of the strain from gathering this information, Eric now felt dizzy. If he hadn't recognized this as a tremendous opportunity, the intense excitement would likely have overwhelmed any fatigue he felt, and he might have already passed out.

After double-checking the organized information, he sealed the thin stack of paper in a folder and tucked it into a hidden compartment of the study's safe. He didn't intend to carry it out of that room; all the information had already been memorized, and as long as he glanced at it occasionally, Eric was sure he wouldn't forget. Once the matter passed, he would destroy these pages without delay.

He changed the safe's combination and locked it before relaxing with a stretch and returning to his desk.

The cluttered desk contained a pile of newspapers, along with several open books: Essentials of Futures Trading, An Introduction to Oil Futures, and a Financial Terminology Handbook. He had ordered these late at night, and they had arrived at the villa just after one in the morning.

Regarding this war, the biggest opportunity lay in oil futures. He remembered how, after Iraq invaded Kuwait, the price of crude oil on the international market skyrocketed from around $20 to $40 within just two months. Eric knew he couldn't navigate the oil futures market using just these beginner books; professional tasks needed to be handled by professionals. He only wanted to read these to understand what the experts were doing so he could appropriately point out the correct direction when necessary.

He proceeded to put away a collection of important newspapers into a briefcase. These would serve as the justification for his 'inference' about the Kuwait War. Having such a cover story was far better than making a bold claim that might cause people to think he was simply acting on impulse.

After tidying up his desk, Eric sat down once more and picked up the Financial Terminology Handbook to browse through it. Just a few minutes in, the unfamiliar words made him feel so overwhelmed he struggled to make sense of them. He understood why there were so many literacy issues in Hollywood (like Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Aniston, Marlon Brando, Keira Knightley, Whoopi Goldberg...).

*****

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