Chapter 38: Learning Makes Me Happy

Hannah always paid attention to her grooming, with deodorant and wax being the most consumed items among her daily cosmetics. Of course, now she might have to add floral water to the list.

Now that their relationship was clarified, Jack couldn't favor one over the other. Since Zoe and Maureen had both enjoyed the healing technique, it was now Hannah's turn.

He had her take a shower first while he went upstairs to get a few bottles of floral essential oils. These were a specialty from the southwestern province of Seris, costing $60 a bottle on Amazon.

Jack had bought three bottles: rose for the mature and beautiful Zoe, jasmine for the intellectual glasses-wearing Maureen, and wild orange with mint for the sunny and sweet Hannah.

Whether it was Jack's increasingly proficient massage skills or the overly ambiguous atmosphere, when he finished the healing technique, Hannah's face was red enough to drip blood, and her resentful gaze was hard to look at directly, forcing Jack to retreat hastily.

After a quick cold shower, Jack lay on the bed, silently repeating to himself that learning makes him happy. He calmed down and began to read "Friend of Military and Civilian Talents" to quickly acquire skills related to home renovation.

Real estate transactions in the USA, though cumbersome, were efficient. The entire process was expected to be completed within two weeks.

With limited cash on hand and a large loan to repay, hiring a renovation company was out of the question. Jack planned to move in and gradually fix the place himself, which was a common practice in the USA.

Thinking about the funding problem, Jack picked up an old laptop from the table and logged into a cryptocurrency website. Three years ago, when he first crossed over, he made his biggest investment by buying 30 bitcoins at $200 each.

Since last year, 2017, the price of bitcoin had been rising steadily. Jack planned to sell them all before 2021, before the USA imposed taxes on bitcoin.

Given the similarity of this world to his previous one, he expected the price of bitcoin to reach around $60,000 each by then, potentially earning him up to $1.8 million.

Before the system was activated, Jack used his foresight as a traveler to set this backup plan. He didn't aim to make more, fearing that too much wealth could make him a target.

Having lived over forty years in his previous life, Jack knew that some dreams were just dreams. In any country, wealth that didn't match one's abilities and status would only invite disaster.

Closing the laptop, Jack immersed himself in the joy of learning. Though mental strength couldn't directly enhance intelligence, it allowed him to focus intensely, a dream come true for many students.

Thanks to the system's attribute boost, Jack only needed to spend an hour a day on community college courses. Plus, with less sleep needed, he had five more hours each day than the average person.

On the third and final day of his vacation, Jack took the rose essential oil and drove to Zoe's house.

After some intimacy, Zoe, looking radiant again, nestled in Jack's arms, her mind still lingering in bliss.

"When are you and Maureen going to announce your relationship? Should I prepare a wedding gift in advance?" Jack asked with a peculiar smile. Ever since learning about their plan from Maureen, he felt like a supporting character in a Japanese manga.

Snapping back to reality, Zoe playfully bit Jack, who had the nerve to tease her after benefiting from the situation, causing him to grimace in pain.

"Did Hannah tell you everything about her case? What do you think?" Zoe asked.

Jack recounted his conversation with Hannah, adding, "We'll discuss everything after she returns from Quantico. Also, I don't recommend her using the FBI's internal system to investigate the case."

He remembered a corrupt FBI agent being involved in the plot of "Jack Reacher." If Hannah's private investigation were discovered, it would not only alert the criminals but also endanger her. He knew from some graphic scenes in the show just how ruthless that counterfeit gang was.

Of course, he needed a plausible reason: "Since the crime syndicate has a congressman behind it, their reach might extend into the FBI. Otherwise, the FBI wouldn't have ignored the murders of Hannah's parents and that EPA investigator."

Zoe seemed to find Jack's reasoning plausible and frowned, troubled.

"My dad tried to investigate through his connections, but was stonewalled. Over the years, I've used my resources in the police department to look into it, but without any progress."

Jack gently smoothed her frown with a finger, comforting her. "I just got rid of your forehead wrinkles, so don't furrow it again. Leave this to me."

Zoe looked at her little man with some doubt. It wasn't that she underestimated Jack, but if her family and she, as a mid-level police officer, couldn't achieve it, where did this newly minted patrol officer get his confidence?

"Hire a hacker. Have you never thought of that?"

Jack's answer was so natural it left Zoe speechless.

"You all think about fighting fire with fire, but why limit yourselves to legal methods? Just pay a hacker to uncover the real owner of that Kliner Industries, and the rest will be easier."

Jack wasn't just making things up. Hackers in TV shows were practically omnipotent. In series like "CSI," "NCIS," and "Bones," genius computer experts often supported the protagonists.

Given the mishmash of timelines in this world, except for older shows with specific settings like "Hunter," most others either hadn't started or were just beginning.

For example, NCIS was formed only five years ago, with a middle-aged woman currently in charge. The Jeffersonian Institute from "Bones" existed, but its forensic lab was still just a rumor.

Jack even Googled a certain genius software engineer, Harold Finch. His partner, Nathan, was a well-known billionaire, with many related online articles. It was rumored that their company was collaborating with the FBI on a project to counter terrorist attacks. From this, Jack inferred that the deadpan, cool Uncle Reese might still be working for the CIA.

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