Chapter 14: Return to Limitless
"I'm back."
On the streets of New York, Jake spread his arms wide, tilting his head back as if taking a deep breath of the city air.
It wasn't that he was being dramatic; this world truly was his starting point. Without this movie, he didn't know when he would have mastered the cognitive enhancement techniques, or how long it would have taken for his mind to function at peak capacity. When first gaining the ability to travel to movie worlds, some people's judgment might get clouded—they might even consider doing something stupid like robbing a bank.
Some movie worlds, like romantic comedies and period dramas, might seem safe on the surface, but this safety was based on the protection of law enforcement and societal rules. If anyone were to cause real trouble, even in supposedly "safe" worlds, there would be serious consequences.
Therefore, he remained clear-headed. Having taken NZT-48, he kept his mind sharp, knowing exactly what he could and couldn't do.
In these relatively peaceful movies, with minimal conflict and very little violence, as long as he didn't break the law, he could operate with complete confidence.
His return to this world was to find the protagonist, Eddie Morra. In the original story, Eddie, using NZT-48, started with just twelve thousand dollars and turned it into over two million in a matter of weeks. Not only that, he quickly climbed the ladder, becoming a renowned player on Wall Street, and was even preparing to run for Senate by the end.
Most importantly, by the film's conclusion, Eddie had resolved the side effects of NZT-48.
For Jake, becoming incredibly wealthy had once been his dream, but now, he was more interested in experiencing different movie worlds; money held less appeal for him than it used to.
Eddie, however, even in his future success, without Jake's extraordinary ability, money would be his lifelong pursuit. Their goals operated on completely different levels.
Now, all Jake needed to do was use the diamonds he'd obtained from The Day After Tomorrow world, along with several dozen NZT-48 pills, as Eddie's startup capital for his comeback. Jake would make the initial investment, and Eddie would provide the returns—it was that simple.
He casually straightened his clothes; he was no longer the same person he used to be. Hadn't he noticed several attractive women on the street giving him appreciative looks? That was the aura that came with wealth and confidence reaching a certain level.
Of course, it wasn't impossible that these ladies had noticed the TAG Heuer watch on Jake's wrist.
He hailed a taxi and simply said, "Lower East Side," before falling silent.
Eddie's apartment in the movie was somewhere in this area. To actually locate him, he would probably need NZT-48's help to piece together the fragments of scenes near Eddie's building from his memory of the film.
Sitting in the back seat, Jake slowly took out a small pill box from his pocket, extracted a clear, transparent pill, placed it on his tongue, and swallowed it dry.
The dealer in the original movie had mentioned that Eddie hadn't found the optimal delivery method, and that the pill worked better dissolved under the tongue. But injecting it was completely unacceptable to Jake. Carrying around needles? That was neither practical nor smart.
As for the supposedly marginal difference in effectiveness, he didn't care at all.
"That some new kind of smart drug?" the taxi driver asked Jake through the rearview mirror, having watched him take the pill. "How's it feel?"
"It's like a miracle pill," Jake said, rolling his neck, taking a deep breath, and slowly exhaling. "I feel absolutely limitless right now."
"I've tried stuff like that before. Honestly, felt pretty good. You mind sharing some?"
"Trust me, you don't want this," Jake said, pulling out a twenty-dollar bill and passing it forward. "We're here. Keep the change."
After Jake got out of the car and closed the door, he leaned back down and tapped on the window. The taxi driver reluctantly lowered it. "What's up, man? You're not asking for your money back, are you?"
Jake bent down, carefully checking his hair in the side mirror before straightening up and saying, "Next time you're driving, maybe lay off the energy drinks. You've got some serious jitters going on." He then turned and walked away, leaving the taxi driver examining his hands, wondering what the hell that guy was talking about.
"How did he notice that?" This might puzzle him for a while...
Jake, his brain now operating in overdrive, began walking slowly down the street. As he walked, his mind raced, comparing the scenes before him with those from the movie, making deductions and calculations.
The pedestrians, the vehicles, the storefronts, the architecture.
This neighborhood was sprawling, branching out into countless side streets. Finding Eddie was like finding a needle in a haystack, but Jake had his methods.
After stopping at a bodega and buying a cherry lollipop, Jake spotted a character from the movie:
Eddie's landlady.
She was an attractive, temperamental young woman who intensely disliked Eddie, but after Eddie took NZT-48, he'd charmed her into bed within three minutes of conversation.
Jake, with his enhanced memory, was naturally very attuned to recognizing this face.
"Hi," Jake greeted her proactively. Despite wearing a nice suit and having a lollipop in his mouth, the contrast between playful and professional, coupled with his sharp, intelligent eyes, created an intriguing impression.
"Hi," the woman—Valerie—greeted the handsome stranger, a slight smile unconsciously playing on her lips.
Looking at the woman before him, Jake had a passing thought: how long would it take him to charm this "fiery landlady" into bed? Considering his limited experience and his different look compared to Bradley Cooper, who played Eddie, he figured it would probably take considerably longer than three minutes.
Of course, Jake wouldn't actually do something so pointless just to test himself. He still felt somewhat cautious around women he'd just met, especially one who was clearly impulsive and unpredictable.
"Excuse me, do you happen to know Eddie Morra?"
"Eddie Morra?" Hearing why Jake had approached her, Valerie's expression instantly soured. She didn't even question how he knew she knew Eddie.
"That deadbeat can't even pay his rent! What do you want with him?!" Her demeanor shifted dramatically, and her tone toward Jake became hostile.
"I'd like to discuss a business opportunity with him. Perhaps, if it's not too much trouble, you could point me in the right direction?"
"Come on. That loser rents from me."
Jake smiled and nodded, following her.
The two stopped in front of a run-down apartment building. This was where Eddie Morra currently lived, perfectly matching the scene in Jake's memory of the film.
"Thanks," Jake nodded to the landlady. Under her impatient gaze, Jake climbed the stairs and knocked on Eddie's door. He wondered how the protagonist was doing in his pre-NZT phase.
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