26: Good luck, my beautiful lady!

The entire San Francisco exploded.

The front-page headlines of all newspapers were reports about last night's shocking robbery.

The San Francisco Chronicle even dedicated an entire page, featuring huge, bold, and impactful headlines.

[The City's Tragedy! Fierce Bandits Massacre Citibank, Hundreds of Soldiers and Police Die on the Streets!]

The article detailed how the robbers used heavy firepower to break through the police cordon.

Causing nearly a hundred casualties among soldiers and police, and dozens among innocent civilians, they finally escaped with a massive sum exceeding one billion US dollars.

The report claimed this was the most serious and heinous violent robbery case in the history of San Francisco and even the entire state of California.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has established a task force, and the San Francisco Police Department has canceled all leave.

Vowing to bring this group of lawless bandits to justice.

However, they were destined for disappointment.

All the weapons had been sunk into the cold seabed immediately after the operation.

The vehicles used in the crime, whether the ford bronco or the vans.

The license plates were all fake, and the vehicles themselves were cloned cars salvaged from junkyards, making them impossible to trace.

As for surveillance?

Sorry, in San Francisco during that era, street surveillance cameras were still a rare item and were not widely adopted.

Inside the VIP lounge of San Francisco International Airport.

David was leisurely leaning back on the soft sofa with his legs crossed.

In his hand, he held the freshly printed San Francisco Chronicle.

He read with great interest, a playful curve on his lips.

"A loss of over one billion US dollars?"

He scoffed internally.

"These reporters must have been taught math by their gym teachers."

It was clearly 1.6 billion, yet they deliberately erased a third of it.

As for the nearly hundred casualties among soldiers and police, and the dozens of suffering civilians... what did that have to do with him?

He put down the newspaper and took a sip of the coffee beside him.

The matter in San Francisco was concluded; it was time to start the next journey.

The Middle East, that place ravaged by war yet paved with gold.

And that powerful figure, Saddam.

He was looking forward to seeing the expression on the man's face when he presented him with high-quality, inexpensive Chinese-made goods.

"David!"

A sobbing female voice came from not far away.

David looked up and saw a beautiful woman, fashionably dressed and wearing sunglasses, hurrying toward him.

It was Judy.

His temporary girlfriend in San Francisco.

"Are you really leaving?"

As soon as Judy reached him, she took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of swollen, red eyes, looking at him as if she were about to burst into tears.

"Can't you stay a few more days? I have an audition for a very important role next week, and I hoped you could be with me."

David stood up, gently pulled her into his embrace, smelled the expensive perfume on her, and wore a perfectly measured look of tenderness.

"Be good. I'm just going to negotiate a business deal, a very big deal."

He gently patted Judy's back and comforted her softly.

"When I return, I promise I'll buy you a big house in Hollywood and make you a leading actress, how about that?"

"Really?"

Judy looked up at him, her eyes clouded with tears.

"Of course, it's real."

David lowered his head and kissed her forehead.

"When have I ever lied to you?"

Judy burst into a smile through her tears, then hugged him tightly again, as if trying to melt into his body.

"Then come back quickly. I'll miss you."

"I will."

David agreed verbally, but his eyes were calm, without a ripple of emotion.

He glanced at his watch and said to Judy.

"Time is almost up. I should go inside."

Judy reluctantly let go of him, stood on her tiptoes, and gave him a forceful kiss on the lips.

"Come on, let's go somewhere private."

David took Judy's hand, looked left and right, and walked straight into the nearby airport restroom.

A few minutes later, the two walked out, straightening their slightly disheveled clothes.

Judy's cheeks held a captivating blush, her eyes were hazy, and her gaze toward David was filled with reluctance and affection.

"Darling, make sure to call me when you get there."

"Don't worry."

David tidied her long blonde hair and checked the time again.

"Esteemed passengers, boarding for flight EK226 to Dubai is now commencing..."

The airport announcement sounded at the perfect moment.

"I really have to go now."

David let go of her hand.

Judy stood on her tiptoes again and lightly pressed a kiss onto David's cheek.

"I'll wait for you to return."

David nodded, said nothing more, turned around, and walked toward the boarding gate with Juan and Alberto.

Watching his resolute back, the smile slowly faded from Judy's face, replaced by loneliness.

She knew this man might never return.

The so-called promises were merely the last bit of decency during their farewell.

Half an hour later.

Accompanied by a huge roar, a Boeing 747 passenger plane soared into the sky and disappeared into the horizon.

Flying from San Francisco to Dubai required crossing the entire Atlantic Ocean, a flight lasting over nine hours.

Inside the first-class cabin.

David comfortably leaned back in the fully reclining seat, covered by a soft blanket, preparing to take a short nap.

Juan and Alberto sat in seats not far from him, vigilantly observing the surroundings.

"Hello, sir."

A sweet voice sounded in his ear.

David opened his eyes and saw a tall, blonde, blue-eyed flight attendant pushing a trolley, smiling as she stood by his seat.

Her name, Emily, was written on her name tag.

"Would you like something to drink? We have champagne, red wine, whiskey, as well as various juices and soft drinks."

Emily's voice was gentle and pleasant, and her gaze toward David held a subtle hint of admiration.

This Asian young man in front of her was handsome and composed, wearing a custom suit that was clearly worth a fortune.

The Patek Philippe watch on his wrist further showcased his wealth.

He was definitely a rich young master.

Emily silently labeled David in her mind.

"A glass of champagne, thank you."

David said indifferently.

"Certainly, sir, please wait a moment."

Emily turned around elegantly and quickly returned with a glass of sparkling champagne.

She carefully placed it on the small tray table in front of David.

"Enjoy."

She gave David another professional and sweet smile before pushing the trolley toward the next passenger.

Back in the galley, Emily's colleague, another equally beautiful flight attendant named Jennifer, approached her.

She nudged her with her elbow, winked, and asked in a whisper.

"So, Emily? Is that handsome Asian guy your type?"

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Emily's pretty face flushed red. Although she was arguing, the smile in the corner of her eyes betrayed her.

"Tch, still pretending," Jennifer mocked with a pout.

"I think he's practically stolen your soul. Want me to help you get his contact information?"

"Go if you want to!" Emily rolled her eyes at her, then added nervously.

"But don't try to steal him from me! I saw him first!"

"Alright, alright, I won't steal him," Jennifer laughed, raising her hands in surrender. "Good luck, my great beauty."

David, naturally, was unaware of the flight attendants' whispered conversation.

At this moment, holding his champagne, he looked at the clouds drifting outside the window, his thoughts already flying thousands of miles away to the Middle East.

The 1.6 billion US dollars in the system was enough for him to purchase a considerable batch of weapons.

The problem was how to safely deliver this shipment into Saddam's hands.

Should he airlift it directly from Huaguo using a transport plane?

US's military radar wasn't just for show.

A heavy transport plane flying into Iraqi airspace without clearance would be instantly shot down as an intruder.

Airdrop it from Iraq's neighboring countries, such as Jordan or Turkey?

The risk was equally immense.

Not to mention whether these countries would be willing to cooperate with him at the risk of offending America.

Even if they agreed, it would be difficult to keep such a large-scale airdrop completely secret.

If word got out, the consequences would be unimaginable.

After much consideration, the safest method seemed to be sea transport.

Rent a ten-thousand-ton freighter and fly a flag of convenience from Panama or Liberia.

Then forge a manifest claiming to transport large machinery or humanitarian relief supplies.

Departing from a Huaguo port, crossing the Strait of Malacca, bypassing India, and entering the Persian Gulf.

Although this route was time-consuming, its advantage was its stealth, making it less likely to attract attention.

As long as the operation was managed properly, the shipment could be delivered to an Iraqi port completely undetected.

David swirled the champagne in his glass, the golden liquid tracing elegant arcs on the glass wall.