Considering the purchasing power of the US Dollar at the time, Finn was undoubtedly a magnate, which was the 'hard power' behind his initiation of the treasure hunt.
At the age of 58, Finn was diagnosed with cancer and had to put a stop to his beloved outdoor adventures, resting at home instead.
Knowing his days were numbered, he thought of starting a treasure hunting adventure.
He put many gold coins and treasures into a bronze chest, intending to bury it somewhere, but his family stopped him.
The matter dragged on for over twenty years, and miraculously, Finn's health improved. By then, he was also eighty years old.
Feeling again that his time was running short, he recalled that early "treasure hunt plan."
This time, without consulting his family, he secretly buried the treasure. When his family found out about it, they also asked about the location, but he refused to tell them, and they had no choice but to let it be. After all, it was only a few million dollars, which meant little to the Forrest family.
Luke, now with a rough understanding of the treasure, pressed on, "So you're saying, the Big Bear Lake treasure might be worth a few million dollars."
"I don't know really. It's said he divided the treasure into several batches and buried them in different places. This is just one of the locations. It can't possibly be that valuable."
"How did you get this treasure map?"
"He wrote an autobiography, and every so often he would release some of his books through various means. These autobiographies included treasure maps, not every book had one, the chances were extremely low, so it all came down to luck."
"Can you be sure the treasure map is real?"
"Treasure hunting is full of uncertainties, which is part of its greatest charm."
"What if the old man is lying, wouldn't we be wasting our time?"
"It's unlikely that Finn would lie.
He is someone who loves adventure and is also a super-rich individual.
For him, a fortune worth a few million dollars pales in comparison to the significance of an adventure.
Would you openly deceive people for a few hundred dollars?"
"Sounds pretty interesting. If I join in on the adventure and we find the treasure, how much would I get?"
"We'd split it equally."
"Walker, you're very generous.
But the other person with the map, even if willing to share it and collaborate, isn't likely to agree with this division proposal. In her view, we're in cahoots and might not consent to an equal share.
In the end, it could lead to disagreement and make everyone uncomfortable."
"You're right, to a treasure hunter the map is most important, without it, you can't be a partner." Walker took out a dagger from his backpack, forcefully sliced through the brown leather, and threw a piece to Luke.
At a nearby campsite.
A white woman around forty was packing things into an SUV, occasionally letting out a sigh.
A voice came from a distance, and the white woman looked over with a cautious expression.
Two men approached from afar, one with black hair whom she had seen that morning, and an older white man.
"What do you want?" The white woman set down her belongings and stared at Luke and Walker.
"Hi, I'm Luke, and this is Walker."
Walker asked, "Are you looking for Forest Finn's treasure?"
"Right, my camp was attacked by a black bear last night too. I think it might have been man-made, meaning there could be other treasure hunters around, and this one's not playing by the rules, extremely dangerous. I think we should stick together.
We might be able to find the treasure faster that way."
Reeves, with hands on hips, declined politely, "I'm not very good at socializing and prefer to hunt for the treasure alone."
Walker said, "Me too, I've always been treasure hunting alone for a while now, but I still haven't found anything. As for the reason...
The treasure map isn't complete, making it impossible to pinpoint the exact location of the treasure.
Based on my speculation, there is likely more than one treasure map in existence—possibly several, even a dozen or more, and there might be duplicates. Only by piecing together a complete map can the exact location of the treasure be determined.
Therefore, cooperation is the best choice."
Reeves retorted, "What if I refuse to cooperate?"
"As I mentioned earlier, there may be more treasure maps, as well as more Treasure Hunters. If you're unwilling to cooperate, we can find other Treasure Hunters to work with. As long as we can assemble a complete map of the treasure, we will be able to find it smoothly.
By then... your map will become nothing more than a piece of scrap paper."
"What if our maps are identical?"
"Then no one stands to lose anything, and we can exchange some treasure hunting tips."
Reeves frowned and said, "Let's be honest, I don't trust you."
Walker suggested, "There's another way; even after sharing the treasure maps, we can still search separately, which won't affect anything.
Having a complete map is beneficial for everyone, don't you think?"
"My campsite was attacked by a black bear, the tent is destroyed, and the food has been tampered with. Even if I share the map with you, I need to leave first to replenish my supplies.
With this time difference, you might find the treasure before me.
This is not good news for me."
Walker tried to persuade her, "That's why I say we should hunt for the treasure together. My campsite was also damaged. Only by uniting can we deal with potential crises.
As for the food, Luke can provide it; he still has plenty to eat."
"If I cooperate with you in the treasure hunt, and we find the treasure, how will we divide it?"
"Three people, three parts of the map, and the treasure also divided into thirds—it's fair."
"I would only get a third of it," Reeves said with some reluctance. "That's not what I was hoping for."
"Reeves, you must have noticed there are more Treasure Hunters around than just the three of us. Without cooperation, it's impossible to get the complete map.
If others get their hands on it, they might beat us to the punch.
Then, forget about a third—you won't get a single coin."
Reeves hesitated for a while, "I still don't trust you."
Walker spread his hands, "OK, then we'll just have to say goodbye.
Wish you a smooth journey.
However, by the time you return to Big Bear Lake, we might have already found the treasure.
I hope you won't have regrets."
Reeves closed the trunk, got into the driver's seat, a conflicted expression on her face, and her right hand extended several times but did not press the start button.
The door of the driver's seat opened, and Reeves took a deep breath, looked at Luke and Walker and said, "OK, I'll cooperate with you.
But to show sincerity, I need to know your identities and relationship."
"Walker, I'm a judge.
This is Captain Luke, who is the finest detective in Los Angeles.
His involvement greatly increases our chances of finding the treasure."
"Wow... a judge and a cop?
It's hard to imagine people like you going treasure hunting."
"You're not the first one to think that.
My vacation is almost over, so I need to find the treasure as soon as possible."
"OK, then let's take out the treasure maps." Reeves was still cautious, motioning Luke and the others to show theirs first.
Luke and Walker didn't hesitate and took out their maps right away.
Reeves glanced at it and then also pulled out her own treasure map; hers was different from Walker's.
The three parts of the map fit together perfectly—terrain, lakes, and forests connected seamlessly, forming a complete map.