The Charismatic Charlie Wade

When Zachary burst into Isaac’s office with hair disheveled like a bird’s nest, still emanating the scent of wine and perfume and
adorned with numerous bright red lip marks on his face, he immediately caught Vivian’s attention. With an apologetic smile, he
approached and asked, “Master Wade, were you looking for me?”
Vivian nodded, curious about Zachary’s drinking escapades. “How was your last night?”
Zachary replied eagerly. “Master Wade, last night was a splendid affair! The drinks flowed perfectly!”
Vivian smiled, pleased with the response. “Since you had a good time, start working in the afternoon.”
Zachary straightened up immediately, filled with respect. “Master Wade, if there’s anything you need, just say the word!”
Vivian nodded and inquired, “Zachary, let me ask you, where is the other ring?”
Without hesitation, Zachary replied, “I placed it in the room’s secure closet myself last night, while I was still wide awake!”
“Very well.” Vivian nodded, satisfied. “Now go freshen up, but remember to clean your face and brush your teeth. A quick wash
will suffice, no need for a shower. After you’re done, bring me the ring and head to the antique street. The elderly gentleman who
purchased it from you yesterday has been eagerly waiting all morning.”
“Hmm...” Zachary, fully reinvigorated, interjected. “Master Wade, that old man went back to the antique street? Could he be
seeking a refund?”
Vivian chuckled and replied, “Impossible. He actually wants to purchase more from you. When you meet him later, inform him
that your group isn’t prepared to display all the items yet. However, if he shows sincerity, you can negotiate on his behalf.”
Eager for guidance, Zachary asked promptly, “Master Wade, how much sincerity is required?”
Vivian pondered for a moment before responding, “He must send over at least two hundred thousand dollars upfront. Once that’s
settled, contact Mr. Cameron’s assistant and say this without mincing words, ‘Please send some goods.’ Leave the rest to me. I’ll
arrange for another ring to be delivered.”
With a mischievous grin, Vivian added, “As for the second ring, you can quote him a price of one million dollars.”
Zachary was taken aback. “Master Wade... if I may ask, the old man already paid five hundred thousand dollars for a ring. It was
already a hundredfold profit. Now you suggest one million will he actually buy it?”

“Yes.” Vivian smiled confidently. “Just name the price and he will unquestionably purchase it.”
Though slightly perplexed, Zachary nodded eagerly. “Understood, Master Wade!”
It was well past one o’clock in the afternoon and the antique street basked under the scorching sun, resulting in scarce foot
traffic. Gideon paced back and forth, scanning the vendors with his eyes.
A vendor, unable to bear Gideon’s incessant wandering, quipped, “Hey, old man, you’ve been pacing around all morning, making
my eyes dizzy. Why don’t you find a place to sit in this heat? Here, I’ll give you some money. Go buy an ice lolly from the
restaurant.”
Gideon glared at him and retorted icily, “I’ll pace as I please. What’s it to you? Watch your tongue, or you’ll find trouble with an
old man!”
“Damn!” The street vendor seethed with anger, cursing, “You damn old fart, you really don’t know what’s good for you.”
Gideon clenched his fists, his rage mounting as he witnessed the vendor’s insolence.
At that moment, a single thought consumed Gideon’s mind to use the piece of lightning-struck wood in his pocket, capable of
summoning sky thunder and strike the insolent youth dead. Yet, he could only entertain such thoughts for now. Until he had dealt
with the Evans family, he dared not cause trouble lightly. Thus, he begrudgingly turned around and continued his pacing,
resentment in his heart.
Zeba settled comfortably in a window seat on the second floor of a tea house along the antique street, silently observing Gideon
from afar, without his knowledge.
At that very moment, Zachary, still yawning and dragging the stall’s belongings, entered the antique street through its entrance.
Gideon spotted him immediately, overjoyed. He hurried toward Zachary and blurted out, “Zachary, where have you been? I’ve
been waiting for you all morning and noon!”
Yawning, Zachary deliberately patted his mouth lazily with his palm, maintaining a sleepy tone as he drawled, “Ahhhh... Old
man, I’m a vendor, not an employee. I come and go as I please. Who can control me?”
Gideon, desiring to smack the insolent vendor to the other side of the antique street, refused to be deterred. He decided to find a
silver lining in the situation and teasingly remarked, “Zachary, seems like you had quite a wild night. You reek of alcohol!”

Wearing a mischievous grin, Zachary replied, “All thanks to you, I struck gold yesterday. I celebrated throughout the night,
indulging in exquisite wines, basking in luxury, residing in a grand presidential suite. I felt like a joyous fairy!”
Although Gideon secretly belittled Zachary as a mere seller of old items, he promptly complimented him insincerely and gave
him a thumbs up, stating, “I have to admit, you live a splendid life that countless people would covet!”
Zachary chuckled. “Oh, come on, old man. You’re wealthier than me! I’ve lived such a life. But you... you live a life of luxury! How
about I arrange a special evening for you? Just let me know which country you fancy, do you prefer Japanese and Korean
beauties or European and American stunners? To be honest, there’s this young Russian lady. She’s stunningly beautiful and
utterly captivating!”
Gideon waved his hand dismissively. “If you can help it, let’s talk business. Don’t toy with my heart.”
Momentarily stunned, Zachary asked, “What business, old man?”
Gideon responded, “I came here today specifically to ask you if you can procure some quality items.”
Zachary put on a serious expression. “Old man, it’s your lucky day. I called my family last night to discuss this matter.”
Eagerly, Gideon inquired, “What did your family say?”
Zachary replied, “My family is cautious. They only shipped the goods once. But I assured them of your reliability and generosity.
Not only are you a potential buyer, but the introductory fee alone amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Such a valuable
customer is hard to come by, so I persuaded them to provide you with additional items.”
Gideon pressed, “Did they agree?”
Zachary smiled and continued, “I told them that you’re generous. Whether they believe it or not, they insist on asking for an
introductory fee of two to three hundred thousand dollars. They also requested half of the fee from each of us. Don’t you think
they’re being a bit unreasonable?”
Initially missing Zachary’s words, Gideon quickly caught on and responded, “Zachary, broaching the subject of a referral fee is a
breeze. Just have them ship the items to me and I’ll reward you with a handsome commission of two hundred thousand dollars.”
Zachary interjected, “Old man, what I’m talking about is US dollars!”
Knowing he was being fleeced, Gideon didn’t care. He promptly asserted, “I’m talking about US dollars!”

Familiar with the process by now, Gideon swiftly turned on his phone and transferred two hundred thousand dollars to Zachary.
Impatiently, he urged, “Can you arrange the shipment now? Call them and urge them!”
Gideon hastily added, “Make sure it comes from the same source as the previous two items. Don’t try to deceive me.”
Zachary assumed a serious demeanor. “Don’t worry, old man. I’ve traveled the world. Throughout the years, I’ve built a
reputation for honesty. We will never engage in deceptive practices in this lifetime!”
With an air of mystery, he added, “My family has already contacted me and they’ll be sending something soon. Just wait a
moment!”
“Really?” Gideon exclaimed, brimming with excitement. “Fantastic!”
The two of them waited together for approximately twenty minutes until a courier from City Express burst into the antique street.
From the moment this person entered the street, both Gideon and Zeba followed closely, their attention drawn to the fluctuations
in his aura. Gideon even felt a sense of familiarity with those fluctuations.
In this thrilling moment, Gideon’s excitement soared and he couldn’t help but exclaim in his heart, “This is the third enchanted
weapon! I’ve truly stumbled upon a treasure trove of mystical artifacts! If there’s one, there will be two, if there are two, there will
be three and if there are three, there will be even more! I already have three dreaming of four, five, or six is no longer far-
fetched!”
At that precise moment, a rider charged straight towards Zachary’s booth and inquired, “Are you Zachary?”
Zachary nodded and asked, “What about the goods?”
The rider pulled a jewelry box from his pocket and handed it over.
Once the other party left, Zachary opened the jewelry box and carefully extracted the second jade ring crafted by Abraham.
Gideon’s gaze was fixed on Zachary as he unveiled the box. However, his excitement faded upon scrutinizing its contents and
he couldn’t help but sigh in disappointment, “Another finger ring? Why?”
With a smile, Zachary chimed in, “Who knows what that thing was? Perhaps the tomb’s owner had a penchant for adorning their
fingers. With two big brothers, one on each side, doesn’t it look majestic?”

Gideon felt a bit disheartened. He wasn’t particularly intrigued by passive formation enchanted weapons like this one. In his
opinion, compared to the lightning-summoning weapon he acquired the previous day, such items were like night and day. His
heart still yearned for an enchanted weapon that could bolster his attack power. But now, confronted with yet another finger ring,
should he make the purchase or not?
He already had one and he hadn’t even unraveled its effects yet. If he refrained from buying it, he’d be letting a potential
enchanted weapon slip through his fingers, wouldn’t he?
Feeling despondent, Zachary interjected, “Old man, let me give you a suggestion. You can buy this finger ring as well. With two
rings on your thumbs, it’ll be quite the showstopper!”
Gideon contemplated inwardly, “Since I’ve already informed the Lord about the ring, it would be wise to buy a second one now.
One is for the Lord and I can keep the other for myself. If it turns out to be something great, I won’t regret my decision, I mustn’t
let it slip through my fingers.”
He turned to Zachary and declared, “If I’m destined to become a ring-wielding virtuoso, then I shall claim this one worth half a
million dollars.”
Zachary quickly responded, “Old man, last time it was fine for five hundred thousand. However, this time it won’t go for anything
less than one million dollars. The family has decreed that this finger ring is the last one to be sold. No more will be available.”
“One million...” Gideon voiced his displeasure, “That’s an astronomical starting price, twice the value of prime land!”
Helplessly, Zachary sighed, “Old man, I’m just a middleman here. I have to sell it at whatever price they dictate. It doesn’t matter
if you find it too high. After all, you already possess one of these items, so it’s not particularly necessary for you to buy another.”
Gideon swiftly interrupted him with a hand gesture, speaking earnestly, “I absolutely want it, but I can’t help feeling that the price
isn’t fair. I’m not short on money, but it leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.”
Zachary nodded, seemingly understanding and responded sincerely, “I empathize with your sentiments, sir. Allow me to share
my sincere thoughts on the matter. Antiques of this caliber are rare and precious. If you purchase them all, they will undoubtedly
become exceptional assets in your possession. Perhaps, if you were to sell them a few years down the line, their value would
double.”
Gideon secretly sighed in his heart. With this, he decided not to prolong the argument over the price with Zachary. After all, he
still hoped that Zachary would help him find more enchanted weapons!

Thus, he swiftly transferred the money to Zachary for payment. Once the transaction was complete, he curiously inquired, “By
the way, Zachary, please ask your superiors when the next batch of valuable goods will be released. If it’s possible, I’d like to
acquire them all at once. As long as the items are top-notch, I’ll take them!”
For Gideon, time was of the essence. He only had three days and now it was already afternoon, meaning another half-day had
passed, leaving him with just two and a half days. In two and a half days, he would launch an attack on the Evans family in the
dead of night. Aurous Hill would soon be engulfed in chaos and panic. By then, he might not have the opportunity to make any
purchases.
Zachary regarded him and relayed Vivian’s message, “Old man, it may take about seven to ten days for the goods to be shipped
next time.”
“What? Seven to ten days?”
Gideon grew anxious and Zachary helplessly asked, “Why the urgency?”
He explained, “You see, our merchandise has a dubious origin. The three pieces you acquired today cost over two million US
dollars in total. Once we settle the foreign exchange, we need to find a way to distribute the funds across multiple personal
accounts in small increments. It takes time to withdraw the cash gradually.”
Gideon furrowed his brow and asked, “What do you mean? Why is it so complicated?”
Zachary replied with a hint of resignation, “Sir, do you truly understand? We can’t simply collect the money, we have to launder it
first! Otherwise, if the money remains in your personal account, it will attract attention and in the event of any trouble, it could be
confiscated.”
Gideon grasped the modus operandi of this organization. The profits generated from their illicit activities excavating and selling
antiques constituted black money. Consequently, not laundering the funds obtained through illegal means carried inherent risks.
Although he understood the necessity, impatience got the better of him and he blurted out, “Zachary, I can’t wait for seven to ten
days!”
Zachary shrugged helplessly, “If you can’t wait, there’s nothing I can do. Frankly, we’ve already cleared out a lot from that tomb
and I’d love to sell you more. But, unfortunately, I’m just a pawn here. I don’t have the authority to decide on such matters.”
Refusing to give up, Gideon pleaded, “Zachary, please, help me out. I can arrange a trade at any time within the next two or
three days. You don’t need to worry about the money, I have plenty! If you can convince your superiors to sell the goods to me as

soon as possible and deliver, I’ll give you an extra 10 as a gratuity. But if it’s too late, I might have no choice but to leave.”
With a touch of embarrassment, Zachary responded, “Um... Two or three days is a bit rushed. It will take at least five to seven
days.”
Gideon grew even more restless and exclaimed, “I have a lot on my plate and I simply don’t have enough time to stay in Aurous
Hill...”
After gritting his teeth, he continued, “Zachary, at the latest, I’ll wait for you until nightfall. If you manage to acquire the goods,
find me at the Holiday Hotel by the west gate of Antique Street!”