The Charismatic Charlie Wade

Hearing these words, Morgana felt an icy chill shoot through her from the soles of her feet to her scalp.
It was a sensation she hadn’t experienced since the accidental rescue by Morvel more than three centuries ago on Shiwan
Mountain.
The last time panic had gripped her was when she stumbled upon Morvel’s portrait online. But now, she faced the shocking
revelation that her master, who had seemingly reached the end more than 300 years ago and ventured westward, might still be
alive today. The impact of this revelation was utterly unprecedented.
Morgana couldn’t contain the fear welling up in her heart. With a voice quivering, she stammered, “Master... Your Disciple... I... I
know that I was wrong...”
In that moment, an enraged shout pierced Morgana’s ears as Morvel’s frigid voice commanded, “Begone!”
His words struck Morgana’s heart like a thunderbolt. She dared not hesitate any longer.
Trembling, she rose, bowed to the stone wall, and whispered, “Master, I seek forgiveness for my sins. I will depart...”
Turning away with haste, she dragged her leaden legs out of the cave.
Once outside, Morgana didn’t dare linger. She briskly exited the mountain, her heartbeat racing faster and heavier than ever
before.
She muttered to herself, “How is this possible... How is this possible... Didn’t he reach his end more than three centuries ago?
Why is he still alive today?”
Her mind swirled with doubts. “No! It’s not certain whether he’s alive or dead! Perhaps he truly isn’t dead, or maybe his
consciousness endures even after death. Perhaps he died long ago, leaving behind nothing more than an illusion to torment
me...”
There was no solace to be found in Morgana’s racing thoughts. Despite considering all three possibilities, she couldn’t find a
single reassuring answer. All she wanted now was to escape Shiwan and China as swiftly as possible.
***
While Morgana fled through the mountains, Jagoan and Maria tirelessly monitored real-time footage from surveillance cameras
within dozens of kilometers of Morgana’s last known location.

The place was nestled deep in the mountains, with only two small towns along a nearly 100-kilometer stretch of highway.
Surveillance cameras were scarce, but to improve their efficiency, Maria enlisted the help of Marius, Keagan, and Larry, four
octogenarians, each operating a computer to share the workload. Jagoan also administered them an enhanced Life Saving Pill
to keep them alert and extend their lifespans by a year or two.
From night till dawn, fatigue eluded them, and dry eyes remained at bay. Then, Maria exclaimed, “It’s Morgana!” pointing at her
computer screen.
Jagoan hurried over to see the surveillance footage of a woman walking determinedly along a rural road early in the morning.
She was heading towards the camera’s location.
“Where’s this camera?” Jagoan inquired with astonishment.
Maria replied, “It’s more than 20 kilometers from where Morgana disappeared, near a town called Erdaoshan.”
Perplexed, Jagoan asked, “She vanished halfway through her journey. I suspect she left the highway somehow. Why would she
suddenly reappear here? If this was her destination, why not drive straight here?”
Shaking her head, Maria said, “I have no idea...”
As they watched, Morgana hailed a passing van in the footage. After a brief exchange with the driver, she waved a wad of red
banknotes, persuading him to accept her offer. Morgana promptly climbed into the backseat once the transaction was complete.
Jagoan was bewildered. “Where is Morgana headed?”
Maria shrugged. “I can’t fathom it, my lord...”
Jagoan decided, “For now, let’s keep an eye on her and see where that van takes her.”
“Agreed.” In the underdeveloped mountain towns, surveillance was primarily concentrated on traffic routes, allowing Maria to
track the van’s movements by switching between road cameras.
Soon, the van exited the town, heading towards the highway entrance.
Inside the dilapidated van, Morgana was eager to escape China. She messaged her crew, urging them to arrange a route for her
to fly directly from Myanmar to the nearest airport.

Originally, she had planned to exit the country using the same route she used to enter, but the unexpected turn of events made
her impatient to leave China behind.
Ten minutes later, the van emerged from a tunnel, and Morgana recognized the bridge where she had abandoned the vehicle
earlier.
She inquired of the driver, “Master, what happens if a vehicle doesn’t leave the highway for a long time? Will they investigate?”
The driver, without looking back, scoffed, “Who has the time for that? They issue cards at the entrance and collect fees at the
exit. They couldn’t care less about who stays on the expressway.”
Morgana pressed on, “Each vehicle receives a billing card at the entrance. If it’s not settled at the exit, won’t the highway
authorities look into it?”
The driver chuckled, “Investigate? Who’d bother? Every day, there are countless cars slipping through the cracks. They’re too
busy to worry about who stays on the expressway.”
He brandished his own expressway card and continued, “It’s just this piece of plastic. Useless. When we exit the expressway, I’ll
just pick a random exit and breeze through. Won’t cost me a dime. I’ve got a drawer full of these at home.”
Relieved by his response, Morgana knew her abandoned van wouldn’t be discovered anytime soon, granting her ample time to
vanish from China by any means possible.
***
Meanwhile, Jagoan and Maria remained oblivious to Morgana’s current situation.
They had no way of knowing that the van she had boarded was now heading in the opposite direction of her earlier journey.
Jagoan furrowed his brows and wondered, “Is Morgana leaving?”
Maria nodded, puzzled herself. “It seems so, but it’s rather hasty. After all the trouble she went through to reach Shiwan, why
leave so soon? Could it be that she’s avoiding someone?”
Jagoan mused, “I don’t know.”
Suddenly, his face lit up with excitement. “Regardless, let’s keep tracking that van. Once Morgana leaves the mountain, we must
act swiftly!”