The Charismatic Charlie Wade

Maria fell into a momentary silence, her eyes searching Jagoan’s face with a mixture of gratitude and solemnity. Finally, she
nodded lightly and spoke with earnestness, “Jagoan, I can’t thank you enough...”
Jagoan couldn’t help but exhale a sigh of relief as he watched Maria accept the elixir. He believed he could do so much for her.
Although he possessed a Rejuvenation Pill now, he couldn’t bring himself to give it to Maria, knowing that she had experienced
so much in life. Instead, he opted to offer her three quarters of the enhanced Life Saving Pill as a guarantee.
As the evening wore on, Jagoan stood up and addressed the two girls, “Well, now that Cathy is alright, I should head back.”
Claudia’s reluctance was palpable as she spoke up, unable to contain herself, “Jagoan, you’ve been standing here for a while.
Why don’t you sit down for a bit? I’ll get you a glass of water!”
Jagoan smiled gently and declined, “No need, Claudia. This is a girl’s dormitory and as an older gentleman, it wouldn’t be
appropriate for me to linger for too long. If I wait a little longer, I’m sure the dormitory auntie will come up and chase me away.”
Suddenly, a thought struck Jagoan and he added, “Oh, by the way, both of you will begin military training tomorrow. It’s going to
be quite demanding, so if you have any free time then, I suggest staying within the school grounds.”
Claudia couldn’t quite grasp the meaning behind Jagoan’s words, but she nodded instinctively and replied, “Jagoan, I’ve already
spoken to Auntie and Lisa. I’ve assured them that during the two weeks of military training, I won’t be going anywhere.”
Maria surmised that Jagoan’s concern for her safety was the reason behind his words. Even though she didn’t understand the
specifics, she spoke up, “Jagoan, don’t worry. I’ll be at the school during this time and won’t leave.”
Jagoan’s voice relaxed as he responded, “That’s good to hear.”
He felt reassured knowing that the university provided a relatively closed environment that made it easy for Maria to remain
hidden. As long as she didn’t venture beyond the university’s confines, even if the Marshal of the Warriors Den were to come to
Aurous Hill, he would find it challenging to locate her. Jagoan had already arranged for Zachary’s help to act as bait and once the
Marshal showed up, Jagoan would seize the opportunity to eliminate him.
Until then, as long as Maria went undetected, nothing would happen to her.
Both girls accompanied Jagoan downstairs as he prepared to leave. Though they held their own thoughts, bidding farewell to
Jagoan stirred a sense of reluctance within them.

Jagoan got into his car but couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. He rolled down the car window and spoke to
Maria, who stood beside Claudia. “Cathy, please remember my phone number. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to contact me
directly.”
Maria was taken aback but quickly nodded and expressed her gratitude, “Of course, Jagoan. Thank you.”
Afterward, she retrieved her phone and diligently noted down the number Jagoan dictated.
Jagoan turned to Claudia and advised, “Claudia, you should also remember to reach out to me if you need anything.”
Claudia’s face lit up with a sweet smile. “I know, Jagoan!”
Feeling a sense of relief, Jagoan concluded, “Alright, you two should head back now, I’m off.”
With that, he started the car and drove away from the university.
As they made their way back to the dormitory, Claudia voiced her disappointment. “I can’t help but wonder if there is someone
else in this world as remarkable as Jagoan!”
Maria furrowed her brow, lost in her own thoughts. Upon hearing Claudia’s words, she absentmindedly responded, “Finding
someone like him is probably impossible. But if you genuinely like him, why not fight for him?”
Claudia blushed and shyly retorted, “Cathy, what are you saying? Don’t talk nonsense...”
Maria smiled mischievously and teased, “You might as well wear your affection for him on your sleeve. It’s amusing to see you
say I am talking nonsense.”
Looking around anxiously to make sure nobody was listening, Claudia whispered sternly to Maria, “Please, Cathy, be more
careful with your words. While I may have developed affections for Jagoan, it’s crucial for me to approach the situation in a
mature and appropriate manner. Jagoan is already married and my attraction to him is only temporary, just a fleeting moment in
the grand scheme of things. Therefore, it’s essential for me not to speak frivolously about this matter and keep my feelings to
myself.”
Maria spoke seriously, “If you like him and he likes you back, what does it matter if there’s an age difference?”
Embarrassed, Claudia avoided Maria’s gaze and retorted resentfully, “You... You have such warped views!”

Surprised, Maria asked, “Do I? Isn’t the purpose of life to find happiness? If you like someone but can’t be with them, then you’ll
likely never be truly happy in this life, right?”
Claudia earnestly replied, “Even if I can’t be happy, I can’t destroy someone else’s family...”
Maria shook her head, emphasizing, “I’m talking about integration. It means becoming a part of his family. That’s not destruction.”
Flustered and ashamed, Claudia hurriedly pushed open the bedroom door and dashed straight to the bathroom, muttering, “Your
views are too twisted. I won’t discuss this with you anymore. Go take a shower!”
Watching Claudia retreat to the bathroom, Maria muttered under her breath, only audible to herself, “What’s wrong with my
views? Aren’t they valid? Human civilization has existed for thousands of years. Monogamy is a relatively recent concept, isn’t
it?”
Then, shaking her head, she muttered again, “That’s right... Jagoan gave me the elixir and advised me not to leave the
university in the near future. He must believe that there’s danger on the horizon... Is it possible that the Warriors Den has already
made its way to Aurous Hill? How could I have exposed myself so quickly after being so cautious?”
As she pondered the circumstances, she swiftly took out the nine copper coins from her pocket, climbed onto the bed, uttered a
brief incantation and tossed the coins on the surface.
Maria fixed her gaze on the hexagram formed by the coins, her heart filled with more confusion. “According to the hexagram,
there’s no immediate danger awaiting her...”
Suddenly, a surge of unease washed over her. An idea struck her and she exclaimed internally, “Jagoan believes I’m in danger.
He should be aware that the Warriors Den may arrive in Aurous Hill.”
Since she hadn’t revealed her true identity, Maria wondered, “Could it be that Jagoan intends to expose me?”
With that in mind, she quickly recalled the information she had gathered about Jagoan’s birthday and began calculating. Softly
uttering a few words, she tossed the nine copper coins onto the bed once again. Fixated on the coins, Maria felt a sudden bang
in her heart. “No... Jagoan is in danger!”