The Charismatic Charlie Wade

Noticing the wad of cash, Ladden’s eyes lit up as the other party handed him several hundred dollar bills.
Without bothering to count them, he swiftly pocketed the money, casting a furtive glance around before turning to Gideon with a
miserable expression. “Master, to be honest, this finger charm isn’t something I can sell at the drop of a hat. It belongs to my
elder brother, you see. I’m supposed to wear it and use it as a token when I pick up people at the airport.”
“A token?” Gideon’s brow furrowed slightly. He couldn’t help but question why an ordinary person possessed a magical artifact. If
it was merely a fortuitous encounter, he could buy it from this guy at a slightly higher price and consider himself lucky. However,
the man claimed that it was a token given to him by someone else, which made Gideon grow cautious. He deliberately probed
Ladden, “Brother, can you explain the purpose of this token? Tell me more.”
Ladden chuckled, lowering his voice. “My elder brother asked me to receive Hong Kong businessmen here. They’re big
customers in the antique circle, you know. There are some shady deals that can’t be openly explained to outsiders. It’s like
secret agents. Communication requires a token.”
Ladden pointed at his signboard, wearing a determined expression. “I reckon that the name on my signboard is just a facade. It’s
all a charade. Hong Kong businessmen who come to purchase cultural relics won’t use their real names. They’ll probably rely on
this ring in my hand to confirm my connection.”
Ladden didn’t lie to Gideon. Zachary hadn’t fully explained things to them, intentionally keeping it vague and shrouded in
mystery, allowing their minds to wander and speculate. Why wasn’t there a confirmation letter for the arrival? Clearly, caution and
carefulness were necessary. And why wear a potentially lethal ring when picking someone up? Perhaps Zachary had some ties
with tomb raiders and now intended to help them sell their ill-gotten gains!
Ladden also believed that no matter the dynasty, any artifact dug up and not surrendered was illegal. If it were dug up but
secretly traded, it would be an additional crime. Zachary willingly offered him and his friend three thousand labor fees per day,
indicating that he was planning something big and didn’t care about such a paltry sum of money. It was precisely due to these
speculative possibilities that Ladden firmly believed his judgment was correct, that he had truly grasped Zachary’s intentions.
At this moment, Gideon felt a twinge of conflict within himself. On one hand, he suspected that this might be a scam, but on the
other hand, after hearing Ladden’s explanation, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this gang was providing comprehensive
services for tomb raiding, processing and selling stolen artifacts. With these thoughts swirling in his mind, he tentatively asked,
“Brother, may I ask if your elder brother is a professional antique craftsman?”

“Yes!” Ladden replied without hesitation. “He’s been in the antique business for twenty or thirty years. He’d never stoop to
stealing or cheating. He’s well versed in all kinds of antique calligraphy and painting!”
Gideon nodded, pulled out several hundred dollar bills and handed them over with a smile. “Brother, can you introduce me to
your elder brother? I genuinely want to meet him.”
Ladden cast a sidelong glance at the old man, seeing his willingness to pay and a plan took shape in his mind. Coughing
deliberately, he spoke earnestly, “Old man, you know our industry has its own rules. I don’t know who you are, so I can’t simply
take you to my elder brother. What if you’re an undercover agent? If we get caught, my life would be ruined!”
Gideon hurriedly responded, “Oh, brother, you’ve got me all wrong! How could I be involved in something like that? To tell you
the truth, I’m an overseas Chinese who recently returned to China after being abroad.”
As he said that, he swiftly presented his passport to Ladden and said sincerely, “Look, brother, I have an Argentine passport and
the entry date is clearly stamped on it.”
Ladden was fabricating stories himself, so he didn’t expect the old man before him to be an undercover agent sent by the police.
He mentioned it merely to raise the difficulty and threshold of the matter, in order to squeeze more money out of the old man.
With a serious expression, he said, “Old man, I also have a reputation to uphold. I can’t just take this item and hand it over to my
elder brother casually. If you throw a thousand dollars into an alleyway near our antique street, I might consider it. You can take
as much as you want, but I won’t keep track.”
Not fully convinced, Gideon added more money and handed it over, speaking earnestly, “Brother, let’s put everything else aside.
Look at me, at my age. Even a police officer would be retired by now. How could I be an undercover agent?”
Then, Gideon further explained, “Brother, I genuinely admire this finger charm you possess. So, I sincerely want to buy it. Here’s
my proposal, convey my interest to your elder brother and ask him to name a price. As long as it’s within my means, I’ll transfer
the money to him right away!”
Seeing the money pressed into his hands, Ladden feigned reluctance and said, “Oh, what are you doing, old man? Are you
trying to ensnare me? If my elder brother finds out and he accuses me of having no principles, I’ll never find work again.”
With that, he extended the jade finger under Gideon’s nose, wearing a mysterious expression. “Old man, I won’t say much. Just
smell this ring. Take a whiff of the faint aroma lingering in the jade crevice. Believe me when I say, it’s truly extraordinary! If
you’re an expert, you’ll instantly recognize its origin just by the scent.”

Gideon skeptically raised his nose, sniffing cautiously. He furrowed his brow and asked, “It smells stale, a touch foul, with a hint
of earthiness...”
“Yes!” Ladden exclaimed, giving a thumbs up and praising him. “Master, your sense of smell is remarkably astute! You’ve
discerned so many notes. I don’t even need to tell you the item’s origin, right?”
“Oh... I see...” Gideon nodded subtly. With 156 years of life experience, he knew the kid was speaking the absolute truth!
Carefully, he presented his conclusion. “Brother, these things were all unearthed, weren’t they?”
In an instant, Ladden’s eyes widened and he let go of the signboard under his arm, eagerly clasping Gideon’s hands. With an
admiring expression, he spoke cautiously, “Master, Congratulations! You hit the nail on the head!”