The Charismatic Charlie Wade

“Enough with the excuses.” Zachary impatiently waved his hand. “Let me tell you the truth. I asked for three million just to attract
undercover agents. Any genuine antique connoisseur would publicly ridicule us upon hearing that price. They would outright
refuse. My intention is to play along, gather more clues when they’re lured in.”
He continued, a smug grin forming on his face. “But let me tell you, your little trick won’t work on me!”
Gideon was rendered momentarily speechless. He hadn’t anticipated that the three million dollar offer had been intended for
such a purpose all along.
Considering his earlier speculations, he firmly believed that this group of people was a tomb-robbing gang specializing in selling
stolen antiques. Zachary’s words only reinforced his conviction.
After all, he believed that a criminal organization capable of long-term survival must be cautious and cunning, employing
countless methods to evade detection. Doubting everything was a necessary precaution.
In light of China’s stringent and cautious organizational structure, Gideon had no doubts about Zachary’s performance. The more
he feared Zachary’s misunderstanding, the quicker he smiled and pleaded, “Boss, you’ve truly misunderstood me. I’m not an
undercover agent. I genuinely want to purchase something I like...”
“Alright, alright,” Zachary dismissed him with a perfunctory tone. “Say whatever you want. You enjoy fine things, don’t you? If you
like them so much, go on a shopping spree in the antique street and buy more. Just don’t interfere with my business.”
Witnessing Zachary’s indifference and his refusal to listen to his explanation, Gideon seethed with anger, wishing he could strike
Zachary down right then and there. But he quickly dismissed those thoughts. He knew his mission in Aurous Hill all too well. His
orders from the Lord were clear, eliminate the Evans family and wait for Bruce’s son to reveal himself.
Having arrived in Aurous Hill alone, he should have immediately set out to fulfill his task. Yet, he had disembarked from the plane
and made a beeline for the antique street. If any trouble arose from this, if word reached the Lord’s ears, he would have no way
to justify his actions.
Hence, Gideon suppressed the anger simmering within him and in an almost pleading tone he said to Zachary, “Brother, please
understand me. If you don’t trust me, just provide me with your bank account number. I’ll transfer the three million directly to you!
After all, no undercover agent would genuinely spend three million to buy your antiques, right?”
“Well, who knows,” Zachary sneered, his lips curling. “I’m not an enforcement officer. I’ve never encountered one before. What
good would your money do? If you really are an undercover agent, that money would be your mission fund. You wouldn’t need to

pay for it yourself. Once I receive the money, I would be convicted of illegally reselling antiques. At that point, you would flash
your police badge and slap on the handcuffs. I’d be arrested, the money returned and I’d be singing behind bars, crying in regret.
That’s what you’re trying to accomplish, isn’t it?”
“Why won’t you listen!” Gideon stomped his feet anxiously. He never imagined that this man would be so cautious, perhaps even
overly cautious.
Moreover, no matter what he said, Zachary refused to believe him. He wouldn’t even entertain the idea of receiving the money.
There was no room for a moment of reflection!
In his heart, he cursed furiously, “Damn it, if I didn’t have to abide by the law, I’d rip your head off!”
Gideon seethed with anger, his fury blinding him to the fact that his rage had made him vulnerable to believing every word that
came out of Zachary’s mouth. Unbeknownst to him, he had unwittingly adopted Zachary’s perspective as his own.
He had convinced himself that Zachary was an esteemed antique dealer with close ties to tomb raiding. He firmly believed that
these two magical artifacts, which he considered his good fortune, could never be a trap of any kind!
All he could think about at that moment was how in the world he could make that damned Zachary believe in him and persuade
him to purchase the magical artifacts in his possession. Suppressing his anger, he replied with a calm and humble voice, “Boss, I
assure you I’m not an undercover agent. If you have any doubts, I can arrange for a settlement in US dollars through an
overseas account.”
“Dollars, you say?” Zachary’s eyes gleamed as he inquired, “Can you trade in US dollars?”
“Yes!” Gideon blurted out without hesitation, “Just give me your card number and I’ll send you the money immediately!”
However, he added a word of caution, “Once the money is in your account, you’ll have to handle the exchange yourself to
convert it into RMB.”
Zachary gave him a blank stare and retorted, “Who do you think you’re looking down on? We’re in the business of dealing with
overseas buyers all the time, alright?”
Realizing his slip of the tongue, Gideon quickly apologized to Zachary to avoid any negative impressions. “I’m sorry, Boss. It was
my mistake to speak out of turn. Please forgive me!”

Zachary managed to keep his cool, though he sent Gideon a look of disapproval as he said, “I don’t appreciate talking to experts
like you who make subtle jabs at others, acting as though I’m not experienced enough to understand such behavior. You will
send me some money, yet I wasn’t even informed that I had to handle the currency exchange.”
“Yes, yes, yes, yes...” Gideon smiled with a tinge of regret. “I apologize. Considering the scale of your business, it’s
understandable that you were aware of the dollar settlement...”
With that, Gideon swiftly changed the subject and suggested, “Boss, why don’t you provide me with your bank card number and
I’ll transfer the money right away!”
Zachary nodded and reminded him, “Dollars, ah, at an exchange rate of one to six, you can transfer half a million directly to me.”
Gideon knew that the exchange rate must be off and Zachary was pocketing hundreds of thousands in profit. But he didn’t bother
to count it at that moment. The fact that Zachary was willing to accept his money was enough to make him excited. He
immediately took out his mobile phone and said, “Boss, give me your card number and I’ll transfer the money to you right now!”
Zachary retrieved his phone and provided Gideon with his bank card information.
Not long after, Gideon, using a Swiss bank card, transferred $500,000 to Zachary.
As soon as Zachary confirmed that the money had been transferred, a smile lit up his face and he joyfully exclaimed, “It seems
my suspicion was unfounded. Since the money has successfully been credited to my account, you are definitely not an
undercover agent!”
Gideon was ultimately absolved of any wrong doing and he couldn’t help but feel relieved. However, a slight annoyance lingered
within him as he exclaimed, “Come on, really? I’ve been around for ages. How could I possibly be some sort of police spy?”
Zachary nodded and chuckled, “I misjudged you earlier, my apologies! But you also know, in our line of work, caution ensures
longevity. Those who only think about making money and are willing to sell to anyone who buys from them usually go under
within a year and a half. Look at me, I’ve been in the Aurous Hills antique circle for over twenty years, never capsized. It all
depends on being cautious.”
Gideon smiled and agreed, “You’re absolutely right. Being cautious is always the way to go!”
With that settled, he asked, “Boss, now that I’ve paid you the money, when can I obtain the finger ring?”

“Later,” Zachary replied casually. “I have my men waiting for the Hong Kong businessman at the airport. Hong Kong
businessmen are cautious, they never make calls or send messages. They won’t even disclose which flight they’re taking to
Aurous Hills. They’ll only identify themselves using a code word and a token once they meet. So, they could arrive at any time
and my men have to wait there constantly.”
Zachary dared not let Ladden come over because he had deceived Ladden as well. If Ladden came and left something behind,
everything would be ruined. Therefore, Zachary pondered and suggested, “How about this? I’ll ask him to find a runner in the
same city and send you the finger ring.”
Gideon quickly objected, “No, I can’t do that. I can’t entrust such an expensive item to someone else... If it’s inconvenient for
your man to come, then I’ll go and collect it from him myself later. Just instruct him.”
“The runners don’t know what that is and they’re faster on a motorcycle than in a car. They can be there in half an hour,” Zachary
confidently assured him.
Seeing Zachary’s unwavering confidence, Gideon didn’t argue further. After all, he had a bigger target in mind, the piece of
lightning struck wood displayed prominently on Zachary’s stall. So, pretending to be nonchalant, he said, “In that case, I’ll wait
here for a while and see if you have any other interesting items.”
Zachary nodded and encouraged, “Feel free to look around and let me know if anything catches your eye.”
“Great!” Gideon exclaimed. He pretended to scan the stall for a few moments before pointing at the piece of thunderstruck wood
and inquiring, “Boss, how much for this thunderstruck wood?”
Without thinking, Zachary responded, “Five million.”
Gideon wasn’t concerned about the price, he simply asked, “May I have a closer look?”
Zachary nodded, saying, “Go ahead.”
Gideon took the thunderstruck wood in his hand and immediately sensed the presence of a concealed attack formation within it.
He recognized it as an attack formation due to its striking resemblance to the one in the wooden sword given to him by the
British lord. It appeared to be the same type of formation. To avoid triggering the attack formation, he swiftly retracted his aura.
At that moment, his excitement grew even more!

Although he wasn’t entirely sure of the Jade ring’s effects, he knew with certainty that the Lightning Struck Wood was an
offensive magical weapon!
To a monk, an offensive magical weapon held immense significance. It served as a crucial tool to combat enemies when faced
with danger. He couldn’t wait to find a secluded place where he could test the offensive capabilities of this magical weapon
without any distractions!
With anticipation in his voice, he said to Zachary, “Boss, I’ll take this piece of lightning wood as well!”
Zachary nodded in agreement, “You can have it for 800,000 US dollars.”
Without hesitation, Gideon replied, “Shall I wire it to the same card you provided earlier?”
Zachary nodded affirmatively, “Yes, go ahead with the transfer!”