"Dragon Son-in-law" a.k.a. Millionaire Son-in-law, Charlie Wade Story. Translated by Junlee (aka Jungal2000)

Charlie Wade is a househusband son-in-law whom everyone looks down upon. However, unknown to them, his true identity is that of the young master from a top-tier family. Those who once belittled him will eventually kneel before him, trembling with fear and calling him "Master!" ...

The MC is Charlie Wade, and there's this girl Claire Wilson. They're in this savage clapback novel called "Ultimate Dragon Honcho", penned by this dude Ye Gongzi. Everyone knew Charlie Wade was the son-in-law of the Wilson family. Like, Grandpa Wilson legit pulled this broke boy outta nowhere and made him marry his grand daughter/princess, Claire. But bro's got no skills, no dough , and Claire had to deal with so much BS 'cause of him. He even had the nerve to ask for money during Grandma Wilson's big party, making Claire hella embarrassed . They kicked Charlie Wade out, but then plot twist! Some butler dude shows up. Turns out, Charlie Wade's actually from the uber-rich Wade clan. The butler's like, "Come home, fam." But since his parents were, like, done dirty by the Wade fam, he's like "Nah." But he did take his grandpa’s black card loaded with 10 billion. #MicDrop


Author: Charlie Wade
Category: Urban Fiction
Status: Ongoing
Last Updated: October 18, 2023

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

Me too, I wondered what I had done!

Hey Gily, the dark mode that we love is gone,you trying to prank us? Too early for April fools day..

 

[OpeOla]

So, just the two of us?

I've been wanting to say the same thing....
Please help us change it back to the dark theme

 

[Prince of War]

So, just the two of us?

It's just hard to get used to it

 

[Gily]

Please go down and click the pen and cto change the theme.

 

[Gily]

Hey Gily, the dark mode that we love is gone,you trying to prank us? Too early for April fools day..

Haha dude you wanna burst my ribs today. Click the pen in the bottom of the phone to change the theme

 

[Gily]

I already fixed dark theme from the system. Is it back for everyone?

 

[Rossan]

I already fixed dark theme from the system. Is it back for everyone?

yes

 

[Gily]

yes

Why are people only busy reading stories not posting threads of their own.

If you have stories to share all do share on here. So we all could advice.

1. If your wife is cheating on you.
2. Having suicidal thoughts
3. You caught your parent having sex or whatever
4. Your girl is begging you to fuck her anal
5. Trying to find a girl
Or many other stories share....

 

[Prince of War]

yes

It is dark now, thanks much.

 

[OpeOla]

I already fixed dark theme from the system. Is it back for everyone?

Yes master

 

[fatboy]

Why are people only busy reading stories not posting threads of their own.

If you have stories to share all do share on here. So we all could advice.

1. If your wife is cheating on you.
2. Having suicidal thoughts
3. You caught your parent having sex or whatever
4. Your girl is begging you to fuck her anal
5. Trying to find a girl
Or many other stories share....

Someone looking friends for pervert sect

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

I already fixed dark theme from the system. Is it back for everyone?

Thank u.. I hope u can fix the images too.. Its not displaying like it was before.

 

[SMLim]

I already fixed dark theme from the system. Is it back for everyone?

BOSS.. you itchy finger ran a system update didnt you?

Now now go take a deep breath.. and a cigarette/beer/tea break.
And pray ... ... all is good... Just like Will Smith in Bad Boys 2... wooooosaaaaahhhh...... breathe...

Nextime.. be careful running a system update unless you receive enlightenment like Charlie Wade ...

Or pray pray before + during + after an update...

 

[undeadpumpkin]

Thank u.. I hope u can fix the images too.. Its not displaying like it was before.

I did notice this.

Also with the dark, it was just cos everyone was on system preferences which changed to light mode lol, I just put it to personal and changed that to dark. Peps need to work stuff out for themselves sometimes

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

Chapter 1601 - "Flight Plans and Favors: A WeChat Exchange"

Charlie sat in Feliciano's car on the way to the Snow family's house. Along the journey, Elsa sent him a WeChat message, saying, "Charlie, I've already booked our tickets back to Aurous Hill. Tomorrow morning at nine, is that okay?"

"Sure," Charlie replied. "How much for the tickets? I'll transfer the money to you."

Elsa complained, "It's just one ticket, and you still want to give me money? You're being too formal with me!"

Charlie replied earnestly, "You've paid for me, how can I not repay you?"

Elsa huffed and asked, "Then, considering you've saved me several times, how can I not repay you? Mr. Wade, when will you give me a chance to reciprocate?"

Charlie was momentarily speechless, then reluctantly said, "Alright, I won't be formal about the ticket. See you at the airport tomorrow morning."

Elsa said, "Make sure you're at the airport before eight, don't be late."

Charlie assured her, "Don't worry, I'll be at the airport on time."

After hanging up the phone, Feliciano, who was sitting beside him, nervously asked, "Mr. Wade, are you really going back to Aurous Hill tomorrow?"

"Yes."

Feliciano asked again, "Mr. Wade, when will you come back?"

"Not sure yet."

Feliciano felt a sense of despair. He had been thinking that if Charlie stayed in Eastcliff, he could frequently visit his uncle's family to curry favor with him. Perhaps after some time, Charlie would forgive his past actions, thus allowing him to regain his fertility.

But now that Charlie was leaving Eastcliff tomorrow, there would be no chance to curry favor with him. What should he do?

If Charlie only decided to restore him three to five years later, how could he endure these three to five years?

Charlie saw through his thoughts and said calmly, "Even if I'm not in Eastcliff, you can still perform well in front of your uncle's family. If they are satisfied with your performance, I can consider restoring you ahead of schedule."

Feliciano finally breathed a sigh of relief and said hurriedly, "Mr. Wade, rest assured, I will definitely work hard!"

...

When Charlie returned to the Snow family's house, Geraldo had already gone to the Snow Corporation. Having recovered from his illness and in excellent health, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to work, seizing the opportunity to strengthen his control over the Snow Corporation.

Apart from the servants, Charlie only saw Haidee lying on the sofa reading a novel.

Because the villa was equipped with underfloor heating, even though it was the depths of winter outside, it remained very warm inside, with the room temperature hovering around 28 degrees Celsius. One could wear shorts and short sleeves at home just like in summer.

Haidee was wearing a lace nightgown, her long and slender white legs overlapping and exposed to the air.

Her figure was indeed the best among all the women Charlie had ever seen, surpassing even Dianne Ward, the perennial martial arts practitioner known as little chili pepper.

This was mainly because Haidee's body proportions were exceptionally good; she was the epitome of the coveted nine-head figure. The term "nine-head figure" refers to a woman whose height is nine times the length of her face. Women with such proportions have the most perfect body shape, and it's extremely rare to find women with such perfect proportions in real life. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they are one in a million.







Chapter 1602 - "Past Pacts and Playful Paths: Haidee's Secret Spot"

Seeing Charlie return, Haidee stood up with joy, taking a few steps and running to him, saying cheerfully, "Brother Charlie, how come you're back so early? I thought you wouldn't be back until tonight!"

Feeling her arms tightly wrapped around his, Charlie couldn't help but feel a bit unsettled, but he dared not entertain any crooked thoughts and spoke, "Just attended a birthday banquet, finished, so I came back."

With that, Charlie asked her, "Are Uncle and Auntie not here?"

"Yeah." Haidee coquettishly replied, "My dad went to the group, and my mom went to attend a charity banquet, with charity auctions and a cocktail party and such, not having dinner at home tonight."

Charlie nodded, knowing that with Amelia's status and position, she was also among the top-tier socialites in Eastcliff. With her husband making a high-profile comeback, she also had to make a high-profile return in her own way to support her husband effectively.

At this moment, Haidee tentatively asked, "Brother Charlie, are you sure you're leaving tomorrow?"

Charlie said, "Yeah, leaving tomorrow."

Haidee looked somewhat disappointed, hesitated for a moment, then remembered something and said, "Brother Charlie, would you accompany me for a stroll outside?"

Charlie asked her, "You're a big star, just casually going out, won't you be followed by paparazzi?"

Haidee smiled, "Just like when I went to the airport to pick you up last time, I'll disguise myself!"

With that, Haidee continued, "Let me take you to the places we used to play in our childhood, okay? Do you still remember Drum and Gong Alley?"

"Drum and Gong Alley?" Charlie frowned slightly, feeling both unfamiliar and familiar with the name.

Haidee said, "It's the place where our parents used to take us often when we were kids. There are many vendors, small shops, lots of delicious and fun things. And Drum and Gong Alley is next to Back Sea. We used to go ice skating on Back Sea in winter. Do you remember?"

In Charlie's mind, scenes from his childhood suddenly emerged.

The image of himself and Haidee, accompanied by their parents, going to Drum and Gong Alley to eat candied fruit, playing on the ice at Back Sea.

Winter in Eastcliff was very cold, and the lake surface of Back Sea would freeze thick. After the ice was frozen, people would go ice skating and play on ice carts on the lake surface. Children would sit on homemade ice carts, moving with two iron rods poking the ice surface.

In that era, children didn't have many electronic gadgets to play with, so as soon as winter came, Charlie would long to go ice skating on Back Sea.

He remembered that Haidee's parents had a very beautiful quadrangle courtyard by the side of Back Sea. Every time their parents took him to Back Sea, they would first visit Haidee's parents, then have a meal in Haidee's quadrangle courtyard.

Now thinking back, those memories that hadn't surfaced in his mind for more than ten years were still vivid.

At that time, Haidee was like a shadow, wrapped in a thick cotton coat, like a little cotton ball, her small hands poking out from the sleeves of the coat, tightly holding onto her own clothes, once grabbed, she wouldn't let go.

At that time, she always had the few words "Brother Charlie" on her lips, her voice sweet and sticky, with a hint of shyness, incredibly cute.

But that place he loved most in his childhood, he hadn't visited in eighteen years.

Thinking of this, Charlie's heart was also filled with nostalgia.

So he asked Haidee, "Sis, is your family's quadrangle courtyard by Back Sea still there?"

"It is!" Haidee smiled and said, "It's a protected building, not allowed to be demolished. My dad spent quite a bit of money renovating it a couple of years ago. If it weren't for the traffic congestion in the city center now, we would all want to move there permanently."

As she spoke, she couldn't hide her excitement and asked, "Brother Charlie, do you want me to take you there now?"

Memories flooded Charlie's mind, and he became excited too, blurting out, "Yes!"






Chapter 1603 - "Sweet Burdens and Innocent Charms: Haidee's Joyful Adventure"

Upon receiving a definite response from Charlie, Haidee danced with joy, hopping and skipping back to her room. She immediately changed into a thick, long down jacket.

To conceal her identity, she even brought along a warm mask and a furry hat adorned with two cute rabbit ears.

Additionally, she held a pair of round-framed glasses. After putting them on, she transformed into an adorable and innocent girl, quite different from the style of Haidee, who captivated all men and drove them crazy.

In truth, Haidee had a mischievous and cute nature.

She was simple-minded, lacked romantic experience, and had no insights into dealing with the opposite sex. She also didn't harbor any of the secretive thoughts that other girls had.

Charlie saw a glimpse of her childhood innocence in her face. Looking back now, Haidee was his sweet burden from childhood.

The term "sweet burden" was used because, although he didn't want her to follow him around every day like a clingy sibling calling him "Brother Charlie," deep down he enjoyed her presence around him.

Seeing Charlie staring at her somewhat absentmindedly, Haidee's cheeks flushed slightly, and she shyly said, "Brother Charlie, why are you looking at me like that..."

Charlie snapped out of his thoughts, awkwardly but politely smiling, "I just suddenly remembered something from childhood and got distracted."

Feeling sweet and joyful inside, Haidee lowered her eyelids slightly and softly said, "Let's hurry up and go!"

To avoid exposing Haidee's identity as much as possible, Charlie and she drove the inconspicuous old Volvo from the villa area to the city center.

Back Sea, located in the central area of Eastcliff, could be considered one of the most prosperous places in the entire city.

Moreover, this area had not been overly developed, and the protection of the old quadrangle courtyards was well-maintained. If one wanted to experience the life of old Eastcliff and its alleyways, they had to come to such places.

After more than half an hour, Haidee drove the car into an alley near Back Sea. From this slightly narrow alley, it was difficult to tell whether each household inside belonged to ordinary families or wealthy ones.

In Eastcliff, there were two kinds of people who lived in quadrangle courtyards.

One kind was very poor, living in old dilapidated houses, possibly without even a toilet at home, needing to run to public toilets every day for relief, even in the dead of winter nights, they had to get up and run to the public toilet.

The other kind was very wealthy.

To live well in a quadrangle courtyard, one needed sufficient money to make it very comfortable.

Because most quadrangle courtyards were single-story buildings, from the outside, no one could tell what they looked like inside; only by going in could one discover their differences.

Some quadrangle courtyards were cramped and cluttered, with coal balls, bicycles, and jars of pickled vegetables filling the corridors, making it difficult to walk, and there were many shanties built haphazardly inside, posing many safety hazards.

But some quadrangle courtyards, though inconspicuous from the outside, revealed a different world inside.

Haidee's family quadrangle courtyard was one such place.

While others' quadrangle courtyards were cramped and disorderly, the Snow family's quadrangle courtyard was grand and ancient!

Inside, there was not only a whole piece of Han white jade carved screen, but also nine majestic dragons carved on it in various postures.








Chapter 1604 - "Koi-nnections and Childhood Recollections: Haidee's Tour of Time"

This is the Nine Dragon Screen, a quintessential feature found only in ancient royal architecture. It can be considered the highest standard of its kind, with a similar one found in the Forbidden City.

In modern times, it's not much of an issue, but in ancient times, apart from the emperor, no one could possess such a high-standard item.

Once discovered by the royal family, it would be considered treason, punishable by the execution of nine generations.

Moreover, this quadrangle courtyard consists of four entries and exits. The entrance courtyard is adorned with a miniature version of the Suzhou-Hangzhou classical garden, complete with artificial hills, pavilions, small bridges, and flowing water.

There are only a few loyal servants of the Snow family in the quadrangle, so Haidee has no reservations. She removes her mask, links arms with Charlie, and says to him, "Brother Charlie, do you remember this courtyard? When we were young, we used to play hide and seek here."

Charlie nods and says, "I remember, but it feels like there are some discrepancies with my memories."

Haidee smiles and says, "It has been renovated, so there have been some changes compared to before."

She points to the frozen pond and says, "There used to be many beautiful koi fish here, some of which have been raised by the Snow family for over thirty years, and some you've seen before! But now that it's cold, the koi fish have been moved to the nearby wing room for shelter. Would you like to go see them when spring comes?"

Charlie is surprised and says, "Koi fish can live that long?"

Haidee chuckles and says, "The lifespan of koi fish is around sixty to seventy years. If they are well taken care of, they can live even longer."

She then earnestly counts on her fingers, "You see, there are several types of pets. If you take good care of them, they might outlive you. One of those is koi fish, and then there are turtles and parrots. Both macaws and cockatoos can live to be sixty or seventy years old."

As she finishes speaking, she takes Charlie's hand and says, "Come, I'll show you them. Let's see if you can still recognize them!"

Subsequently, Haidee leads Charlie to a wing room beside the courtyard.

The wing room is quite large, with over half of the space converted into a temperature-controlled fish pond, where a large number of sizable koi fish swim around.

Haidee points to one of them, nearly a meter long, and excitedly says, "Do you remember it? You used to call it Big Bear, after the Doraemon character."

Charlie smiles and nods, "I remember, in my childhood memories, it seemed to be the largest."

Haidee nods and says, "It's a Taisho Sanke koi. My dad said the price he paid for it back then was equivalent to a three-bedroom apartment in the third ring road of Eastcliff."

Charlie is slightly surprised, but not overly shocked. Koi fish are actually quite expensive. He's seen news before where the daughter of the Sangley family spent over ten million to acquire one. So, the value of precious koi fish cannot be measured by the standards of ordinary ornamental fish.

At this moment, Haidee bends down at the edge of the fish pond, waves her hand, and calls out to the large koi. Unexpectedly, the koi swims over directly, and Haidee reaches out to touch it without any resistance.

As Haidee strokes the koi, she says, "Big Bear, look, Brother Charlie has come to see you. Do you remember him? He remembers you."

Although koi fish are not afraid of people and may have become somewhat familiar with Haidee, they are still not sentient beings and cannot respond to her words.

Haidee continues talking to herself. Then she lifts her head and says to Charlie, "My dad said that Big Bear is only thirty years old this year. With proper care, it can live for another forty years. We used to play with it when we were young, and when we have children, they can play with it too!"









Chapter 1605 - "Melting Hearts and Frozen Memories: Charlie and Haidee's Winter Wonderland"

Although Charlie didn't respond to Haidee's words, the memories of childhood kept resurfacing in his mind, subtly bringing them closer together.

He even imagined a scenario in his mind: if his parents were still alive and he hadn't ended up in Aurous Hill, would he have already been married to Haidee by now?

Perhaps, standing beside this pond of koi fish wouldn't just be him and Haidee, but also their parents.

And it was entirely possible that one or two children would be tagging along, chirping around them, calling them "mom" and "dad" in their childish voices, asking countless questions about the koi fish.

In fact, all of this wasn't just Charlie's baseless imagination.

He knew his father's personality well. Drake, the second master of the Wade family, was a man of his word. If he were still alive, Charlie dared not say a word against marrying Haidee, fearing his own legs might be broken.

Moreover, most of the top-tier rich second generations in Eastcliff got married early because their families had arranged marriage partners for them long ago. By the legal age of marriage, they would immediately proceed with the wedding.

In that case, Charlie might have already married Haidee when he was twenty-two.

Calculating up to now, he might have been married to Haidee for four years already, and having two children would be quite normal if he were more efficient.

Seeing Charlie lost in thought, Haidee asked softly beside him, "Brother Charlie, what are you thinking about?"

Charlie smiled bitterly and replied, "I was thinking about my parents."

Haidee sighed softly, "I was just thinking about Uncle Wade and Aunt Wade too. I was thinking, if they hadn't encountered any accidents back then, maybe we would have been married long ago, and we might have had children by now. Today, the gathering here might have involved three generations."

Charlie was visibly startled.

He didn't expect Haidee to think along the same lines as him.

He couldn't help but feel emotional. Haidee had accepted her identity as his fiancée since childhood, and for so many years, finding him and marrying him had been her life goal. If he ever betrayed her, how could he face Geraldo and Amelia? And in the afterlife, how could he face his parents?

Haidee, unaware of Charlie's inner turmoil, gently held his hand and said, "I'm sorry, Brother Charlie, I shouldn't have mentioned Uncle Wade and Aunt Wade, making you sad..."

Charlie shook his head and smiled, "It's okay. So many years have passed, it's not that heartbreaking anymore, more of a regret..."

Taking advantage of their joined hands, Haidee pulled Charlie up and said with a smile, "Brother Charlie, let's go out and have fun!"

Charlie nodded, shaking off the melancholic thoughts in his mind, and together with Haidee, they strolled around the quadrangle and then headed to Back Sea.

Throughout the journey, Haidee refused to let go of his hand, and seeing her so cheerful, Charlie didn't insist.

Although the weather was very cold now, for the true Eastcliff locals, this was the best time for ice skating on the Back Sea lake.

Therefore, Back Sea was bustling with activity, with people of all ages frolicking on the ice.

Hand in hand, Charlie and Haidee stepped onto the ice. They rented a two-seater ice sled from an old man on the shore, and then Charlie took Haidee onto the ice to play freely.

At this moment, there was an extremely surprised gaze in the crowd, staring at Charlie incessantly!

The owner of this gaze was Elsa.

Elsa was also a genuine local girl from Eastcliff. Because she was leaving Eastcliff and returning to Aurous Hill tomorrow, she was especially nostalgic for the experience of skating on Back Sea. So, she dragged along a little cousin from home to come and play at Back Sea.








Chapter 1606 - "Ice-Cold Realizations: Love on Thin Ice"

They arrived a tad earlier than Charlie and Haidee. The two had been happily skating for over half an hour when, just as they were about to take a breather, they spotted Charlie strolling hand in hand with Haidee!

Haidee was all bundled up in a thick mask, black-framed glasses, and an adorable bunny-eared hat, so Elsa couldn't recognize her at all. But Charlie didn't bother hiding his face, and since Haidee was the girl he'd been dreaming of, he naturally recognized Charlie at once!

In that moment, her whole worldview and understanding were completely turned upside down!

Why on earth was Charlie holding hands with a girl for ice skating?!

And they were so intimate, it just didn't seem right!

If she remembered correctly, Charlie had never been this close even with Claire

Could it be... Could it be that Charlie had been cheating all along?!

She had been expressing her love to Charlie all this time, and he had always firmly rejected her, citing loyalty to Claire. She had never thought he would be hand in hand with a young beauty in Eastcliff!

Though she couldn't see Haidee's face, judging from her figure, she must be an absolute beauty. With such a figure, she could easily outshine not only herself but even Claire

Elsa's mood sank to the depths of despair.

She couldn't help but think to herself, "No wonder Charlie always refused my love. Turns out, he found someone new in Eastcliff..."

Elsa's cousin noticed her sudden stillness and asked curiously, "Sis, what's wrong with you?"

Elsa snapped out of it with a bitter smile. "Nothing, just lost in thought."

Her cousin grinned, "Are you reluctant to leave? Why not quit working for that Emgrand Group and come back to Eastcliff?"

Elsa also felt somewhat lost.

Her family didn't really want her to return.

Her dad, uncles, and grandpa all hoped she would stay in Eastcliff, wishing for something to develop between her and the eldest son of the Snow family, Feliciano.

But Elsa was determined to go back.

Her reason for wanting to return wasn't for the job at Emgrand Group, nor for its mysterious chairman, but for Charlie Wade.

Charlie had saved her more than once, and that time when she got injured on her leg, she had even had skin contact with him. Deep down, she had already fallen for him completely, to the point where she felt that if she couldn't be with Charlie in this life, even if she became his secret lover, she would willingly accept it.

After all, her love for him was selfless and unconditional. Being an unofficial lover, she could at least be his woman.

Even if she would be criticized, even if she would become a social pariah, even if her best friend Claire turned against her, she would still do it without hesitation.

But at this moment, she suddenly realized that she might not even have the qualification to be Charlie's secret lover.

Because, at this moment, the girl sitting on the ice cart with Charlie, having a blast, was probably Charlie's real secret lover, right?

With that thought, Elsa's eyes reddened with tears.

Suddenly, she envied that faceless girl. Though she was just Charlie's secret lover, he treated her so tenderly, so considerately, accompanying her like a boyfriend. Wasn't that what she had been longing for all along?

Well, that's a twist in the tale, isn't it? The ice melts, but the heartache freezes over. Such is the drama of life in the kingdom of love!








Chapter 1607 - "The Great Back Sea Rescue: Charlie's Icy Endeavor"

At this moment, Charlie had no inkling that he was being closely observed by Elsa.

He was completely immersed in ice skating, a leisure activity he had adored since childhood. After all, everyone has a bit of childlike wonder within them, and Charlie was no exception.

In the midst of his joy, a child on ice skates, picking up speed as he glided across the ice, was heading straight towards Charlie and Haidee's ice sled.

Unexpectedly, the child lost control of his direction, coming closer and closer to Haidee without making any attempt to turn aside, heading straight for a collision.

Just as it seemed they were about to collide, the child screamed in terror, startling Haidee when she glanced over.

Though the child appeared to be barely in his early teens and weighed no more than sixty or seventy pounds, the momentum behind him was not to be underestimated once he gained speed.

What made it even more perilous was that the child wasn't wearing regular ice skates but blades, sharp and pointed. Any contact could result in serious injury!

Seeing this, Charlie hastily jumped off the ice sled and swiftly scooped Haidee into his arms, pivoting to move her away from the impending collision.

However, unable to bear the thought of the child getting hurt, Charlie impulsively kicked the ice sled, sending it veering off in another direction just as the child was about to crash into it.

The child, inexperienced and lacking reflexes, was on the brink of crashing into the ice sled, so frightened that he covered his eyes.

In the meantime, with another kick from Charlie, the ice sled continued its forward momentum, causing the child to accelerate even faster than before!

Elsa, not far away, was positioned in a direct line between the child, Charlie, and herself. With Charlie and Haidee blocking the view of the young girl, she couldn't quite make out what was happening, nor did she see the girl losing control on the ice.

All she saw was Charlie unexpectedly lifting the woman into his arms, giving her what seemed like an affectionate princess carry, which left her feeling both sour and irritated.

She couldn't help but think to herself, "Charlie is being too much! It's one thing to meet a lover in Eastcliff, but to flaunt affection so brazenly in a public place like Back Sea, isn't that too audacious?"

As she simmered with indignation, suddenly a dark shadow rushed towards her, and her cousin shouted, "Ah! Elsa, watch out!"

Before she could react, the shadow was already upon her!

It was only at this moment that Elsa shifted her attention from Charlie and Haidee to the dark figure hurtling towards her.

When she finally saw clearly, she realized that the figure rushing towards her was a girl, eyes covered in fear, screaming in terror, leaving Elsa at a loss for what to do.

Anyone who's ever skated or skied knows the most fundamental safety rule: always stay clear of someone who's lost control!

On ice or snow, if someone can't brake, their speed can quickly reach a dangerously high level. Being struck by a person or a vehicle at high speed doesn't make much difference.

And both ice skates and ski edges are extremely hard and sharp, capable of causing severe injuries with ease.

At this point, Elsa didn't know what to do, mentally preparing herself for the possibility of being violently struck by the child.

Just as the child's ice skate was about to make contact, she couldn't help but close her eyes and scream.

But, to her surprise, the expected impact never came!








Chapter 1608 - "Elsa's Icebreaker: A Collision of Hearts"

In the nick of time, with hearts racing, Charlie gently released Haidee from his embrace and swiftly caught up with the out-of-control little girl. Just a split second before the imminent collision with Elsa, he forcefully lifted her waist, halting the collision in its tracks!

Elsa opened her eyes to find Charlie, at the critical moment, had prevented the runaway girl from crashing into her. Her heart was a mix of joy and indignation.

She was delighted because Charlie always appeared like a prince charming in moments of peril, shielding her from all dangers.

Yet, she was infuriated because despite confessing her feelings for him for so long, pouring her heart and soul into him hoping to be his secret lover, he consistently and firmly rejected her advances, right up to this moment.

Little did she imagine, this rascal had quietly found himself a secret lover in Eastcliff!

At that moment, Charlie hadn't noticed Elsa. His attention was entirely focused on the child because he knew all too well that in the event of a collision, the child was at greater risk of injury. While adults might recover from a similar impact with some bruises, a child might end up needing hospitalization.

Fortunately, the child had only experienced a scare and hadn't suffered any substantial injuries.

As the girl opened her eyes, relieved that Charlie had saved her from crashing into someone, she breathed a sigh of relief and gratefully said, "Thank you, uncle, thank you..."

Charlie smiled faintly, placing her back on the ice and advised her, "Young lady, remember to skate slower next time."

The girl nodded eagerly, "Thank you, uncle, I will..."

With that, she carefully skated away, waving to Charlie, "Goodbye, uncle."

Watching her slowly glide off, Charlie breathed a sigh of relief, about to turn back to find Haidee, when suddenly, he spotted a familiar face glaring at him indignantly.

Glancing over, he was surprised and asked, "Elsa?! What are you doing here?"

Elsa deliberately wrinkled her nose and huffed, "Just because you didn't open this place, doesn't mean I can't be here." Charlie had no idea that Elsa was currently mad at him, seeing her speaking with a hint of aggression, he chuckled and said, "That's not what I meant. I just find it quite a coincidence, Eastcliff is so big, how could we bump into each other here?"

Elsa rolled her eyes, "As the saying goes, there are no secrets in the world! I used to come to Back Sea for ice skating every winter. I've been in Aurous Hill this year, had no chance to come here, felt like leaving tomorrow, so I thought of coming here before leaving. I didn't expect to bump into you."

With that, Elsa glanced at Haidee who was approaching, and said to Charlie, "If I hadn't come, I wouldn't have known, turns out you have a little lover in Eastcliff!"

Upon hearing this, Charlie knew she misunderstood his relationship with Haidee, so he hurriedly said, "Elsa, there must be some misunderstanding in this matter. I don't have any little lover. Please don't spread rumors."

Elsa pursed her lips, "We're all adults here, you don't have to beat around the bush. You're just afraid I'll tell Claire when I go back, right?"

Charlie said seriously, "Elsa, you really misunderstood me in this matter."

Just as he was speaking, Haidee had already come over. Seeing Charlie talking to a beautiful woman, she naturally looped her arm through his and affectionately asked, "Big Brother Charlie, is this young lady your friend?"

Charlie nodded, "She's my college classmate."

Upon hearing that she was Charlie's college classmate, Haidee looked around and seeing no one else nearby except Elsa and her sister, out of courtesy, she took off her mask and reached out her hand to Elsa, smiling, "Hello, sister, I'm Haidee!"

---









Chapter 1609 - "Stars Aligned: Elsa's Encounter with Celestial Beauty"

Within that seemingly mundane action lay a world of revelation and shock.

Haidee, deemed it necessary to unveil her face. Why, you ask? Well, it so happened that the woman before her was none other than Charlie's university companion. Now, regardless of whether Haidee saw herself as a friend of Charlie or his fiancee of twenty-some years, she felt compelled to bestow upon Charlie's comrade at least a modicum of respect.

And so, the mask came off.

Little did she know, this act sent Elsa into a state of shock akin to being struck by lightning, freezing her in place like a statue!

She gazed upon the breathtakingly familiar visage of Haidee, rendered speechless by the sight!

The woman before her, astonishingly enough, was none other than Haidee Snow, the hottest female star in the country!

Yes, the very same person who had conquered the hearts of the nation and even wooed Hollywood, that Haidee Snow!

Now, while some might not be fully aware of Haidee's status, oblivious to her being the heiress of the Snow family, Elsa, being a scion of the prominent Eastcliff clan, was well-versed in Haidee's identity!

In that moment, her entire worldview underwent a radical shift.

Charlie, how could he possibly be involved with such a celestial being as Haidee? And to think, they were holding hands, frolicking in the snow, their demeanor suggestive, not to mention the fact that Charlie had just given her a princess carry!

Heavens above!

The gap between these two individuals was simply staggering!

Haidee could be considered the most outstanding girl in all of Eastcliff.

Though her family background might not be the cream of the crop in Eastcliff, it certainly ranked just below the Wade and Salvador families.

But Haidee's looks, figure, temperament, talent, and fame outshone those of the girls from the Wade and Salvador families by a considerable margin.

So, all things considered, no heiress from the Wade or Salvador families could hold a candle to Haidee.

Or to put it another way, Haidee wasn't just the cream of the crop in Eastcliff; she was the cream of the crop nationwide.

Hence, Elsa found herself utterly astonished and incredulous.

Why, oh why?

Why would Charlie be with such a celestial being as Haidee Snow?

While Elsa was still reeling from the shock, her cousin burst out in surprised delight, covering her mouth with her hands. "Wow, it's really Snow..."

Haidee hurriedly placed a finger to her lips, gesturing for silence, and chuckled, "Shh... Let's not announce it here, there are too many people around."

Elsa's cousin nodded eagerly, unable to contain her excitement, and whispered, "Miss Snow, can I take a photo with you?"

Haidee stuck out her tongue playfully and replied, "Taking a photo is fine, but it's probably best not to post it on social media, alright?"

"Of course!" Elsa's cousin exclaimed with excitement, "You can trust me, I won't leak it!"

With that, she pulled out her phone from her pocket and snapped a few photos with Haidee.

It was only then that Elsa regained her composure, apologizing profusely to Haidee, "I'm so sorry, Miss Snow. I was just so shocked, I couldn't react in time."

Haidee sweetly smiled, "It's alright! No need to be so formal, dear!"

Seeing Haidee's smile, Elsa felt herself, as a woman, melting under its charm.









Chapter 1610 - "Unraveling Mysteries: Elsa's Quest for Truth"

You know, she's actually a fan of Haidee just like Claire. If it weren't for Charlie being here, she probably would've rushed over for a photo with Haidee long ago.

So, Elsa couldn't help but ask tentatively, "Charlie, how do you know Miss Snow?"

Charlie hadn't quite figured out how to answer Elsa's question yet.

If he said Haidee was his client for Feng Shui, it wouldn't make sense for him to be holding hands with a client and ice skating at Back Sea. But if he said Haidee was his childhood friend, he would be revealing his identity.

After all, in Elsa's eyes, he was just an orphan who had always lived in the welfare home in Aurous Hill.

How could an orphan from Aurous Hill possibly know the young lady of the Snow family in Eastcliff? It just didn't add up.

So Charlie felt like it would be hard to explain this to Elsa without revealing his identity.

But just as he hesitated, Haidee casually replied, "I've known Brother Charlie since we were very young!"

Elsa was dumbfounded upon hearing this!

She suddenly became suspicious, thinking, "Charlie has been living in the Aurous Hill welfare home since he was young. After leaving the welfare home at eighteen, he worked at a construction site, then met Claire's grandfather, who arranged for him to attend Aurous Hill University for a year, and then he married Claire..."

"If we calculate it like this, Charlie's life trajectory shouldn't have taken him away from Aurous Hill at all. So how could he know the young lady of the Snow family? The difference in their statuses is like night and day, with countless levels in between!"

"Could there be secrets about Charlie that even he doesn't know?"

"This seems to be the only explanation..."

So, Elsa instinctively pressed on, "Miss Snow, how did you know Charlie since you were young? Wasn't Charlie raised in Aurous Hill?"

Haidee instinctively wanted to tell the truth, but Charlie quickly interjected, "This is a long story..."

Elsa looked at Charlie, waiting for his explanation.

Charlie knew that Haidee's words just now must have overturned Elsa's usual perception of him, so Elsa wouldn't just drop it. She would definitely try to get to the bottom of it.

If he didn't give her a satisfactory answer today, she would surely try every means to uncover the truth in the future, and might even tell Claire about this.

Thinking of this, Charlie spoke up, "Actually, when I was young, Miss Snow's parents once visited the Aurous Hill welfare home. They donated a lot of money to the welfare home and reached an agreement with me for a one-to-one charity assistance, where one family helps one orphan. That's when I met Miss Snow, and because I'm a bit older than her, she's always called me brother, and we've always treated each other like siblings."

Upon hearing this, Haidee knew that Charlie didn't want to reveal his identity as the young master of the Wade family, so she nodded and said to Elsa, "Yes, so I've known Brother Charlie for a long time!"

Elsa suddenly understood.

Rich people like to engage in charity, so that's not unusual.

The reason Charlie gave didn't seem off overall, and it matched his life experiences. Plus, Haidee's confirmation added credibility to Charlie's explanation, so Elsa didn't doubt further.

She just reproached, "Charlie, you know such a big star like Miss Snow, why have you never mentioned it before?"

Charlie chuckled, "You know me, I'm not one to show off. There's no need to constantly talk about knowing Miss Snow. Besides, in everyone's eyes, I'm just a loser. Even if I did mention it, no one would believe me. On the contrary, it would only invite ridicule. So why bother ruining my own fun?"

And that's that.

 

[Prosper]

Chapter 1601 - "Flight Plans and Favors: A WeChat Exchange"

Charlie sat in Feliciano's car on the way to the Snow family's house. Along the journey, Elsa sent him a WeChat message, saying, "Charlie, I've already booked our tickets back to Aurous Hill. Tomorrow morning at nine, is that okay?"

"Sure," Charlie replied. "How much for the tickets? I'll transfer the money to you."

Elsa complained, "It's just one ticket, and you still want to give me money? You're being too formal with me!"

Charlie replied earnestly, "You've paid for me, how can I not repay you?"

Elsa huffed and asked, "Then, considering you've saved me several times, how can I not repay you? Mr. Wade, when will you give me a chance to reciprocate?"

Charlie was momentarily speechless, then reluctantly said, "Alright, I won't be formal about the ticket. See you at the airport tomorrow morning."

Elsa said, "Make sure you're at the airport before eight, don't be late."

Charlie assured her, "Don't worry, I'll be at the airport on time."

After hanging up the phone, Feliciano, who was sitting beside him, nervously asked, "Mr. Wade, are you really going back to Aurous Hill tomorrow?"

"Yes."

Feliciano asked again, "Mr. Wade, when will you come back?"

"Not sure yet."

Feliciano felt a sense of despair. He had been thinking that if Charlie stayed in Eastcliff, he could frequently visit his uncle's family to curry favor with him. Perhaps after some time, Charlie would forgive his past actions, thus allowing him to regain his fertility.

But now that Charlie was leaving Eastcliff tomorrow, there would be no chance to curry favor with him. What should he do?

If Charlie only decided to restore him three to five years later, how could he endure these three to five years?

Charlie saw through his thoughts and said calmly, "Even if I'm not in Eastcliff, you can still perform well in front of your uncle's family. If they are satisfied with your performance, I can consider restoring you ahead of schedule."

Feliciano finally breathed a sigh of relief and said hurriedly, "Mr. Wade, rest assured, I will definitely work hard!"

...

When Charlie returned to the Snow family's house, Geraldo had already gone to the Snow Corporation. Having recovered from his illness and in excellent health, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to work, seizing the opportunity to strengthen his control over the Snow Corporation.

Apart from the servants, Charlie only saw Haidee lying on the sofa reading a novel.

Because the villa was equipped with underfloor heating, even though it was the depths of winter outside, it remained very warm inside, with the room temperature hovering around 28 degrees Celsius. One could wear shorts and short sleeves at home just like in summer.

Haidee was wearing a lace nightgown, her long and slender white legs overlapping and exposed to the air.

Her figure was indeed the best among all the women Charlie had ever seen, surpassing even Dianne Ward, the perennial martial arts practitioner known as little chili pepper.

This was mainly because Haidee's body proportions were exceptionally good; she was the epitome of the coveted nine-head figure. The term "nine-head figure" refers to a woman whose height is nine times the length of her face. Women with such proportions have the most perfect body shape, and it's extremely rare to find women with such perfect proportions in real life. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they are one in a million.







Chapter 1602 - "Past Pacts and Playful Paths: Haidee's Secret Spot"

Seeing Charlie return, Haidee stood up with joy, taking a few steps and running to him, saying cheerfully, "Brother Charlie, how come you're back so early? I thought you wouldn't be back until tonight!"

Feeling her arms tightly wrapped around his, Charlie couldn't help but feel a bit unsettled, but he dared not entertain any crooked thoughts and spoke, "Just attended a birthday banquet, finished, so I came back."

With that, Charlie asked her, "Are Uncle and Auntie not here?"

"Yeah." Haidee coquettishly replied, "My dad went to the group, and my mom went to attend a charity banquet, with charity auctions and a cocktail party and such, not having dinner at home tonight."

Charlie nodded, knowing that with Amelia's status and position, she was also among the top-tier socialites in Eastcliff. With her husband making a high-profile comeback, she also had to make a high-profile return in her own way to support her husband effectively.

At this moment, Haidee tentatively asked, "Brother Charlie, are you sure you're leaving tomorrow?"

Charlie said, "Yeah, leaving tomorrow."

Haidee looked somewhat disappointed, hesitated for a moment, then remembered something and said, "Brother Charlie, would you accompany me for a stroll outside?"

Charlie asked her, "You're a big star, just casually going out, won't you be followed by paparazzi?"

Haidee smiled, "Just like when I went to the airport to pick you up last time, I'll disguise myself!"

With that, Haidee continued, "Let me take you to the places we used to play in our childhood, okay? Do you still remember Drum and Gong Alley?"

"Drum and Gong Alley?" Charlie frowned slightly, feeling both unfamiliar and familiar with the name.

Haidee said, "It's the place where our parents used to take us often when we were kids. There are many vendors, small shops, lots of delicious and fun things. And Drum and Gong Alley is next to Back Sea. We used to go ice skating on Back Sea in winter. Do you remember?"

In Charlie's mind, scenes from his childhood suddenly emerged.

The image of himself and Haidee, accompanied by their parents, going to Drum and Gong Alley to eat candied fruit, playing on the ice at Back Sea.

Winter in Eastcliff was very cold, and the lake surface of Back Sea would freeze thick. After the ice was frozen, people would go ice skating and play on ice carts on the lake surface. Children would sit on homemade ice carts, moving with two iron rods poking the ice surface.

In that era, children didn't have many electronic gadgets to play with, so as soon as winter came, Charlie would long to go ice skating on Back Sea.

He remembered that Haidee's parents had a very beautiful quadrangle courtyard by the side of Back Sea. Every time their parents took him to Back Sea, they would first visit Haidee's parents, then have a meal in Haidee's quadrangle courtyard.

Now thinking back, those memories that hadn't surfaced in his mind for more than ten years were still vivid.

At that time, Haidee was like a shadow, wrapped in a thick cotton coat, like a little cotton ball, her small hands poking out from the sleeves of the coat, tightly holding onto her own clothes, once grabbed, she wouldn't let go.

At that time, she always had the few words "Brother Charlie" on her lips, her voice sweet and sticky, with a hint of shyness, incredibly cute.

But that place he loved most in his childhood, he hadn't visited in eighteen years.

Thinking of this, Charlie's heart was also filled with nostalgia.

So he asked Haidee, "Sis, is your family's quadrangle courtyard by Back Sea still there?"

"It is!" Haidee smiled and said, "It's a protected building, not allowed to be demolished. My dad spent quite a bit of money renovating it a couple of years ago. If it weren't for the traffic congestion in the city center now, we would all want to move there permanently."

As she spoke, she couldn't hide her excitement and asked, "Brother Charlie, do you want me to take you there now?"

Memories flooded Charlie's mind, and he became excited too, blurting out, "Yes!"






Chapter 1603 - "Sweet Burdens and Innocent Charms: Haidee's Joyful Adventure"

Upon receiving a definite response from Charlie, Haidee danced with joy, hopping and skipping back to her room. She immediately changed into a thick, long down jacket.

To conceal her identity, she even brought along a warm mask and a furry hat adorned with two cute rabbit ears.

Additionally, she held a pair of round-framed glasses. After putting them on, she transformed into an adorable and innocent girl, quite different from the style of Haidee, who captivated all men and drove them crazy.

In truth, Haidee had a mischievous and cute nature.

She was simple-minded, lacked romantic experience, and had no insights into dealing with the opposite sex. She also didn't harbor any of the secretive thoughts that other girls had.

Charlie saw a glimpse of her childhood innocence in her face. Looking back now, Haidee was his sweet burden from childhood.

The term "sweet burden" was used because, although he didn't want her to follow him around every day like a clingy sibling calling him "Brother Charlie," deep down he enjoyed her presence around him.

Seeing Charlie staring at her somewhat absentmindedly, Haidee's cheeks flushed slightly, and she shyly said, "Brother Charlie, why are you looking at me like that..."

Charlie snapped out of his thoughts, awkwardly but politely smiling, "I just suddenly remembered something from childhood and got distracted."

Feeling sweet and joyful inside, Haidee lowered her eyelids slightly and softly said, "Let's hurry up and go!"

To avoid exposing Haidee's identity as much as possible, Charlie and she drove the inconspicuous old Volvo from the villa area to the city center.

Back Sea, located in the central area of Eastcliff, could be considered one of the most prosperous places in the entire city.

Moreover, this area had not been overly developed, and the protection of the old quadrangle courtyards was well-maintained. If one wanted to experience the life of old Eastcliff and its alleyways, they had to come to such places.

After more than half an hour, Haidee drove the car into an alley near Back Sea. From this slightly narrow alley, it was difficult to tell whether each household inside belonged to ordinary families or wealthy ones.

In Eastcliff, there were two kinds of people who lived in quadrangle courtyards.

One kind was very poor, living in old dilapidated houses, possibly without even a toilet at home, needing to run to public toilets every day for relief, even in the dead of winter nights, they had to get up and run to the public toilet.

The other kind was very wealthy.

To live well in a quadrangle courtyard, one needed sufficient money to make it very comfortable.

Because most quadrangle courtyards were single-story buildings, from the outside, no one could tell what they looked like inside; only by going in could one discover their differences.

Some quadrangle courtyards were cramped and cluttered, with coal balls, bicycles, and jars of pickled vegetables filling the corridors, making it difficult to walk, and there were many shanties built haphazardly inside, posing many safety hazards.

But some quadrangle courtyards, though inconspicuous from the outside, revealed a different world inside.

Haidee's family quadrangle courtyard was one such place.

While others' quadrangle courtyards were cramped and disorderly, the Snow family's quadrangle courtyard was grand and ancient!

Inside, there was not only a whole piece of Han white jade carved screen, but also nine majestic dragons carved on it in various postures.








Chapter 1604 - "Koi-nnections and Childhood Recollections: Haidee's Tour of Time"

This is the Nine Dragon Screen, a quintessential feature found only in ancient royal architecture. It can be considered the highest standard of its kind, with a similar one found in the Forbidden City.

In modern times, it's not much of an issue, but in ancient times, apart from the emperor, no one could possess such a high-standard item.

Once discovered by the royal family, it would be considered treason, punishable by the execution of nine generations.

Moreover, this quadrangle courtyard consists of four entries and exits. The entrance courtyard is adorned with a miniature version of the Suzhou-Hangzhou classical garden, complete with artificial hills, pavilions, small bridges, and flowing water.

There are only a few loyal servants of the Snow family in the quadrangle, so Haidee has no reservations. She removes her mask, links arms with Charlie, and says to him, "Brother Charlie, do you remember this courtyard? When we were young, we used to play hide and seek here."

Charlie nods and says, "I remember, but it feels like there are some discrepancies with my memories."

Haidee smiles and says, "It has been renovated, so there have been some changes compared to before."

She points to the frozen pond and says, "There used to be many beautiful koi fish here, some of which have been raised by the Snow family for over thirty years, and some you've seen before! But now that it's cold, the koi fish have been moved to the nearby wing room for shelter. Would you like to go see them when spring comes?"

Charlie is surprised and says, "Koi fish can live that long?"

Haidee chuckles and says, "The lifespan of koi fish is around sixty to seventy years. If they are well taken care of, they can live even longer."

She then earnestly counts on her fingers, "You see, there are several types of pets. If you take good care of them, they might outlive you. One of those is koi fish, and then there are turtles and parrots. Both macaws and cockatoos can live to be sixty or seventy years old."

As she finishes speaking, she takes Charlie's hand and says, "Come, I'll show you them. Let's see if you can still recognize them!"

Subsequently, Haidee leads Charlie to a wing room beside the courtyard.

The wing room is quite large, with over half of the space converted into a temperature-controlled fish pond, where a large number of sizable koi fish swim around.

Haidee points to one of them, nearly a meter long, and excitedly says, "Do you remember it? You used to call it Big Bear, after the Doraemon character."

Charlie smiles and nods, "I remember, in my childhood memories, it seemed to be the largest."

Haidee nods and says, "It's a Taisho Sanke koi. My dad said the price he paid for it back then was equivalent to a three-bedroom apartment in the third ring road of Eastcliff."

Charlie is slightly surprised, but not overly shocked. Koi fish are actually quite expensive. He's seen news before where the daughter of the Sangley family spent over ten million to acquire one. So, the value of precious koi fish cannot be measured by the standards of ordinary ornamental fish.

At this moment, Haidee bends down at the edge of the fish pond, waves her hand, and calls out to the large koi. Unexpectedly, the koi swims over directly, and Haidee reaches out to touch it without any resistance.

As Haidee strokes the koi, she says, "Big Bear, look, Brother Charlie has come to see you. Do you remember him? He remembers you."

Although koi fish are not afraid of people and may have become somewhat familiar with Haidee, they are still not sentient beings and cannot respond to her words.

Haidee continues talking to herself. Then she lifts her head and says to Charlie, "My dad said that Big Bear is only thirty years old this year. With proper care, it can live for another forty years. We used to play with it when we were young, and when we have children, they can play with it too!"









Chapter 1605 - "Melting Hearts and Frozen Memories: Charlie and Haidee's Winter Wonderland"

Although Charlie didn't respond to Haidee's words, the memories of childhood kept resurfacing in his mind, subtly bringing them closer together.

He even imagined a scenario in his mind: if his parents were still alive and he hadn't ended up in Aurous Hill, would he have already been married to Haidee by now?

Perhaps, standing beside this pond of koi fish wouldn't just be him and Haidee, but also their parents.

And it was entirely possible that one or two children would be tagging along, chirping around them, calling them "mom" and "dad" in their childish voices, asking countless questions about the koi fish.

In fact, all of this wasn't just Charlie's baseless imagination.

He knew his father's personality well. Drake, the second master of the Wade family, was a man of his word. If he were still alive, Charlie dared not say a word against marrying Haidee, fearing his own legs might be broken.

Moreover, most of the top-tier rich second generations in Eastcliff got married early because their families had arranged marriage partners for them long ago. By the legal age of marriage, they would immediately proceed with the wedding.

In that case, Charlie might have already married Haidee when he was twenty-two.

Calculating up to now, he might have been married to Haidee for four years already, and having two children would be quite normal if he were more efficient.

Seeing Charlie lost in thought, Haidee asked softly beside him, "Brother Charlie, what are you thinking about?"

Charlie smiled bitterly and replied, "I was thinking about my parents."

Haidee sighed softly, "I was just thinking about Uncle Wade and Aunt Wade too. I was thinking, if they hadn't encountered any accidents back then, maybe we would have been married long ago, and we might have had children by now. Today, the gathering here might have involved three generations."

Charlie was visibly startled.

He didn't expect Haidee to think along the same lines as him.

He couldn't help but feel emotional. Haidee had accepted her identity as his fiancée since childhood, and for so many years, finding him and marrying him had been her life goal. If he ever betrayed her, how could he face Geraldo and Amelia? And in the afterlife, how could he face his parents?

Haidee, unaware of Charlie's inner turmoil, gently held his hand and said, "I'm sorry, Brother Charlie, I shouldn't have mentioned Uncle Wade and Aunt Wade, making you sad..."

Charlie shook his head and smiled, "It's okay. So many years have passed, it's not that heartbreaking anymore, more of a regret..."

Taking advantage of their joined hands, Haidee pulled Charlie up and said with a smile, "Brother Charlie, let's go out and have fun!"

Charlie nodded, shaking off the melancholic thoughts in his mind, and together with Haidee, they strolled around the quadrangle and then headed to Back Sea.

Throughout the journey, Haidee refused to let go of his hand, and seeing her so cheerful, Charlie didn't insist.

Although the weather was very cold now, for the true Eastcliff locals, this was the best time for ice skating on the Back Sea lake.

Therefore, Back Sea was bustling with activity, with people of all ages frolicking on the ice.

Hand in hand, Charlie and Haidee stepped onto the ice. They rented a two-seater ice sled from an old man on the shore, and then Charlie took Haidee onto the ice to play freely.

At this moment, there was an extremely surprised gaze in the crowd, staring at Charlie incessantly!

The owner of this gaze was Elsa.

Elsa was also a genuine local girl from Eastcliff. Because she was leaving Eastcliff and returning to Aurous Hill tomorrow, she was especially nostalgic for the experience of skating on Back Sea. So, she dragged along a little cousin from home to come and play at Back Sea.








Chapter 1606 - "Ice-Cold Realizations: Love on Thin Ice"

They arrived a tad earlier than Charlie and Haidee. The two had been happily skating for over half an hour when, just as they were about to take a breather, they spotted Charlie strolling hand in hand with Haidee!

Haidee was all bundled up in a thick mask, black-framed glasses, and an adorable bunny-eared hat, so Elsa couldn't recognize her at all. But Charlie didn't bother hiding his face, and since Haidee was the girl he'd been dreaming of, he naturally recognized Charlie at once!

In that moment, her whole worldview and understanding were completely turned upside down!

Why on earth was Charlie holding hands with a girl for ice skating?!

And they were so intimate, it just didn't seem right!

If she remembered correctly, Charlie had never been this close even with Claire

Could it be... Could it be that Charlie had been cheating all along?!

She had been expressing her love to Charlie all this time, and he had always firmly rejected her, citing loyalty to Claire. She had never thought he would be hand in hand with a young beauty in Eastcliff!

Though she couldn't see Haidee's face, judging from her figure, she must be an absolute beauty. With such a figure, she could easily outshine not only herself but even Claire

Elsa's mood sank to the depths of despair.

She couldn't help but think to herself, "No wonder Charlie always refused my love. Turns out, he found someone new in Eastcliff..."

Elsa's cousin noticed her sudden stillness and asked curiously, "Sis, what's wrong with you?"

Elsa snapped out of it with a bitter smile. "Nothing, just lost in thought."

Her cousin grinned, "Are you reluctant to leave? Why not quit working for that Emgrand Group and come back to Eastcliff?"

Elsa also felt somewhat lost.

Her family didn't really want her to return.

Her dad, uncles, and grandpa all hoped she would stay in Eastcliff, wishing for something to develop between her and the eldest son of the Snow family, Feliciano.

But Elsa was determined to go back.

Her reason for wanting to return wasn't for the job at Emgrand Group, nor for its mysterious chairman, but for Charlie Wade.

Charlie had saved her more than once, and that time when she got injured on her leg, she had even had skin contact with him. Deep down, she had already fallen for him completely, to the point where she felt that if she couldn't be with Charlie in this life, even if she became his secret lover, she would willingly accept it.

After all, her love for him was selfless and unconditional. Being an unofficial lover, she could at least be his woman.

Even if she would be criticized, even if she would become a social pariah, even if her best friend Claire turned against her, she would still do it without hesitation.

But at this moment, she suddenly realized that she might not even have the qualification to be Charlie's secret lover.

Because, at this moment, the girl sitting on the ice cart with Charlie, having a blast, was probably Charlie's real secret lover, right?

With that thought, Elsa's eyes reddened with tears.

Suddenly, she envied that faceless girl. Though she was just Charlie's secret lover, he treated her so tenderly, so considerately, accompanying her like a boyfriend. Wasn't that what she had been longing for all along?

Well, that's a twist in the tale, isn't it? The ice melts, but the heartache freezes over. Such is the drama of life in the kingdom of love!








Chapter 1607 - "The Great Back Sea Rescue: Charlie's Icy Endeavor"

At this moment, Charlie had no inkling that he was being closely observed by Elsa.

He was completely immersed in ice skating, a leisure activity he had adored since childhood. After all, everyone has a bit of childlike wonder within them, and Charlie was no exception.

In the midst of his joy, a child on ice skates, picking up speed as he glided across the ice, was heading straight towards Charlie and Haidee's ice sled.

Unexpectedly, the child lost control of his direction, coming closer and closer to Haidee without making any attempt to turn aside, heading straight for a collision.

Just as it seemed they were about to collide, the child screamed in terror, startling Haidee when she glanced over.

Though the child appeared to be barely in his early teens and weighed no more than sixty or seventy pounds, the momentum behind him was not to be underestimated once he gained speed.

What made it even more perilous was that the child wasn't wearing regular ice skates but blades, sharp and pointed. Any contact could result in serious injury!

Seeing this, Charlie hastily jumped off the ice sled and swiftly scooped Haidee into his arms, pivoting to move her away from the impending collision.

However, unable to bear the thought of the child getting hurt, Charlie impulsively kicked the ice sled, sending it veering off in another direction just as the child was about to crash into it.

The child, inexperienced and lacking reflexes, was on the brink of crashing into the ice sled, so frightened that he covered his eyes.

In the meantime, with another kick from Charlie, the ice sled continued its forward momentum, causing the child to accelerate even faster than before!

Elsa, not far away, was positioned in a direct line between the child, Charlie, and herself. With Charlie and Haidee blocking the view of the young girl, she couldn't quite make out what was happening, nor did she see the girl losing control on the ice.

All she saw was Charlie unexpectedly lifting the woman into his arms, giving her what seemed like an affectionate princess carry, which left her feeling both sour and irritated.

She couldn't help but think to herself, "Charlie is being too much! It's one thing to meet a lover in Eastcliff, but to flaunt affection so brazenly in a public place like Back Sea, isn't that too audacious?"

As she simmered with indignation, suddenly a dark shadow rushed towards her, and her cousin shouted, "Ah! Elsa, watch out!"

Before she could react, the shadow was already upon her!

It was only at this moment that Elsa shifted her attention from Charlie and Haidee to the dark figure hurtling towards her.

When she finally saw clearly, she realized that the figure rushing towards her was a girl, eyes covered in fear, screaming in terror, leaving Elsa at a loss for what to do.

Anyone who's ever skated or skied knows the most fundamental safety rule: always stay clear of someone who's lost control!

On ice or snow, if someone can't brake, their speed can quickly reach a dangerously high level. Being struck by a person or a vehicle at high speed doesn't make much difference.

And both ice skates and ski edges are extremely hard and sharp, capable of causing severe injuries with ease.

At this point, Elsa didn't know what to do, mentally preparing herself for the possibility of being violently struck by the child.

Just as the child's ice skate was about to make contact, she couldn't help but close her eyes and scream.

But, to her surprise, the expected impact never came!








Chapter 1608 - "Elsa's Icebreaker: A Collision of Hearts"

In the nick of time, with hearts racing, Charlie gently released Haidee from his embrace and swiftly caught up with the out-of-control little girl. Just a split second before the imminent collision with Elsa, he forcefully lifted her waist, halting the collision in its tracks!

Elsa opened her eyes to find Charlie, at the critical moment, had prevented the runaway girl from crashing into her. Her heart was a mix of joy and indignation.

She was delighted because Charlie always appeared like a prince charming in moments of peril, shielding her from all dangers.

Yet, she was infuriated because despite confessing her feelings for him for so long, pouring her heart and soul into him hoping to be his secret lover, he consistently and firmly rejected her advances, right up to this moment.

Little did she imagine, this rascal had quietly found himself a secret lover in Eastcliff!

At that moment, Charlie hadn't noticed Elsa. His attention was entirely focused on the child because he knew all too well that in the event of a collision, the child was at greater risk of injury. While adults might recover from a similar impact with some bruises, a child might end up needing hospitalization.

Fortunately, the child had only experienced a scare and hadn't suffered any substantial injuries.

As the girl opened her eyes, relieved that Charlie had saved her from crashing into someone, she breathed a sigh of relief and gratefully said, "Thank you, uncle, thank you..."

Charlie smiled faintly, placing her back on the ice and advised her, "Young lady, remember to skate slower next time."

The girl nodded eagerly, "Thank you, uncle, I will..."

With that, she carefully skated away, waving to Charlie, "Goodbye, uncle."

Watching her slowly glide off, Charlie breathed a sigh of relief, about to turn back to find Haidee, when suddenly, he spotted a familiar face glaring at him indignantly.

Glancing over, he was surprised and asked, "Elsa?! What are you doing here?"

Elsa deliberately wrinkled her nose and huffed, "Just because you didn't open this place, doesn't mean I can't be here." Charlie had no idea that Elsa was currently mad at him, seeing her speaking with a hint of aggression, he chuckled and said, "That's not what I meant. I just find it quite a coincidence, Eastcliff is so big, how could we bump into each other here?"

Elsa rolled her eyes, "As the saying goes, there are no secrets in the world! I used to come to Back Sea for ice skating every winter. I've been in Aurous Hill this year, had no chance to come here, felt like leaving tomorrow, so I thought of coming here before leaving. I didn't expect to bump into you."

With that, Elsa glanced at Haidee who was approaching, and said to Charlie, "If I hadn't come, I wouldn't have known, turns out you have a little lover in Eastcliff!"

Upon hearing this, Charlie knew she misunderstood his relationship with Haidee, so he hurriedly said, "Elsa, there must be some misunderstanding in this matter. I don't have any little lover. Please don't spread rumors."

Elsa pursed her lips, "We're all adults here, you don't have to beat around the bush. You're just afraid I'll tell Claire when I go back, right?"

Charlie said seriously, "Elsa, you really misunderstood me in this matter."

Just as he was speaking, Haidee had already come over. Seeing Charlie talking to a beautiful woman, she naturally looped her arm through his and affectionately asked, "Big Brother Charlie, is this young lady your friend?"

Charlie nodded, "She's my college classmate."

Upon hearing that she was Charlie's college classmate, Haidee looked around and seeing no one else nearby except Elsa and her sister, out of courtesy, she took off her mask and reached out her hand to Elsa, smiling, "Hello, sister, I'm Haidee!"

---









Chapter 1609 - "Stars Aligned: Elsa's Encounter with Celestial Beauty"

Within that seemingly mundane action lay a world of revelation and shock.

Haidee, deemed it necessary to unveil her face. Why, you ask? Well, it so happened that the woman before her was none other than Charlie's university companion. Now, regardless of whether Haidee saw herself as a friend of Charlie or his fiancee of twenty-some years, she felt compelled to bestow upon Charlie's comrade at least a modicum of respect.

And so, the mask came off.

Little did she know, this act sent Elsa into a state of shock akin to being struck by lightning, freezing her in place like a statue!

She gazed upon the breathtakingly familiar visage of Haidee, rendered speechless by the sight!

The woman before her, astonishingly enough, was none other than Haidee Snow, the hottest female star in the country!

Yes, the very same person who had conquered the hearts of the nation and even wooed Hollywood, that Haidee Snow!

Now, while some might not be fully aware of Haidee's status, oblivious to her being the heiress of the Snow family, Elsa, being a scion of the prominent Eastcliff clan, was well-versed in Haidee's identity!

In that moment, her entire worldview underwent a radical shift.

Charlie, how could he possibly be involved with such a celestial being as Haidee? And to think, they were holding hands, frolicking in the snow, their demeanor suggestive, not to mention the fact that Charlie had just given her a princess carry!

Heavens above!

The gap between these two individuals was simply staggering!

Haidee could be considered the most outstanding girl in all of Eastcliff.

Though her family background might not be the cream of the crop in Eastcliff, it certainly ranked just below the Wade and Salvador families.

But Haidee's looks, figure, temperament, talent, and fame outshone those of the girls from the Wade and Salvador families by a considerable margin.

So, all things considered, no heiress from the Wade or Salvador families could hold a candle to Haidee.

Or to put it another way, Haidee wasn't just the cream of the crop in Eastcliff; she was the cream of the crop nationwide.

Hence, Elsa found herself utterly astonished and incredulous.

Why, oh why?

Why would Charlie be with such a celestial being as Haidee Snow?

While Elsa was still reeling from the shock, her cousin burst out in surprised delight, covering her mouth with her hands. "Wow, it's really Snow..."

Haidee hurriedly placed a finger to her lips, gesturing for silence, and chuckled, "Shh... Let's not announce it here, there are too many people around."

Elsa's cousin nodded eagerly, unable to contain her excitement, and whispered, "Miss Snow, can I take a photo with you?"

Haidee stuck out her tongue playfully and replied, "Taking a photo is fine, but it's probably best not to post it on social media, alright?"

"Of course!" Elsa's cousin exclaimed with excitement, "You can trust me, I won't leak it!"

With that, she pulled out her phone from her pocket and snapped a few photos with Haidee.

It was only then that Elsa regained her composure, apologizing profusely to Haidee, "I'm so sorry, Miss Snow. I was just so shocked, I couldn't react in time."

Haidee sweetly smiled, "It's alright! No need to be so formal, dear!"

Seeing Haidee's smile, Elsa felt herself, as a woman, melting under its charm.









Chapter 1610 - "Unraveling Mysteries: Elsa's Quest for Truth"

You know, she's actually a fan of Haidee just like Claire. If it weren't for Charlie being here, she probably would've rushed over for a photo with Haidee long ago.

So, Elsa couldn't help but ask tentatively, "Charlie, how do you know Miss Snow?"

Charlie hadn't quite figured out how to answer Elsa's question yet.

If he said Haidee was his client for Feng Shui, it wouldn't make sense for him to be holding hands with a client and ice skating at Back Sea. But if he said Haidee was his childhood friend, he would be revealing his identity.

After all, in Elsa's eyes, he was just an orphan who had always lived in the welfare home in Aurous Hill.

How could an orphan from Aurous Hill possibly know the young lady of the Snow family in Eastcliff? It just didn't add up.

So Charlie felt like it would be hard to explain this to Elsa without revealing his identity.

But just as he hesitated, Haidee casually replied, "I've known Brother Charlie since we were very young!"

Elsa was dumbfounded upon hearing this!

She suddenly became suspicious, thinking, "Charlie has been living in the Aurous Hill welfare home since he was young. After leaving the welfare home at eighteen, he worked at a construction site, then met Claire's grandfather, who arranged for him to attend Aurous Hill University for a year, and then he married Claire..."

"If we calculate it like this, Charlie's life trajectory shouldn't have taken him away from Aurous Hill at all. So how could he know the young lady of the Snow family? The difference in their statuses is like night and day, with countless levels in between!"

"Could there be secrets about Charlie that even he doesn't know?"

"This seems to be the only explanation..."

So, Elsa instinctively pressed on, "Miss Snow, how did you know Charlie since you were young? Wasn't Charlie raised in Aurous Hill?"

Haidee instinctively wanted to tell the truth, but Charlie quickly interjected, "This is a long story..."

Elsa looked at Charlie, waiting for his explanation.

Charlie knew that Haidee's words just now must have overturned Elsa's usual perception of him, so Elsa wouldn't just drop it. She would definitely try to get to the bottom of it.

If he didn't give her a satisfactory answer today, she would surely try every means to uncover the truth in the future, and might even tell Claire about this.

Thinking of this, Charlie spoke up, "Actually, when I was young, Miss Snow's parents once visited the Aurous Hill welfare home. They donated a lot of money to the welfare home and reached an agreement with me for a one-to-one charity assistance, where one family helps one orphan. That's when I met Miss Snow, and because I'm a bit older than her, she's always called me brother, and we've always treated each other like siblings."

Upon hearing this, Haidee knew that Charlie didn't want to reveal his identity as the young master of the Wade family, so she nodded and said to Elsa, "Yes, so I've known Brother Charlie for a long time!"

Elsa suddenly understood.

Rich people like to engage in charity, so that's not unusual.

The reason Charlie gave didn't seem off overall, and it matched his life experiences. Plus, Haidee's confirmation added credibility to Charlie's explanation, so Elsa didn't doubt further.

She just reproached, "Charlie, you know such a big star like Miss Snow, why have you never mentioned it before?"

Charlie chuckled, "You know me, I'm not one to show off. There's no need to constantly talk about knowing Miss Snow. Besides, in everyone's eyes, I'm just a loser. Even if I did mention it, no one would believe me. On the contrary, it would only invite ridicule. So why bother ruining my own fun?"

And that's that.

Charlie, Charlie Charlie. If you don't join the sex sect, you'll always find excuses

 

[Gily]

Someone looking friends for pervert sect

Haha I am getting the idea now. Too bad you are the demonic cultivator

 

[emeka]

Charlie, Charlie Charlie. If you don't join the sex sect, you'll always find excuses

don't bother Iam waiting for him

 

[fatboy]

Haha I am getting the idea now. Too bad you are the demonic cultivator

Why
As you know they are good demonic cultivator's and very bad human
I'm pretty sure you could learn a thing or two

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

Chapter 1611 - The Art of Concealment: Charlie's Charismatic Charades

Originally, Elsa had just felt that Charlie's explanation could barely pass muster, but there were always some parts that made her feel uneasy.

However, Charlie's self-deprecation swept away the last trace of doubt in Elsa's mind.

She remembered back when they were in school, Charlie was looked down upon by everyone, even classmates from similarly humble backgrounds freely bullied him.

Yet, he never retaliated, never argued or fought back, as if nothing ever bothered him.

With Charlie's personality, it was indeed impossible for him to reveal his acquaintance with Haidee.

And even if he did, no one would believe him anyway.

Thinking of this, she found herself admiring Charlie somewhat.

Knowing Snow's family, addressing Miss Snow as a sister, yet never telling anyone about it, preferring to be looked down upon rather than exploiting this relationship, was indeed quite rare.

However, she still had a lingering worry.

Because just now, she saw Charlie and Haidee being intimate, so she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off between them.

So she tentatively asked Charlie, "Charlie, does Claire know about your relationship with Miss Snow?"

Charlie smiled and countered, "Do you know about Mystical Gastric Remedy?"

"Yeah," Elsa nodded, saying, "Isn't it that incredibly effective stomach medicine that's been super popular recently? Oh right, it seems Miss Snow endorses it!"

Charlie then asked her, "Do you know the manufacturer of Mystical Gastric Remedy, Mystical Labs, which is an enterprise in Aurous Hill?"

Elsa continued to nod, "Hmm, I know."

Charlie smiled and said, "A while ago when Haidee was filming an advertisement in Aurous Hill, she had dinner with me and Claire. She just didn't tell you about it because Haidee is a public figure."

"Oh, I see..." Elsa suddenly realized, asking Charlie, "So Claire knew you two had known each other for a long time back then?"

Charlie shook his head, "Actually, I didn't tell Claire the truth back then because Haidee was there for work, and I didn't want anyone to know about my relationship with her. I didn't want to be a drag on Haidee, so I didn't tell Claire or anyone else about it. Actually, if you hadn't run into me today by chance, I wouldn't have told you either."

Elsa nodded gently. Hearing Charlie always self-deprecatingly calling himself a loser, she suddenly felt a pang of heartache, so she said, "Charlie, don't belittle yourself like this all the time. You're actually amazing, I don't think many people can match you!"

Elsa's words were sincere.

She really felt that Charlie was extraordinary. Leaving aside everything else, his strength alone was not something an ordinary person could compare to. When the Southern Twin Devils faced him, they had no ability to fight back whatsoever.

With Charlie's terrifying combat power, those who used to bully him were actually no match for him at all. It's just that Charlie never bothered with those people.

Haidee, who had been silent on the side, had not spoken all this time. She knew that her careless words just now almost caused trouble for Charlie. Fortunately, Charlie's quick thinking saved the day, otherwise, it would have been difficult to explain this matter.









Chapter 1612 - Unveiling Identities: Charlie's Complicated Past

As Charlie watched Elsa believe his words, he spoke up, "Elsa, it's getting late. We should head off now. Let's meet at the airport tomorrow."

Elsa nodded lightly, then remembered something and hurriedly said, "Oh, you saved me again just now!"

Charlie chuckled, "It wasn't you who needed saving, it was that little girl. You should be fine, but she might be in some danger."

Elsa playfully rolled her eyes and said stubbornly, "Still, I have to thank you!"

Charlie shrugged helplessly, "Alright, let's go. No need to be formal here. Remember this incident, but don't tell Claire yet."

Elsa nodded, "Okay, got it. It's getting late. Let's go."

Elsa and her cousin parked their car in a nearby parking lot, while Charlie and Haidee had parked at Snow's courtyard earlier, so they bid farewell by the edge of the ice rink.

After parting ways, Charlie finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that they had barely passed the test today.

After walking several dozen meters away, Haidee whispered to him, "Brother Charlie, why do you keep hiding your identity? If you reveal who you are, those people in Aurous Hill wouldn't dare to bully you!"

Charlie smiled faintly, "When I left the Wade family with my parents and ended up in Aurous Hill, I was just like any other orphan. Even if I reveal my identity, what difference would it make? Others might not believe it anyway."

Haidee asked again, "But after Uncle Wade and Aunt Wade passed away, you could have contacted the Wade family and let them take you back."

Charlie shook his head, saying calmly, "The situation in the Wade family is complicated, far beyond what I could handle back then. Besides, my parents didn't want to bow down to the Wade family, which is why they left for Aurous Hill. Although I was young at the time, I carry their blood in my veins. How could I bow down to the Wade family and return to enjoy their wealth and glory after they passed away?"

Haidee's eyes quickly turned red. She hugged Charlie's arm tightly, choking back tears, "I've been heartbroken for you all these years, enduring so much hardship and injustice. I'm upset that anyone could look down on you, could bully you..."

Charlie patted her hand and said with a smile, "That's life. You have to experience ups and downs. If you're praised all your life, you might never understand the harshness and suffering of the world. That way, you'll likely suffer a big loss in the future. Unlike me, I saw through the world's warmth and cruelty since I was eight. These experiences are a precious treasure for my future."

Haidee nodded gently, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She truly felt heartbroken for Charlie's life over the past decade. Even though Charlie downplayed it, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat whenever she thought about it.

He was the young master of the Wade family, yet he had experienced the lowest levels of society in Aurous Hill. Haidee couldn't imagine how he had managed to survive all these years.

Though she was younger than Charlie, whenever she thought about these things, she wished she could keep Charlie in Eastcliff forever, doing nothing herself, just finding ways to treat him well every day, to make up for the suffering he had endured over the years.

At this moment, Charlie suddenly sighed, "We're leaving tomorrow. Let's go see Stephen Thompson today!"

Haidee asked in surprise, "Brother Charlie, you want to see Uncle Stephen?"

Charlie nodded and said, "I need to confront him about my parents' past."

Haidee blurted out, "Then I'll go with you!"








Chapter 1613 - Wade's Way Forward

When it came to Stephen, Charlie didn't feel overly cautious. That's because he could analyze that Stephen harbored no ill intentions towards him. In fact, Charlie owed much of his safe upbringing in Aurous Hill over the years to Stephen's covert protection. So, if Stephen harbored any malicious thoughts towards him, he wouldn't have waited until now. Stephen was one of the few people Charlie could absolutely trust. Therefore, he was planning to get in touch with Stephen to arrange a meeting and learn some details from the past.

At this moment, Stephen was at the Wade Corporation.

In the executive conference room of the Wade Corporation, all the descendants of the Wade family were gathered here for a family meeting. Presiding over the meeting was the patriarch of the Wade family, Claudius, who was also Charlie's grandfather.

Nearly twenty descendants of the Wade family were seated solemnly in the meeting room.

At this moment, the patriarch sighed and said, "The old fortune teller left hastily yesterday. He went directly from Yanling Mountain to the airport. I didn't even get to see him for the last time. What a pity!"

Charlie's eldest uncle, Ciprian, asked, "Dad, did you call us here for the matter of the old fortune teller returning to the United States?"

Claudius waved his hand and said, "The old fortune teller had told me long ago that the reason he stayed in Eastcliff and remained in the country after the completion of Yanling Mountain was to wait for an opportunity that belonged to him. Now that he's gone, he must have obtained the opportunity he had been waiting for all these years."

Everyone nodded one after another. One of Charlie's cousins of the same generation asked, "Grandpa, then why did you call us here today? Is there something important?"

The last time the patriarch summoned all the legitimate descendants of the Wade family for a meeting was when they decided to relocate the ancestral graves. After all, the Wade family's business was vast, with descendants managing various departments spread across the country. If it weren't for something extremely urgent, there would be no need to gather everyone at great expense.

Claudius sighed and said, "Initially, the old fortune teller told me that after the Wade family breaks through its current predicament, there will be a chance to soar to greater heights. But I still can't figure out where exactly this opportunity for the Wade family to soar lies."

For a moment, everyone looked at each other in confusion.

The current strength of the Wade family ranked second among the major families in the country, second only to the Salvador family. If they were to soar higher, wouldn't that mean surpassing the Salvador family and becoming the number one family in the country?

Hence, everyone became somewhat excited.

Charlie's third uncle, Emil, spoke up, "Dad, did the old fortune teller reveal any clues back then? Like where this opportunity might appear? Or who it might involve? Or how we could find relevant clues?"

Claudius shook his head and said, "The old fortune teller only mentioned that the Wade family would encounter a heaven-sent opportunity, but he didn't reveal a single word about what this opportunity is, where to find it, only saying it's a secret of the heavens that shouldn't be leaked!"

Ciprian clicked his tongue, "Then this scope is too broad. Even if we want to search for clues, we won't be able to grasp anything!"

Claudius said, "If we can't grasp it, then we must find a way to take the initiative and search comprehensively!"

He continued, "For the past few days, I've been pondering a question: how can our Wade family surpass the Salvador family?"

"Surpass the Salvador family?"








Chapter 1614 - Bridging the Gulf

The descendants of the Wade family looked at each other, all feeling like this whole thing was straight out of a fairy tale.

Compared to the Salvador family, the Wade family was more or less on par, with the Salvador family's overall strength being roughly 20% higher than that of the Wade family.

However, due to the huge wealth base of both families, this 20% gap translated into a staggering difference in monetary terms.

For the Wade family to surpass the Salvador family, their assets would need to increase by several hundred billion at least.

The Salvador family was already stronger in scale, and naturally, their development speed was faster than that of the Wade family, so the gap between the two was gradually widening.

Now, wanting to rise against the odds and catch up with the Salvador family seemed not just difficult but almost like a fairy tale.

Claudius looked around at everyone, all silent, and couldn't help but sigh, "Twenty years ago, when Drake was still alive, the Wade family, under his leadership, was almost surpassing the Salvador family. At that time, Drake devised a strategy for national dominance, and all the major families in Eastcliff believed that the Wade family would inevitably surpass the Salvador family and become the top family in the country..."

Here, Claudius fell silent for a moment, his eyes filled with pity as he continued, "But after Drake passed away, you people are really nowhere near as capable..."

Upon hearing this, Ciprian, the eldest son, was quite unhappy and retorted, "Dad, it's no fun if you keep saying we're not as good as Drake. But it was you who drove Drake and his family away in the first place. If you hadn't done that, maybe the Wade family would have already achieved its goal of dominating the country by now."

"You..." Claudius was furious, wanting to lash out at Ciprian, but then held himself back.

He sighed deeply and said to everyone, "What's done is done. Let's focus on the present."

Ciprian asked, "What good ideas do you have, Dad, to shorten the distance between us and the Salvador family?"

Claudius hesitated for a moment before saying, "The Salvador family has always been prosperous in terms of male descendants. Old Master Salvador has five sons and thirteen grandsons, but it seems there are only two granddaughters, one of whom is twenty-two this year and already of marriageable age. If the younger generation of the Wade family could marry one of the Salvador family's granddaughters, it would greatly benefit us!"

Charlie's eldest aunt, Marina, spoke up, "Dad, the Salvador family's eldest granddaughter is highly favored in the Salvador family. If we want to marry her, it has to be our eldest grandson."

The eldest grandson of the Wade family was Florin, the son of Ciprian.

At this moment, Ciprian sighed and said, "Marina, Little Florin was engaged to a princess from the Norwegian royal family last year. The wedding will be held this summer, and almost everyone in Eastcliff knows about it. There's no room for negotiation."

"Yeah," said Florin, added, "I've had some contact with Camilla before. She's aloof and rarely participates in social events. Many socialites both domestically and abroad have invited her, but she has never accepted any invitations. Trying to pursue her is like reaching for the stars. Moreover, I already have an engagement. If I were to pursue her, the Salvador family would probably see through my intentions at a glance..."

One of Charlie's cousins, the eldest son of Emil, Lucian, couldn't contain his excitement and said, "Grandpa, what if I try?"

Ciprian glanced at this unremarkable-looking nephew and shook his head, "Little Lucian, the Salvador family is already superior to us in strength. Even if it were your cousin Florin, the eldest grandson, it's not certain that he could catch the eye of the Salvador family, let alone you?"

Emil was a little displeased, "Big brother, your words are discouraging. Who says the Salvador family's eldest granddaughter must marry the eldest grandson of another family? Maybe our Little Lucian has that charm?"

Ciprian chuckled, "Third brother, if you're not convinced, you can let Little Lucian give it a try. I'm just afraid that if Little Lucian doesn't even have the chance to meet Camilla, it would be embarrassing."

Even Wade's old man couldn't help but sigh, pouring cold water on the situation, "Wanting to marry into the Salvador family, Little Lucian is indeed far from enough."

As he said this, he suddenly remembered something, his eyes flashing, looking at Stephen Thompson, who had been silent all along, and asked, "Stephen, do you think if we let Drake's son go and propose a marriage alliance with the Salvador family, would he agree?"









Chapter 1615 - Revisiting Old Wounds

When Elder Wade dropped this bombshell, the whole room gasped!

"Son of Drake" - wasn't he talking about Charlie Wade?

In fact, everyone had known since Elder Wade had Stephen buy the Emgrand Group, send it to Aurous Hill for Charlie, and invite Charlie back to the family, that Charlie was still alive.

Except for the old man, everyone else was extremely wary of Charlie, even internally repulsed, fearing he might return to Eastcliff and vie with them for the Wade family's wealth and power.

Fortunately, Charlie had declined Stephen's request and hadn't returned to the Wade family. So, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and gradually let down their guard.

However, even though Charlie didn't come back, many were extremely unhappy about Elder Wade's lavish spending of hundreds of billions and giving him the Emgrand Group.

The Wade family's assets exceeded trillions, but there were many mouths to feed.

Charlie's grandfather had four sons and two daughters.

Apart from the second son, Drake, who died young, the other three sons had a total of seven grandsons and six granddaughters.

Although the two daughters were married, they held important positions in the Wade family's financial empire. So, even with so many heirs, it wasn't possible to achieve a level of one hundred billion per person even with equal distribution.

Therefore, Charlie getting the Emgrand Group alone indeed made many in the Wade family jealous.

At the time, there were many people who jointly opposed Elder Wade's biased actions, strongly protesting against favoritism.

But Elder Wade persisted against all odds, citing the Wade family's indebtedness to Drake's family as the reason for his actions.

Although everyone was deeply dissatisfied, thankfully Charlie had no intention of returning to Eastcliff to vie for more family property, so everyone reluctantly accepted it all.

In everyone's eyes, letting Charlie be an outside prince was actually not bad at all; at least it wouldn't affect their competition for the position of Wade family head.

But now, Elder Wade unexpectedly wanted Charlie to come back and even wanted him to marry into the Salvador family. Wasn't this inviting trouble?

So, Wade family's eldest son, Ciprian, blurted out, "Dad! The son of Drake has been wandering outside for so many years. He hasn't received high-end education, nor has he experienced the family's training and trials. He's just a country bumpkin. Making him marry into the Salvador family, isn't that a big joke? Besides, I remember he's already settled in Aurous Hill!"

"Yeah, Dad!" the third son, Emil, hurriedly added, "Our Wade family's legitimate sons and grandsons, which one hasn't attended the top private schools from kindergarten to high school? Which one hasn't studied at top foreign universities? Which one hasn't received the best education combining Eastern and Western cultures since childhood? Not only learning knowledge, business, and management, but also learning multiple languages, noble equestrianism, and golf. The son of the second brother, he grew up in an orphanage and didn't even go to college. How could Miss Salvador from the Salvador family possibly look at someone like him?"

Others also chimed in in agreement.

At this moment, Stephen remained expressionless. "Young Master Charlie has attended university, just didn't complete the full four years, and also, I've had some dealings with Young Master Charlie. In my view, Young Master Charlie possesses the charisma and demeanor of the Second Master, definitely a rare talent among men!"

Wade family's eldest grandson, Florin, sternly retorted, "Mr. Thompson, you have no right to speak here. Look around you, we are all surnamed Wade! You, an outsider, dare to speak out here?"

Stephen remained composed. "Although I'm not surnamed Wade, my life was granted by the Second Master. So I've sworn long ago, my life from now on belongs to the Wade family. Therefore, every word I say is with a clear conscience!"

Lucian coldly remarked, "Do you think we don't know you? You're not really loyal to the Wade family; you're loyal to my second uncle. That's why you went to great lengths to hide Charlie and persuade Grandpa to buy him the Emgrand Group. Now you want to persuade Grandpa to bring him back to Eastcliff? I see your ulterior motive is actually to help Charlie snatch the position of Wade family head, isn't it?"

With this statement, everyone's faces changed drastically!









Chapter 1616 - The Salvador Connection

Even Elder Wade couldn't help but be stunned.

At this moment, Stephen spoke coldly, "I never intended for Young Master Charlie to come back. I'm just objectively telling you all that today's Young Master Charlie is no less impressive than the legendary Lord Wade who once dominated Eastcliff! As for the marriage proposal, it was suggested by the old master, not by me!"

"Furthermore, you don't need to worry here. Young Master Charlie has no intention of returning at all. From what I know of him, even if I begged him on my knees, he wouldn't come back, let alone abandon his wife and marry into the Salvador family!"

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

He won't come back?

That's even better!

Elder Wade squinted his eyes.

After pondering for a while, he said seriously, "Actually, I think if Charlie were to come back, there's a chance he could successfully marry Camilla."

"How is that possible?" Ciprian blurted out, "The Salvador family holds themselves in such high regard. Even our outstanding heir, Little Florin, might not be deemed worthy. What makes this rough man, who has been living outside for years, think he can impress the Salvador family?!"

Elder Wade looked at Ciprian with a cold gaze and chuckled.

Ciprian felt a shiver run down his spine under the scrutiny, feeling as if the old master had seen through his thoughts in an instant.

Elder Wade understood very well that the reason Ciprian was belittling Charlie was simply out of fear – fear that Charlie might actually come back, and even more so, fear that he might agree to marry into the Salvador family.

Out of fear comes belittlement.

It may seem logical and reasonable on the surface, but in reality, it's just a cover for his inner anxiety.

Others chimed in one after another, echoing similar sentiments. Their reasons were simple – Charlie's humble upbringing made him unworthy of the Salvador family's daughter.

Emil sneered, "Dad, although Charlie is my brother's son, he's been a loser in the eyes of young folks for so many years. How could a loser like him be compared to someone like Camilla?"

Seeing everyone opposing him, Elder Wade snorted and said, "Do you know that Camilla's mother, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Salvador family, once relentlessly pursued Drake? She spent years chasing after him. As long as he nodded, she would have been the second daughter-in-law of the Wade family. Even to this day, she goes to pay respects at Drake's grave every year. Can you understand this kind of love?"

His words caused an uproar!

It was only then that Ciprian recalled the events of the past.

Back then, Drake was a dominant figure in all of Eastcliff.

Countless wealthy young ladies dreamed of marrying him, or even just becoming his lover.

Among them was Camilla's mother, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Salvador family.

Back then, countless men were insanely jealous of Drake, including himself as the elder brother.

If what the old master said was true, if Camilla's mother loved him so deeply, then the idea of Charlie and Camilla might actually have some merit...






Chapter 1617 - Charms, Choices, and Consequences

Just as everyone in the Wade family was scheming, each with their own thoughts on how to persuade the old master to abandon this idea...

The old master slammed the table, excitement in his voice: "I think as long as Little Charlie nods, the chances of success are high!"

Ciprian hurriedly interjected: "Dad, Little Charlie is already married! Do you think the Salvador family would agree to marry their precious granddaughter to a man who's been married before? Even if Little Charlie were to divorce, it would still be a second marriage!"

The old master responded calmly: "As long as the charm is strong enough, what does it matter if it's a third marriage? What does it matter if there's no divorce? Do you know how many wealthy young ladies in Eastcliff were willing to be second wives? Even without any status, they had no complaints. That's the power of charm!"

Ciprian sighed: "Dad! Times have changed! Nowadays, young people value their independence. How could they possibly agree to compromise?"

The old master retorted coldly: "Whether they agree or not, it's not up to you or me, it's up to the facts! How do you know it won't work if you don't try?!"

With that, he turned to Stephen: "Stephen, go to Aurous Hill as soon as possible, meet Little Charlie, and talk to him about this matter."

Stephen earnestly replied: "Master, I don't think Young Master Charlie will agree."

The old master frowned, pointing to the other heirs of the Wade family, asking: "They don't want Little Charlie to come back, and you don't either?"

Stephen hurriedly explained: "Master, you misunderstand. I am eagerly awaiting Young Master Charlie's return to the Wade family. But, knowing Charlie well, he's unlikely to agree to marry into the Salvador family. Not to mention, he already has a wife whom he cares deeply about. Regarding marriage, let's not forget, he's had a betrothal with Miss Snow from the Snow family since long ago. Even if he considers Miss Maria Amada from the Snow family, he wouldn't consider Miss Camilla from the Salvador family!"

"Damn..."

It was only now that everyone realized a fact they had overlooked for many years.

Since childhood, Charlie had been engaged to Miss Maria Amada from the Snow family, who was now the famous star known as Haidee Snow!

The old master's eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement: "Ah! How foolish of me! So the opportunity for great success, as the old fortune teller said, lies with Little Charlie!"

Others looked at the old master, puzzled by his sudden declaration.

At this moment, the old master exclaimed: "Although the Snow family's power may be much weaker than the Salvador family's, the Snow family has fewer members! Geraldo alone holds 25.5% of Snow Corporation's shares! Not to mention his other assets, which probably amount to trillions. Most importantly, he only has one daughter. Everything he has will belong to his daughter in the future, which means it'll also belong to his son-in-law!"

The resentment in everyone's hearts surged.

Is this for real?

Even after all these years away from the Wade family, does Charlie still carry the engagement with Miss Snow from the Snow family?!

This is damn enviable, isn't it?!

At this point, the old master stood up excitedly, saying to Stephen: "Stephen, I'm giving you a task. I don't care what methods you use, within six months, Little Charlie must divorce that woman in Aurous Hill and come back to the family!"

Stephen nodded: "Master, I will do my best."

The other members of the Wade family were all deeply troubled.

At this rate, it seemed that the old master was determined to bring Charlie back.

And once Charlie returned, he could very well become the son-in-law of both the Snow and Salvador families.

By then, he would truly be the key figure in the Wade family who could navigate both sides.

---







Chapter 1618 - Hushed Discussions

For the other cousins, this was an unacceptable situation!

In an instant, everyone began desperately thinking of countermeasures.

On Grandpa Wade's side, his mood suddenly brightened. He could already tell that the opportunity for the Wade family's rise, as mentioned by the old fortune teller Lai Qinghua, lay with Charlie.

This instantly dispelled the four years of doubt in his mind, leaving him in high spirits.

So, with a hearty laugh, he stood up and said loudly, "Alright, let's call it a day here and adjourn the meeting!"

The expressions of the crowd were somewhat peculiar, but nobody dared to voice any opposition. However, each person harbored their own thoughts. The vast majority of them would rather die than see Charlie return to the Wade family in a high-profile manner.

After the meeting dispersed, Stephen returned to his office. Just as he sat down at his desk, he received a call from Charlie.

His heart leaped with joy, hastily answering the phone with respect, "Young Master, what made you think of calling me?"

Charlie asked, "Is it convenient for you to talk now, Stephen?"

"Very convenient." Stephen replied eagerly, "I'm in my office, it's very safe here, and the confidentiality measures are excellent. You can say anything you want."

Charlie grunted softly and said, "I'm in Eastcliff. Can we meet? Do you have time?"

Stephen asked in surprise, "Young Master, you're in Eastcliff? When did you arrive?"

Charlie replied, "I've been here for two days. I came to handle some matters and plan to leave tomorrow. I want to see you before I go."

Stephen immediately said, "No problem, Young Master. Please come to the Guangyuan Tea House in the Huguang Club. It's my property."

Charlie said, "Okay, I'll come over now."

Stephen hurriedly said, "I'll set off immediately too!"

The Huguang Club was a Qing Dynasty building. It was originally used to entertain scholars from the Huguang region who came to Eastcliff for the imperial examinations. It was somewhat similar to the Huguang Office of the Qing Dynasty in Eastcliff. Over time, it gradually evolved into a favorite place for old Eastcliff residents to listen to music and appreciate tea art.

Stephen invested in a tea house in the Huguang Club. This tea house had an antique charm and was quite elegant. Stephen often came here to relax or entertain friends.

With Stephen's current position as the head steward of the Wade family, he considered himself a top figure in Eastcliff. Except for the top few major families, the heads of other families were respectful to him. Therefore, his tea house business was thriving, and many influential people liked to come here.

When Charlie arrived at the Huguang Club, Stephen had already arrived before him.

He personally greeted Charlie at the door and was astonished to see Charlie accompanied by a woman wearing a mask, leaving him speechless.

Stephen had been deeply rooted in Eastcliff for many years and had extraordinary insight into many things. He almost instantly realized that the woman wearing the mask accompanying Charlie was Miss Haidee.

In that instant, Stephen was overjoyed and excited, "Young Master, Miss Snow, how did you two meet?"

Haidee chuckled and said, "Uncle Stephen, even if I dress up like this, I can't hide from you!"

Stephen laughed, "Miss Snow, your extraordinary temperament can't be concealed by a mere mask."

After saying that, Stephen hurriedly added, "Young Master, Miss Snow, it's not convenient to talk here. Please follow me to the backyard!"










Chapter 1619 - Brews and Breakthroughs

The Guangyuan Teahouse was divided into front courtyard, middle courtyard, and back courtyard, all typical of ancient-style wooden architecture, with a theater inside where people often performed cross-talk or Eastcliff opera.

The front and middle courtyards were open to the public, where teahouse members could enjoy their time, but the back courtyard was off-limits. It was Stephen's private domain, highly confidential.

With utmost respect, Stephen ushered Charlie and Haidee into the secluded guest lounge in the back courtyard.

Upon entering, Stephen promptly dismissed all the staff and personally invited Charlie and Haidee to sit on the sofa. He then used his precious tea set to brew a pot of tea for them.

Handing over the fragrant tea cups, Stephen could hardly contain his excitement as he said, "Young Master, I never expected you to come to Eastcliff, let alone with Miss Snow..."

In fact, Stephen had long hoped that Charlie would be willing to return, and he had been eagerly anticipating Charlie's union with Haidee.

Having spent many years in Eastcliff, he was well aware of the situation of the Wade family and other major families in Eastcliff.

With his grasp of the entire situation of the Eastcliff families, he believed that the best choice for Charlie was to divorce his current wife and leave the small city of Aurous Hill to come to Eastcliff. There, he could reclaim his identity as the second young master of the Wade family and openly marry Haidee.

In Stephen's eyes, no one was more suitable for Charlie than Haidee. They were simply a match made in heaven.

This was not only because Charlie and Haidee were originally engaged, but also because Geraldo was a man of loyalty and righteousness, and his whole family cherished these values.

More importantly, the Snow family was exceptionally powerful, with only one daughter. If Charlie married Haidee, it would be like bringing half of the Snow Group under his wing.

In that case, Charlie would not only be the second young master of the Wade family but also the son-in-law of the Snow family, unmatched in Eastcliff.

So, seeing Charlie and Haidee together now, Stephen was extremely excited.

At this moment, Charlie spoke lightly, "I came to Eastcliff mainly to see Uncle Snow. His health hasn't been great recently, so I came to check on him."

Stephen was suddenly shocked and blurted out, "Young Master, Chairman Snow miraculously recovered from a serious illness, and he even looks much younger on TV. Did you help behind the scenes?"

Stephen had always kept an eye on Charlie. Although he was not fully aware of many things, he had heard about Charlie being revered as a master in Aurous Hill. He knew that this second young master had some extraordinary abilities.

Facing Stephen's question, Charlie smiled faintly, nodded lightly, and said, "It was just a fortunate coincidence that I obtained a kind of miracle medicine. So, I rushed over to give it to Uncle Snow. Luckily, the medicine's effect was quite good."

Stephen trembled all over, exclaiming, "Young Master, the efficacy of this miracle medicine of yours is beyond good! It's simply miraculous! In all my years, I have never heard of any medicine being able to cure late-stage pancreatic cancer. It's clear that your medicine is truly extraordinary!"

Charlie neither confirmed nor denied it, simply nodding at Stephen and saying seriously, "Stephen, I've prepared a dose of this miracle medicine for you as well. If you ever need it in the future, I'll make sure it reaches your hands."

The Revival Pill was already in Charlie's possession.












Chapter 1620 - Decoding the Mystery

If it really was necessary, he could have brought it out and given it to Stephen at any time.

But the reason he said he would wait until Stephen needed it was to use the Resurrection Pill to increase Stephen's reliability.

It's not that he doubts Stephen, but he feels that being cautious is never wrong in any situation.

With the Resurrection Pill hanging over Stephen, his loyalty to himself would inevitably increase.

Upon hearing this, Stephen's expression froze, and he immediately thanked, "Young Master, with your words, even if I have to face the most dangerous situations, I'll have no regrets!"

Stephen was not only loyal but also intelligent.

Although he didn't know what the Resurrection Pill was exactly, he could glean some clues from Geraldo's performance.

Firstly, what Charlie said about the miraculous medicine must be a panacea that could cure all diseases. Even late-stage pancreatic cancer, with almost a 100% mortality rate, could be cured by it. If so, there might not be any illness in the world that it couldn't cure.

Secondly, Geraldo's condition as shown on television was even better than when he was healthy, proving that this miraculous medicine not only cured illnesses but also prolonged life.

With these two effects, it could almost be called a treasure of humanity.

And now, Charlie actually promised to prepare a dose for him, which not only excited him immensely but also deeply moved him.

Charlie nodded gently and asked Stephen, "Stephen, the reason I came to see you this time is to know more about the details of my parents' forced exile and murder. Do you have any more clues? Such as who was behind it all?"

Stephen hesitated for a moment and said, "Young Master, your father openly offended the Rothschild family, which had dominated the West for many years, but in reality, he offended the entire aristocratic families of Eastcliff."

Charlie furrowed his brows and asked, "Why would my father offend all the aristocratic families of Eastcliff?"

Stephen sighed and said, "Back then, under the tide of the open market economy, your father was one of the first to lead the Wade family into international finance and trade. At that time, many domestic big families knew nothing about overseas financial markets. All they knew was traditional physical trade, such as exporting domestic products overseas and importing products back. This kind of international trade was the most basic. Our ancestors had been doing this since the Tang and Song dynasties. Even during the Song Dynasty, our country was the world's largest trading nation. Quanzhou Port a thousand or two thousand years ago can be said to be the busiest trading port in the world..."

Here, Stephen sighed and continued, "However, until your father was young, our domestic entrepreneurs' foreign trade was almost the same as that of the Tang and Song dynasties, with little technological content. Meanwhile, Europeans and Americans had already mastered the art of international finance. Stocks, futures, oil, gold, private equity funds, hedge funds, venture capital—these were the specialties of Europe and America..."

"Asian countries were still relying on the hard work of workers to produce goods to exchange for money overseas. But when they accumulated a bit, foreign hedge funds directly brought in a large amount of hot money, ran rampant in Asia, not only causing financial storms but also legally taking away the fruits of labor of Asian countries for several years, even decades, causing a country's financial collapse, stock market collapse, property market collapse..."

"At that time, the Rothschild family targeted the domestic big families. When everyone could only be slaughtered, it was your father who stood up, organized all the big families in Eastcliff, and united to fight against the Rothschild family, finally forcing them to retreat in embarrassment, not daring to come to China for ten years..."

Upon hearing this, Charlie couldn't help but frown, "According to what you're saying, these families in Eastcliff should be grateful to my father. Why did my father still offend them?"

 

[Prosper]

Chapter 1611 - The Art of Concealment: Charlie's Charismatic Charades

Originally, Elsa had just felt that Charlie's explanation could barely pass muster, but there were always some parts that made her feel uneasy.

However, Charlie's self-deprecation swept away the last trace of doubt in Elsa's mind.

She remembered back when they were in school, Charlie was looked down upon by everyone, even classmates from similarly humble backgrounds freely bullied him.

Yet, he never retaliated, never argued or fought back, as if nothing ever bothered him.

With Charlie's personality, it was indeed impossible for him to reveal his acquaintance with Haidee.

And even if he did, no one would believe him anyway.

Thinking of this, she found herself admiring Charlie somewhat.

Knowing Snow's family, addressing Miss Snow as a sister, yet never telling anyone about it, preferring to be looked down upon rather than exploiting this relationship, was indeed quite rare.

However, she still had a lingering worry.

Because just now, she saw Charlie and Haidee being intimate, so she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off between them.

So she tentatively asked Charlie, "Charlie, does Claire know about your relationship with Miss Snow?"

Charlie smiled and countered, "Do you know about Mystical Gastric Remedy?"

"Yeah," Elsa nodded, saying, "Isn't it that incredibly effective stomach medicine that's been super popular recently? Oh right, it seems Miss Snow endorses it!"

Charlie then asked her, "Do you know the manufacturer of Mystical Gastric Remedy, Mystical Labs, which is an enterprise in Aurous Hill?"

Elsa continued to nod, "Hmm, I know."

Charlie smiled and said, "A while ago when Haidee was filming an advertisement in Aurous Hill, she had dinner with me and Claire. She just didn't tell you about it because Haidee is a public figure."

"Oh, I see..." Elsa suddenly realized, asking Charlie, "So Claire knew you two had known each other for a long time back then?"

Charlie shook his head, "Actually, I didn't tell Claire the truth back then because Haidee was there for work, and I didn't want anyone to know about my relationship with her. I didn't want to be a drag on Haidee, so I didn't tell Claire or anyone else about it. Actually, if you hadn't run into me today by chance, I wouldn't have told you either."

Elsa nodded gently. Hearing Charlie always self-deprecatingly calling himself a loser, she suddenly felt a pang of heartache, so she said, "Charlie, don't belittle yourself like this all the time. You're actually amazing, I don't think many people can match you!"

Elsa's words were sincere.

She really felt that Charlie was extraordinary. Leaving aside everything else, his strength alone was not something an ordinary person could compare to. When the Southern Twin Devils faced him, they had no ability to fight back whatsoever.

With Charlie's terrifying combat power, those who used to bully him were actually no match for him at all. It's just that Charlie never bothered with those people.

Haidee, who had been silent on the side, had not spoken all this time. She knew that her careless words just now almost caused trouble for Charlie. Fortunately, Charlie's quick thinking saved the day, otherwise, it would have been difficult to explain this matter.









Chapter 1612 - Unveiling Identities: Charlie's Complicated Past

As Charlie watched Elsa believe his words, he spoke up, "Elsa, it's getting late. We should head off now. Let's meet at the airport tomorrow."

Elsa nodded lightly, then remembered something and hurriedly said, "Oh, you saved me again just now!"

Charlie chuckled, "It wasn't you who needed saving, it was that little girl. You should be fine, but she might be in some danger."

Elsa playfully rolled her eyes and said stubbornly, "Still, I have to thank you!"

Charlie shrugged helplessly, "Alright, let's go. No need to be formal here. Remember this incident, but don't tell Claire yet."

Elsa nodded, "Okay, got it. It's getting late. Let's go."

Elsa and her cousin parked their car in a nearby parking lot, while Charlie and Haidee had parked at Snow's courtyard earlier, so they bid farewell by the edge of the ice rink.

After parting ways, Charlie finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that they had barely passed the test today.

After walking several dozen meters away, Haidee whispered to him, "Brother Charlie, why do you keep hiding your identity? If you reveal who you are, those people in Aurous Hill wouldn't dare to bully you!"

Charlie smiled faintly, "When I left the Wade family with my parents and ended up in Aurous Hill, I was just like any other orphan. Even if I reveal my identity, what difference would it make? Others might not believe it anyway."

Haidee asked again, "But after Uncle Wade and Aunt Wade passed away, you could have contacted the Wade family and let them take you back."

Charlie shook his head, saying calmly, "The situation in the Wade family is complicated, far beyond what I could handle back then. Besides, my parents didn't want to bow down to the Wade family, which is why they left for Aurous Hill. Although I was young at the time, I carry their blood in my veins. How could I bow down to the Wade family and return to enjoy their wealth and glory after they passed away?"

Haidee's eyes quickly turned red. She hugged Charlie's arm tightly, choking back tears, "I've been heartbroken for you all these years, enduring so much hardship and injustice. I'm upset that anyone could look down on you, could bully you..."

Charlie patted her hand and said with a smile, "That's life. You have to experience ups and downs. If you're praised all your life, you might never understand the harshness and suffering of the world. That way, you'll likely suffer a big loss in the future. Unlike me, I saw through the world's warmth and cruelty since I was eight. These experiences are a precious treasure for my future."

Haidee nodded gently, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She truly felt heartbroken for Charlie's life over the past decade. Even though Charlie downplayed it, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat whenever she thought about it.

He was the young master of the Wade family, yet he had experienced the lowest levels of society in Aurous Hill. Haidee couldn't imagine how he had managed to survive all these years.

Though she was younger than Charlie, whenever she thought about these things, she wished she could keep Charlie in Eastcliff forever, doing nothing herself, just finding ways to treat him well every day, to make up for the suffering he had endured over the years.

At this moment, Charlie suddenly sighed, "We're leaving tomorrow. Let's go see Stephen Thompson today!"

Haidee asked in surprise, "Brother Charlie, you want to see Uncle Stephen?"

Charlie nodded and said, "I need to confront him about my parents' past."

Haidee blurted out, "Then I'll go with you!"








Chapter 1613 - Wade's Way Forward

When it came to Stephen, Charlie didn't feel overly cautious. That's because he could analyze that Stephen harbored no ill intentions towards him. In fact, Charlie owed much of his safe upbringing in Aurous Hill over the years to Stephen's covert protection. So, if Stephen harbored any malicious thoughts towards him, he wouldn't have waited until now. Stephen was one of the few people Charlie could absolutely trust. Therefore, he was planning to get in touch with Stephen to arrange a meeting and learn some details from the past.

At this moment, Stephen was at the Wade Corporation.

In the executive conference room of the Wade Corporation, all the descendants of the Wade family were gathered here for a family meeting. Presiding over the meeting was the patriarch of the Wade family, Claudius, who was also Charlie's grandfather.

Nearly twenty descendants of the Wade family were seated solemnly in the meeting room.

At this moment, the patriarch sighed and said, "The old fortune teller left hastily yesterday. He went directly from Yanling Mountain to the airport. I didn't even get to see him for the last time. What a pity!"

Charlie's eldest uncle, Ciprian, asked, "Dad, did you call us here for the matter of the old fortune teller returning to the United States?"

Claudius waved his hand and said, "The old fortune teller had told me long ago that the reason he stayed in Eastcliff and remained in the country after the completion of Yanling Mountain was to wait for an opportunity that belonged to him. Now that he's gone, he must have obtained the opportunity he had been waiting for all these years."

Everyone nodded one after another. One of Charlie's cousins of the same generation asked, "Grandpa, then why did you call us here today? Is there something important?"

The last time the patriarch summoned all the legitimate descendants of the Wade family for a meeting was when they decided to relocate the ancestral graves. After all, the Wade family's business was vast, with descendants managing various departments spread across the country. If it weren't for something extremely urgent, there would be no need to gather everyone at great expense.

Claudius sighed and said, "Initially, the old fortune teller told me that after the Wade family breaks through its current predicament, there will be a chance to soar to greater heights. But I still can't figure out where exactly this opportunity for the Wade family to soar lies."

For a moment, everyone looked at each other in confusion.

The current strength of the Wade family ranked second among the major families in the country, second only to the Salvador family. If they were to soar higher, wouldn't that mean surpassing the Salvador family and becoming the number one family in the country?

Hence, everyone became somewhat excited.

Charlie's third uncle, Emil, spoke up, "Dad, did the old fortune teller reveal any clues back then? Like where this opportunity might appear? Or who it might involve? Or how we could find relevant clues?"

Claudius shook his head and said, "The old fortune teller only mentioned that the Wade family would encounter a heaven-sent opportunity, but he didn't reveal a single word about what this opportunity is, where to find it, only saying it's a secret of the heavens that shouldn't be leaked!"

Ciprian clicked his tongue, "Then this scope is too broad. Even if we want to search for clues, we won't be able to grasp anything!"

Claudius said, "If we can't grasp it, then we must find a way to take the initiative and search comprehensively!"

He continued, "For the past few days, I've been pondering a question: how can our Wade family surpass the Salvador family?"

"Surpass the Salvador family?"








Chapter 1614 - Bridging the Gulf

The descendants of the Wade family looked at each other, all feeling like this whole thing was straight out of a fairy tale.

Compared to the Salvador family, the Wade family was more or less on par, with the Salvador family's overall strength being roughly 20% higher than that of the Wade family.

However, due to the huge wealth base of both families, this 20% gap translated into a staggering difference in monetary terms.

For the Wade family to surpass the Salvador family, their assets would need to increase by several hundred billion at least.

The Salvador family was already stronger in scale, and naturally, their development speed was faster than that of the Wade family, so the gap between the two was gradually widening.

Now, wanting to rise against the odds and catch up with the Salvador family seemed not just difficult but almost like a fairy tale.

Claudius looked around at everyone, all silent, and couldn't help but sigh, "Twenty years ago, when Drake was still alive, the Wade family, under his leadership, was almost surpassing the Salvador family. At that time, Drake devised a strategy for national dominance, and all the major families in Eastcliff believed that the Wade family would inevitably surpass the Salvador family and become the top family in the country..."

Here, Claudius fell silent for a moment, his eyes filled with pity as he continued, "But after Drake passed away, you people are really nowhere near as capable..."

Upon hearing this, Ciprian, the eldest son, was quite unhappy and retorted, "Dad, it's no fun if you keep saying we're not as good as Drake. But it was you who drove Drake and his family away in the first place. If you hadn't done that, maybe the Wade family would have already achieved its goal of dominating the country by now."

"You..." Claudius was furious, wanting to lash out at Ciprian, but then held himself back.

He sighed deeply and said to everyone, "What's done is done. Let's focus on the present."

Ciprian asked, "What good ideas do you have, Dad, to shorten the distance between us and the Salvador family?"

Claudius hesitated for a moment before saying, "The Salvador family has always been prosperous in terms of male descendants. Old Master Salvador has five sons and thirteen grandsons, but it seems there are only two granddaughters, one of whom is twenty-two this year and already of marriageable age. If the younger generation of the Wade family could marry one of the Salvador family's granddaughters, it would greatly benefit us!"

Charlie's eldest aunt, Marina, spoke up, "Dad, the Salvador family's eldest granddaughter is highly favored in the Salvador family. If we want to marry her, it has to be our eldest grandson."

The eldest grandson of the Wade family was Florin, the son of Ciprian.

At this moment, Ciprian sighed and said, "Marina, Little Florin was engaged to a princess from the Norwegian royal family last year. The wedding will be held this summer, and almost everyone in Eastcliff knows about it. There's no room for negotiation."

"Yeah," said Florin, added, "I've had some contact with Camilla before. She's aloof and rarely participates in social events. Many socialites both domestically and abroad have invited her, but she has never accepted any invitations. Trying to pursue her is like reaching for the stars. Moreover, I already have an engagement. If I were to pursue her, the Salvador family would probably see through my intentions at a glance..."

One of Charlie's cousins, the eldest son of Emil, Lucian, couldn't contain his excitement and said, "Grandpa, what if I try?"

Ciprian glanced at this unremarkable-looking nephew and shook his head, "Little Lucian, the Salvador family is already superior to us in strength. Even if it were your cousin Florin, the eldest grandson, it's not certain that he could catch the eye of the Salvador family, let alone you?"

Emil was a little displeased, "Big brother, your words are discouraging. Who says the Salvador family's eldest granddaughter must marry the eldest grandson of another family? Maybe our Little Lucian has that charm?"

Ciprian chuckled, "Third brother, if you're not convinced, you can let Little Lucian give it a try. I'm just afraid that if Little Lucian doesn't even have the chance to meet Camilla, it would be embarrassing."

Even Wade's old man couldn't help but sigh, pouring cold water on the situation, "Wanting to marry into the Salvador family, Little Lucian is indeed far from enough."

As he said this, he suddenly remembered something, his eyes flashing, looking at Stephen Thompson, who had been silent all along, and asked, "Stephen, do you think if we let Drake's son go and propose a marriage alliance with the Salvador family, would he agree?"









Chapter 1615 - Revisiting Old Wounds

When Elder Wade dropped this bombshell, the whole room gasped!

"Son of Drake" - wasn't he talking about Charlie Wade?

In fact, everyone had known since Elder Wade had Stephen buy the Emgrand Group, send it to Aurous Hill for Charlie, and invite Charlie back to the family, that Charlie was still alive.

Except for the old man, everyone else was extremely wary of Charlie, even internally repulsed, fearing he might return to Eastcliff and vie with them for the Wade family's wealth and power.

Fortunately, Charlie had declined Stephen's request and hadn't returned to the Wade family. So, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and gradually let down their guard.

However, even though Charlie didn't come back, many were extremely unhappy about Elder Wade's lavish spending of hundreds of billions and giving him the Emgrand Group.

The Wade family's assets exceeded trillions, but there were many mouths to feed.

Charlie's grandfather had four sons and two daughters.

Apart from the second son, Drake, who died young, the other three sons had a total of seven grandsons and six granddaughters.

Although the two daughters were married, they held important positions in the Wade family's financial empire. So, even with so many heirs, it wasn't possible to achieve a level of one hundred billion per person even with equal distribution.

Therefore, Charlie getting the Emgrand Group alone indeed made many in the Wade family jealous.

At the time, there were many people who jointly opposed Elder Wade's biased actions, strongly protesting against favoritism.

But Elder Wade persisted against all odds, citing the Wade family's indebtedness to Drake's family as the reason for his actions.

Although everyone was deeply dissatisfied, thankfully Charlie had no intention of returning to Eastcliff to vie for more family property, so everyone reluctantly accepted it all.

In everyone's eyes, letting Charlie be an outside prince was actually not bad at all; at least it wouldn't affect their competition for the position of Wade family head.

But now, Elder Wade unexpectedly wanted Charlie to come back and even wanted him to marry into the Salvador family. Wasn't this inviting trouble?

So, Wade family's eldest son, Ciprian, blurted out, "Dad! The son of Drake has been wandering outside for so many years. He hasn't received high-end education, nor has he experienced the family's training and trials. He's just a country bumpkin. Making him marry into the Salvador family, isn't that a big joke? Besides, I remember he's already settled in Aurous Hill!"

"Yeah, Dad!" the third son, Emil, hurriedly added, "Our Wade family's legitimate sons and grandsons, which one hasn't attended the top private schools from kindergarten to high school? Which one hasn't studied at top foreign universities? Which one hasn't received the best education combining Eastern and Western cultures since childhood? Not only learning knowledge, business, and management, but also learning multiple languages, noble equestrianism, and golf. The son of the second brother, he grew up in an orphanage and didn't even go to college. How could Miss Salvador from the Salvador family possibly look at someone like him?"

Others also chimed in in agreement.

At this moment, Stephen remained expressionless. "Young Master Charlie has attended university, just didn't complete the full four years, and also, I've had some dealings with Young Master Charlie. In my view, Young Master Charlie possesses the charisma and demeanor of the Second Master, definitely a rare talent among men!"

Wade family's eldest grandson, Florin, sternly retorted, "Mr. Thompson, you have no right to speak here. Look around you, we are all surnamed Wade! You, an outsider, dare to speak out here?"

Stephen remained composed. "Although I'm not surnamed Wade, my life was granted by the Second Master. So I've sworn long ago, my life from now on belongs to the Wade family. Therefore, every word I say is with a clear conscience!"

Lucian coldly remarked, "Do you think we don't know you? You're not really loyal to the Wade family; you're loyal to my second uncle. That's why you went to great lengths to hide Charlie and persuade Grandpa to buy him the Emgrand Group. Now you want to persuade Grandpa to bring him back to Eastcliff? I see your ulterior motive is actually to help Charlie snatch the position of Wade family head, isn't it?"

With this statement, everyone's faces changed drastically!









Chapter 1616 - The Salvador Connection

Even Elder Wade couldn't help but be stunned.

At this moment, Stephen spoke coldly, "I never intended for Young Master Charlie to come back. I'm just objectively telling you all that today's Young Master Charlie is no less impressive than the legendary Lord Wade who once dominated Eastcliff! As for the marriage proposal, it was suggested by the old master, not by me!"

"Furthermore, you don't need to worry here. Young Master Charlie has no intention of returning at all. From what I know of him, even if I begged him on my knees, he wouldn't come back, let alone abandon his wife and marry into the Salvador family!"

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

He won't come back?

That's even better!

Elder Wade squinted his eyes.

After pondering for a while, he said seriously, "Actually, I think if Charlie were to come back, there's a chance he could successfully marry Camilla."

"How is that possible?" Ciprian blurted out, "The Salvador family holds themselves in such high regard. Even our outstanding heir, Little Florin, might not be deemed worthy. What makes this rough man, who has been living outside for years, think he can impress the Salvador family?!"

Elder Wade looked at Ciprian with a cold gaze and chuckled.

Ciprian felt a shiver run down his spine under the scrutiny, feeling as if the old master had seen through his thoughts in an instant.

Elder Wade understood very well that the reason Ciprian was belittling Charlie was simply out of fear – fear that Charlie might actually come back, and even more so, fear that he might agree to marry into the Salvador family.

Out of fear comes belittlement.

It may seem logical and reasonable on the surface, but in reality, it's just a cover for his inner anxiety.

Others chimed in one after another, echoing similar sentiments. Their reasons were simple – Charlie's humble upbringing made him unworthy of the Salvador family's daughter.

Emil sneered, "Dad, although Charlie is my brother's son, he's been a loser in the eyes of young folks for so many years. How could a loser like him be compared to someone like Camilla?"

Seeing everyone opposing him, Elder Wade snorted and said, "Do you know that Camilla's mother, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Salvador family, once relentlessly pursued Drake? She spent years chasing after him. As long as he nodded, she would have been the second daughter-in-law of the Wade family. Even to this day, she goes to pay respects at Drake's grave every year. Can you understand this kind of love?"

His words caused an uproar!

It was only then that Ciprian recalled the events of the past.

Back then, Drake was a dominant figure in all of Eastcliff.

Countless wealthy young ladies dreamed of marrying him, or even just becoming his lover.

Among them was Camilla's mother, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Salvador family.

Back then, countless men were insanely jealous of Drake, including himself as the elder brother.

If what the old master said was true, if Camilla's mother loved him so deeply, then the idea of Charlie and Camilla might actually have some merit...






Chapter 1617 - Charms, Choices, and Consequences

Just as everyone in the Wade family was scheming, each with their own thoughts on how to persuade the old master to abandon this idea...

The old master slammed the table, excitement in his voice: "I think as long as Little Charlie nods, the chances of success are high!"

Ciprian hurriedly interjected: "Dad, Little Charlie is already married! Do you think the Salvador family would agree to marry their precious granddaughter to a man who's been married before? Even if Little Charlie were to divorce, it would still be a second marriage!"

The old master responded calmly: "As long as the charm is strong enough, what does it matter if it's a third marriage? What does it matter if there's no divorce? Do you know how many wealthy young ladies in Eastcliff were willing to be second wives? Even without any status, they had no complaints. That's the power of charm!"

Ciprian sighed: "Dad! Times have changed! Nowadays, young people value their independence. How could they possibly agree to compromise?"

The old master retorted coldly: "Whether they agree or not, it's not up to you or me, it's up to the facts! How do you know it won't work if you don't try?!"

With that, he turned to Stephen: "Stephen, go to Aurous Hill as soon as possible, meet Little Charlie, and talk to him about this matter."

Stephen earnestly replied: "Master, I don't think Young Master Charlie will agree."

The old master frowned, pointing to the other heirs of the Wade family, asking: "They don't want Little Charlie to come back, and you don't either?"

Stephen hurriedly explained: "Master, you misunderstand. I am eagerly awaiting Young Master Charlie's return to the Wade family. But, knowing Charlie well, he's unlikely to agree to marry into the Salvador family. Not to mention, he already has a wife whom he cares deeply about. Regarding marriage, let's not forget, he's had a betrothal with Miss Snow from the Snow family since long ago. Even if he considers Miss Maria Amada from the Snow family, he wouldn't consider Miss Camilla from the Salvador family!"

"Damn..."

It was only now that everyone realized a fact they had overlooked for many years.

Since childhood, Charlie had been engaged to Miss Maria Amada from the Snow family, who was now the famous star known as Haidee Snow!

The old master's eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement: "Ah! How foolish of me! So the opportunity for great success, as the old fortune teller said, lies with Little Charlie!"

Others looked at the old master, puzzled by his sudden declaration.

At this moment, the old master exclaimed: "Although the Snow family's power may be much weaker than the Salvador family's, the Snow family has fewer members! Geraldo alone holds 25.5% of Snow Corporation's shares! Not to mention his other assets, which probably amount to trillions. Most importantly, he only has one daughter. Everything he has will belong to his daughter in the future, which means it'll also belong to his son-in-law!"

The resentment in everyone's hearts surged.

Is this for real?

Even after all these years away from the Wade family, does Charlie still carry the engagement with Miss Snow from the Snow family?!

This is damn enviable, isn't it?!

At this point, the old master stood up excitedly, saying to Stephen: "Stephen, I'm giving you a task. I don't care what methods you use, within six months, Little Charlie must divorce that woman in Aurous Hill and come back to the family!"

Stephen nodded: "Master, I will do my best."

The other members of the Wade family were all deeply troubled.

At this rate, it seemed that the old master was determined to bring Charlie back.

And once Charlie returned, he could very well become the son-in-law of both the Snow and Salvador families.

By then, he would truly be the key figure in the Wade family who could navigate both sides.

---







Chapter 1618 - Hushed Discussions

For the other cousins, this was an unacceptable situation!

In an instant, everyone began desperately thinking of countermeasures.

On Grandpa Wade's side, his mood suddenly brightened. He could already tell that the opportunity for the Wade family's rise, as mentioned by the old fortune teller Lai Qinghua, lay with Charlie.

This instantly dispelled the four years of doubt in his mind, leaving him in high spirits.

So, with a hearty laugh, he stood up and said loudly, "Alright, let's call it a day here and adjourn the meeting!"

The expressions of the crowd were somewhat peculiar, but nobody dared to voice any opposition. However, each person harbored their own thoughts. The vast majority of them would rather die than see Charlie return to the Wade family in a high-profile manner.

After the meeting dispersed, Stephen returned to his office. Just as he sat down at his desk, he received a call from Charlie.

His heart leaped with joy, hastily answering the phone with respect, "Young Master, what made you think of calling me?"

Charlie asked, "Is it convenient for you to talk now, Stephen?"

"Very convenient." Stephen replied eagerly, "I'm in my office, it's very safe here, and the confidentiality measures are excellent. You can say anything you want."

Charlie grunted softly and said, "I'm in Eastcliff. Can we meet? Do you have time?"

Stephen asked in surprise, "Young Master, you're in Eastcliff? When did you arrive?"

Charlie replied, "I've been here for two days. I came to handle some matters and plan to leave tomorrow. I want to see you before I go."

Stephen immediately said, "No problem, Young Master. Please come to the Guangyuan Tea House in the Huguang Club. It's my property."

Charlie said, "Okay, I'll come over now."

Stephen hurriedly said, "I'll set off immediately too!"

The Huguang Club was a Qing Dynasty building. It was originally used to entertain scholars from the Huguang region who came to Eastcliff for the imperial examinations. It was somewhat similar to the Huguang Office of the Qing Dynasty in Eastcliff. Over time, it gradually evolved into a favorite place for old Eastcliff residents to listen to music and appreciate tea art.

Stephen invested in a tea house in the Huguang Club. This tea house had an antique charm and was quite elegant. Stephen often came here to relax or entertain friends.

With Stephen's current position as the head steward of the Wade family, he considered himself a top figure in Eastcliff. Except for the top few major families, the heads of other families were respectful to him. Therefore, his tea house business was thriving, and many influential people liked to come here.

When Charlie arrived at the Huguang Club, Stephen had already arrived before him.

He personally greeted Charlie at the door and was astonished to see Charlie accompanied by a woman wearing a mask, leaving him speechless.

Stephen had been deeply rooted in Eastcliff for many years and had extraordinary insight into many things. He almost instantly realized that the woman wearing the mask accompanying Charlie was Miss Haidee.

In that instant, Stephen was overjoyed and excited, "Young Master, Miss Snow, how did you two meet?"

Haidee chuckled and said, "Uncle Stephen, even if I dress up like this, I can't hide from you!"

Stephen laughed, "Miss Snow, your extraordinary temperament can't be concealed by a mere mask."

After saying that, Stephen hurriedly added, "Young Master, Miss Snow, it's not convenient to talk here. Please follow me to the backyard!"










Chapter 1619 - Brews and Breakthroughs

The Guangyuan Teahouse was divided into front courtyard, middle courtyard, and back courtyard, all typical of ancient-style wooden architecture, with a theater inside where people often performed cross-talk or Eastcliff opera.

The front and middle courtyards were open to the public, where teahouse members could enjoy their time, but the back courtyard was off-limits. It was Stephen's private domain, highly confidential.

With utmost respect, Stephen ushered Charlie and Haidee into the secluded guest lounge in the back courtyard.

Upon entering, Stephen promptly dismissed all the staff and personally invited Charlie and Haidee to sit on the sofa. He then used his precious tea set to brew a pot of tea for them.

Handing over the fragrant tea cups, Stephen could hardly contain his excitement as he said, "Young Master, I never expected you to come to Eastcliff, let alone with Miss Snow..."

In fact, Stephen had long hoped that Charlie would be willing to return, and he had been eagerly anticipating Charlie's union with Haidee.

Having spent many years in Eastcliff, he was well aware of the situation of the Wade family and other major families in Eastcliff.

With his grasp of the entire situation of the Eastcliff families, he believed that the best choice for Charlie was to divorce his current wife and leave the small city of Aurous Hill to come to Eastcliff. There, he could reclaim his identity as the second young master of the Wade family and openly marry Haidee.

In Stephen's eyes, no one was more suitable for Charlie than Haidee. They were simply a match made in heaven.

This was not only because Charlie and Haidee were originally engaged, but also because Geraldo was a man of loyalty and righteousness, and his whole family cherished these values.

More importantly, the Snow family was exceptionally powerful, with only one daughter. If Charlie married Haidee, it would be like bringing half of the Snow Group under his wing.

In that case, Charlie would not only be the second young master of the Wade family but also the son-in-law of the Snow family, unmatched in Eastcliff.

So, seeing Charlie and Haidee together now, Stephen was extremely excited.

At this moment, Charlie spoke lightly, "I came to Eastcliff mainly to see Uncle Snow. His health hasn't been great recently, so I came to check on him."

Stephen was suddenly shocked and blurted out, "Young Master, Chairman Snow miraculously recovered from a serious illness, and he even looks much younger on TV. Did you help behind the scenes?"

Stephen had always kept an eye on Charlie. Although he was not fully aware of many things, he had heard about Charlie being revered as a master in Aurous Hill. He knew that this second young master had some extraordinary abilities.

Facing Stephen's question, Charlie smiled faintly, nodded lightly, and said, "It was just a fortunate coincidence that I obtained a kind of miracle medicine. So, I rushed over to give it to Uncle Snow. Luckily, the medicine's effect was quite good."

Stephen trembled all over, exclaiming, "Young Master, the efficacy of this miracle medicine of yours is beyond good! It's simply miraculous! In all my years, I have never heard of any medicine being able to cure late-stage pancreatic cancer. It's clear that your medicine is truly extraordinary!"

Charlie neither confirmed nor denied it, simply nodding at Stephen and saying seriously, "Stephen, I've prepared a dose of this miracle medicine for you as well. If you ever need it in the future, I'll make sure it reaches your hands."

The Revival Pill was already in Charlie's possession.












Chapter 1620 - Decoding the Mystery

If it really was necessary, he could have brought it out and given it to Stephen at any time.

But the reason he said he would wait until Stephen needed it was to use the Resurrection Pill to increase Stephen's reliability.

It's not that he doubts Stephen, but he feels that being cautious is never wrong in any situation.

With the Resurrection Pill hanging over Stephen, his loyalty to himself would inevitably increase.

Upon hearing this, Stephen's expression froze, and he immediately thanked, "Young Master, with your words, even if I have to face the most dangerous situations, I'll have no regrets!"

Stephen was not only loyal but also intelligent.

Although he didn't know what the Resurrection Pill was exactly, he could glean some clues from Geraldo's performance.

Firstly, what Charlie said about the miraculous medicine must be a panacea that could cure all diseases. Even late-stage pancreatic cancer, with almost a 100% mortality rate, could be cured by it. If so, there might not be any illness in the world that it couldn't cure.

Secondly, Geraldo's condition as shown on television was even better than when he was healthy, proving that this miraculous medicine not only cured illnesses but also prolonged life.

With these two effects, it could almost be called a treasure of humanity.

And now, Charlie actually promised to prepare a dose for him, which not only excited him immensely but also deeply moved him.

Charlie nodded gently and asked Stephen, "Stephen, the reason I came to see you this time is to know more about the details of my parents' forced exile and murder. Do you have any more clues? Such as who was behind it all?"

Stephen hesitated for a moment and said, "Young Master, your father openly offended the Rothschild family, which had dominated the West for many years, but in reality, he offended the entire aristocratic families of Eastcliff."

Charlie furrowed his brows and asked, "Why would my father offend all the aristocratic families of Eastcliff?"

Stephen sighed and said, "Back then, under the tide of the open market economy, your father was one of the first to lead the Wade family into international finance and trade. At that time, many domestic big families knew nothing about overseas financial markets. All they knew was traditional physical trade, such as exporting domestic products overseas and importing products back. This kind of international trade was the most basic. Our ancestors had been doing this since the Tang and Song dynasties. Even during the Song Dynasty, our country was the world's largest trading nation. Quanzhou Port a thousand or two thousand years ago can be said to be the busiest trading port in the world..."

Here, Stephen sighed and continued, "However, until your father was young, our domestic entrepreneurs' foreign trade was almost the same as that of the Tang and Song dynasties, with little technological content. Meanwhile, Europeans and Americans had already mastered the art of international finance. Stocks, futures, oil, gold, private equity funds, hedge funds, venture capital—these were the specialties of Europe and America..."

"Asian countries were still relying on the hard work of workers to produce goods to exchange for money overseas. But when they accumulated a bit, foreign hedge funds directly brought in a large amount of hot money, ran rampant in Asia, not only causing financial storms but also legally taking away the fruits of labor of Asian countries for several years, even decades, causing a country's financial collapse, stock market collapse, property market collapse..."

"At that time, the Rothschild family targeted the domestic big families. When everyone could only be slaughtered, it was your father who stood up, organized all the big families in Eastcliff, and united to fight against the Rothschild family, finally forcing them to retreat in embarrassment, not daring to come to China for ten years..."

Upon hearing this, Charlie couldn't help but frown, "According to what you're saying, these families in Eastcliff should be grateful to my father. Why did my father still offend them?"

Interesting times ahead.

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

Interesting times ahead.

He conquered Aurous Hill already, now he is setting the stage to conquer Eastcliff/Beijing... China's capital... I hope charlie will take all the pretty girls in Eastcliff as Claire stays in Aurous Hill,taking care of her stupid parents...

 

[emeka]

their are more to this story

 

[undeadpumpkin]

Chapter 1611 - The Art of Concealment: Charlie's Charismatic Charades

Originally, Elsa had just felt that Charlie's explanation could barely pass muster, but there were always some parts that made her feel uneasy.

However, Charlie's self-deprecation swept away the last trace of doubt in Elsa's mind.

She remembered back when they were in school, Charlie was looked down upon by everyone, even classmates from similarly humble backgrounds freely bullied him.

Yet, he never retaliated, never argued or fought back, as if nothing ever bothered him.

With Charlie's personality, it was indeed impossible for him to reveal his acquaintance with Haidee.

And even if he did, no one would believe him anyway.

Thinking of this, she found herself admiring Charlie somewhat.

Knowing Snow's family, addressing Miss Snow as a sister, yet never telling anyone about it, preferring to be looked down upon rather than exploiting this relationship, was indeed quite rare.

However, she still had a lingering worry.

Because just now, she saw Charlie and Haidee being intimate, so she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off between them.

So she tentatively asked Charlie, "Charlie, does Claire know about your relationship with Miss Snow?"

Charlie smiled and countered, "Do you know about Mystical Gastric Remedy?"

"Yeah," Elsa nodded, saying, "Isn't it that incredibly effective stomach medicine that's been super popular recently? Oh right, it seems Miss Snow endorses it!"

Charlie then asked her, "Do you know the manufacturer of Mystical Gastric Remedy, Mystical Labs, which is an enterprise in Aurous Hill?"

Elsa continued to nod, "Hmm, I know."

Charlie smiled and said, "A while ago when Haidee was filming an advertisement in Aurous Hill, she had dinner with me and Claire. She just didn't tell you about it because Haidee is a public figure."

"Oh, I see..." Elsa suddenly realized, asking Charlie, "So Claire knew you two had known each other for a long time back then?"

Charlie shook his head, "Actually, I didn't tell Claire the truth back then because Haidee was there for work, and I didn't want anyone to know about my relationship with her. I didn't want to be a drag on Haidee, so I didn't tell Claire or anyone else about it. Actually, if you hadn't run into me today by chance, I wouldn't have told you either."

Elsa nodded gently. Hearing Charlie always self-deprecatingly calling himself a loser, she suddenly felt a pang of heartache, so she said, "Charlie, don't belittle yourself like this all the time. You're actually amazing, I don't think many people can match you!"

Elsa's words were sincere.

She really felt that Charlie was extraordinary. Leaving aside everything else, his strength alone was not something an ordinary person could compare to. When the Southern Twin Devils faced him, they had no ability to fight back whatsoever.

With Charlie's terrifying combat power, those who used to bully him were actually no match for him at all. It's just that Charlie never bothered with those people.

Haidee, who had been silent on the side, had not spoken all this time. She knew that her careless words just now almost caused trouble for Charlie. Fortunately, Charlie's quick thinking saved the day, otherwise, it would have been difficult to explain this matter.









Chapter 1612 - Unveiling Identities: Charlie's Complicated Past

As Charlie watched Elsa believe his words, he spoke up, "Elsa, it's getting late. We should head off now. Let's meet at the airport tomorrow."

Elsa nodded lightly, then remembered something and hurriedly said, "Oh, you saved me again just now!"

Charlie chuckled, "It wasn't you who needed saving, it was that little girl. You should be fine, but she might be in some danger."

Elsa playfully rolled her eyes and said stubbornly, "Still, I have to thank you!"

Charlie shrugged helplessly, "Alright, let's go. No need to be formal here. Remember this incident, but don't tell Claire yet."

Elsa nodded, "Okay, got it. It's getting late. Let's go."

Elsa and her cousin parked their car in a nearby parking lot, while Charlie and Haidee had parked at Snow's courtyard earlier, so they bid farewell by the edge of the ice rink.

After parting ways, Charlie finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that they had barely passed the test today.

After walking several dozen meters away, Haidee whispered to him, "Brother Charlie, why do you keep hiding your identity? If you reveal who you are, those people in Aurous Hill wouldn't dare to bully you!"

Charlie smiled faintly, "When I left the Wade family with my parents and ended up in Aurous Hill, I was just like any other orphan. Even if I reveal my identity, what difference would it make? Others might not believe it anyway."

Haidee asked again, "But after Uncle Wade and Aunt Wade passed away, you could have contacted the Wade family and let them take you back."

Charlie shook his head, saying calmly, "The situation in the Wade family is complicated, far beyond what I could handle back then. Besides, my parents didn't want to bow down to the Wade family, which is why they left for Aurous Hill. Although I was young at the time, I carry their blood in my veins. How could I bow down to the Wade family and return to enjoy their wealth and glory after they passed away?"

Haidee's eyes quickly turned red. She hugged Charlie's arm tightly, choking back tears, "I've been heartbroken for you all these years, enduring so much hardship and injustice. I'm upset that anyone could look down on you, could bully you..."

Charlie patted her hand and said with a smile, "That's life. You have to experience ups and downs. If you're praised all your life, you might never understand the harshness and suffering of the world. That way, you'll likely suffer a big loss in the future. Unlike me, I saw through the world's warmth and cruelty since I was eight. These experiences are a precious treasure for my future."

Haidee nodded gently, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She truly felt heartbroken for Charlie's life over the past decade. Even though Charlie downplayed it, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat whenever she thought about it.

He was the young master of the Wade family, yet he had experienced the lowest levels of society in Aurous Hill. Haidee couldn't imagine how he had managed to survive all these years.

Though she was younger than Charlie, whenever she thought about these things, she wished she could keep Charlie in Eastcliff forever, doing nothing herself, just finding ways to treat him well every day, to make up for the suffering he had endured over the years.

At this moment, Charlie suddenly sighed, "We're leaving tomorrow. Let's go see Stephen Thompson today!"

Haidee asked in surprise, "Brother Charlie, you want to see Uncle Stephen?"

Charlie nodded and said, "I need to confront him about my parents' past."

Haidee blurted out, "Then I'll go with you!"








Chapter 1613 - Wade's Way Forward

When it came to Stephen, Charlie didn't feel overly cautious. That's because he could analyze that Stephen harbored no ill intentions towards him. In fact, Charlie owed much of his safe upbringing in Aurous Hill over the years to Stephen's covert protection. So, if Stephen harbored any malicious thoughts towards him, he wouldn't have waited until now. Stephen was one of the few people Charlie could absolutely trust. Therefore, he was planning to get in touch with Stephen to arrange a meeting and learn some details from the past.

At this moment, Stephen was at the Wade Corporation.

In the executive conference room of the Wade Corporation, all the descendants of the Wade family were gathered here for a family meeting. Presiding over the meeting was the patriarch of the Wade family, Claudius, who was also Charlie's grandfather.

Nearly twenty descendants of the Wade family were seated solemnly in the meeting room.

At this moment, the patriarch sighed and said, "The old fortune teller left hastily yesterday. He went directly from Yanling Mountain to the airport. I didn't even get to see him for the last time. What a pity!"

Charlie's eldest uncle, Ciprian, asked, "Dad, did you call us here for the matter of the old fortune teller returning to the United States?"

Claudius waved his hand and said, "The old fortune teller had told me long ago that the reason he stayed in Eastcliff and remained in the country after the completion of Yanling Mountain was to wait for an opportunity that belonged to him. Now that he's gone, he must have obtained the opportunity he had been waiting for all these years."

Everyone nodded one after another. One of Charlie's cousins of the same generation asked, "Grandpa, then why did you call us here today? Is there something important?"

The last time the patriarch summoned all the legitimate descendants of the Wade family for a meeting was when they decided to relocate the ancestral graves. After all, the Wade family's business was vast, with descendants managing various departments spread across the country. If it weren't for something extremely urgent, there would be no need to gather everyone at great expense.

Claudius sighed and said, "Initially, the old fortune teller told me that after the Wade family breaks through its current predicament, there will be a chance to soar to greater heights. But I still can't figure out where exactly this opportunity for the Wade family to soar lies."

For a moment, everyone looked at each other in confusion.

The current strength of the Wade family ranked second among the major families in the country, second only to the Salvador family. If they were to soar higher, wouldn't that mean surpassing the Salvador family and becoming the number one family in the country?

Hence, everyone became somewhat excited.

Charlie's third uncle, Emil, spoke up, "Dad, did the old fortune teller reveal any clues back then? Like where this opportunity might appear? Or who it might involve? Or how we could find relevant clues?"

Claudius shook his head and said, "The old fortune teller only mentioned that the Wade family would encounter a heaven-sent opportunity, but he didn't reveal a single word about what this opportunity is, where to find it, only saying it's a secret of the heavens that shouldn't be leaked!"

Ciprian clicked his tongue, "Then this scope is too broad. Even if we want to search for clues, we won't be able to grasp anything!"

Claudius said, "If we can't grasp it, then we must find a way to take the initiative and search comprehensively!"

He continued, "For the past few days, I've been pondering a question: how can our Wade family surpass the Salvador family?"

"Surpass the Salvador family?"








Chapter 1614 - Bridging the Gulf

The descendants of the Wade family looked at each other, all feeling like this whole thing was straight out of a fairy tale.

Compared to the Salvador family, the Wade family was more or less on par, with the Salvador family's overall strength being roughly 20% higher than that of the Wade family.

However, due to the huge wealth base of both families, this 20% gap translated into a staggering difference in monetary terms.

For the Wade family to surpass the Salvador family, their assets would need to increase by several hundred billion at least.

The Salvador family was already stronger in scale, and naturally, their development speed was faster than that of the Wade family, so the gap between the two was gradually widening.

Now, wanting to rise against the odds and catch up with the Salvador family seemed not just difficult but almost like a fairy tale.

Claudius looked around at everyone, all silent, and couldn't help but sigh, "Twenty years ago, when Drake was still alive, the Wade family, under his leadership, was almost surpassing the Salvador family. At that time, Drake devised a strategy for national dominance, and all the major families in Eastcliff believed that the Wade family would inevitably surpass the Salvador family and become the top family in the country..."

Here, Claudius fell silent for a moment, his eyes filled with pity as he continued, "But after Drake passed away, you people are really nowhere near as capable..."

Upon hearing this, Ciprian, the eldest son, was quite unhappy and retorted, "Dad, it's no fun if you keep saying we're not as good as Drake. But it was you who drove Drake and his family away in the first place. If you hadn't done that, maybe the Wade family would have already achieved its goal of dominating the country by now."

"You..." Claudius was furious, wanting to lash out at Ciprian, but then held himself back.

He sighed deeply and said to everyone, "What's done is done. Let's focus on the present."

Ciprian asked, "What good ideas do you have, Dad, to shorten the distance between us and the Salvador family?"

Claudius hesitated for a moment before saying, "The Salvador family has always been prosperous in terms of male descendants. Old Master Salvador has five sons and thirteen grandsons, but it seems there are only two granddaughters, one of whom is twenty-two this year and already of marriageable age. If the younger generation of the Wade family could marry one of the Salvador family's granddaughters, it would greatly benefit us!"

Charlie's eldest aunt, Marina, spoke up, "Dad, the Salvador family's eldest granddaughter is highly favored in the Salvador family. If we want to marry her, it has to be our eldest grandson."

The eldest grandson of the Wade family was Florin, the son of Ciprian.

At this moment, Ciprian sighed and said, "Marina, Little Florin was engaged to a princess from the Norwegian royal family last year. The wedding will be held this summer, and almost everyone in Eastcliff knows about it. There's no room for negotiation."

"Yeah," said Florin, added, "I've had some contact with Camilla before. She's aloof and rarely participates in social events. Many socialites both domestically and abroad have invited her, but she has never accepted any invitations. Trying to pursue her is like reaching for the stars. Moreover, I already have an engagement. If I were to pursue her, the Salvador family would probably see through my intentions at a glance..."

One of Charlie's cousins, the eldest son of Emil, Lucian, couldn't contain his excitement and said, "Grandpa, what if I try?"

Ciprian glanced at this unremarkable-looking nephew and shook his head, "Little Lucian, the Salvador family is already superior to us in strength. Even if it were your cousin Florin, the eldest grandson, it's not certain that he could catch the eye of the Salvador family, let alone you?"

Emil was a little displeased, "Big brother, your words are discouraging. Who says the Salvador family's eldest granddaughter must marry the eldest grandson of another family? Maybe our Little Lucian has that charm?"

Ciprian chuckled, "Third brother, if you're not convinced, you can let Little Lucian give it a try. I'm just afraid that if Little Lucian doesn't even have the chance to meet Camilla, it would be embarrassing."

Even Wade's old man couldn't help but sigh, pouring cold water on the situation, "Wanting to marry into the Salvador family, Little Lucian is indeed far from enough."

As he said this, he suddenly remembered something, his eyes flashing, looking at Stephen Thompson, who had been silent all along, and asked, "Stephen, do you think if we let Drake's son go and propose a marriage alliance with the Salvador family, would he agree?"









Chapter 1615 - Revisiting Old Wounds

When Elder Wade dropped this bombshell, the whole room gasped!

"Son of Drake" - wasn't he talking about Charlie Wade?

In fact, everyone had known since Elder Wade had Stephen buy the Emgrand Group, send it to Aurous Hill for Charlie, and invite Charlie back to the family, that Charlie was still alive.

Except for the old man, everyone else was extremely wary of Charlie, even internally repulsed, fearing he might return to Eastcliff and vie with them for the Wade family's wealth and power.

Fortunately, Charlie had declined Stephen's request and hadn't returned to the Wade family. So, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and gradually let down their guard.

However, even though Charlie didn't come back, many were extremely unhappy about Elder Wade's lavish spending of hundreds of billions and giving him the Emgrand Group.

The Wade family's assets exceeded trillions, but there were many mouths to feed.

Charlie's grandfather had four sons and two daughters.

Apart from the second son, Drake, who died young, the other three sons had a total of seven grandsons and six granddaughters.

Although the two daughters were married, they held important positions in the Wade family's financial empire. So, even with so many heirs, it wasn't possible to achieve a level of one hundred billion per person even with equal distribution.

Therefore, Charlie getting the Emgrand Group alone indeed made many in the Wade family jealous.

At the time, there were many people who jointly opposed Elder Wade's biased actions, strongly protesting against favoritism.

But Elder Wade persisted against all odds, citing the Wade family's indebtedness to Drake's family as the reason for his actions.

Although everyone was deeply dissatisfied, thankfully Charlie had no intention of returning to Eastcliff to vie for more family property, so everyone reluctantly accepted it all.

In everyone's eyes, letting Charlie be an outside prince was actually not bad at all; at least it wouldn't affect their competition for the position of Wade family head.

But now, Elder Wade unexpectedly wanted Charlie to come back and even wanted him to marry into the Salvador family. Wasn't this inviting trouble?

So, Wade family's eldest son, Ciprian, blurted out, "Dad! The son of Drake has been wandering outside for so many years. He hasn't received high-end education, nor has he experienced the family's training and trials. He's just a country bumpkin. Making him marry into the Salvador family, isn't that a big joke? Besides, I remember he's already settled in Aurous Hill!"

"Yeah, Dad!" the third son, Emil, hurriedly added, "Our Wade family's legitimate sons and grandsons, which one hasn't attended the top private schools from kindergarten to high school? Which one hasn't studied at top foreign universities? Which one hasn't received the best education combining Eastern and Western cultures since childhood? Not only learning knowledge, business, and management, but also learning multiple languages, noble equestrianism, and golf. The son of the second brother, he grew up in an orphanage and didn't even go to college. How could Miss Salvador from the Salvador family possibly look at someone like him?"

Others also chimed in in agreement.

At this moment, Stephen remained expressionless. "Young Master Charlie has attended university, just didn't complete the full four years, and also, I've had some dealings with Young Master Charlie. In my view, Young Master Charlie possesses the charisma and demeanor of the Second Master, definitely a rare talent among men!"

Wade family's eldest grandson, Florin, sternly retorted, "Mr. Thompson, you have no right to speak here. Look around you, we are all surnamed Wade! You, an outsider, dare to speak out here?"

Stephen remained composed. "Although I'm not surnamed Wade, my life was granted by the Second Master. So I've sworn long ago, my life from now on belongs to the Wade family. Therefore, every word I say is with a clear conscience!"

Lucian coldly remarked, "Do you think we don't know you? You're not really loyal to the Wade family; you're loyal to my second uncle. That's why you went to great lengths to hide Charlie and persuade Grandpa to buy him the Emgrand Group. Now you want to persuade Grandpa to bring him back to Eastcliff? I see your ulterior motive is actually to help Charlie snatch the position of Wade family head, isn't it?"

With this statement, everyone's faces changed drastically!









Chapter 1616 - The Salvador Connection

Even Elder Wade couldn't help but be stunned.

At this moment, Stephen spoke coldly, "I never intended for Young Master Charlie to come back. I'm just objectively telling you all that today's Young Master Charlie is no less impressive than the legendary Lord Wade who once dominated Eastcliff! As for the marriage proposal, it was suggested by the old master, not by me!"

"Furthermore, you don't need to worry here. Young Master Charlie has no intention of returning at all. From what I know of him, even if I begged him on my knees, he wouldn't come back, let alone abandon his wife and marry into the Salvador family!"

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

He won't come back?

That's even better!

Elder Wade squinted his eyes.

After pondering for a while, he said seriously, "Actually, I think if Charlie were to come back, there's a chance he could successfully marry Camilla."

"How is that possible?" Ciprian blurted out, "The Salvador family holds themselves in such high regard. Even our outstanding heir, Little Florin, might not be deemed worthy. What makes this rough man, who has been living outside for years, think he can impress the Salvador family?!"

Elder Wade looked at Ciprian with a cold gaze and chuckled.

Ciprian felt a shiver run down his spine under the scrutiny, feeling as if the old master had seen through his thoughts in an instant.

Elder Wade understood very well that the reason Ciprian was belittling Charlie was simply out of fear – fear that Charlie might actually come back, and even more so, fear that he might agree to marry into the Salvador family.

Out of fear comes belittlement.

It may seem logical and reasonable on the surface, but in reality, it's just a cover for his inner anxiety.

Others chimed in one after another, echoing similar sentiments. Their reasons were simple – Charlie's humble upbringing made him unworthy of the Salvador family's daughter.

Emil sneered, "Dad, although Charlie is my brother's son, he's been a loser in the eyes of young folks for so many years. How could a loser like him be compared to someone like Camilla?"

Seeing everyone opposing him, Elder Wade snorted and said, "Do you know that Camilla's mother, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Salvador family, once relentlessly pursued Drake? She spent years chasing after him. As long as he nodded, she would have been the second daughter-in-law of the Wade family. Even to this day, she goes to pay respects at Drake's grave every year. Can you understand this kind of love?"

His words caused an uproar!

It was only then that Ciprian recalled the events of the past.

Back then, Drake was a dominant figure in all of Eastcliff.

Countless wealthy young ladies dreamed of marrying him, or even just becoming his lover.

Among them was Camilla's mother, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Salvador family.

Back then, countless men were insanely jealous of Drake, including himself as the elder brother.

If what the old master said was true, if Camilla's mother loved him so deeply, then the idea of Charlie and Camilla might actually have some merit...






Chapter 1617 - Charms, Choices, and Consequences

Just as everyone in the Wade family was scheming, each with their own thoughts on how to persuade the old master to abandon this idea...

The old master slammed the table, excitement in his voice: "I think as long as Little Charlie nods, the chances of success are high!"

Ciprian hurriedly interjected: "Dad, Little Charlie is already married! Do you think the Salvador family would agree to marry their precious granddaughter to a man who's been married before? Even if Little Charlie were to divorce, it would still be a second marriage!"

The old master responded calmly: "As long as the charm is strong enough, what does it matter if it's a third marriage? What does it matter if there's no divorce? Do you know how many wealthy young ladies in Eastcliff were willing to be second wives? Even without any status, they had no complaints. That's the power of charm!"

Ciprian sighed: "Dad! Times have changed! Nowadays, young people value their independence. How could they possibly agree to compromise?"

The old master retorted coldly: "Whether they agree or not, it's not up to you or me, it's up to the facts! How do you know it won't work if you don't try?!"

With that, he turned to Stephen: "Stephen, go to Aurous Hill as soon as possible, meet Little Charlie, and talk to him about this matter."

Stephen earnestly replied: "Master, I don't think Young Master Charlie will agree."

The old master frowned, pointing to the other heirs of the Wade family, asking: "They don't want Little Charlie to come back, and you don't either?"

Stephen hurriedly explained: "Master, you misunderstand. I am eagerly awaiting Young Master Charlie's return to the Wade family. But, knowing Charlie well, he's unlikely to agree to marry into the Salvador family. Not to mention, he already has a wife whom he cares deeply about. Regarding marriage, let's not forget, he's had a betrothal with Miss Snow from the Snow family since long ago. Even if he considers Miss Maria Amada from the Snow family, he wouldn't consider Miss Camilla from the Salvador family!"

"Damn..."

It was only now that everyone realized a fact they had overlooked for many years.

Since childhood, Charlie had been engaged to Miss Maria Amada from the Snow family, who was now the famous star known as Haidee Snow!

The old master's eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement: "Ah! How foolish of me! So the opportunity for great success, as the old fortune teller said, lies with Little Charlie!"

Others looked at the old master, puzzled by his sudden declaration.

At this moment, the old master exclaimed: "Although the Snow family's power may be much weaker than the Salvador family's, the Snow family has fewer members! Geraldo alone holds 25.5% of Snow Corporation's shares! Not to mention his other assets, which probably amount to trillions. Most importantly, he only has one daughter. Everything he has will belong to his daughter in the future, which means it'll also belong to his son-in-law!"

The resentment in everyone's hearts surged.

Is this for real?

Even after all these years away from the Wade family, does Charlie still carry the engagement with Miss Snow from the Snow family?!

This is damn enviable, isn't it?!

At this point, the old master stood up excitedly, saying to Stephen: "Stephen, I'm giving you a task. I don't care what methods you use, within six months, Little Charlie must divorce that woman in Aurous Hill and come back to the family!"

Stephen nodded: "Master, I will do my best."

The other members of the Wade family were all deeply troubled.

At this rate, it seemed that the old master was determined to bring Charlie back.

And once Charlie returned, he could very well become the son-in-law of both the Snow and Salvador families.

By then, he would truly be the key figure in the Wade family who could navigate both sides.

---







Chapter 1618 - Hushed Discussions

For the other cousins, this was an unacceptable situation!

In an instant, everyone began desperately thinking of countermeasures.

On Grandpa Wade's side, his mood suddenly brightened. He could already tell that the opportunity for the Wade family's rise, as mentioned by the old fortune teller Lai Qinghua, lay with Charlie.

This instantly dispelled the four years of doubt in his mind, leaving him in high spirits.

So, with a hearty laugh, he stood up and said loudly, "Alright, let's call it a day here and adjourn the meeting!"

The expressions of the crowd were somewhat peculiar, but nobody dared to voice any opposition. However, each person harbored their own thoughts. The vast majority of them would rather die than see Charlie return to the Wade family in a high-profile manner.

After the meeting dispersed, Stephen returned to his office. Just as he sat down at his desk, he received a call from Charlie.

His heart leaped with joy, hastily answering the phone with respect, "Young Master, what made you think of calling me?"

Charlie asked, "Is it convenient for you to talk now, Stephen?"

"Very convenient." Stephen replied eagerly, "I'm in my office, it's very safe here, and the confidentiality measures are excellent. You can say anything you want."

Charlie grunted softly and said, "I'm in Eastcliff. Can we meet? Do you have time?"

Stephen asked in surprise, "Young Master, you're in Eastcliff? When did you arrive?"

Charlie replied, "I've been here for two days. I came to handle some matters and plan to leave tomorrow. I want to see you before I go."

Stephen immediately said, "No problem, Young Master. Please come to the Guangyuan Tea House in the Huguang Club. It's my property."

Charlie said, "Okay, I'll come over now."

Stephen hurriedly said, "I'll set off immediately too!"

The Huguang Club was a Qing Dynasty building. It was originally used to entertain scholars from the Huguang region who came to Eastcliff for the imperial examinations. It was somewhat similar to the Huguang Office of the Qing Dynasty in Eastcliff. Over time, it gradually evolved into a favorite place for old Eastcliff residents to listen to music and appreciate tea art.

Stephen invested in a tea house in the Huguang Club. This tea house had an antique charm and was quite elegant. Stephen often came here to relax or entertain friends.

With Stephen's current position as the head steward of the Wade family, he considered himself a top figure in Eastcliff. Except for the top few major families, the heads of other families were respectful to him. Therefore, his tea house business was thriving, and many influential people liked to come here.

When Charlie arrived at the Huguang Club, Stephen had already arrived before him.

He personally greeted Charlie at the door and was astonished to see Charlie accompanied by a woman wearing a mask, leaving him speechless.

Stephen had been deeply rooted in Eastcliff for many years and had extraordinary insight into many things. He almost instantly realized that the woman wearing the mask accompanying Charlie was Miss Haidee.

In that instant, Stephen was overjoyed and excited, "Young Master, Miss Snow, how did you two meet?"

Haidee chuckled and said, "Uncle Stephen, even if I dress up like this, I can't hide from you!"

Stephen laughed, "Miss Snow, your extraordinary temperament can't be concealed by a mere mask."

After saying that, Stephen hurriedly added, "Young Master, Miss Snow, it's not convenient to talk here. Please follow me to the backyard!"










Chapter 1619 - Brews and Breakthroughs

The Guangyuan Teahouse was divided into front courtyard, middle courtyard, and back courtyard, all typical of ancient-style wooden architecture, with a theater inside where people often performed cross-talk or Eastcliff opera.

The front and middle courtyards were open to the public, where teahouse members could enjoy their time, but the back courtyard was off-limits. It was Stephen's private domain, highly confidential.

With utmost respect, Stephen ushered Charlie and Haidee into the secluded guest lounge in the back courtyard.

Upon entering, Stephen promptly dismissed all the staff and personally invited Charlie and Haidee to sit on the sofa. He then used his precious tea set to brew a pot of tea for them.

Handing over the fragrant tea cups, Stephen could hardly contain his excitement as he said, "Young Master, I never expected you to come to Eastcliff, let alone with Miss Snow..."

In fact, Stephen had long hoped that Charlie would be willing to return, and he had been eagerly anticipating Charlie's union with Haidee.

Having spent many years in Eastcliff, he was well aware of the situation of the Wade family and other major families in Eastcliff.

With his grasp of the entire situation of the Eastcliff families, he believed that the best choice for Charlie was to divorce his current wife and leave the small city of Aurous Hill to come to Eastcliff. There, he could reclaim his identity as the second young master of the Wade family and openly marry Haidee.

In Stephen's eyes, no one was more suitable for Charlie than Haidee. They were simply a match made in heaven.

This was not only because Charlie and Haidee were originally engaged, but also because Geraldo was a man of loyalty and righteousness, and his whole family cherished these values.

More importantly, the Snow family was exceptionally powerful, with only one daughter. If Charlie married Haidee, it would be like bringing half of the Snow Group under his wing.

In that case, Charlie would not only be the second young master of the Wade family but also the son-in-law of the Snow family, unmatched in Eastcliff.

So, seeing Charlie and Haidee together now, Stephen was extremely excited.

At this moment, Charlie spoke lightly, "I came to Eastcliff mainly to see Uncle Snow. His health hasn't been great recently, so I came to check on him."

Stephen was suddenly shocked and blurted out, "Young Master, Chairman Snow miraculously recovered from a serious illness, and he even looks much younger on TV. Did you help behind the scenes?"

Stephen had always kept an eye on Charlie. Although he was not fully aware of many things, he had heard about Charlie being revered as a master in Aurous Hill. He knew that this second young master had some extraordinary abilities.

Facing Stephen's question, Charlie smiled faintly, nodded lightly, and said, "It was just a fortunate coincidence that I obtained a kind of miracle medicine. So, I rushed over to give it to Uncle Snow. Luckily, the medicine's effect was quite good."

Stephen trembled all over, exclaiming, "Young Master, the efficacy of this miracle medicine of yours is beyond good! It's simply miraculous! In all my years, I have never heard of any medicine being able to cure late-stage pancreatic cancer. It's clear that your medicine is truly extraordinary!"

Charlie neither confirmed nor denied it, simply nodding at Stephen and saying seriously, "Stephen, I've prepared a dose of this miracle medicine for you as well. If you ever need it in the future, I'll make sure it reaches your hands."

The Revival Pill was already in Charlie's possession.












Chapter 1620 - Decoding the Mystery

If it really was necessary, he could have brought it out and given it to Stephen at any time.

But the reason he said he would wait until Stephen needed it was to use the Resurrection Pill to increase Stephen's reliability.

It's not that he doubts Stephen, but he feels that being cautious is never wrong in any situation.

With the Resurrection Pill hanging over Stephen, his loyalty to himself would inevitably increase.

Upon hearing this, Stephen's expression froze, and he immediately thanked, "Young Master, with your words, even if I have to face the most dangerous situations, I'll have no regrets!"

Stephen was not only loyal but also intelligent.

Although he didn't know what the Resurrection Pill was exactly, he could glean some clues from Geraldo's performance.

Firstly, what Charlie said about the miraculous medicine must be a panacea that could cure all diseases. Even late-stage pancreatic cancer, with almost a 100% mortality rate, could be cured by it. If so, there might not be any illness in the world that it couldn't cure.

Secondly, Geraldo's condition as shown on television was even better than when he was healthy, proving that this miraculous medicine not only cured illnesses but also prolonged life.

With these two effects, it could almost be called a treasure of humanity.

And now, Charlie actually promised to prepare a dose for him, which not only excited him immensely but also deeply moved him.

Charlie nodded gently and asked Stephen, "Stephen, the reason I came to see you this time is to know more about the details of my parents' forced exile and murder. Do you have any more clues? Such as who was behind it all?"

Stephen hesitated for a moment and said, "Young Master, your father openly offended the Rothschild family, which had dominated the West for many years, but in reality, he offended the entire aristocratic families of Eastcliff."

Charlie furrowed his brows and asked, "Why would my father offend all the aristocratic families of Eastcliff?"

Stephen sighed and said, "Back then, under the tide of the open market economy, your father was one of the first to lead the Wade family into international finance and trade. At that time, many domestic big families knew nothing about overseas financial markets. All they knew was traditional physical trade, such as exporting domestic products overseas and importing products back. This kind of international trade was the most basic. Our ancestors had been doing this since the Tang and Song dynasties. Even during the Song Dynasty, our country was the world's largest trading nation. Quanzhou Port a thousand or two thousand years ago can be said to be the busiest trading port in the world..."

Here, Stephen sighed and continued, "However, until your father was young, our domestic entrepreneurs' foreign trade was almost the same as that of the Tang and Song dynasties, with little technological content. Meanwhile, Europeans and Americans had already mastered the art of international finance. Stocks, futures, oil, gold, private equity funds, hedge funds, venture capital—these were the specialties of Europe and America..."

"Asian countries were still relying on the hard work of workers to produce goods to exchange for money overseas. But when they accumulated a bit, foreign hedge funds directly brought in a large amount of hot money, ran rampant in Asia, not only causing financial storms but also legally taking away the fruits of labor of Asian countries for several years, even decades, causing a country's financial collapse, stock market collapse, property market collapse..."

"At that time, the Rothschild family targeted the domestic big families. When everyone could only be slaughtered, it was your father who stood up, organized all the big families in Eastcliff, and united to fight against the Rothschild family, finally forcing them to retreat in embarrassment, not daring to come to China for ten years..."

Upon hearing this, Charlie couldn't help but frown, "According to what you're saying, these families in Eastcliff should be grateful to my father. Why did my father still offend them?"

I cannot get enough of this story enthralled every smoko at work, always wish I had more to read at meal break, thankyou junlee

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

Chapter 1621 - The Sins of the Elite

Upon hearing Charlie's question, Stephen let out a bitter smile and said with melancholy, "Young Master, in this world, most people are like this. They don't understand gratitude. They only attach themselves to others when they need them, enjoying the help and support given by others. But once they no longer need others, they immediately turn their backs, even blaming others for stealing their limelight..."

With a sigh, Stephen continued, "You don't know, when your father led them in battles against the Rothschild family, they were all extremely obsequious, even voluntarily establishing a Eastcliff Commercial Alliance, electing your father as the first chairman..."

"But after your father defeated the Rothschild family, they immediately disbanded the alliance, even publicly criticizing your father for failing in his operations, missing the opportunity to triumph over the Rothschild family. Some even maliciously slandered behind his back, saying that your father colluded with the Rothschild family to harm the interests of the major families in Eastcliff..."

Upon hearing this, Charlie couldn't help but clench his fists, his veins bulging, and he muttered angrily, "These people are simply too much!"

Stephen sighed, "Ah, Young Master, such fair-weather friends are everywhere among the major families in Eastcliff! Your father, from being a hero resisting the Rothschild family, suddenly became the target of jealousy and slander by everyone in Eastcliff. Ultimately, it's because he was too outstanding!"

Stephen paused slightly before continuing, "The taller the tree stands, the fiercer the wind blows. This is an eternal truth. In the end, it's because he was too outstanding, so all the noble families in Eastcliff turned against him..."

"The Rothschild family saw him becoming a target, immediately launched a comeback, and they were very cunning. They openly declared it was a personal feud between the Rothschild family and the Wade family, naturally causing all the other families to stand by and watch!"

Stephen's tone grew increasingly angry, "The old master saw that the Wade family was about to become the sole target of the Rothschild family's attacks. Even many other families in Eastcliff were ready to stab him in the back. So he had no choice but to drive your father out of the Wade family and publicly announce that your father had no relation to the Wade family. That's why your father left Eastcliff with you and your mother, heading to Aurous Hill."

Charlie's expression was extremely grim. He gritted his teeth and said, "This whole thing is a betrayal by all the major families in Eastcliff against the Wade family, and then the Wade family chose to betray my father, ultimately pushing him out to bear the brunt of the Rothschild family's anger, leaving just the three of us to face their wrath..."

Stephen nodded gently, his eyes red, "Indeed, that's how it was back then..."

Charlie's eyes were full of determination as he said coldly, "They're all a bunch of backstabbers and cowards. I, Charlie Wade, swear to the heavens, every single one of these bastards will pay for this!"

Stephen hurriedly said, "Young Master, don't act impulsively! This matter involved almost all the families in Eastcliff back then, except for the Snow family. From the prominent Salvador family to the smaller ones barely worth a billion, every one of them betrayed your father. You must not become their enemy!"

Charlie's expression was resolute as he said, "I, Charlie, am not a cowardly person. These people, including some from the Wade family, are all accomplices in my parents' deaths. I won't easily let them off!"

After speaking, he looked at Stephen earnestly, "Steward Stephen, you don't need to worry too much. I'm not a fool. When I'm not strong enough, I won't recklessly oppose all the major families in Eastcliff. I will bide my time, gather strength, and catch them off guard!"

Stephen sighed lightly and nodded, "Young Master, not only do you want to avenge Second Master and Second Madam, I've been longing for this day as well. If you need anything, I am willing to go through fire and water for it!"

Charlie nodded and said, "Steward Stephen, if there's anything I need your help with, I will definitely let you know."






Chapter 1622 - A Family's Machiavellian Scheme

Stephen hurriedly said, "Young Master, I have a small suggestion, would you care to hear it?"

Charlie replied, "Please, go ahead."

Stephen continued, "Young Master, if you want those in Eastcliff who have wronged your father to pay the price, you must first firmly grasp the reins of the Wade family in your hands, then devise a detailed and comprehensive plan to dismantle these families one by one!"

Charlie asked him, "If I have the Wade family in my grasp, who do you think should be the first to be taken down among these families?"

"The Salvador family!"

Stephen said without hesitation, "The Salvador family is the strongest. Taking them down is like achieving half of our goal. Moreover, the people who stabbed your father in the back were gathered by the Salvador family. They formed a secret alliance against the Wade family, with the Salvador family as the leader."

"An anti-Wade alliance?" Charlie chuckled, "What an amusing alliance! Just because of those words, I won't let the Salvador family off the hook!"

Stephen said, "By the way, Young Master, today the Patriarch gathered all the direct descendants for a meeting and mentioned you, as well as the matter with the Salvador family."

"Oh?" Charlie frowned and asked, "What did they say?"

Stephen glanced at Haidee, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I'd better be direct. Ever since the old fortune-teller helped the Wade family repair Yanling Mountain, the Patriarch has been waiting for the Wade family to rise again. Now that the old fortune-teller is gone, he has placed his hopes for the Wade family's revival on you. So he wants you to come back and then marry into the Salvador family."

"The Salvador family?!" Charlie and Haidee were both shocked and asked in unison.

"Yes, it's the Salvador family!" Stephen sighed and said, "Miss Camilla is highly regarded in the Salvador family. Whoever marries her will surely gain a lot of resources from the Salvador family. So the Patriarch wants you to go, and he asked me to persuade you."

After finishing, he glanced at Haidee again, feeling awkward, "The Patriarch also mentioned that if the Salvador family doesn't work out, Miss Snow would also be an excellent candidate..."

Haidee blushed instantly.

However, Charlie said coldly, "When my father was being criticized by everyone, not only did he not help us, he even drove us away. Now he wants me to come back to help the Wade family rise again? It's simply a daydream!"

Stephen nodded and said, "Young Master, although the Patriarch's actions are somewhat excessive, you don't need to be too angry. On the contrary, this is a good opportunity to play him at his own game. You can agree to him, marry Miss Snow, and then use the opportunity to demand more resources from him for the Wade family. If you become the next head of the Wade family and then deal with the Salvador family, it will surely increase our chances of success!"







Chapter 1623 - Steeping in Strategy

"Become the head of the Wade Family?"

Charlie smiled faintly, with a hint of disdain, "I'm not really interested in becoming the head of the Wade Family."

Stephen hurriedly said, "Young Master, don't forget, the Wade Family is the second-ranked prestigious family in Eastcliff and even in the whole country. If you could gain control of the Wade Family, it would bring you much closer to the Salvador Family!"

Charlie waved his hand, saying, "Stephen, someday, I will use my own hands to defeat the Salvador Family and all the other families that have wronged my father! I will make them kneel and repent in front of my parents' graves!"

Stephen sighed, "Young Master, if you gain control of the Wade Family, that day will come even sooner!"

Charlie said coldly, "I don't want to return to the Wade Family because when that day comes, even the Wade Family members will have to kneel!"

Stephen was taken aback by Charlie's resolute attitude and icy demeanor.

At that moment, he saw shades of Drake in Charlie.

And at that moment, he abandoned the idea of persuading Charlie to return to the Wade Family and compete for the position of the family head.

Because he knew, the Wade Family was not worthy!

The Wade Family wasn't worthy of Drake back then, and now, they weren't worthy of Drake's son!

So, he immediately expressed to Charlie, "Young Master, from now on, I will obey all your orders. If you need me, I can leave the Wade Family at any time and serve you wholeheartedly."

Charlie smiled faintly, saying, "There's no rush for now, but in the future, I might need you to leave the Wade Family and come help me."

Charlie also wanted to take Ichiro along to Japan before the Lunar New Year, completely take control of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals, and have Ichiro produce Mystical Gastric Remedy for him. Then, he would develop a liver-protecting medicine and quickly seize the global market.

The pharmaceutical industry was related to human health. As long as there was core technology, profitability was not a problem at all. It was very easy to build a huge multinational corporation.

If he could develop Mystical Labs into a world-class pharmaceutical company, neither the Wade Family nor the Salvador Family would be able to compete with him.

Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals had several production bases in Japan with large production capacity, so it was definitely not realistic to relocate them all back to China. Therefore, he needed a reliable person in Japan to keep an eye on things and serve as the chairman of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals.

At that time, Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals would be renamed Mystical Labs, and certainly, someone like Ichiro wouldn't be allowed to be the chairman.

Therefore, Stephen became the most suitable candidate in Charlie's eyes.

Although Stephen didn't know what Charlie wanted him to do, he still said without hesitation, "I will obey your commands at any time!"

Charlie nodded and said, "Let's end it here today, Stephen. Haidee and I will go back first. I have to return to Aurous Hill tomorrow."

Stephen asked in surprise, "Young Master, are you leaving so soon?"

Charlie said, "I have a lot of things to do. If I don't go back, I won't make it in time."

Stephen said, "Then, let me escort you and Miss Snow out!"

Charlie said, "Oh, by the way, the tea you've grown is excellent. Give me some to take back. I'll give it to my father-in-law. He bought a bunch of rubbish tea from a girl selling tea on WeChat and treasures it."

Stephen hurriedly said, "Young Master, please wait a moment. I'll arrange for someone to bring it over!"

Soon, a tea house manager came over with several exquisite gift boxes.

Stephen said to Charlie, "Young Master, here are some premium Mingqian Longjing (tea leaves harvested before the Wardgming Festival in early April, known for their higher quality and freshness), special-grade Golden Eyebrow, and well-aged Pu'er. Take them back for Mr. Wilson to taste. If he likes them, I'll regularly send some over in the future."

Charlie took the tea and thanked him, "Stephen, you're thoughtful. Thank you."

Stephen bowed and said, "It's my pleasure..."

...

After bidding farewell to Stephen, Charlie returned to the Snow family villa with Haidee.







Chapter 1624 - Parting Platters and Plans

On the road, Haidee remained silent, as if burdened by something on her mind.

Seeing her beautiful brows furrowed slightly, Charlie couldn't help but ask, "Haidee, what's on your mind?"

Haidee snapped out of her thoughts and said, "Brother Charlie, do you really get along well with that Claire?"

Charlie asked in surprise, "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Haidee replied, "Just curious, and a little worried too."

"Worried about what?"

"Worried about what I should do if your relationship with her is really good..."

Charlie smiled faintly and asked her, "Before you met me, did you ever think about what you would do in the future?"

Haidee nodded, "Of course, before I met you, I always felt that I had to find you. If I couldn't find you, I would just stay single forever. After all, I didn't have any feelings for other men."

Charlie asked, "If you really couldn't find me, would you stay single until you're thirty or forty?"

Haidee said seriously, "Forget thirty or forty, what's wrong with being single until fifty or sixty? My life is already fulfilling enough. I wouldn't compromise myself just because I need a man around. So I'd rather be single than settle for less. If I couldn't find you, I might spend half of my life traveling around the world, settling down in a place I like when I'm old, planting flowers and grass, raising small animals, and donating all my property before I die. That wouldn't be a bad way to live."

Words of persuasion almost came out of Charlie's mouth but he swallowed them back.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that he had left an indelible mark on Haidee's life, whether he would be with her in the future or not, this mark couldn't be erased.

This was his debt to her, and his responsibility that he couldn't shirk.

However, at this moment, he still couldn't figure out how to resolve the affection between him and this girl of more than twenty years.

...

That night, Amelia personally cooked a table full of delicious dishes.

Geraldo took out the top-grade Maotai he had saved for Haidee's wedding and shared it with Charlie.

Charlie had to leave, and both husband and wife felt a bit reluctant.

But they also knew very well that Charlie not only had his own little family in Aurous Hill, but also had started his own business in Aurous Hill.

Wade Family's Emgrand Group, Charlie hadn't visited it much. He didn't take a penny from Emgrand Group's money.

He didn't spend much of the 10 billion given by Wade Family, most of the money he spent later was earned by himself, or extorted from Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals.

Nowadays, Mystical Labs had gained great fame in China, and Mystical Gastric Remedy had become famous both at home and abroad in a very short time due to its extremely powerful efficacy.

After many foreigners tried this magical stomach medicine, they went crazy buying it to take back to their own countries and share with their families.

This further led to the popularity of Mystical Gastric Remedy.

Currently, Mystical Gastric Remedy was in short supply nationwide, with distributors from all over the country holding large amounts of cash, hoping to get more stock.

If things continued like this, Mystical Gastric Remedy might become the best-selling and most well-known stomach medicine in the world.

And the practicality and applicability of stomach medicine were very wide-ranging, people all over the world, regardless of age, gender, or race, would have a need for it.

So, this also meant that the future development prospects of Mystical Labs were immeasurable.

The couple both believed that if one day, Charlie could mass produce the miraculous Resurrection Pill, then Charlie would definitely become the richest person in the world, without a doubt.

So, they also knew that for the current Charlie, Aurous Hill was his base, his stronghold, and the cornerstone of his personal career takeoff!











Chapter 1625 - Airport Antics: Farewell to the Snow Family

The next morning, Charlie prepared to bid farewell to the Snow family and head to the station by taxi. However, to his surprise, Geraldo insisted on driving him himself.

Accompanying them were Amelia and Haidee.

Charlie didn't want to trouble them, but unable to resist their kindness, he reluctantly agreed.

On the way, Geraldo drove his Rolls-Royce, with Amelia sitting in the passenger seat, while Charlie and Haidee sat in the back.

Haidee's mood had been somewhat downcast, but she refrained from speaking due to her parents being in the car, appearing preoccupied throughout the journey.

As they approached the airport, Haidee mustered up the courage to reach out and quietly grasp Charlie's hand, squeezing it tightly.

Charlie instinctively turned to look and found Haidee looking at him with a mixture of melancholy and determination, stirring a sense of guilt within him.

The Rolls-Royce came to a steady stop at the entrance of the airport's departure level, prompting Charlie to gently withdraw his hand from Haidee's grasp, saying to the three of them, "Uncle Geraldo, Aunt Amelia, Haidee, you don't need to get out of the car. The airport is crowded, and it wouldn't be appropriate for us to be seen, especially Haidee, as she's a public figure."

Haidee hurriedly said, "I can wear a mask!"

At this moment, Amelia chimed in, "Alright, Haidee, even if you wear a mask, you can only accompany Little Charlie to the security checkpoint. It's not far anyway. Don't take unnecessary risks."

Geraldo also nodded in agreement, "Yes, let's not cause trouble for your brother Charlie."

"Okay..." Haidee could only nod gently, looking at Charlie and saying, "Brother Charlie, remember to tell me once you've boarded, and also after you've landed."

Charlie smiled, "Alright, I got it. Don't worry."

With that, Charlie got out of the car and retrieved a small bag from the trunk.

He then waved goodbye to the Snow family through the car window before turning and heading into the airport.

As soon as he entered the airport, he received a call from Elsa, "Charlie, have you reached the airport?"

Charlie replied, "Yes, I'm about to go through security."

Elsa hurriedly said, "Then go ahead first. I'm stuck in traffic and might take another 20 minutes or so. I should make it in time."

Charlie acknowledged, "Alright, let's meet at the lounge or the boarding gate then. If not, we can meet on the plane."

"No problem!"

Charlie hung up and proceeded through security, making his way to Terminal 3.

Eastcliff Capital International Airport's Terminal 3 was vast, housing numerous luxury shops, with almost all internationally renowned brands having a presence there.

Charlie realized he hadn't prepared any gifts for his father-in-law, Stephen, as well as his wife, Claire, and mother-in-law, Elaine, apart from some tea he received from Stephen.

When he was leaving, Elaine had flattered him, asking for some gifts. Considering her recent good behavior and respect towards him, he felt obliged to give her a little something.

As for his wife, Claire, it was needless to say that he needed to carefully prepare a gift for her.

So, he took advantage of the time and began browsing the shops at the airport's commercial street.

Because Charlie usually had modest material demands, he couldn't immediately think of what gifts to get for his wife and mother-in-law.

Thinking that women of any age loved handbags, Charlie confidently entered the Hermès store.

The price range at Hermès varied greatly, with the cheaper items starting at around a hundred thousand, but that was just the starting point. Their high-end products could easily cost millions.

Due to his plain attire, the haughty shop assistant looked down on him a bit, but didn't say anything derogatory, just displaying an attitude of slight disdain.

Charlie didn't pay much attention to it. After looking around the store, he set his eyes on a stylish limited-edition crocodile leather handbag displayed in a glass showcase.

The handbag was in Hermès' classic orange color, with flawless leather texture and exquisite craftsmanship, suitable for both casual and business use.

Charlie called the shop assistant over and said, "Hello, I'll take this bag. Please wrap it up for me."







Chapter 1626 - Allocation Antics: A Tale of Exclusivity

The saleswoman furrowed her brows and said, "Sir, this bag is priced at 580,000."

Charlie nodded, "No problem, I'll take it."

The saleswoman continued, "I'm sorry, sir, but purchasing this bag requires allocation."

Charlie asked in surprise, "What does allocation mean? Can't I just pay for this bag and take it away?"

The saleswoman smirked, "Sir, is this your first time at our Hermès store? Have you never bought anything from us before?"

Charlie nodded, "No, why? Is there a problem?"

The saleswoman scoffed, "Many of Hermès' bags, especially those priced above 300,000, are limited editions!"

"Just because this bag is priced at only 580,000 in the store, once taken out, it can immediately be sold for seven or eight hundred thousand. So, if you want to buy this bag, you either have to be a high-level member of Hermès and make a successful appointment with our store manager in advance, or you have to purchase a certain amount of other goods, and these goods cannot be popular items. You must purchase at least 500,000 worth of other goods to buy this bag."

Charlie frowned, "So, according to what you're saying, I have to buy 500,000 worth of other items before I can buy this bag?"

"Yes," the saleswoman smiled, "This is the rule for Hermès worldwide. You must be aware of it, right? Or do you just want to try your luck, hoping to trick this bag out of our store and make a profit by reselling it?"

For top luxury brands like Hermès, their limited edition handbags have astonishingly high resale values.

In fact, many styles sell for more in the second-hand market than brand new, all thanks to Hermès' scarcity marketing strategy.

While other brands sell items simply for money, Hermès does not.

Because the prices outside are much higher than those in the store, if you want to buy things from them at their prices, you must purchase tens of thousands or even millions of worth of additional goods.

By this calculation, to get a limited edition bag, you need to pay more than a million.

However, Hermès is also very shrewd. If it's allocation, you can't buy their hot-selling items; you can only buy their slow-moving items.

Slow-moving items are ridiculous. For example, some 18k gold rings, which probably cost only around 1,000 to make, can be sold for 50,000, 80,000, or even more than 100,000 just because they have the Hermès label.

Such rings, even if bought back and resold, no one would want them unless they're sold at a low discount.

After understanding the rules of Hermès, Charlie wasn't angry. Since they have these rules, he would just follow them.

So Charlie said, "Since that's the case, can I purchase 500,000 worth of other items together?"

Upon hearing this, the saleswoman's eyes lit up. She didn't expect Charlie to be a hidden wealthy man. He was willing to purchase 500,000 worth of goods without even bargaining?

Upon hearing this, she changed her previous indifference and hurriedly stepped forward, respectfully saying, "Sir, let me show you the items in our store that can be used for allocation. You can see what you need."

Charlie nodded and said, "I just saw a regular style handbag priced at around 160,000. Can I use that for allocation?"

"Yes," the saleswoman said without hesitation, "The price of that bag is 158,888, so you still need to purchase around 340,000 worth of goods."

Charlie was about to look at other items when a woman's voice came from the door, "Honey, I want to see Hermès!"

Then, a man's voice followed, "Stop looking, we have to go to the boarding gate."

The woman coquettishly pleaded, "There's still half an hour before boarding, take me for a stroll!"

The man said helplessly, "Fine, but only for twenty minutes!"

"Honey, you're so kind!"

Immediately after, a young couple walked in.

Charlie immediately recognized the man. Wasn't he Koichi Tanaka, who had always been with Nanako?

How could he appear here?







Chapter 1627 - Bag Wars: Love, Money, and Luxury

At this moment, Koichi's attention was entirely focused on the stylishly dressed and somewhat enchanting woman with her.

So, he didn't notice Charlie in the shop.

Since they were speaking Chinese, Charlie speculated that Koichi's companion must be Chinese.

After the two entered, the woman dragged Koichi around the store.

Then, she pointed at the limited edition Hermès handbag that Charlie had already set his eyes on to buy for his wife, and coquettishly said, "Koichi, I want this bag!"

Koichi awkwardly replied, "We came to Eastcliff this time to find a famous doctor for the young lady, not for shopping. And we haven't found the famous doctor yet. I don't know how to explain it when we go back. If you really want to shop, we can wait until we return to Tokyo, and I'll take you there."

The woman persisted, "I don't want to go to Tokyo. I want this one! Buying a bag like this requires believing in fate. If you come across it, you must get it, otherwise, you might never get another chance!"

Koichi sighed, "I already have a difficult task on hand. Technically, I shouldn't have brought you here. Sneaking you here was already breaking the rules. If you shop so openly, it will be difficult for me to explain to the chairman when I go back!"

The woman retorted, "Before immigrating to Japan, I was from Eastcliff. If your chairman asks, you can tell him that I happened to be visiting relatives back in my hometown. As for shopping, you can say I bought it myself."

With that, the woman took Koichi's arm and pleaded, "Koichi, I really like this bag. Please buy it for me, pretty please?"

After hesitating for a moment, Koichi reluctantly agreed, "Alright, alright. But you have to remember, don't show off when we get back, and don't mention that you bought this bag in Eastcliff. Understand?"

The woman happily replied, "I got it!"

Then, she immediately waved to the shop assistant next to Charlie, "Miss, I want this bag, please get it for me!"

The shop assistant apologized, "I'm sorry, miss. This bag has already been reserved by this gentleman. He's currently selecting accessories."

With a respectful gesture towards Charlie, the shop assistant continued, "Sir, please forgive me."

Charlie didn't even bother to look back at them, just focused on the counter and said to the shop assistant, "Could you please get me two of these scarves priced at thirty thousand each, and also that men's belt priced at twenty-eight thousand?"

The shop assistant nodded respectfully and was about to retrieve the items.

The woman, annoyed, said, "Hey, hasn't he finished choosing yet? Since he hasn't even finished selecting accessories, it means he hasn't paid yet, right? We can just swipe the card now!"

Immediately, she urged Koichi, "Koichi, take out your card quickly!"

Koichi, feeling embarrassed, said, "Since the gentleman reserved it first, let's choose another one."

"No way!" the woman exclaimed, "I want this one! I already set my eyes on it at first sight!"

Then, she pointed at Charlie and said to Koichi, "Koichi, give him a substantial amount of money as a gesture of goodwill, and ask him to transfer this bag to me. Please?"

Unable to resist her coaxing and cajoling, Koichi turned to Charlie and said, "Sir, my girlfriend has taken a liking to this bag. If it's possible for you to give it to us, I'm willing to offer you a ten thousand goodwill payment. Would you be willing to give it up?"

Charlie didn't even look back, just waved his hand.

The woman exclaimed in frustration, "Hey! You don't even need to do anything and you can earn ten thousand for free. Where else can you find such a good deal? Are you trying to extort us?"

Charlie ignored her and continued to speak to the shop assistant, "Come, also get me this ladies' wallet priced at fifty-eight thousand."

"Hey!" the woman couldn't believe Charlie completely ignored her words, and angrily said, "My boyfriend is a senior assistant of the Ito family in Japan! He's the confidant of Takehiko, the head of the Ito family. If you offend him, he'll make sure you regret it in the future!"






Chapter 1628 - Fashion Diplomacy: Negotiating Prestige

When Charlie heard this, he snorted coldly, "A Japanese family dares to flaunt themselves on the land of my China? Believe it or not, even if Takehiko stands before me, as long as he dares to act arrogant, I'll still make him kneel and call me grandpa."

"Damn!" Koichi, who had been feeling somewhat guilty towards Charlie because of his girlfriend's rudeness, suddenly became furious.

He scolded sharply, "How dare you disrespect Mr. Ito? Do you think your life is too long?"

Charlie chuckled and turned to look at Koichi, asking coldly, "Are you Tanaka? It's been a long time."

The moment Koichi saw Charlie, he felt as if he had seen a ghost.

He vividly remembered the scene where Charlie crippled Kazuki with just one move.

Without a doubt, Charlie was the most freakish person he had ever encountered in his life. He hadn't expected to meet this star of calamity in the Hermès store at Eastcliff Airport.

His legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, crawling a few steps to Charlie's side, and said respectfully and fearfully, "Master Wade, I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you! I'm truly sorry!"

Koichi was naturally afraid of Charlie.

Initially, the Japanese national treasure-level expert Kazuki Yamamoto was crippled by Charlie just for acting arrogant towards him. Koichi didn't dare to disobey him at all!

Otherwise, if Charlie became displeased and crippled him, he could only return to Japan lying down.

Koichi silenced the woman who had just insulted Charlie, feeling extremely surprised to see him suddenly kneel down and apologize to this man. He hurriedly reached out to pull him up, angrily saying, "Koichi, have you gone mad? You are the most promising young generation in President Ito's eyes, with unlimited prospects. How can you kneel to a stranger so easily?"

Koichi angrily reached out and pulled the woman to the ground, scolding, "Nonsense! How dare you be disrespectful in front of Master Wade? Apologize to Master Wade immediately!"

The woman was knocked to the ground by Koichi, crying out in pain from her knees hitting the ground. She said with grievance, "Koichi, what do you mean by this?!"

Koichi raised his hand and slapped her, scolding, "Stop talking nonsense and apologize quickly!"

The woman was somewhat stunned by the slap, but seeing Koichi so nervous, she also felt afraid. So she stuttered an apology to Charlie, "Sir, I'm sorry... It's all my fault..."

Charlie couldn't be bothered to deal with these two, saying coldly, "Remember this, both of you. No matter how many people you have in Japan trying to flatter you, as long as you're in China, keep a low profile. As the saying goes, even a fierce dragon cannot cross the river easily. What are you two compared to that?"

Koichi nodded hurriedly, pleading, "Master Wade, I know I was wrong. I'll definitely keep a low profile in the future, and I'll also teach this stupid woman to keep a low profile. Please don't treat us the same as these people."

Charlie waved his hand disdainfully, "Get lost."

Koichi felt relieved when he heard Charlie say these words, quickly thanking him, "Thank you, Master Wade, we'll leave right away..."

After saying that, he hurried to get up and run out.

Suddenly, Charlie remembered something and called out to him, "Wait!"

Koichi trembled all over in fear, nervously asking, "Master Wade, do you have any other orders?"

Charlie said indifferently, "I have a question for you, and you'd better answer honestly."

"Okay!" Koichi nodded quickly, "You can trust me, I'll tell you everything!"

Charlie asked coldly, "How is your young miss now?"






Chapter 1629 - A Touch of Grace: Charlie's Compassion

"Young miss?" Upon hearing Charlie's question, Koichi's expression dimmed for a moment. He sighed lightly and said, "Master Wade, to be frank, Miss was seriously injured during the battle with Miss Ward. Though she survived, her body is not what it used to be. She's currently recuperating in Kyoto."

Charlie recalled the tender look of Nanako, feeling a twinge of nervousness.

However, he concealed his emotions and calmly asked, "Is she in any serious condition? Will she be able to compete in the future?"

Koichi gave a bitter smile. "She won't be able to compete. Miss is extremely weak now. She could barely stand a few days ago, and even then, she couldn't walk far. Most of her days are spent resting in bed, only venturing out into the courtyard to bask in the sun if it's good at noon."

Suddenly, an image of the smiling girl in a wheelchair soaking up the sun flashed in Charlie's mind. He felt a pang in his heart.

He inquired further, "How is her emotional state?"

Koichi shook his head. "On the surface, Miss seems fine, always cheerful. But knowing her, she must have a lot on her mind. She asked me a few days ago if there was someone she wanted to see desperately but might never get the chance to. I don't know what she meant exactly, but her mood seemed quite low at the time."

Charlie couldn't help but sigh. "She shouldn't have fought in that match in the first place."

Koichi was surprised to hear Charlie express regret for his Miss.

After a moment of astonishment, he sighed too. "Master Wade, you're right. Both I and the chairman advised Miss against it, but she insisted..."

Continuing, Koichi said, "The chairman has searched all over Japan for renowned doctors, but none could treat Miss's injuries. That's why I came to Eastcliff, to seek medical advice for Miss at the National Medical Institute."

Charlie nodded and asked, "Any luck?"

"No," Koichi shook his head wearily. "The chairman offered a hefty sum, hoping to invite the institute's top doctors to Japan, but they refused."

Charlie shook his head.

He had been there when Nanako was injured, knowing her condition was beyond the current capabilities of both Western and Chinese medicine.

Perhaps the only one who could heal her was himself.

Thinking of this, Charlie remembered he was about to visit Japan soon. He wondered if he could go to Kyoto to see Nanako this time.

If given the chance, he must see her, at least to heal her wounds.

With this in mind, Charlie no longer harbored any ill feelings towards Koichi and his girlfriend. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, I won't pursue this matter further. You two should hurry on."

Koichi, relieved, bowed repeatedly to Charlie, saying with utmost respect, "Master Wade, then we'll take our leave..."

With that, he quickly grabbed the woman beside him and fled.









Chapter 1630 The Enigmatic Mr. Charlie Wade

Charlie sighed slightly with a hint of melancholy in his expression, then casually bought some small items from Hermes as gifts.

After reaching the required amount of five hundred thousand, he directly swiped his card to settle the bill and carried a bunch of Hermes gift boxes to the VIP lounge.

When Charlie arrived at the VIP lounge, Elsa was already there.

Seeing Charlie coming in with things from Hermes, she said with a hint of jealousy, "I was wondering why I couldn't find you after you arrived. Turns out you went shopping at Hermes! Are you buying gifts for Claire?"

Charlie nodded naturally, "We've come all the way to the bustling city of Eastcliff. Of course, I have to buy some souvenirs for my wife."

Elsa pursed her lips and said, "Charlie, I find you quite mysterious. Haidee is such a big star. Even a random autographed photo could sell for thousands on a second-hand website. You've known her since childhood, yet you've never mentioned her."

Charlie replied calmly, "How could I use someone else as a bragging point for myself? Wouldn't that be betraying their kindness to me?"

Elsa nodded lightly, "That's true."

After that, she asked gossipingly, "Does Claire know that you two have known each other since childhood?"

Charlie shook his head, "Of course not. I didn't want to tell anyone about it. It's just that you happened to see us at Back Sea yesterday. Otherwise, you wouldn't know either."

Elsa said happily, "So, does that mean I know a secret about you that even Claire doesn't know? Does it mean our relationship has progressed further?"

Charlie sighed helplessly, "What are you thinking? I already said it was just a coincidence that you happened to see us."

Elsa snorted, "Whether it's a coincidence or not, I still know a secret about you that Claire doesn't!"

With that, she stared into Charlie's eyes and asked, "Hey, Charlie, how many secrets do you have? You seem so mysterious, like I can't see through you at all."

Charlie didn't want her to delve into such questions, so he quipped, "What else is there that you can't see through? When we went to the hot springs together, I was wearing swimming trunks. You've seen everything you should have seen. What's left is what you shouldn't see."

Elsa's face suddenly turned red!

In her mind, the scene of that time at the hot spring hotel, when Charlie was wearing swimming trunks, his perfect and strong physique, made her heart flutter uncontrollably.

Although she blushed, she still shyly asked, "Why shouldn't I see the rest?"

Charlie awkwardly replied, "Do you even need to ask why? We're friends, and you're my wife's best friend, so of course, I can't show you the rest!"

Elsa lowered her head and murmured softly, "Why do you have to treat me like an outsider? Back then, when I was injured, didn't I show you places I shouldn't have shown? Didn't I let you touch places you shouldn't have touched?"

Charlie blurted out, "That's different. Back then, I did it to save you, not to take advantage of you."

Elsa pouted, rolled her eyes at Charlie, and said, "Who knows if you did it to take advantage? Maybe you were saving people while taking advantage, killing two birds with one stone!"

Then, she hurriedly added seriously, "Actually, I don't mind you taking advantage of me. Even if you take more advantage of me, I'm willing..."

 

[Prosper]

Chapter 1621 - The Sins of the Elite

Upon hearing Charlie's question, Stephen let out a bitter smile and said with melancholy, "Young Master, in this world, most people are like this. They don't understand gratitude. They only attach themselves to others when they need them, enjoying the help and support given by others. But once they no longer need others, they immediately turn their backs, even blaming others for stealing their limelight..."

With a sigh, Stephen continued, "You don't know, when your father led them in battles against the Rothschild family, they were all extremely obsequious, even voluntarily establishing a Eastcliff Commercial Alliance, electing your father as the first chairman..."

"But after your father defeated the Rothschild family, they immediately disbanded the alliance, even publicly criticizing your father for failing in his operations, missing the opportunity to triumph over the Rothschild family. Some even maliciously slandered behind his back, saying that your father colluded with the Rothschild family to harm the interests of the major families in Eastcliff..."

Upon hearing this, Charlie couldn't help but clench his fists, his veins bulging, and he muttered angrily, "These people are simply too much!"

Stephen sighed, "Ah, Young Master, such fair-weather friends are everywhere among the major families in Eastcliff! Your father, from being a hero resisting the Rothschild family, suddenly became the target of jealousy and slander by everyone in Eastcliff. Ultimately, it's because he was too outstanding!"

Stephen paused slightly before continuing, "The taller the tree stands, the fiercer the wind blows. This is an eternal truth. In the end, it's because he was too outstanding, so all the noble families in Eastcliff turned against him..."

"The Rothschild family saw him becoming a target, immediately launched a comeback, and they were very cunning. They openly declared it was a personal feud between the Rothschild family and the Wade family, naturally causing all the other families to stand by and watch!"

Stephen's tone grew increasingly angry, "The old master saw that the Wade family was about to become the sole target of the Rothschild family's attacks. Even many other families in Eastcliff were ready to stab him in the back. So he had no choice but to drive your father out of the Wade family and publicly announce that your father had no relation to the Wade family. That's why your father left Eastcliff with you and your mother, heading to Aurous Hill."

Charlie's expression was extremely grim. He gritted his teeth and said, "This whole thing is a betrayal by all the major families in Eastcliff against the Wade family, and then the Wade family chose to betray my father, ultimately pushing him out to bear the brunt of the Rothschild family's anger, leaving just the three of us to face their wrath..."

Stephen nodded gently, his eyes red, "Indeed, that's how it was back then..."

Charlie's eyes were full of determination as he said coldly, "They're all a bunch of backstabbers and cowards. I, Charlie Wade, swear to the heavens, every single one of these bastards will pay for this!"

Stephen hurriedly said, "Young Master, don't act impulsively! This matter involved almost all the families in Eastcliff back then, except for the Snow family. From the prominent Salvador family to the smaller ones barely worth a billion, every one of them betrayed your father. You must not become their enemy!"

Charlie's expression was resolute as he said, "I, Charlie, am not a cowardly person. These people, including some from the Wade family, are all accomplices in my parents' deaths. I won't easily let them off!"

After speaking, he looked at Stephen earnestly, "Steward Stephen, you don't need to worry too much. I'm not a fool. When I'm not strong enough, I won't recklessly oppose all the major families in Eastcliff. I will bide my time, gather strength, and catch them off guard!"

Stephen sighed lightly and nodded, "Young Master, not only do you want to avenge Second Master and Second Madam, I've been longing for this day as well. If you need anything, I am willing to go through fire and water for it!"

Charlie nodded and said, "Steward Stephen, if there's anything I need your help with, I will definitely let you know."






Chapter 1622 - A Family's Machiavellian Scheme

Stephen hurriedly said, "Young Master, I have a small suggestion, would you care to hear it?"

Charlie replied, "Please, go ahead."

Stephen continued, "Young Master, if you want those in Eastcliff who have wronged your father to pay the price, you must first firmly grasp the reins of the Wade family in your hands, then devise a detailed and comprehensive plan to dismantle these families one by one!"

Charlie asked him, "If I have the Wade family in my grasp, who do you think should be the first to be taken down among these families?"

"The Salvador family!"

Stephen said without hesitation, "The Salvador family is the strongest. Taking them down is like achieving half of our goal. Moreover, the people who stabbed your father in the back were gathered by the Salvador family. They formed a secret alliance against the Wade family, with the Salvador family as the leader."

"An anti-Wade alliance?" Charlie chuckled, "What an amusing alliance! Just because of those words, I won't let the Salvador family off the hook!"

Stephen said, "By the way, Young Master, today the Patriarch gathered all the direct descendants for a meeting and mentioned you, as well as the matter with the Salvador family."

"Oh?" Charlie frowned and asked, "What did they say?"

Stephen glanced at Haidee, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I'd better be direct. Ever since the old fortune-teller helped the Wade family repair Yanling Mountain, the Patriarch has been waiting for the Wade family to rise again. Now that the old fortune-teller is gone, he has placed his hopes for the Wade family's revival on you. So he wants you to come back and then marry into the Salvador family."

"The Salvador family?!" Charlie and Haidee were both shocked and asked in unison.

"Yes, it's the Salvador family!" Stephen sighed and said, "Miss Camilla is highly regarded in the Salvador family. Whoever marries her will surely gain a lot of resources from the Salvador family. So the Patriarch wants you to go, and he asked me to persuade you."

After finishing, he glanced at Haidee again, feeling awkward, "The Patriarch also mentioned that if the Salvador family doesn't work out, Miss Snow would also be an excellent candidate..."

Haidee blushed instantly.

However, Charlie said coldly, "When my father was being criticized by everyone, not only did he not help us, he even drove us away. Now he wants me to come back to help the Wade family rise again? It's simply a daydream!"

Stephen nodded and said, "Young Master, although the Patriarch's actions are somewhat excessive, you don't need to be too angry. On the contrary, this is a good opportunity to play him at his own game. You can agree to him, marry Miss Snow, and then use the opportunity to demand more resources from him for the Wade family. If you become the next head of the Wade family and then deal with the Salvador family, it will surely increase our chances of success!"







Chapter 1623 - Steeping in Strategy

"Become the head of the Wade Family?"

Charlie smiled faintly, with a hint of disdain, "I'm not really interested in becoming the head of the Wade Family."

Stephen hurriedly said, "Young Master, don't forget, the Wade Family is the second-ranked prestigious family in Eastcliff and even in the whole country. If you could gain control of the Wade Family, it would bring you much closer to the Salvador Family!"

Charlie waved his hand, saying, "Stephen, someday, I will use my own hands to defeat the Salvador Family and all the other families that have wronged my father! I will make them kneel and repent in front of my parents' graves!"

Stephen sighed, "Young Master, if you gain control of the Wade Family, that day will come even sooner!"

Charlie said coldly, "I don't want to return to the Wade Family because when that day comes, even the Wade Family members will have to kneel!"

Stephen was taken aback by Charlie's resolute attitude and icy demeanor.

At that moment, he saw shades of Drake in Charlie.

And at that moment, he abandoned the idea of persuading Charlie to return to the Wade Family and compete for the position of the family head.

Because he knew, the Wade Family was not worthy!

The Wade Family wasn't worthy of Drake back then, and now, they weren't worthy of Drake's son!

So, he immediately expressed to Charlie, "Young Master, from now on, I will obey all your orders. If you need me, I can leave the Wade Family at any time and serve you wholeheartedly."

Charlie smiled faintly, saying, "There's no rush for now, but in the future, I might need you to leave the Wade Family and come help me."

Charlie also wanted to take Ichiro along to Japan before the Lunar New Year, completely take control of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals, and have Ichiro produce Mystical Gastric Remedy for him. Then, he would develop a liver-protecting medicine and quickly seize the global market.

The pharmaceutical industry was related to human health. As long as there was core technology, profitability was not a problem at all. It was very easy to build a huge multinational corporation.

If he could develop Mystical Labs into a world-class pharmaceutical company, neither the Wade Family nor the Salvador Family would be able to compete with him.

Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals had several production bases in Japan with large production capacity, so it was definitely not realistic to relocate them all back to China. Therefore, he needed a reliable person in Japan to keep an eye on things and serve as the chairman of Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals.

At that time, Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals would be renamed Mystical Labs, and certainly, someone like Ichiro wouldn't be allowed to be the chairman.

Therefore, Stephen became the most suitable candidate in Charlie's eyes.

Although Stephen didn't know what Charlie wanted him to do, he still said without hesitation, "I will obey your commands at any time!"

Charlie nodded and said, "Let's end it here today, Stephen. Haidee and I will go back first. I have to return to Aurous Hill tomorrow."

Stephen asked in surprise, "Young Master, are you leaving so soon?"

Charlie said, "I have a lot of things to do. If I don't go back, I won't make it in time."

Stephen said, "Then, let me escort you and Miss Snow out!"

Charlie said, "Oh, by the way, the tea you've grown is excellent. Give me some to take back. I'll give it to my father-in-law. He bought a bunch of rubbish tea from a girl selling tea on WeChat and treasures it."

Stephen hurriedly said, "Young Master, please wait a moment. I'll arrange for someone to bring it over!"

Soon, a tea house manager came over with several exquisite gift boxes.

Stephen said to Charlie, "Young Master, here are some premium Mingqian Longjing (tea leaves harvested before the Wardgming Festival in early April, known for their higher quality and freshness), special-grade Golden Eyebrow, and well-aged Pu'er. Take them back for Mr. Wilson to taste. If he likes them, I'll regularly send some over in the future."

Charlie took the tea and thanked him, "Stephen, you're thoughtful. Thank you."

Stephen bowed and said, "It's my pleasure..."

...

After bidding farewell to Stephen, Charlie returned to the Snow family villa with Haidee.







Chapter 1624 - Parting Platters and Plans

On the road, Haidee remained silent, as if burdened by something on her mind.

Seeing her beautiful brows furrowed slightly, Charlie couldn't help but ask, "Haidee, what's on your mind?"

Haidee snapped out of her thoughts and said, "Brother Charlie, do you really get along well with that Claire?"

Charlie asked in surprise, "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Haidee replied, "Just curious, and a little worried too."

"Worried about what?"

"Worried about what I should do if your relationship with her is really good..."

Charlie smiled faintly and asked her, "Before you met me, did you ever think about what you would do in the future?"

Haidee nodded, "Of course, before I met you, I always felt that I had to find you. If I couldn't find you, I would just stay single forever. After all, I didn't have any feelings for other men."

Charlie asked, "If you really couldn't find me, would you stay single until you're thirty or forty?"

Haidee said seriously, "Forget thirty or forty, what's wrong with being single until fifty or sixty? My life is already fulfilling enough. I wouldn't compromise myself just because I need a man around. So I'd rather be single than settle for less. If I couldn't find you, I might spend half of my life traveling around the world, settling down in a place I like when I'm old, planting flowers and grass, raising small animals, and donating all my property before I die. That wouldn't be a bad way to live."

Words of persuasion almost came out of Charlie's mouth but he swallowed them back.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that he had left an indelible mark on Haidee's life, whether he would be with her in the future or not, this mark couldn't be erased.

This was his debt to her, and his responsibility that he couldn't shirk.

However, at this moment, he still couldn't figure out how to resolve the affection between him and this girl of more than twenty years.

...

That night, Amelia personally cooked a table full of delicious dishes.

Geraldo took out the top-grade Maotai he had saved for Haidee's wedding and shared it with Charlie.

Charlie had to leave, and both husband and wife felt a bit reluctant.

But they also knew very well that Charlie not only had his own little family in Aurous Hill, but also had started his own business in Aurous Hill.

Wade Family's Emgrand Group, Charlie hadn't visited it much. He didn't take a penny from Emgrand Group's money.

He didn't spend much of the 10 billion given by Wade Family, most of the money he spent later was earned by himself, or extorted from Kobayashi Pharmaceuticals.

Nowadays, Mystical Labs had gained great fame in China, and Mystical Gastric Remedy had become famous both at home and abroad in a very short time due to its extremely powerful efficacy.

After many foreigners tried this magical stomach medicine, they went crazy buying it to take back to their own countries and share with their families.

This further led to the popularity of Mystical Gastric Remedy.

Currently, Mystical Gastric Remedy was in short supply nationwide, with distributors from all over the country holding large amounts of cash, hoping to get more stock.

If things continued like this, Mystical Gastric Remedy might become the best-selling and most well-known stomach medicine in the world.

And the practicality and applicability of stomach medicine were very wide-ranging, people all over the world, regardless of age, gender, or race, would have a need for it.

So, this also meant that the future development prospects of Mystical Labs were immeasurable.

The couple both believed that if one day, Charlie could mass produce the miraculous Resurrection Pill, then Charlie would definitely become the richest person in the world, without a doubt.

So, they also knew that for the current Charlie, Aurous Hill was his base, his stronghold, and the cornerstone of his personal career takeoff!











Chapter 1625 - Airport Antics: Farewell to the Snow Family

The next morning, Charlie prepared to bid farewell to the Snow family and head to the station by taxi. However, to his surprise, Geraldo insisted on driving him himself.

Accompanying them were Amelia and Haidee.

Charlie didn't want to trouble them, but unable to resist their kindness, he reluctantly agreed.

On the way, Geraldo drove his Rolls-Royce, with Amelia sitting in the passenger seat, while Charlie and Haidee sat in the back.

Haidee's mood had been somewhat downcast, but she refrained from speaking due to her parents being in the car, appearing preoccupied throughout the journey.

As they approached the airport, Haidee mustered up the courage to reach out and quietly grasp Charlie's hand, squeezing it tightly.

Charlie instinctively turned to look and found Haidee looking at him with a mixture of melancholy and determination, stirring a sense of guilt within him.

The Rolls-Royce came to a steady stop at the entrance of the airport's departure level, prompting Charlie to gently withdraw his hand from Haidee's grasp, saying to the three of them, "Uncle Geraldo, Aunt Amelia, Haidee, you don't need to get out of the car. The airport is crowded, and it wouldn't be appropriate for us to be seen, especially Haidee, as she's a public figure."

Haidee hurriedly said, "I can wear a mask!"

At this moment, Amelia chimed in, "Alright, Haidee, even if you wear a mask, you can only accompany Little Charlie to the security checkpoint. It's not far anyway. Don't take unnecessary risks."

Geraldo also nodded in agreement, "Yes, let's not cause trouble for your brother Charlie."

"Okay..." Haidee could only nod gently, looking at Charlie and saying, "Brother Charlie, remember to tell me once you've boarded, and also after you've landed."

Charlie smiled, "Alright, I got it. Don't worry."

With that, Charlie got out of the car and retrieved a small bag from the trunk.

He then waved goodbye to the Snow family through the car window before turning and heading into the airport.

As soon as he entered the airport, he received a call from Elsa, "Charlie, have you reached the airport?"

Charlie replied, "Yes, I'm about to go through security."

Elsa hurriedly said, "Then go ahead first. I'm stuck in traffic and might take another 20 minutes or so. I should make it in time."

Charlie acknowledged, "Alright, let's meet at the lounge or the boarding gate then. If not, we can meet on the plane."

"No problem!"

Charlie hung up and proceeded through security, making his way to Terminal 3.

Eastcliff Capital International Airport's Terminal 3 was vast, housing numerous luxury shops, with almost all internationally renowned brands having a presence there.

Charlie realized he hadn't prepared any gifts for his father-in-law, Stephen, as well as his wife, Claire, and mother-in-law, Elaine, apart from some tea he received from Stephen.

When he was leaving, Elaine had flattered him, asking for some gifts. Considering her recent good behavior and respect towards him, he felt obliged to give her a little something.

As for his wife, Claire, it was needless to say that he needed to carefully prepare a gift for her.

So, he took advantage of the time and began browsing the shops at the airport's commercial street.

Because Charlie usually had modest material demands, he couldn't immediately think of what gifts to get for his wife and mother-in-law.

Thinking that women of any age loved handbags, Charlie confidently entered the Hermès store.

The price range at Hermès varied greatly, with the cheaper items starting at around a hundred thousand, but that was just the starting point. Their high-end products could easily cost millions.

Due to his plain attire, the haughty shop assistant looked down on him a bit, but didn't say anything derogatory, just displaying an attitude of slight disdain.

Charlie didn't pay much attention to it. After looking around the store, he set his eyes on a stylish limited-edition crocodile leather handbag displayed in a glass showcase.

The handbag was in Hermès' classic orange color, with flawless leather texture and exquisite craftsmanship, suitable for both casual and business use.

Charlie called the shop assistant over and said, "Hello, I'll take this bag. Please wrap it up for me."







Chapter 1626 - Allocation Antics: A Tale of Exclusivity

The saleswoman furrowed her brows and said, "Sir, this bag is priced at 580,000."

Charlie nodded, "No problem, I'll take it."

The saleswoman continued, "I'm sorry, sir, but purchasing this bag requires allocation."

Charlie asked in surprise, "What does allocation mean? Can't I just pay for this bag and take it away?"

The saleswoman smirked, "Sir, is this your first time at our Hermès store? Have you never bought anything from us before?"

Charlie nodded, "No, why? Is there a problem?"

The saleswoman scoffed, "Many of Hermès' bags, especially those priced above 300,000, are limited editions!"

"Just because this bag is priced at only 580,000 in the store, once taken out, it can immediately be sold for seven or eight hundred thousand. So, if you want to buy this bag, you either have to be a high-level member of Hermès and make a successful appointment with our store manager in advance, or you have to purchase a certain amount of other goods, and these goods cannot be popular items. You must purchase at least 500,000 worth of other goods to buy this bag."

Charlie frowned, "So, according to what you're saying, I have to buy 500,000 worth of other items before I can buy this bag?"

"Yes," the saleswoman smiled, "This is the rule for Hermès worldwide. You must be aware of it, right? Or do you just want to try your luck, hoping to trick this bag out of our store and make a profit by reselling it?"

For top luxury brands like Hermès, their limited edition handbags have astonishingly high resale values.

In fact, many styles sell for more in the second-hand market than brand new, all thanks to Hermès' scarcity marketing strategy.

While other brands sell items simply for money, Hermès does not.

Because the prices outside are much higher than those in the store, if you want to buy things from them at their prices, you must purchase tens of thousands or even millions of worth of additional goods.

By this calculation, to get a limited edition bag, you need to pay more than a million.

However, Hermès is also very shrewd. If it's allocation, you can't buy their hot-selling items; you can only buy their slow-moving items.

Slow-moving items are ridiculous. For example, some 18k gold rings, which probably cost only around 1,000 to make, can be sold for 50,000, 80,000, or even more than 100,000 just because they have the Hermès label.

Such rings, even if bought back and resold, no one would want them unless they're sold at a low discount.

After understanding the rules of Hermès, Charlie wasn't angry. Since they have these rules, he would just follow them.

So Charlie said, "Since that's the case, can I purchase 500,000 worth of other items together?"

Upon hearing this, the saleswoman's eyes lit up. She didn't expect Charlie to be a hidden wealthy man. He was willing to purchase 500,000 worth of goods without even bargaining?

Upon hearing this, she changed her previous indifference and hurriedly stepped forward, respectfully saying, "Sir, let me show you the items in our store that can be used for allocation. You can see what you need."

Charlie nodded and said, "I just saw a regular style handbag priced at around 160,000. Can I use that for allocation?"

"Yes," the saleswoman said without hesitation, "The price of that bag is 158,888, so you still need to purchase around 340,000 worth of goods."

Charlie was about to look at other items when a woman's voice came from the door, "Honey, I want to see Hermès!"

Then, a man's voice followed, "Stop looking, we have to go to the boarding gate."

The woman coquettishly pleaded, "There's still half an hour before boarding, take me for a stroll!"

The man said helplessly, "Fine, but only for twenty minutes!"

"Honey, you're so kind!"

Immediately after, a young couple walked in.

Charlie immediately recognized the man. Wasn't he Koichi Tanaka, who had always been with Nanako?

How could he appear here?







Chapter 1627 - Bag Wars: Love, Money, and Luxury

At this moment, Koichi's attention was entirely focused on the stylishly dressed and somewhat enchanting woman with her.

So, he didn't notice Charlie in the shop.

Since they were speaking Chinese, Charlie speculated that Koichi's companion must be Chinese.

After the two entered, the woman dragged Koichi around the store.

Then, she pointed at the limited edition Hermès handbag that Charlie had already set his eyes on to buy for his wife, and coquettishly said, "Koichi, I want this bag!"

Koichi awkwardly replied, "We came to Eastcliff this time to find a famous doctor for the young lady, not for shopping. And we haven't found the famous doctor yet. I don't know how to explain it when we go back. If you really want to shop, we can wait until we return to Tokyo, and I'll take you there."

The woman persisted, "I don't want to go to Tokyo. I want this one! Buying a bag like this requires believing in fate. If you come across it, you must get it, otherwise, you might never get another chance!"

Koichi sighed, "I already have a difficult task on hand. Technically, I shouldn't have brought you here. Sneaking you here was already breaking the rules. If you shop so openly, it will be difficult for me to explain to the chairman when I go back!"

The woman retorted, "Before immigrating to Japan, I was from Eastcliff. If your chairman asks, you can tell him that I happened to be visiting relatives back in my hometown. As for shopping, you can say I bought it myself."

With that, the woman took Koichi's arm and pleaded, "Koichi, I really like this bag. Please buy it for me, pretty please?"

After hesitating for a moment, Koichi reluctantly agreed, "Alright, alright. But you have to remember, don't show off when we get back, and don't mention that you bought this bag in Eastcliff. Understand?"

The woman happily replied, "I got it!"

Then, she immediately waved to the shop assistant next to Charlie, "Miss, I want this bag, please get it for me!"

The shop assistant apologized, "I'm sorry, miss. This bag has already been reserved by this gentleman. He's currently selecting accessories."

With a respectful gesture towards Charlie, the shop assistant continued, "Sir, please forgive me."

Charlie didn't even bother to look back at them, just focused on the counter and said to the shop assistant, "Could you please get me two of these scarves priced at thirty thousand each, and also that men's belt priced at twenty-eight thousand?"

The shop assistant nodded respectfully and was about to retrieve the items.

The woman, annoyed, said, "Hey, hasn't he finished choosing yet? Since he hasn't even finished selecting accessories, it means he hasn't paid yet, right? We can just swipe the card now!"

Immediately, she urged Koichi, "Koichi, take out your card quickly!"

Koichi, feeling embarrassed, said, "Since the gentleman reserved it first, let's choose another one."

"No way!" the woman exclaimed, "I want this one! I already set my eyes on it at first sight!"

Then, she pointed at Charlie and said to Koichi, "Koichi, give him a substantial amount of money as a gesture of goodwill, and ask him to transfer this bag to me. Please?"

Unable to resist her coaxing and cajoling, Koichi turned to Charlie and said, "Sir, my girlfriend has taken a liking to this bag. If it's possible for you to give it to us, I'm willing to offer you a ten thousand goodwill payment. Would you be willing to give it up?"

Charlie didn't even look back, just waved his hand.

The woman exclaimed in frustration, "Hey! You don't even need to do anything and you can earn ten thousand for free. Where else can you find such a good deal? Are you trying to extort us?"

Charlie ignored her and continued to speak to the shop assistant, "Come, also get me this ladies' wallet priced at fifty-eight thousand."

"Hey!" the woman couldn't believe Charlie completely ignored her words, and angrily said, "My boyfriend is a senior assistant of the Ito family in Japan! He's the confidant of Takehiko, the head of the Ito family. If you offend him, he'll make sure you regret it in the future!"






Chapter 1628 - Fashion Diplomacy: Negotiating Prestige

When Charlie heard this, he snorted coldly, "A Japanese family dares to flaunt themselves on the land of my China? Believe it or not, even if Takehiko stands before me, as long as he dares to act arrogant, I'll still make him kneel and call me grandpa."

"Damn!" Koichi, who had been feeling somewhat guilty towards Charlie because of his girlfriend's rudeness, suddenly became furious.

He scolded sharply, "How dare you disrespect Mr. Ito? Do you think your life is too long?"

Charlie chuckled and turned to look at Koichi, asking coldly, "Are you Tanaka? It's been a long time."

The moment Koichi saw Charlie, he felt as if he had seen a ghost.

He vividly remembered the scene where Charlie crippled Kazuki with just one move.

Without a doubt, Charlie was the most freakish person he had ever encountered in his life. He hadn't expected to meet this star of calamity in the Hermès store at Eastcliff Airport.

His legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground with a thud, crawling a few steps to Charlie's side, and said respectfully and fearfully, "Master Wade, I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you! I'm truly sorry!"

Koichi was naturally afraid of Charlie.

Initially, the Japanese national treasure-level expert Kazuki Yamamoto was crippled by Charlie just for acting arrogant towards him. Koichi didn't dare to disobey him at all!

Otherwise, if Charlie became displeased and crippled him, he could only return to Japan lying down.

Koichi silenced the woman who had just insulted Charlie, feeling extremely surprised to see him suddenly kneel down and apologize to this man. He hurriedly reached out to pull him up, angrily saying, "Koichi, have you gone mad? You are the most promising young generation in President Ito's eyes, with unlimited prospects. How can you kneel to a stranger so easily?"

Koichi angrily reached out and pulled the woman to the ground, scolding, "Nonsense! How dare you be disrespectful in front of Master Wade? Apologize to Master Wade immediately!"

The woman was knocked to the ground by Koichi, crying out in pain from her knees hitting the ground. She said with grievance, "Koichi, what do you mean by this?!"

Koichi raised his hand and slapped her, scolding, "Stop talking nonsense and apologize quickly!"

The woman was somewhat stunned by the slap, but seeing Koichi so nervous, she also felt afraid. So she stuttered an apology to Charlie, "Sir, I'm sorry... It's all my fault..."

Charlie couldn't be bothered to deal with these two, saying coldly, "Remember this, both of you. No matter how many people you have in Japan trying to flatter you, as long as you're in China, keep a low profile. As the saying goes, even a fierce dragon cannot cross the river easily. What are you two compared to that?"

Koichi nodded hurriedly, pleading, "Master Wade, I know I was wrong. I'll definitely keep a low profile in the future, and I'll also teach this stupid woman to keep a low profile. Please don't treat us the same as these people."

Charlie waved his hand disdainfully, "Get lost."

Koichi felt relieved when he heard Charlie say these words, quickly thanking him, "Thank you, Master Wade, we'll leave right away..."

After saying that, he hurried to get up and run out.

Suddenly, Charlie remembered something and called out to him, "Wait!"

Koichi trembled all over in fear, nervously asking, "Master Wade, do you have any other orders?"

Charlie said indifferently, "I have a question for you, and you'd better answer honestly."

"Okay!" Koichi nodded quickly, "You can trust me, I'll tell you everything!"

Charlie asked coldly, "How is your young miss now?"






Chapter 1629 - A Touch of Grace: Charlie's Compassion

"Young miss?" Upon hearing Charlie's question, Koichi's expression dimmed for a moment. He sighed lightly and said, "Master Wade, to be frank, Miss was seriously injured during the battle with Miss Ward. Though she survived, her body is not what it used to be. She's currently recuperating in Kyoto."

Charlie recalled the tender look of Nanako, feeling a twinge of nervousness.

However, he concealed his emotions and calmly asked, "Is she in any serious condition? Will she be able to compete in the future?"

Koichi gave a bitter smile. "She won't be able to compete. Miss is extremely weak now. She could barely stand a few days ago, and even then, she couldn't walk far. Most of her days are spent resting in bed, only venturing out into the courtyard to bask in the sun if it's good at noon."

Suddenly, an image of the smiling girl in a wheelchair soaking up the sun flashed in Charlie's mind. He felt a pang in his heart.

He inquired further, "How is her emotional state?"

Koichi shook his head. "On the surface, Miss seems fine, always cheerful. But knowing her, she must have a lot on her mind. She asked me a few days ago if there was someone she wanted to see desperately but might never get the chance to. I don't know what she meant exactly, but her mood seemed quite low at the time."

Charlie couldn't help but sigh. "She shouldn't have fought in that match in the first place."

Koichi was surprised to hear Charlie express regret for his Miss.

After a moment of astonishment, he sighed too. "Master Wade, you're right. Both I and the chairman advised Miss against it, but she insisted..."

Continuing, Koichi said, "The chairman has searched all over Japan for renowned doctors, but none could treat Miss's injuries. That's why I came to Eastcliff, to seek medical advice for Miss at the National Medical Institute."

Charlie nodded and asked, "Any luck?"

"No," Koichi shook his head wearily. "The chairman offered a hefty sum, hoping to invite the institute's top doctors to Japan, but they refused."

Charlie shook his head.

He had been there when Nanako was injured, knowing her condition was beyond the current capabilities of both Western and Chinese medicine.

Perhaps the only one who could heal her was himself.

Thinking of this, Charlie remembered he was about to visit Japan soon. He wondered if he could go to Kyoto to see Nanako this time.

If given the chance, he must see her, at least to heal her wounds.

With this in mind, Charlie no longer harbored any ill feelings towards Koichi and his girlfriend. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, I won't pursue this matter further. You two should hurry on."

Koichi, relieved, bowed repeatedly to Charlie, saying with utmost respect, "Master Wade, then we'll take our leave..."

With that, he quickly grabbed the woman beside him and fled.









Chapter 1630 The Enigmatic Mr. Charlie Wade

Charlie sighed slightly with a hint of melancholy in his expression, then casually bought some small items from Hermes as gifts.

After reaching the required amount of five hundred thousand, he directly swiped his card to settle the bill and carried a bunch of Hermes gift boxes to the VIP lounge.

When Charlie arrived at the VIP lounge, Elsa was already there.

Seeing Charlie coming in with things from Hermes, she said with a hint of jealousy, "I was wondering why I couldn't find you after you arrived. Turns out you went shopping at Hermes! Are you buying gifts for Claire?"

Charlie nodded naturally, "We've come all the way to the bustling city of Eastcliff. Of course, I have to buy some souvenirs for my wife."

Elsa pursed her lips and said, "Charlie, I find you quite mysterious. Haidee is such a big star. Even a random autographed photo could sell for thousands on a second-hand website. You've known her since childhood, yet you've never mentioned her."

Charlie replied calmly, "How could I use someone else as a bragging point for myself? Wouldn't that be betraying their kindness to me?"

Elsa nodded lightly, "That's true."

After that, she asked gossipingly, "Does Claire know that you two have known each other since childhood?"

Charlie shook his head, "Of course not. I didn't want to tell anyone about it. It's just that you happened to see us at Back Sea yesterday. Otherwise, you wouldn't know either."

Elsa said happily, "So, does that mean I know a secret about you that even Claire doesn't know? Does it mean our relationship has progressed further?"

Charlie sighed helplessly, "What are you thinking? I already said it was just a coincidence that you happened to see us."

Elsa snorted, "Whether it's a coincidence or not, I still know a secret about you that Claire doesn't!"

With that, she stared into Charlie's eyes and asked, "Hey, Charlie, how many secrets do you have? You seem so mysterious, like I can't see through you at all."

Charlie didn't want her to delve into such questions, so he quipped, "What else is there that you can't see through? When we went to the hot springs together, I was wearing swimming trunks. You've seen everything you should have seen. What's left is what you shouldn't see."

Elsa's face suddenly turned red!

In her mind, the scene of that time at the hot spring hotel, when Charlie was wearing swimming trunks, his perfect and strong physique, made her heart flutter uncontrollably.

Although she blushed, she still shyly asked, "Why shouldn't I see the rest?"

Charlie awkwardly replied, "Do you even need to ask why? We're friends, and you're my wife's best friend, so of course, I can't show you the rest!"

Elsa lowered her head and murmured softly, "Why do you have to treat me like an outsider? Back then, when I was injured, didn't I show you places I shouldn't have shown? Didn't I let you touch places you shouldn't have touched?"

Charlie blurted out, "That's different. Back then, I did it to save you, not to take advantage of you."

Elsa pouted, rolled her eyes at Charlie, and said, "Who knows if you did it to take advantage? Maybe you were saving people while taking advantage, killing two birds with one stone!"

Then, she hurriedly added seriously, "Actually, I don't mind you taking advantage of me. Even if you take more advantage of me, I'm willing..."

Elsa, next time find John and make that bet with him and see if you will go scot free. When will Charlie stop wasting all these resources.

 

[Junlee (aka 'Jungal2000')]

Elsa, next time find John and make that bet with him and see if you will go scot free. When will Charlie stop wasting all these resources.

Prosper, you will prosper with the sex sect!

 

[OpeOla]

Elsa, next time find John and make that bet with him and see if you will go scot free. When will Charlie stop wasting all these resources.

She definitely cannot cope with John

 

[Prosper]

Prosper, you will prosper with the sex sect!

The truth is SEX sect is the best sect among all the sects. They are the only sect to utilize the Spiritual energy better. They always makes me proud as the leader for the spiritual energy cultivators.

 

[Prosper]

She definitely cannot cope with John

Charlie is pissing me off. Dustin too is same.