Chapter 5604

Steve was a little perplexed by Charlie's words. He furrowed his brow and replied earnestly, "Sir, Helena is the Queen of Northern Europe. Her visit to Canada is a significant political event. Normally, all the arrangements for such occasions are made well in advance. Her scheduled visit to Canada was supposed to be next Friday, which is still nine days away. How is it possible for it to be moved forward?" Charlie remained composed and replied calmly, "You don't need to worry about that. Just answer my question." Steve pondered for a moment before responding, "My father wanted Royce to establish contact with Helena. It was an idea he had some time ago. He also expressed his desire a few days ago for Royce to go to Canada and meet Helena on behalf of the Rothschild family, to establish a connection and explore the possibility of a marriage. If everything went according to plan, Royce would have been sent when Helena arrived in Canada. However, given the current circumstances, I'm not sure if my father will change his mind." Charlie replied, "I don't believe he will change his mind. In his eyes, Helena's visit to Canada is a separate event, unrelated to the Four Treasures of the Study. Furthermore, Helena's change in schedule is sudden and his last-minute request for Royce to go to Canada is merely seen as a shortage of manpower in the search for the Four Treasures of the Study. It does not increase the risk of the artifact leaving the United States. Why wouldn't he seize this opportunity? Moreover, your Rothschild family is currently facing public pressure and scandals from both within and outside. There is no chance to turn the tide at the moment. If we can divert public attention elsewhere, it would be a beneficial and harmless choice." Steve sighed helplessly and said, "That may be true, but we don't have any current conversation with the Nordic royal family and we can't control when Helena comes to Canada. If she comes as planned next week, then we will have to wait a few more days if you want to take the opportunity to go to Canada with Royce..." For Steve, he didn't want Charlie and the Four Treasures of the Study to stay in the United States any longer. The Four Treasures of the Study was a ticking time bomb. As long as it remained in the United States and not in his possession, he would be constantly at risk. Furthermore, with Charlie holding him captive, his life was in constant danger. Although he was certain that Charlie knew the exact whereabouts of the Four Treasures of the Study, he didn't have the ability to take it from him. So, no matter how he looked at it, he hoped that Charlie would leave the United States with the Four Treasures of the Study as soon as possible. However, hope is hope, and reality is reality. The reality was that he wanted Charlie to leave early, but he couldn't expedite Helena's arrival, and he also didn't want Charlie to stay and wait for her. Because during those nine days before Helena arrived in Canada, he and his son would be hostages in Charlie's hands, and there would always be some risk. Reluctantly, he said to Charlie, "Sir, you don't understand. Even though the Nordic royal family's assets and power may not be as prominent and their assets may not even surpass those of a medium-sized tech company in Silicon Valley, they have enough political clout. Despite Helena's youth, she is still a queen of a country. Even if she comes to the United States, the country with the highest GDP in the world, she would still be treated as a head of state. So, even our Rothschild family cannot simply summon the Queen of Northern Europe. And waiting for nine days is too risky. Maybe we should consider another solution!" Charlie remained calm and assured him, "You don't need to worry about that. I will ensure that Helena arrives as soon as possible." Steve asked in disbelief, "Are you joking, sir?" Charlie smiled and replied, "Steve, since we are planning to cooperate, I won't keep anything from you. Do you know who I am?" Steve shook his head and said, "I don't know... Who are you?" "Charlie Wade." Charlie calmly revealed his name and continued, "You may not have heard of me, but you surely know my father's name. He is Bruce Wade!" "Wade... Bruce Wade?" Steve exclaimed, "The Bruce who caused so much trouble for the Rothschild family twenty years ago? And your mother is Lily from the Evans family?" Charlie nodded, "That's correct." Steve took a deep breath and blurted out, "No wonder! No wonder the Wade family's TikTok refused to take down the scandalous videos about us. It turns out you are Bruce's son..." He then asked without thinking, "So, was it also your doing when Bruce Weinstein exposed the videos of Brooklyn Prison, Peter Cole and Matt and Weinstein's wife having an affair?" Charlie calmly confirmed, "Yes, it was my doing." Steve was shocked and said, "Mr. Wade, you are truly extraordinary. With just a few moves, you have thrown the Rothschild family into chaos, displaying the same audacity as your father did back then..."

Charlie responded nonchalantly, "We are all adults here. There's no need for flattery." As he spoke, Charlie retrieved his mobile phone from his shirt pocket, casually tapped a few times on the screen, and said, "By the way, I forgot to mention, this phone has been recording our conversation since I arrived. Everything we have discussed has been recorded." Steve's expression instantly turned to shock and fear. He anxiously pleaded, "Mr. Wade, why would you do this? Can't you trust me?" Charlie smiled and replied, "I am aware that there are core members of the Rothschild family present. I thought it would be prudent to have a video recording of our conversation." Steve felt a wave of dejection. He hadn't expected that the process of reaching a cooperation with Charlie would be captured on video. This meant that Charlie now had leverage over him. Once Charlie took the Four Treasures of the Study out of the United States and resolved his own crisis, he would also have control over Steve. If he exposed the video and let his father know that Steve allowed the Four Treasures of the Study to leave, or even assisted Charlie in taking it out of the country, Steve's life would be ruined. In that case, Steve would forever be at the mercy of Charlie. Unbeknownst to Steve, Charlie had not actually recorded anything from the start. He had simply fabricated a lie to intimidate Steve and only started recording when he took out his phone just now. Thus, he deliberately assured Steve, "Don't worry. Since we have decided to cooperate, I won't betray you without reason. As long as you help me take the Four Treasures of the Study out of the United States, your position as the heir will not be threatened and I will keep this secret for you. Although the Wade family had conflicts with yours in the past, our cooperation now presents an opportunity to mend fences. In the future, when your father is no longer with us and you successfully become the head of the Rothschild family, we can explore numerous possibilities for deep collaboration. As the saying goes, friends walk together for a lifetime. Despite the age difference, you still have many years ahead of you. If we get along well, we can be friends for thirty to fifty years, don't you think?" Unaware that Charlie was recording their conversation, Steve felt somewhat relieved by his words. He realized that Charlie held significant leverage over him and his compliance would determine whether or not Charlie chose to expose him. His life was in Charlie's hands now, and it seemed his future would be as well. Steve saw no way out, but he was not naive. He quickly assessed the situation. Non-cooperation with Charlie could lead to Hank, now Charlie's unwilling pawn, endangering both him and his son. Hank's actions, under Charlie's control, wouldn't implicate Charlie and their deeds might remain undiscovered. In contrast, collaborating with Charlie seemed a safer bet. At least it promised the preservation of his life. Moreover, aiding Charlie in acquiring the Four Treasures of the Study could secure Steve's position as the heir. Eventually, surpassing the current patriarch could elevate him to the head of the Rothschild family. The thought of having a degree of control in Charlie's hands was a small price to pay for such benefits. Besides, this leverage wouldn't always be potent in Charlie's hands, especially once the current patriarch passed away. As the presumptive heir, Steve had to be cautious. Any slip-up could cost him his position and favor. However, once he succeeded as the patriarch, the leverage would lose much of its power, reducing to a mere moral blemish. Realizing all this, Steve shed his hesitations and pledged his loyalty to Charlie: "Mr. Wade, rest assured, I will spare no effort to help you bring the Four Treasures of the Study back to China!" Charlie, curious, probed further: "Steve, what motivates you to make such a noble decision, even against your own kin?" "It's justice!" Steve, driven by his strong survival instinct, declared confidently and righteously: "It's the justice in my heart, something money can't buy! Mr. Wade, I am a man of conscience! The Four Treasures of the Study, being a Chinese national treasure, has been in the Rothschild family since it was taken from China nearly two centuries ago. As a Rothschild, I feel deep shame and unease about this. If I can contribute to returning the Four Treasures of the Study to China, it will be fulfilling my moral duty." "Very good!" Charlie praised, impressed "Steve, you truly are a breath of fresh air in the Rothschild family! If you become the patriarch in the future, the Wade family will be proud to call the Rothschild family a strategic partner."