The Amazing Son in Law The Charismatic Charlie Wade

Upon hearing Maria’s words, Jagoan instinctively turned his gaze to the worn black photo album she held.

At a glance, it was obvious that this photo album had some age to it.

Over the past decade or so, with the rapid evolution of smartphones, everyday people have unknowingly digitized

their entire image collections. The days of buying various-sized photo albums and meticulously converting each

image, as they had done two decades ago, were long gone. Photographs were now neatly tucked into digital

folders.

Jagoan remained clueless about the album’s contents, so he accepted it from Maria and delicately opened the first

page.

The initial image that leaped from the page featured two youthful figures standing in front of the Statue of Liberty

in the United States.

The man in the photograph bore an uncanny resemblance to Jagoan himself, yet his attire belonged to a bygone

era, featuring a knitted sweater and white jeans unique to that time.

This was none other than Jagoan’s father, Bruce. The woman by his side, in her twenties, exuded a slender grace,

her light beige trench coat billowing stylishly. Her curly perm, all the rage back then, retained its timeless allure. The

wind tousled both her clothing and hair simultaneously, lending her an air of elegance, beauty and a dash of rustic

charm.

Unable to contain herself, Maria sighed, “The Young Master’s mother was truly exquisite…”

Jagoan nodded subtly and couldn’t resist teasing, “Have you never seen my mother before? She was quite a

sensation in her day.”

Maria shook her head and continued, “I once delved into Young Master’s mother’s life story. It’s truly remarkable.

She enjoyed unparalleled popularity in the realms of technology, finance and venture capital twenty or thirty years

ago…”

As she spoke, Maria’s voice softened and she added, “In fact, my life trajectory is the polar opposite of the Young

Master’s mother. She soared to fame in Silicon Valley and the internet era, becoming a trendsetter, while I

emerged after the internet’s rise. I was concerned that Morgana’s ability to acquire information would skyrocket

due to this widespread trend, distancing her from the outside world and the timing couldn’t have been more

mismatched.”

Jagoan nodded in understanding before flipping to the album’s second page.

On this page, a photograph captured the Young Master’s parents, still against the backdrop of the Statue of Liberty.

Bruce stood tall and proud, while Lily nestled beside him, her arms outstretched for an affectionate embrace. Bruce

reciprocates the gesture, wrapping an arm around Lily.

The left and right quadrants of the page held four group photos, each featuring the couple in various poses,

graceful, playful, or amusing. Yet, in every frame, their affection for one another radiated palpably.

Maria couldn’t help but sigh, “The Young Master’s parents must have had an incredible bond. It’s truly enviable.”

Jagoan nodded and shared, “These must be images capturing their love story. In fact, their affection remained

undiminished from what I can remember. They never had a quarrel and even when disagreements arose, one of

them would yield before things escalated.”

Curious, Maria inquired, “So, who usually caved in first?”

Jagoan pondered briefly before answering, “It wasn’t particularly one-sided. They shared an unspoken

understanding in life and could always gauge the other’s resolve accurately. If they sensed that the other was more

steadfast on a matter, they’d yield appropriately. It was a balanced dance.”

Maria sighed, “Such a harmonious relationship, balancing each other at all times, is genuinely rare.”

Jagoan agreed with a nod, turning the album’s pages to reveal the third.

This time, the upper left corner of the left page featured a photo of a quaint antique shop. Its design carried a

touch of nostalgia, with a somewhat British-style door and a circular sign board. Emblazoned on the signboard in

Chinese characters was the word ‘ancient.’

Maria gestured toward a placard beside the shop’s entrance and said, “Young Master, this store is located in

Queens, New York.”

“Really?” Jagoan responded with curiosity. “I can’t quite make out those details at this resolution. The text is a bit

unclear to me.”

Maria explained, “My family resided in Queens. The size, color and placement of this placard resemble the early

styles in Queens. I’m not certain if they still use this design today.”

She paused for a moment and added, “New York…”

Jagoan’s memory jogged, recalling something his uncle had mentioned a few days prior. His parents had purchased

a set of antique books in a New York antique store. Among them was the ‘Preface to the Apocalyptic Book.’

Piecing together the information, Jagoan excitedly declared to Maria, “This must be the antique shop where my

father acquired the ‘Preface to the Apocalyptic Book’!”

Maria shared his enthusiasm, remarking, ” ‘The Apocalyptic Book’ and ‘Preface to the Apocalyptic Book’ must share

more than just a coincidence. The Young Master stumbled upon the Apocalyptic Book in an Aurous Hill antique

shop, while your father found it in a New York antique store. There’s certainly a deeper connection between the

two!”

Jagoan nodded and mused, “In this vast world, it’s highly improbable for two profoundly mysterious scriptures to

land in the hands of a father and son with only two individuals in between them, spanning ten years and half the

globe…”

Having said that, Jagoan refocused on the album, turning to the lower left corner of the page.

There, a photograph portrayed Bruce alongside a younger man in front of the same antique shop. In the picture,

they stood back-to-back, each offering a thumbs-up to the camera.

Maria pointed to the man beside Jagoan’s father and asked, “Does the Young Master recognize this person?”

Jagoan shook his head and replied, “No.”

Maria then surmised, “He must have had a close relationship with the Young Master’s father. You were quite young

at the time, so maybe you didn’t notice him?”

“No,” Jagoan asserted firmly. “I have no recollection of this person from my childhood. At least not before my

parents and I left Eastcliff. I’d definitely remember someone like him, but… there’s something oddly familiar about

his face. I just can’t put my finger on it.”

Deep in thought, Maria suggested, “Familiarity usually doesn’t stem from nothing. Perhaps you’ve seen his relatives,

which could explain the sense of recognition. Or it’s possible that the person in the photo

has undergone significant changes compared to when you last saw him, such as weight gain, balding, aging, or

maturation.”

Jagoan concurred, “What you say makes sense, but I’m drawing a blank on any concrete clues.”

Pursing her lips, Maria inquired, “Could the Young Master permit me to retrieve the photos? There might be

something written on the back. In the past, people often inscribed notes on the reverse side of photos as

mementos.”

Jagoan nodded and said, “Of course, please go ahead.”

With utmost care, Maria extracted the photo and examined its reverse side. She exclaimed in surprise, “Young

Master, there is indeed writing on the back of this photo paper!”

Jagoan accepted the photograph, his eyes scanning the Kodak-branded white paper bearing a handwritten line, ‘In

Queens with Cole, 12.11.’

Update of The Charismatic Charlie Wade