The Magnificent Son-in-law

After the performance ended, the stout leader took his acrobatic troupe to a roadside barbecue stall as a celebration feast.

"Boss, the income has been tallied. In total, it's 7382. Considering the site fee to the scenic area and the cost for maintaining order, we can probably pocket just over 5000."

A youth with pink-dyed hair sat next to the stout leader, swearing under his breath, "With a crowd of several hundred people, someone actually gave only one yuan. Damn, that's so stingy!"

"Alright, don't be too greedy. It's better than selling traditional remedies in the village," the stout leader said calmly. "In our line of work, you can't just focus on the immediate. Business always has its ups and downs."

The youth bit open a bottle of beer, gulped down half of it, burped, and said, "We should've collected more money. With your skills, boss, this time we should've easily broken ten thousand."

Sitting on the other side of the stout leader, a woman with thick foundation echoed, "That's for sure, but with such a good venue, why didn't you let us perform a bit longer, boss? We reported a two-hour performance to the scenic area, but only played for less than an hour and a half. It seems like a loss no matter how you calculate it."

The stout leader frowned, "Better safe than sorry. Those young people we met today seemed strange to me. I'm worried that one of them might have noticed something."

"Boss, you're just too cautious," the pink-haired youth dismissed. "Aren't they just a bunch of wealthy upstarts? They only want some novelty, spending money for fun.

I think it's a potential lead. We should train a real monkey. Who knows, we might meet folks like them again, and then we could sell it for a tidy sum, which would cover half a month's income for us."

"I've said it countless times, think before you speak, and don't be reckless," the stout leader scolded. "Do you think this is your own house?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The youth quickly apologized, grinning, "But boss, we should consider training a real monkey. Then we could find a buyer for extra income."

The woman on the other side's eyes lit up, agreeing, "I think that's a great idea. Guaranteed profit. How about I pay for the monkey, and when we sell it, just give me a bit more of the profit."

The stout leader frowned, impatient, "Let's talk about this later. Now, someone go check if the cabin door is locked."

For some reason, he always had an inexplicable sense of unease, as if something was about to happen, and the "monkey" on the truck absolutely could not be exposed, or else they'd really enjoy a lifetime of "food and clothing security."

Everyone found the stout leader's words puzzling. The truck was parked not far away, and even if the door was unlocked, anyone approaching could see it, so why be this cautious?

However, everyone present clearly understood the true nature of the "monkey." The stakes involved were no joke, and if mishandled, everyone might face dire consequences.

Not long after, the person sent to check the cabin door returned, saying, "The door's locked. I'm so exhausted today. I need to eat a couple more skewers to replenish."

The pink-haired youth mocked, "Come on, all you did was a few exaggerated expressions. How tired can you be? It's not like the effort I put in running around."

"Nonsense, how about we switch, and you try smashing a rock on your chest? Let me tell you, there's a lot more to it than meets the eye. It may seem simple, but you have to get the timing just right. Don't think the hundreds of eyes in the crowd all miss a thing."

"Switching is fine by me. After all, the little work you do, even a dog could manage with a bun."

Listening to the commotion from his subordinates, the stout leader grew even more annoyed, shouting, "Everyone shut up! If anyone dares to discuss work matters outside again, they'll be kicked out!"

Seeing the boss genuinely angry, everyone clammed up, keeping their mouths shut.

However, at that moment, a petite figure emerged from the corner. The girl's face was cold as she walked straight over.

The moment the stout leader saw the figure, his heart skipped a beat, and his unease grew stronger.

Despite just being a girl who seemed in her early teens, she gave him a sense of dread.

Nevertheless, the stout leader didn't show much alarm. Years of performing told him that the more panicked you are, the more likely things will go badly. Staying calm could avert disaster.

"Hey, young lady, we meet again!"

The stout leader stood to greet, "Here to buy barbecue?"

The girl who appeared was, of course, Lin Jiaxuan.

She approached with steady steps, speaking coldly, "I'm here to see that monkey."

Hearing this, everyone present had varying expressions, secretly exchanging glances, all becoming alert.

After a brief pause, the stout leader put on his signature smile, "Didn't I say before, that's the star of our troupe, so please, young lady, don't make things difficult for us."

Lin Jiaxuan wasn't in the mood for pleasantries, bluntly stating, "If that really is a monkey, then we're both fine, but if it's not a monkey, all of you... will die!"

"Wow, you're young, but your tone isn't small. Do you think we're easy to mess with?" the pink-haired youth sneered, "Get lost, or we'll tie you up and sell you off to be a child bride in the mountains."

Unexpectedly, instead of being intimidated by this threat, the girl across pondered for a moment and asked, "Have you done something like that before?"

This question stunned everyone, making them even more wary.

The stout leader turned his face slightly and signaled to some of his subordinates, prompting two to stand up and leave immediately.

One went in the direction Lin Jiaxuan came from, while the other moved in the opposite direction, glancing into each alley as if looking for something.

Clearly, these actions suggested the stout leader suspected Lin Jiaxuan had brought the police.

Thinking of this, he lowered his voice, adopting a fierce demeanor, and asked, "Tell the truth, who sent you?"

Lin Jiaxuan glanced at him, her expression mostly unchanged, then turned around and headed for the container parked by the roadside.

"Stop her!"

The stout leader ordered decisively. He had already noticed Lin Jiaxuan's abnormality. After all, who would believe a kid barely in their teens has such exceptional composure, unfazed by any intimidation?