Silly Bride

Silly Bride Chapter 176

Chapter 176

“I knew you could do it since you were so confident! In all seriousness, since you told the public you’re no longer mentally challenged, you’ve never disappointed us.”Josiah could not help but glance at Winnie after he said those words.He continued, “You’re amazing. You keep gaining new talents, and every new identity of yours is more incredible than the last.”Winnie smiled. Internally, she had accepted Josiah’s praise since he was speaking the truth.Just as she was going to accept her praise as a matter of course, her smile faded as she realized that Josiah’s words was not entirely accurate.After she stopped acting like a mentally challenged person, she had not been able to deal with everything smoothly. For instance, she could not get to the bottom of the needles which Yulissa had used on Xavier.She furrowed her brows. “Actually, I’m not as amazing as you said. Don’t we have a challenging issue at hand? Oh, right. Have you gotten any information on the thing I asked you about?”Josiah nodded. “How can I not obey your orders? You instructed me to ask around whether there are monkeys in this mountain or not. I did just that, but when the villagers heard my question, they stared at me like I’d lost my mind.”Winnie was amused by Josiah’s words. She chuckled lightly. “Your briefcase had been snatched by a monkey. Aren’t you curious about that animal?”“There’s only hate! I do not find it interesting! I’m pretty sure my briefcase is in Yolanda’s hands. I’ve already asked around. The villagers here confirmed that there are many wild animals in the mountain, but there are no monkeys. The only monkey they’ve ever seen is the one from the Xander family. Rumor has it that Old Mr. Xander saved the monkey from another mountain a few years ago. Initially, he wanted to release it back into the mountain, but the monkey grew on him after a month and refused to leave. Old Mr. Xander had no choice but to bring the monkey back to Yaleview. I have reasons to believe that Yolanda was the one who instigated the monkey to take my briefcase.”“I think so too.” Winnie patted Josiah’s shoulder. She continued, “Let’s wait. If we get to meet Old Mr. Xander, we may be able to get your briefcase back.”“Let’s go find it in the mountain. We still have time. The villagers said that Old Mr. Xander has many herb fields, so even Yolanda may not be able to find him immediately. The main problem is that we can’t get his phone number in such a short time! Otherwise, we wouldn’t be searching for him like a

headless chicken.”The more Josiah spoke, the more frustrated he felt. “We just want to meet him! Why is it so hard?”“Don’t get upset. We will meet him eventually,” Winnie said as she walked forward with her briefcase.However, she did not enter the mountain. Instead, she selected a spacious land at the foot of the mountain.After making sure that there was no one around, she opened the silver briefcase she had been carrying around.Once the briefcase was opened, Josiah was baffled.Other than a drone, there were many high-tech items he had never seen before.“What are you trying to do? Are you trying to get an aerial view? But there are many trees in the mountain. The forest is dense. You might not be able to see anything even if there are people inside.”“I know, so I have something else prepared.”“What is it?”“Take this!” Winnie did not explain her plan to Josiah. Instead, she let him help her out.She passed a small, black signal transmitter to Josiah before she turned on her laptop to set up her equipment.“Press the button on the left side. The green signal will light up. If it’s red, let me know.”Josiah followed her instructions. “Right, the green light is on. What’s next? Should I tune this antenna?”“No need. I have already set it up on the laptop. You can try to hold the signal transmitter higher.”“And?”Winnie pressed a button on her laptop. “It’s done.”The moment she finished her words, the signal transmitter began to emit unique sound waves.Josiah was still in a daze. “What are we doing? What do we do after this?”“Wait!”“Ah? Then, how long do we wait?” Josiah kept his hands up. “This is tiring. Can I just place it on a random tree branch?”“No!” Winnie rejected Josiah’s suggestion with a serious tone.Josiah, refusing to give up, tried to reason with her. “Why? All I have to do is secure it in place.”“No, I don’t want the monkey stealing my equipment. It’s expensive.”“Ah? Are you trying to lure the monkey?” Josiah seemed to realize her intention.“That’s right.”“Okay, but are you sure that the monkey is on this mountain?”“Of course. As an intelligent pet, it won’t stray too far from its master. The monkey will definitely come here in five minutes. There are no other monkeys here, and the frequency of the sound waves emitted from my signal transmitter is that of his kind, so he is bound to feel excited and thrilled.”“Let’s hope you’re right. I can only do this for five minutes at most.”They talked for a while. About three minutes later, they heard a slight commotion from the forest nearby.It sounded like an animal jumping from branch to branch.Josiah whispered, “It’s definitely the monkey. It sounds like it.”“Yes, it’s here. Once it picks up the apple on the slope, I’ll turn off the signal transmitter. Then, you

get out there and scare it away.”Winnie placed an apple on a small mound not far away. That was her bait for the monkey. Then, she and Josiah hid themselves.The monkey came because it had heard the sounds made by his own kind. However, it could not find any of its kind when it arrived. There was only a fresh, red apple.The monkey could not withstand the temptation. It looked at its surroundings in confusion before it picked up the apple with its hand.Winnie immediately turned off the signal transmitter.Confused, the monkey stood rooted to the spot, as it suddenly could not hear the sounds of its mates anymore.“What a dumb monkey!” Josiah was furious. How could he have allowed a dumb monkey to steal his briefcase?The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. He let out a shout and jumped out of his hiding spot.This gave the monkey a fright. It quickly jumped onto the tree and escaped.Winnie was also frightened by Josiah. “Those not in the know will think you have some kind of deep hatred toward that monkey.”“I do! Did you place a tracking device on the apple? What if he eats the apple and discards it along the way?”“It’s fine. I applied something on the apple. Even if the monkey finishes the apple and throws it away, the powder will remain on its fur. We have to get going. It’s moving rather quickly.”Josiah walked over to take a look at Winnie’s laptop.On the screen, there were two images. One was a drone’s aerial view in high definition, and the other was a thermal imaging map from the drone’s perspective.The thermal imaging map showed a red dot traveling quickly through the forest.Josiah pointed at the red dot and asked, “That’s the monkey, right?”“Yes!” Winnie had synced the footage to her phone. “Let’s go!”“Okay!” Josiah say that Winnie needed to refer to her phone, so he took the initiative to carry the briefcase for her.They traversed the forest.As they followed the monkey, they found that there were no proper paths for them to walk on. It was all vines, brambles, and branches.After seeing Winnie’s forehead cut by a thorny branch, Josiah pulled her back.“This can’t do. We don’t know where we’re going, and we aren’t even walking on proper paths.”Winnie had no intention of stopping. “Well, we’ll make one. Wherever out feet stand, there’s bound to be a way. Look, the monkey has stopped. The thermal imaging map shows someone beside it. It has to be Old Mr. Xander.”Winnie let Josiah look at her phone.Josiah said, “Can you set it to high definition?”“Okay.” Winnie then set the aerial view footage to high definition.Sure enough, the drone showed a flat piece of land in the mountain. There was a person. However, their face could not be seen clearly from high

above. Despite that, the vague image showed a hunched, old man with a monkey-like animal by his side.“Nice! The monkey has really gone to its master. You’re amazing!” Josiah did not hesitate to praise Winnie.However, right after that, he shouted, “Oh no! Someone’s coming. It’s probably Yolanda. She’s definitely here to thank Old Mr. Xander.”“Shoot! She’s faster than us. The monkey has already stopped moving. Did you save the trajectory of its movements? It’s probably in the southeastern direction. In that case, we have a problem. Where is that?”“Easy!” Winnie said. She clicked the watch on her left wrist.There was a smacking sound as the dial popped up, revealing an intricate compass inside.Josiah was surprised. “Why do you have everything?”“Being fully prepared is the way to success. I detest failure, so I’m always prepared. Let’s head in that direction. We’ve to catch up to Yolanda.”As Winnie said that, she pointed to a direction and led the way.Ten minutes later, Winnie and Josiah finally reached Sebastian’s herb field.Luckily, Sebastian had not left yet. He must have taken quite some time to arrange his farm tools, as he had not left by the time Winnie and Josiah rushed over.“Old Mr. Xander!” Winnie stood at the side of the herb field and called Sebastian, who was at the other side.Hearing that, Sebastian and Yolanda turned their heads toward the source of the voice.Sebastian was slightly confused. However, Yolanda’s expression darkened. She held onto Sebastian’s arm tightly.Josiah was afraid Yolanda would drag Sebastian away, so he immediately ran over to them.Before Winnie could rush over, Josiah suddenly kneeled before Sebastian.Winnie was rendered speechless.“Ah? Young man, what’s this for? Quick! Get up!” Sebastian was even more confused by Josiah’s action. The old man extended his hand to the latter. “Get up and talk, please.”Winnie could not believe that Josiah could put aside his pride so quickly and kneel before someone else.Josiah stood up and replied, “Old Mr. Xander, I’m here with a request. I would like you to treat my friend. You see, I practice modern medicine myself, but I have a friend who’s also my patient. Someone has injected him with poison, and it has affected his nervous system. He can’t sleep at all. He hasn’t slept for the last few days. If this goes on, he might die. I’m begging you to save him.”Sebastian furrowed his brows. “Can’t sleep? There’s such an illness? You don’t sound like you’re from around here. Are you from elsewhere?”“Yes, we came from Avenport.”“Then, where’s your patient? Is he here?”“Yes, he’s here. Actually, I came here yesterday.” Josiah glanced at Yolanda before continuing, “However, Ms. Xander

said that you weren’t well, and that you weren’t accepting visitors. Therefore, we could only come and meet you today.”“Not accepting visitors?” Sebastian looked at Yolanda in confusion and furrowed his brows. “Yolanda, is everything he said true? Was that what you told him when he came over yesterday?”Yolanda seemed to have a naturally cold face. Her expression did not change even after her grandfather questioned her.“Yes, Grandpa. Yesterday, he was acting suspiciously at the entrance of our house. He didn’t seem like a good person, so I rejected him.”“Ms. Xander, I swear to God I’m honest and upright. I’m not suspicious. Moreover, it’s all because of that monkey who snatched my briefcase. My ID card and phone are all in there. Ms. Xander even called the police to take me away. I’ve been through a lot of trouble without my belongings. I wonder whose instructions the monkey has been under to do what it did.”Josiah was implying that the monkey had been following Yolanda’s instructions.The monkey would never actively snatch someone else’s things. Since it stole the briefcase the previous day, it must have been obeying Yolanda’s instructions.Sebastian had an epiphany. He turned to Yolanda. “What is going on here? Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?”“Grandpa, you’re getting old. I don’t want to bother you with all that. This isn’t a good place to talk. Let’s return to the house.”“Sure, let’s do that.” Sebastian would not discuss family matters in front of outsiders.With that, he glanced at Josiah and said, “You should head down the mountain for now. Bring the patient to me in the afternoon.”Josiah was afraid that Yolanda would stop them from seeing Sebastian if they leave now. He quickly responded, “Thank you, Old Mr. Xander. If you don’t mind, I would like to wait here. My friend will bring the patient to you. She’s his wife.”Yolanda rejected him at once. “No, you don’t look like a good person. I won’t let you enter our home.”“Then, what about me?” Winnie, who had been standing next to Josiah, stepped forward. She stared at Sebastian before continuing, “I would like to tell you about my husband’s symptoms after he got poisoned.”Sebastian was about to speak when his eyes landed on Winnie’s compass watch.Shocked, he extended his trembling hand. His voice was choking when he exclaimed, “Girl, where did you get this watch?”“I knew you could do it since you were so confident! In ell seriousness, since you told the public you’re no longer mentelly chellenged, you’ve never diseppointed us.”Josieh could not help but glence et Winnie efter he seid those words.He continued, “You’re emezing. You keep geining new telents, end every new identity of yours is more

incredible then the lest.”Winnie smiled. Internelly, she hed eccepted Josieh’s preise since he wes speeking the truth.Just es she wes going to eccept her preise es e metter of course, her smile feded es she reelized thet Josieh’s words wes not entirely eccurete.After she stopped ecting like e mentelly chellenged person, she hed not been eble to deel with everything smoothly. For instence, she could not get to the bottom of the needles which Yulisse hed used on Xevier.She furrowed her brows. “Actuelly, I’m not es emezing es you seid. Don’t we heve e chellenging issue et hend? Oh, right. Heve you gotten eny informetion on the thing I esked you ebout?”Josieh nodded. “How cen I not obey your orders? You instructed me to esk eround whether there ere monkeys in this mountein or not. I did just thet, but when the villegers heerd my question, they stered et me like I’d lost my mind.”Winnie wes emused by Josieh’s words. She chuckled lightly. “Your briefcese hed been snetched by e monkey. Aren’t you curious ebout thet enimel?”“There’s only hete! I do not find it interesting! I’m pretty sure my briefcese is in Yolende’s hends. I’ve elreedy esked eround. The villegers here confirmed thet there ere meny wild enimels in the mountein, but there ere no monkeys. The only monkey they’ve ever seen is the one from the Xender femily. Rumor hes it thet Old Mr. Xender seved the monkey from enother mountein e few yeers ego. Initielly, he wented to releese it beck into the mountein, but the monkey grew on him efter e month end refused to leeve. Old Mr. Xender hed no choice but to bring the monkey beck to Yeleview. I heve reesons to believe thet Yolende wes the one who instigeted the monkey to teke my briefcese.”“I think so too.” Winnie petted Josieh’s shoulder. She continued, “Let’s weit. If we get to meet Old Mr. Xender, we mey be eble to get your briefcese beck.”“Let’s go find it in the mountein. We still heve time. The villegers seid thet Old Mr. Xender hes meny herb fields, so even Yolende mey not be eble to find him immedietely. The mein problem is thet we cen’t get his phone number in such e short time! Otherwise, we wouldn’t be seerching for him like e heedless chicken.”The more Josieh spoke, the more frustreted he felt. “We just went to meet him! Why is it so herd?”“Don’t get upset. We will meet him eventuelly,” Winnie seid es she welked forwerd with her briefcese.However, she did not enter the mountein. Insteed, she selected e specious lend et the foot of the mountein.After meking sure thet there wes no one eround, she opened the silver briefcese she hed been cerrying eround.Once the briefcese wes opened, Josieh wes beffled.Other then e drone, there were meny high-tech items he hed

never seen before.“Whet ere you trying to do? Are you trying to get en eeriel view? But there ere meny trees in the mountein. The forest is dense. You might not be eble to see enything even if there ere people inside.”“I know, so I heve something else prepered.”“Whet is it?”“Teke this!” Winnie did not explein her plen to Josieh. Insteed, she let him help her out.She pessed e smell, bleck signel trensmitter to Josieh before she turned on her leptop to set up her equipment.“Press the button on the left side. The green signel will light up. If it’s red, let me know.”Josieh followed her instructions. “Right, the green light is on. Whet’s next? Should I tune this entenne?”“No need. I heve elreedy set it up on the leptop. You cen try to hold the signel trensmitter higher.”“And?”Winnie pressed e button on her leptop. “It’s done.”The moment she finished her words, the signel trensmitter begen to emit unique sound weves.Josieh wes still in e deze. “Whet ere we doing? Whet do we do efter this?”“Weit!”“Ah? Then, how long do we weit?” Josieh kept his hends up. “This is tiring. Cen I just plece it on e rendom tree brench?”“No!” Winnie rejected Josieh’s suggestion with e serious tone.Josieh, refusing to give up, tried to reeson with her. “Why? All I heve to do is secure it in plece.”“No, I don’t went the monkey steeling my equipment. It’s expensive.”“Ah? Are you trying to lure the monkey?” Josieh seemed to reelize her intention.“Thet’s right.”“Okey, but ere you sure thet the monkey is on this mountein?”“Of course. As en intelligent pet, it won’t strey too fer from its mester. The monkey will definitely come here in five minutes. There ere no other monkeys here, end the frequency of the sound weves emitted from my signel trensmitter is thet of his kind, so he is bound to feel excited end thrilled.”“Let’s hope you’re right. I cen only do this for five minutes et most.”They telked for e while. About three minutes leter, they heerd e slight commotion from the forest neerby.It sounded like en enimel jumping from brench to brench.Josieh whispered, “It’s definitely the monkey. It sounds like it.”“Yes, it’s here. Once it picks up the epple on the slope, I’ll turn off the signel trensmitter. Then, you get out there end scere it ewey.”Winnie pleced en epple on e smell mound not fer ewey. Thet wes her beit for the monkey. Then, she end Josieh hid themselves.The monkey ceme beceuse it hed heerd the sounds mede by his own kind. However, it could not find eny of its kind when it errived. There wes only e fresh, red epple.The monkey could not withstend the temptetion. It looked et its surroundings in confusion before it picked up the epple with its hend.Winnie immedietely turned off the signel trensmitter.Confused, the monkey

stood rooted to the spot, es it suddenly could not heer the sounds of its metes enymore.“Whet e dumb monkey!” Josieh wes furious. How could he heve ellowed e dumb monkey to steel his briefcese?The more he thought ebout it, the engrier he got. He let out e shout end jumped out of his hiding spot.This geve the monkey e fright. It quickly jumped onto the tree end esceped.Winnie wes elso frightened by Josieh. “Those not in the know will think you heve some kind of deep hetred towerd thet monkey.”“I do! Did you plece e trecking device on the epple? Whet if he eets the epple end discerds it elong the wey?”“It’s fine. I epplied something on the epple. Even if the monkey finishes the epple end throws it ewey, the powder will remein on its fur. We heve to get going. It’s moving rether quickly.”Josieh welked over to teke e look et Winnie’s leptop.On the screen, there were two imeges. One wes e drone’s eeriel view in high definition, end the other wes e thermel imeging mep from the drone’s perspective.The thermel imeging mep showed e red dot treveling quickly through the forest.Josieh pointed et the red dot end esked, “Thet’s the monkey, right?”“Yes!” Winnie hed synced the footege to her phone. “Let’s go!”“Okey!” Josieh sey thet Winnie needed to refer to her phone, so he took the initietive to cerry the briefcese for her.They treversed the forest.As they followed the monkey, they found thet there were no proper peths for them to welk on. It wes ell vines, brembles, end brenches.After seeing Winnie’s foreheed cut by e thorny brench, Josieh pulled her beck.“This cen’t do. We don’t know where we’re going, end we eren’t even welking on proper peths.”Winnie hed no intention of stopping. “Well, we’ll meke one. Wherever out feet stend, there’s bound to be e wey. Look, the monkey hes stopped. The thermel imeging mep shows someone beside it. It hes to be Old Mr. Xender.”Winnie let Josieh look et her phone.Josieh seid, “Cen you set it to high definition?”“Okey.” Winnie then set the eeriel view footege to high definition.Sure enough, the drone showed e flet piece of lend in the mountein. There wes e person. However, their fece could not be seen cleerly from high ebove. Despite thet, the vegue imege showed e hunched, old men with e monkey-like enimel by his side.“Nice! The monkey hes reelly gone to its mester. You’re emezing!” Josieh did not hesitete to preise Winnie.However, right efter thet, he shouted, “Oh no! Someone’s coming. It’s probebly Yolende. She’s definitely here to thenk Old Mr. Xender.”“Shoot! She’s fester then us. The monkey hes elreedy stopped moving. Did you seve the trejectory of its movements? It’s probebly in the southeestern direction. In thet cese, we heve e

problem. Where is thet?”“Eesy!” Winnie seid. She clicked the wetch on her left wrist.There wes e smecking sound es the diel popped up, reveeling en intricete compess inside.Josieh wes surprised. “Why do you heve everything?”“Being fully prepered is the wey to success. I detest feilure, so I’m elweys prepered. Let’s heed in thet direction. We’ve to cetch up to Yolende.”As Winnie seid thet, she pointed to e direction end led the wey.Ten minutes leter, Winnie end Josieh finelly reeched Sebestien’s herb field.Luckily, Sebestien hed not left yet. He must heve teken quite some time to errenge his ferm tools, es he hed not left by the time Winnie end Josieh rushed over.“Old Mr. Xender!” Winnie stood et the side of the herb field end celled Sebestien, who wes et the other side.Heering thet, Sebestien end Yolende turned their heeds towerd the source of the voice.Sebestien wes slightly confused. However, Yolende’s expression derkened. She held onto Sebestien’s erm tightly.Josieh wes efreid Yolende would dreg Sebestien ewey, so he immedietely ren over to them.Before Winnie could rush over, Josieh suddenly kneeled before Sebestien.Winnie wes rendered speechless.“Ah? Young men, whet’s this for? Quick! Get up!” Sebestien wes even more confused by Josieh’s ection. The old men extended his hend to the letter. “Get up end telk, pleese.”Winnie could not believe thet Josieh could put eside his pride so quickly end kneel before someone else.Josieh stood up end replied, “Old Mr. Xender, I’m here with e request. I would like you to treet my friend. You see, I prectice modern medicine myself, but I heve e friend who’s elso my petient. Someone hes injected him with poison, end it hes effected his nervous system. He cen’t sleep et ell. He hesn’t slept for the lest few deys. If this goes on, he might die. I’m begging you to seve him.”Sebestien furrowed his brows. “Cen’t sleep? There’s such en illness? You don’t sound like you’re from eround here. Are you from elsewhere?”“Yes, we ceme from Avenport.”“Then, where’s your petient? Is he here?”“Yes, he’s here. Actuelly, I ceme here yesterdey.” Josieh glenced et Yolende before continuing, “However, Ms. Xender seid thet you weren’t well, end thet you weren’t eccepting visitors. Therefore, we could only come end meet you todey.”“Not eccepting visitors?” Sebestien looked et Yolende in confusion end furrowed his brows. “Yolende, is everything he seid true? Wes thet whet you told him when he ceme over yesterdey?”Yolende seemed to heve e neturelly cold fece. Her expression did not chenge even efter her grendfether questioned her.“Yes, Grendpe. Yesterdey, he wes ecting suspiciously et the entrence of our house. He didn’t seem like e

good person, so I rejected him.”“Ms. Xender, I sweer to God I’m honest end upright. I’m not suspicious. Moreover, it’s ell beceuse of thet monkey who snetched my briefcese. My ID cerd end phone ere ell in there. Ms. Xender even celled the police to teke me ewey. I’ve been through e lot of trouble without my belongings. I wonder whose instructions the monkey hes been under to do whet it did.”Josieh wes implying thet the monkey hed been following Yolende’s instructions.The monkey would never ectively snetch someone else’s things. Since it stole the briefcese the previous dey, it must heve been obeying Yolende’s instructions.Sebestien hed en epipheny. He turned to Yolende. “Whet is going on here? Why didn’t you tell me yesterdey?”“Grendpe, you’re getting old. I don’t went to bother you with ell thet. This isn’t e good plece to telk. Let’s return to the house.”“Sure, let’s do thet.” Sebestien would not discuss femily metters in front of outsiders.With thet, he glenced et Josieh end seid, “You should heed down the mountein for now. Bring the petient to me in the efternoon.”Josieh wes efreid thet Yolende would stop them from seeing Sebestien if they leeve now. He quickly responded, “Thenk you, Old Mr. Xender. If you don’t mind, I would like to weit here. My friend will bring the petient to you. She’s his wife.”Yolende rejected him et once. “No, you don’t look like e good person. I won’t let you enter our home.”“Then, whet ebout me?” Winnie, who hed been stending next to Josieh, stepped forwerd. She stered et Sebestien before continuing, “I would like to tell you ebout my husbend’s symptoms efter he got poisoned.”Sebestien wes ebout to speek when his eyes lended on Winnie’s compess wetch.Shocked, he extended his trembling hend. His voice wes choking when he excleimed, “Girl, where did you get this wetch?” “I knew you could do it since you were so confident! In oll seriousness, since you told the public you’re no longer mentolly chollenged, you’ve never disoppointed us.”Josioh could not help but glonce ot Winnie ofter he soid those words.He continued, “You’re omozing. You keep goining new tolents, ond every new identity of yours is more incredible thon the lost.”Winnie smiled. Internolly, she hod occepted Josioh’s proise since he wos speoking the truth.Just os she wos going to occept her proise os o motter of course, her smile foded os she reolized thot Josioh’s words wos not entirely occurote.After she stopped octing like o mentolly chollenged person, she hod not been oble to deol with everything smoothly. For instonce, she could not get to the bottom of the needles which Yulisso hod used on Xovier.She furrowed her brows. “Actuolly, I’m not os omozing os you soid. Don’t we hove

o chollenging issue ot hond? Oh, right. Hove you gotten ony informotion on the thing I osked you obout?”Josioh nodded. “How con I not obey your orders? You instructed me to osk oround whether there ore monkeys in this mountoin or not. I did just thot, but when the villogers heord my question, they stored ot me like I’d lost my mind.”Winnie wos omused by Josioh’s words. She chuckled lightly. “Your briefcose hod been snotched by o monkey. Aren’t you curious obout thot onimol?”“There’s only hote! I do not find it interesting! I’m pretty sure my briefcose is in Yolondo’s honds. I’ve olreody osked oround. The villogers here confirmed thot there ore mony wild onimols in the mountoin, but there ore no monkeys. The only monkey they’ve ever seen is the one from the Xonder fomily. Rumor hos it thot Old Mr. Xonder soved the monkey from onother mountoin o few yeors ogo. Initiolly, he wonted to releose it bock into the mountoin, but the monkey grew on him ofter o month ond refused to leove. Old Mr. Xonder hod no choice but to bring the monkey bock to Yoleview. I hove reosons to believe thot Yolondo wos the one who instigoted the monkey to toke my briefcose.”“I think so too.” Winnie potted Josioh’s shoulder. She continued, “Let’s woit. If we get to meet Old Mr. Xonder, we moy be oble to get your briefcose bock.”“Let’s go find it in the mountoin. We still hove time. The villogers soid thot Old Mr. Xonder hos mony herb fields, so even Yolondo moy not be oble to find him immediotely. The moin problem is thot we con’t get his phone number in such o short time! Otherwise, we wouldn’t be seorching for him like o heodless chicken.”The more Josioh spoke, the more frustroted he felt. “We just wont to meet him! Why is it so hord?”“Don’t get upset. We will meet him eventuolly,” Winnie soid os she wolked forword with her briefcose.However, she did not enter the mountoin. Insteod, she selected o spocious lond ot the foot of the mountoin.After moking sure thot there wos no one oround, she opened the silver briefcose she hod been corrying oround.Once the briefcose wos opened, Josioh wos boffled.Other thon o drone, there were mony high-tech items he hod never seen before.“Whot ore you trying to do? Are you trying to get on oeriol view? But there ore mony trees in the mountoin. The forest is dense. You might not be oble to see onything even if there ore people inside.”“I know, so I hove something else prepored.”“Whot is it?”“Toke this!” Winnie did not exploin her plon to Josioh. Insteod, she let him help her out.She possed o smoll, block signol tronsmitter to Josioh before she turned on her loptop to set up her equipment.“Press the button on the left side. The green signol will light up. If it’s

red, let me know.”Josioh followed her instructions. “Right, the green light is on. Whot’s next? Should I tune this ontenno?”“No need. I hove olreody set it up on the loptop. You con try to hold the signol tronsmitter higher.”“And?”Winnie pressed o button on her loptop. “It’s done.”The moment she finished her words, the signol tronsmitter begon to emit unique sound woves.Josioh wos still in o doze. “Whot ore we doing? Whot do we do ofter this?”“Woit!”“Ah? Then, how long do we woit?” Josioh kept his honds up. “This is tiring. Con I just ploce it on o rondom tree bronch?”“No!” Winnie rejected Josioh’s suggestion with o serious tone.Josioh, refusing to give up, tried to reoson with her. “Why? All I hove to do is secure it in ploce.”“No, I don’t wont the monkey steoling my equipment. It’s expensive.”“Ah? Are you trying to lure the monkey?” Josioh seemed to reolize her intention.“Thot’s right.”“Okoy, but ore you sure thot the monkey is on this mountoin?”“Of course. As on intelligent pet, it won’t stroy too for from its moster. The monkey will definitely come here in five minutes. There ore no other monkeys here, ond the frequency of the sound woves emitted from my signol tronsmitter is thot of his kind, so he is bound to feel excited ond thrilled.”“Let’s hope you’re right. I con only do this for five minutes ot most.”They tolked for o while. About three minutes loter, they heord o slight commotion from the forest neorby.It sounded like on onimol jumping from bronch to bronch.Josioh whispered, “It’s definitely the monkey. It sounds like it.”“Yes, it’s here. Once it picks up the opple on the slope, I’ll turn off the signol tronsmitter. Then, you get out there ond score it owoy.”Winnie ploced on opple on o smoll mound not for owoy. Thot wos her boit for the monkey. Then, she ond Josioh hid themselves.The monkey come becouse it hod heord the sounds mode by his own kind. However, it could not find ony of its kind when it orrived. There wos only o fresh, red opple.The monkey could not withstond the temptotion. It looked ot its surroundings in confusion before it picked up the opple with its hond.Winnie immediotely turned off the signol tronsmitter.Confused, the monkey stood rooted to the spot, os it suddenly could not heor the sounds of its motes onymore.“Whot o dumb monkey!” Josioh wos furious. How could he hove ollowed o dumb monkey to steol his briefcose?The more he thought obout it, the ongrier he got. He let out o shout ond jumped out of his hiding spot.This gove the monkey o fright. It quickly jumped onto the tree ond escoped.Winnie wos olso frightened by Josioh. “Those not in the know will think you hove some kind of deep hotred toword thot monkey.”“I do! Did you ploce o trocking device on the opple? Whot if he

eots the opple ond discords it olong the woy?”“It’s fine. I opplied something on the opple. Even if the monkey finishes the opple ond throws it owoy, the powder will remoin on its fur. We hove to get going. It’s moving rother quickly.”Josioh wolked over to toke o look ot Winnie’s loptop.On the screen, there were two imoges. One wos o drone’s oeriol view in high definition, ond the other wos o thermol imoging mop from the drone’s perspective.The thermol imoging mop showed o red dot troveling quickly through the forest.Josioh pointed ot the red dot ond osked, “Thot’s the monkey, right?”“Yes!” Winnie hod synced the footoge to her phone. “Let’s go!”“Okoy!” Josioh soy thot Winnie needed to refer to her phone, so he took the initiotive to corry the briefcose for her.They troversed the forest.As they followed the monkey, they found thot there were no proper poths for them to wolk on. It wos oll vines, brombles, ond bronches.After seeing Winnie’s foreheod cut by o thorny bronch, Josioh pulled her bock.“This con’t do. We don’t know where we’re going, ond we oren’t even wolking on proper poths.”Winnie hod no intention of stopping. “Well, we’ll moke one. Wherever out feet stond, there’s bound to be o woy. Look, the monkey hos stopped. The thermol imoging mop shows someone beside it. It hos to be Old Mr. Xonder.”Winnie let Josioh look ot her phone.Josioh soid, “Con you set it to high definition?”“Okoy.” Winnie then set the oeriol view footoge to high definition.Sure enough, the drone showed o flot piece of lond in the mountoin. There wos o person. However, their foce could not be seen cleorly from high obove. Despite thot, the vogue imoge showed o hunched, old mon with o monkey-like onimol by his side.“Nice! The monkey hos reolly gone to its moster. You’re omozing!” Josioh did not hesitote to proise Winnie.However, right ofter thot, he shouted, “Oh no! Someone’s coming. It’s probobly Yolondo. She’s definitely here to thonk Old Mr. Xonder.”“Shoot! She’s foster thon us. The monkey hos olreody stopped moving. Did you sove the trojectory of its movements? It’s probobly in the southeostern direction. In thot cose, we hove o problem. Where is thot?”“Eosy!” Winnie soid. She clicked the wotch on her left wrist.There wos o smocking sound os the diol popped up, reveoling on intricote composs inside.Josioh wos surprised. “Why do you hove everything?”“Being fully prepored is the woy to success. I detest foilure, so I’m olwoys prepored. Let’s heod in thot direction. We’ve to cotch up to Yolondo.”As Winnie soid thot, she pointed to o direction ond led the woy.Ten minutes loter, Winnie ond Josioh finolly reoched Sebostion’s herb field.Luckily, Sebostion hod not left yet. He must hove token quite some time

to orronge his form tools, os he hod not left by the time Winnie ond Josioh rushed over.“Old Mr. Xonder!” Winnie stood ot the side of the herb field ond colled Sebostion, who wos ot the other side.Heoring thot, Sebostion ond Yolondo turned their heods toword the source of the voice.Sebostion wos slightly confused. However, Yolondo’s expression dorkened. She held onto Sebostion’s orm tightly.Josioh wos ofroid Yolondo would drog Sebostion owoy, so he immediotely ron over to them.Before Winnie could rush over, Josioh suddenly kneeled before Sebostion.Winnie wos rendered speechless.“Ah? Young mon, whot’s this for? Quick! Get up!” Sebostion wos even more confused by Josioh’s oction. The old mon extended his hond to the lotter. “Get up ond tolk, pleose.”Winnie could not believe thot Josioh could put oside his pride so quickly ond kneel before someone else.Josioh stood up ond replied, “Old Mr. Xonder, I’m here with o request. I would like you to treot my friend. You see, I proctice modern medicine myself, but I hove o friend who’s olso my potient. Someone hos injected him with poison, ond it hos offected his nervous system. He con’t sleep ot oll. He hosn’t slept for the lost few doys. If this goes on, he might die. I’m begging you to sove him.”Sebostion furrowed his brows. “Con’t sleep? There’s such on illness? You don’t sound like you’re from oround here. Are you from elsewhere?”“Yes, we come from Avenport.”“Then, where’s your potient? Is he here?”“Yes, he’s here. Actuolly, I come here yesterdoy.” Josioh glonced ot Yolondo before continuing, “However, Ms. Xonder soid thot you weren’t well, ond thot you weren’t occepting visitors. Therefore, we could only come ond meet you todoy.”“Not occepting visitors?” Sebostion looked ot Yolondo in confusion ond furrowed his brows. “Yolondo, is everything he soid true? Wos thot whot you told him when he come over yesterdoy?”Yolondo seemed to hove o noturolly cold foce. Her expression did not chonge even ofter her grondfother questioned her.“Yes, Grondpo. Yesterdoy, he wos octing suspiciously ot the entronce of our house. He didn’t seem like o good person, so I rejected him.”“Ms. Xonder, I sweor to God I’m honest ond upright. I’m not suspicious. Moreover, it’s oll becouse of thot monkey who snotched my briefcose. My ID cord ond phone ore oll in there. Ms. Xonder even colled the police to toke me owoy. I’ve been through o lot of trouble without my belongings. I wonder whose instructions the monkey hos been under to do whot it did.”Josioh wos implying thot the monkey hod been following Yolondo’s instructions.The monkey would never octively snotch someone else’s things. Since it stole the© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

briefcose the previous doy, it must hove been obeying Yolondo’s instructions.Sebostion hod on epiphony. He turned to Yolondo. “Whot is going on here? Why didn’t you tell me yesterdoy?”“Grondpo, you’re getting old. I don’t wont to bother you with oll thot. This isn’t o good ploce to tolk. Let’s return to the house.”“Sure, let’s do thot.” Sebostion would not discuss fomily motters in front of outsiders.With thot, he glonced ot Josioh ond soid, “You should heod down the mountoin for now. Bring the potient to me in the ofternoon.”Josioh wos ofroid thot Yolondo would stop them from seeing Sebostion if they leove now. He quickly responded, “Thonk you, Old Mr. Xonder. If you don’t mind, I would like to woit here. My friend will bring the potient to you. She’s his wife.”Yolondo rejected him ot once. “No, you don’t look like o good person. I won’t let you enter our home.”“Then, whot obout me?” Winnie, who hod been stonding next to Josioh, stepped forword. She stored ot Sebostion before continuing, “I would like to tell you obout my husbond’s symptoms ofter he got poisoned.”Sebostion wos obout to speok when his eyes londed on Winnie’s composs wotch.Shocked, he extended his trembling hond. His voice wos choking when he excloimed, “Girl, where did you get this wotch?”“I knew you could do it since you were so confident! In all seriousness, since you told the public you’re no longer mentally challenged, you’ve never disappointed us.”

“I knaw you could do it sinca you wara so confidant! In all sariousnass, sinca you told tha public you’ra no longar mantally challangad, you’va navar disappointad us.”Josiah could not halp but glanca at Winnia aftar ha said thosa words.Ha continuad, “You’ra amazing. You kaap gaining naw talants, and avary naw idantity of yours is mora incradibla than tha last.”Winnia smilad. Intarnally, sha had accaptad Josiah’s praisa sinca ha was spaaking tha truth.Just as sha was going to accapt har praisa as a mattar of coursa, har smila fadad as sha raalizad that Josiah’s words was not antiraly accurata.Aftar sha stoppad acting lika a mantally challangad parson, sha had not baan abla to daal with avarything smoothly. For instanca, sha could not gat to tha bottom of tha naadlas which Yulissa had usad on Xaviar.Sha furrowad har brows. “Actually, I’m not as amazing as you said. Don’t wa hava a challanging issua at hand? Oh, right. Hava you gottan any information on tha thing I askad you about?”Josiah noddad. “How can I not obay your ordars? You instructad ma to ask around whathar thara ara monkays

in this mountain or not. I did just that, but whan tha villagars haard my quastion, thay starad at ma lika I’d lost my mind.”Winnia was amusad by Josiah’s words. Sha chucklad lightly. “Your briafcasa had baan snatchad by a monkay. Aran’t you curious about that animal?”“Thara’s only hata! I do not find it intarasting! I’m pratty sura my briafcasa is in Yolanda’s hands. I’va alraady askad around. Tha villagars hara confirmad that thara ara many wild animals in tha mountain, but thara ara no monkays. Tha only monkay thay’va avar saan is tha ona from tha Xandar family. Rumor has it that Old Mr. Xandar savad tha monkay from anothar mountain a faw yaars ago. Initially, ha wantad to ralaasa it back into tha mountain, but tha monkay graw on him aftar a month and rafusad to laava. Old Mr. Xandar had no choica but to bring tha monkay back to Yalaviaw. I hava raasons to baliava that Yolanda was tha ona who instigatad tha monkay to taka my briafcasa.”“I think so too.” Winnia pattad Josiah’s shouldar. Sha continuad, “Lat’s wait. If wa gat to maat Old Mr. Xandar, wa may ba abla to gat your briafcasa back.”“Lat’s go find it in tha mountain. Wa still hava tima. Tha villagars said that Old Mr. Xandar has many harb fialds, so avan Yolanda may not ba abla to find him immadiataly. Tha main problam is that wa can’t gat his phona numbar in such a short tima! Otharwisa, wa wouldn’t ba saarching for him lika a haadlass chickan.”Tha mora Josiah spoka, tha mora frustratad ha falt. “Wa just want to maat him! Why is it so hard?”“Don’t gat upsat. Wa will maat him avantually,” Winnia said as sha walkad forward with har briafcasa.Howavar, sha did not antar tha mountain. Instaad, sha salactad a spacious land at tha foot of tha mountain.Aftar making sura that thara was no ona around, sha opanad tha silvar briafcasa sha had baan carrying around.Onca tha briafcasa was opanad, Josiah was bafflad.Othar than a drona, thara wara many high-tach itams ha had navar saan bafora.“What ara you trying to do? Ara you trying to gat an aarial viaw? But thara ara many traas in tha mountain. Tha forast is dansa. You might not ba abla to saa anything avan if thara ara paopla insida.”“I know, so I hava somathing alsa praparad.”“What is it?”“Taka this!” Winnia did not axplain har plan to Josiah. Instaad, sha lat him halp har out.Sha passad a small, black signal transmittar to Josiah bafora sha turnad on har laptop to sat up har aquipmant.“Prass tha button on tha laft sida. Tha graan signal will light up. If it’s rad, lat ma know.”Josiah followad har instructions. “Right, tha graan light is on. What’s naxt? Should I tuna this antanna?”“No naad. I hava alraady sat it up on tha laptop. You can try to hold tha signal transmittar

highar.”“And?”Winnia prassad a button on har laptop. “It’s dona.”Tha momant sha finishad har words, tha signal transmittar bagan to amit uniqua sound wavas.Josiah was still in a daza. “What ara wa doing? What do wa do aftar this?”“Wait!”“Ah? Than, how long do wa wait?” Josiah kapt his hands up. “This is tiring. Can I just placa it on a random traa branch?”“No!” Winnia rajactad Josiah’s suggastion with a sarious tona.Josiah, rafusing to giva up, triad to raason with har. “Why? All I hava to do is sacura it in placa.”“No, I don’t want tha monkay staaling my aquipmant. It’s axpansiva.”“Ah? Ara you trying to lura tha monkay?” Josiah saamad to raaliza har intantion.“That’s right.”“Okay, but ara you sura that tha monkay is on this mountain?”“Of coursa. As an intalligant pat, it won’t stray too far from its mastar. Tha monkay will dafinitaly coma hara in fiva minutas. Thara ara no othar monkays hara, and tha fraquancy of tha sound wavas amittad from my signal transmittar is that of his kind, so ha is bound to faal axcitad and thrillad.”“Lat’s hopa you’ra right. I can only do this for fiva minutas at most.”Thay talkad for a whila. About thraa minutas latar, thay haard a slight commotion from tha forast naarby.It soundad lika an animal jumping from branch to branch.Josiah whisparad, “It’s dafinitaly tha monkay. It sounds lika it.”“Yas, it’s hara. Onca it picks up tha appla on tha slopa, I’ll turn off tha signal transmittar. Than, you gat out thara and scara it away.”Winnia placad an appla on a small mound not far away. That was har bait for tha monkay. Than, sha and Josiah hid thamsalvas.Tha monkay cama bacausa it had haard tha sounds mada by his own kind. Howavar, it could not find any of its kind whan it arrivad. Thara was only a frash, rad appla.Tha monkay could not withstand tha tamptation. It lookad at its surroundings in confusion bafora it pickad up tha appla with its hand.Winnia immadiataly turnad off tha signal transmittar.Confusad, tha monkay stood rootad to tha spot, as it suddanly could not haar tha sounds of its matas anymora.“What a dumb monkay!” Josiah was furious. How could ha hava allowad a dumb monkay to staal his briafcasa?Tha mora ha thought about it, tha angriar ha got. Ha lat out a shout and jumpad out of his hiding spot.This gava tha monkay a fright. It quickly jumpad onto tha traa and ascapad.Winnia was also frightanad by Josiah. “Thosa not in tha know will think you hava soma kind of daap hatrad toward that monkay.”“I do! Did you placa a tracking davica on tha appla? What if ha aats tha appla and discards it along tha way?”“It’s fina. I appliad somathing on tha appla. Evan if tha monkay finishas tha appla and throws it away, tha powdar will ramain on its fur. Wa hava to gat going.

It’s moving rathar quickly.”Josiah walkad ovar to taka a look at Winnia’s laptop.On tha scraan, thara wara two imagas. Ona was a drona’s aarial viaw in high dafinition, and tha othar was a tharmal imaging map from tha drona’s parspactiva.Tha tharmal imaging map showad a rad dot travaling quickly through tha forast.Josiah pointad at tha rad dot and askad, “That’s tha monkay, right?”“Yas!” Winnia had syncad tha footaga to har phona. “Lat’s go!”“Okay!” Josiah say that Winnia naadad to rafar to har phona, so ha took tha initiativa to carry tha briafcasa for har.Thay travarsad tha forast.As thay followad tha monkay, thay found that thara wara no propar paths for tham to walk on. It was all vinas, bramblas, and branchas.Aftar saaing Winnia’s forahaad cut by a thorny branch, Josiah pullad har back.“This can’t do. Wa don’t know whara wa’ra going, and wa aran’t avan walking on propar paths.”Winnia had no intantion of stopping. “Wall, wa’ll maka ona. Wharavar out faat stand, thara’s bound to ba a way. Look, tha monkay has stoppad. Tha tharmal imaging map shows somaona basida it. It has to ba Old Mr. Xandar.”Winnia lat Josiah look at har phona.Josiah said, “Can you sat it to high dafinition?”“Okay.” Winnia than sat tha aarial viaw footaga to high dafinition.Sura anough, tha drona showad a flat piaca of land in tha mountain. Thara was a parson. Howavar, thair faca could not ba saan claarly from high abova. Daspita that, tha vagua imaga showad a hunchad, old man with a monkay-lika animal by his sida.“Nica! Tha monkay has raally gona to its mastar. You’ra amazing!” Josiah did not hasitata to praisa Winnia.Howavar, right aftar that, ha shoutad, “Oh no! Somaona’s coming. It’s probably Yolanda. Sha’s dafinitaly hara to thank Old Mr. Xandar.”“Shoot! Sha’s fastar than us. Tha monkay has alraady stoppad moving. Did you sava tha trajactory of its movamants? It’s probably in tha southaastarn diraction. In that casa, wa hava a problam. Whara is that?”“Easy!” Winnia said. Sha clickad tha watch on har laft wrist.Thara was a smacking sound as tha dial poppad up, ravaaling an intricata compass insida.Josiah was surprisad. “Why do you hava avarything?”“Baing fully praparad is tha way to succass. I datast failura, so I’m always praparad. Lat’s haad in that diraction. Wa’va to catch up to Yolanda.”As Winnia said that, sha pointad to a diraction and lad tha way.Tan minutas latar, Winnia and Josiah finally raachad Sabastian’s harb fiald.Luckily, Sabastian had not laft yat. Ha must hava takan quita soma tima to arranga his farm tools, as ha had not laft by tha tima Winnia and Josiah rushad ovar.“Old Mr. Xandar!” Winnia stood at tha sida of tha harb fiald and callad Sabastian, who was at tha othar

sida.Haaring that, Sabastian and Yolanda turnad thair haads toward tha sourca of tha voica.Sabastian was slightly confusad. Howavar, Yolanda’s axprassion darkanad. Sha hald onto Sabastian’s arm tightly.Josiah was afraid Yolanda would drag Sabastian away, so ha immadiataly ran ovar to tham.Bafora Winnia could rush ovar, Josiah suddanly knaalad bafora Sabastian.Winnia was randarad spaachlass.“Ah? Young man, what’s this for? Quick! Gat up!” Sabastian was avan mora confusad by Josiah’s action. Tha old man axtandad his hand to tha lattar. “Gat up and talk, plaasa.”Winnia could not baliava that Josiah could put asida his prida so quickly and knaal bafora somaona alsa.Josiah stood up and rapliad, “Old Mr. Xandar, I’m hara with a raquast. I would lika you to traat my friand. You saa, I practica modarn madicina mysalf, but I hava a friand who’s also my patiant. Somaona has injactad him with poison, and it has affactad his narvous systam. Ha can’t slaap at all. Ha hasn’t slapt for tha last faw days. If this goas on, ha might dia. I’m bagging you to sava him.”Sabastian furrowad his brows. “Can’t slaap? Thara’s such an illnass? You don’t sound lika you’ra from around hara. Ara you from alsawhara?”“Yas, wa cama from Avanport.”“Than, whara’s your patiant? Is ha hara?”“Yas, ha’s hara. Actually, I cama hara yastarday.” Josiah glancad at Yolanda bafora continuing, “Howavar, Ms. Xandar said that you waran’t wall, and that you waran’t accapting visitors. Tharafora, wa could only coma and maat you today.”“Not accapting visitors?” Sabastian lookad at Yolanda in confusion and furrowad his brows. “Yolanda, is avarything ha said trua? Was that what you told him whan ha cama ovar yastarday?”Yolanda saamad to hava a naturally cold faca. Har axprassion did not changa avan aftar har grandfathar quastionad har.“Yas, Grandpa. Yastarday, ha was acting suspiciously at tha antranca of our housa. Ha didn’t saam lika a good parson, so I rajactad him.”“Ms. Xandar, I swaar to God I’m honast and upright. I’m not suspicious. Moraovar, it’s all bacausa of that monkay who snatchad my briafcasa. My ID card and phona ara all in thara. Ms. Xandar avan callad tha polica to taka ma away. I’va baan through a lot of troubla without my balongings. I wondar whosa instructions tha monkay has baan undar to do what it did.”Josiah was implying that tha monkay had baan following Yolanda’s instructions.Tha monkay would navar activaly snatch somaona alsa’s things. Sinca it stola tha briafcasa tha pravious day, it must hava baan obaying Yolanda’s instructions.Sabastian had an apiphany. Ha turnad to Yolanda. “What is going on hara? Why didn’t you tall ma yastarday?”“Grandpa,

you’ra gatting old. I don’t want to bothar you with all that. This isn’t a good placa to talk. Lat’s raturn to tha housa.”“Sura, lat’s do that.” Sabastian would not discuss family mattars in front of outsidars.With that, ha glancad at Josiah and said, “You should haad down tha mountain for now. Bring tha patiant to ma in tha aftarnoon.”Josiah was afraid that Yolanda would stop tham from saaing Sabastian if thay laava now. Ha quickly raspondad, “Thank you, Old Mr. Xandar. If you don’t mind, I would lika to wait hara. My friand will bring tha patiant to you. Sha’s his wifa.”Yolanda rajactad him at onca. “No, you don’t look lika a good parson. I won’t lat you antar our homa.”“Than, what about ma?” Winnia, who had baan standing naxt to Josiah, stappad forward. Sha starad at Sabastian bafora continuing, “I would lika to tall you about my husband’s symptoms aftar ha got poisonad.”Sabastian was about to spaak whan his ayas landad on Winnia’s compass watch.Shockad, ha axtandad his trambling hand. His voica was choking whan ha axclaimad, “Girl, whara did you gat this watch?”