Being stared at with such hatred by someone on the brink of death would unsettle most people. But Logan was clearly not one of them.
He slightly parted his lips, his voice low enough that only Ethan Brooks could hear:
"Don't worry, go ahead and die. You won't be lonely—I'll send your parents and sister down to keep you company."
Hearing this, Ethan Brooks's eyes bulged in fury, his anger overwhelming him, and his legs kicked out in a spasm. His eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness.
One of the security officers came over to check Ethan Brooks's condition.
Logan quickly adjusted his expression, adopting a look of relief as though he had narrowly escaped death.
The officer confirmed Ethan Brooks's death and said to his partner, "The assailant is dead."
"Are you alright? Did you get hurt?" the security officer asked Logan.
Logan responded, "No, I'm fine, thanks to your timely arrival. These villagers were trying to extort me..."
Before he could finish, the village elder's eyes darted around, and he suddenly burst into tears, falling to his knees, interrupting Logan.
"Heavens! What kind of sin is this!?"
The elder's tears flowed as he knelt, pounding his chest in dramatic despair:
"Mr Brooks, you had your arm broken by this villain, and now your son Ethan Brooks has been killed by him! How can I ever face your family?"
The elder knelt at the front of the villagers, while discreetly gesturing behind his back.
The villagers immediately understood.
Hank's face filled with fake rage, pointed to the two bloody teeth Ethan Brooks had spit out:
"This bastard broke Ethan's father's arm, and when we came to ask for medical compensation, not only did he refuse, but he knocked out Ethan's teeth as well. Officer, look at those teeth on the ground, and look at Ethan's face!"
Sure enough, the officer saw the two teeth on the ground and inspected Ethan Brooks's face, which was swollen and bruised beyond recognition.
Since Ethan Brooks had indeed attempted to commit murder, they thought they could use this opportunity to drag Logan down with him. Hank's eyes flashed with malice.
The village elder gave Hank a nod of approval. He was pleased with his protege's quick thinking.
"Yeah, Ethan was pushed to his limit and fought back!"
"Are we supposed to just stand here and let ourselves get hit by him?"
"Ethan died so horribly! What about his elderly parents and unmarried sister now?!"
"Is there no justice left in the world?!"
The villagers, having worked together in such schemes countless times, instinctively played their parts, shouting and wailing with perfect coordination.
The two security officers frowned.
"Did you hit him?" one of them asked Logan.
Logan didn't deny it. "He came at me with a knife, so I hit him in self-defense."
"Hmm. Next time you're in a situation like that, try to run first. Your personal safety is the most important thing," one of the officers said, patting Logan on the shoulder.
This village was notorious, and both officers were well aware of its reputation.
They certainly didn't believe the villagers' stories.
After all, they had witnessed Ethan Brooks swinging a knife at Logan, and the villagers surrounding him with weapons. Most importantly, Logan had been unarmed, making it clear he was the victim.
Logan was momentarily stunned—not faking it this time. He had fully expected a drawn-out argument with the villagers.
But he quickly realized what was happening.
The villagers were dumbfounded.
They were used to getting their way by banding together, leaving the authorities helpless. But this time, it wasn't a matter of numbers.
"Officer, he beat Ethan, how can you take his side?!" Hank protested.
"Even if there was a fight, that's not an excuse to commit murder," the officer replied.
"All of you were armed and surrounding him. If he fought back, it was in self-defense. We saw with our own eyes that you were preparing to assault him in broad daylight."
The other officer added, "You claimed you were here to catch a dog."
"Where's the dog?"
The villagers glanced around, but the dog had long since disappeared.
The officer gave them a stern look. "You are all to remain in the village and await further investigation. Understand?"
A few days ago, they would have taken this case much more seriously and brought everyone back to the station. But now, there were more pressing matters to attend to.
The villagers were clearly disgruntled, but they weren't about to defy the officers, whose authority still carried weight. They stood in silence, simmering with frustration.
The two officers exchanged a glance, both relieved. As law enforcement, they knew better than most that the collapse of order was already underway.
...
Despite the clear-cut facts, the officers still pulled Logan aside to take his statement.
Logan truthfully explained how Ethan Brooks and his family had first come to his door to extort him, how he had "accidentally" broken Mr.Ethan's arm, agreed to pay $5000, and how the demand had suddenly escalated to fifty thousand, leading to the confrontation.
The officers nodded, their suspicions confirmed.
One of them turned to Logan and said, "Why don't you come with us to the town? We can arrange a place for you to stay. It's not safe around here, and it's hard for us to keep an eye on this area."
The message was clear: they were worried the villagers might retaliate against Logan once they left.
The villagers ground their teeth in fury. These damned officers!
To everyone's surprise, Logan refused.
"I'm not going."
The officer pulled him aside, lowering his voice.
"Once we're gone, if these villagers come after you, we won't be able to help."
Logan looked into the officer's eyes, seeing his genuine concern, but he still politely declined:
"I can take care of myself. I've trained in martial arts, and my home is very secure. They won't be able to do anything to me."
The officers tried to persuade him a bit more, but seeing his resolve, they gave up.
"Just remember, if anything happens, come to the nearest security station as soon as possible, alright?"
Logan nodded. Of course, he had no intention of doing that. If anyone needed help, it would be the villagers.
With their backs turned, the officers didn't see the murderous glares coming from the villagers as they eyed Logan. Some even made threatening gestures at him.
The village elder glared at Logan with a dark expression.
Their village had never suffered such a humiliation.
But Logan merely smirked in response.
One of the officers noticed Logan's look and turned around, catching a few hostile glances from the villagers.
"You can all return to the village now. Stay home for the next few days. Village elder, please stay."
The officer had decided he would give the elder a stern warning before leaving.
The other villagers shot Logan one last hateful look before dispersing.
"You should head home too. Try not to go out too much, and make sure you stock up on food and stay warm," the officer advised Logan.
Logan acknowledged the advice, and then mounted his shared bike. Before leaving, he glanced at the grassy area where the dog had hidden.
There was nothing left.
Perhaps his arrival had inadvertently saved the dog from the villagers, prompting it to return the favor by attacking Ethan Brooks.
It truly was a dog that knew gratitude.
Logan suddenly regretted his earlier decision to give up on raising a dog.
The rest of his journey back up the mountain was smooth.
But when he reached the top, he found a familiar black, scruffy dog sitting in the clearing near his front gate.
Logan couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
"Are you waiting for me?"