Chapter 692

"I was concerned about the villagers." Evelyn Carter noticed the lingering worry in Elder Thompson's wife's expression as she stepped inside, her voice gentle.

"How is Elder Thompson feeling? We heard what happened this afternoon. Those people have left and won't bother you tonight. As for the pond and land issues, there will be a resolution soon. No one needs to live in fear anymore."

Before she could finish, Elder Thompson emerged from the inner room, coughing as he draped a coat over his shoulders. "Thank goodness it's you. When I heard the commotion, I thought those heartless bastards had returned."

The elder sighed when speaking of the businessmen who looked down on the village. But when it came to Leonard Laurent and his men, his voice dripped with venom.

Alexander Hamilton's expression darkened. "I'd like to understand what's been happening here recently. Would you mind sharing?"

Elder Thompson only knew Alexander as a generous city businessman, unaware of his true identity. Grateful yet hesitant, he replied, "Mr. Hamilton, I know you mean well. But these men have powerful connections. It's better if you stay out of this. An old man like me has nothing to lose, but you—"

Evelyn felt warmth in her chest. "Don't worry, Elder. He—"

Exchanging a glance with Alexander, she continued seamlessly, "—isn't someone to be trifled with either. We can't explain everything now, but once this is resolved, we'll give you a full account."

The elderly couple exchanged looks and sighed deeply.

"Sit down. This is a long story."

They settled at the square table as steaming tea was placed before them.

"...I didn't mean to hide things from you. Those men had been quiet for a while—I thought they'd given up. But they came back worse than ever, nearly harming you all. Thank heavens you were alert and brought help."

Elder Thompson bowed his head in shame. "I was selfish, afraid you'd leave if you knew the truth. Fewer people are willing to help our village these days. If you'd gone too..."

The man who'd served as village elder for decades suddenly looked ancient under the dim lamplight.

Evelyn reassured him softly, "We understand your predicament. We're not here tonight to assign blame—just to learn the full situation."

In the flickering light, Elder Thompson began his account. The story of the college student and Leonard Laurent's identity matched what Lotus Waters had shared. But there were details the child couldn't have known.

"...Our village survives because of that pond. But since last month, all the fish have died. It's not just us—every fish farmer nearby has suffered."

Alexander and Evelyn immediately recalled the old woman selling duck eggs in town. To Leonard Laurent, these innocent villagers were mere obstacles.

The old Alexander might have remained indifferent. But now, he felt genuine disgust for such arrogance.

"Elder, when did you realize the water was contaminated?"

"At first, we didn't suspect the water. The lotus roots and flowers seemed fine. But fish fry kept dying after we restocked. That's when people knew something was wrong. Our college student took water samples to a lawyer, and then..."

The elder's voice broke as he wiped his face roughly.

"I watched that boy grow up—bright and kind-hearted. If I weren't so useless, I should've gone with him. When his family moved away after what happened to him, I couldn't even face them to say goodbye..."

Alexander waited for him to compose himself before asking, "Do you know where they relocated? We might need his testimony in court."

The elder's head snapped up. "Court? Suing those people? Won't they retaliate again...?"

Fear filled the eyes of a man accustomed to swallowing his grievances.

Alexander didn't make the decision for him, simply stating calmly, "Without legal action, you'll keep compromising. You might even lose land your ancestors lived on for generations. And those men—their greed will only grow."

The room fell into prolonged silence. Only when Evelyn's tea turned cold did Elder Thompson finally grit his teeth.

"Fine! To court it is! This old man will risk everything to secure a future for our children!"

His wife slammed the table excitedly. "About time! Our families have lived here for generations—why should we hand it over? They keep babbling about building hotels. They'll probably fill in the pond!"

Evelyn's heart clenched. "They'd fill the pond? This area already struggles with water scarcity. Without it, how would nearby villages survive?"

Alexander's face darkened instantly. "Fill the pond?!"