New Gods of North America.

Chapter 645 Aftermath
The process of trying to put those fleeting flashes of brilliant knowledge into words and onto paper is actually quite interesting.
The same "point" can be summarized in one sentence through repeated revisions, or it can be written into a paper based on the Hunter Association's theories to elaborate on it in detail.

Even when Wayne recalled the contents of the Quiet Cult's ritual manual, some parts seemed to become easier to understand.
For example, the extraordinary materials used in other fields appear in pairs that are mutually exclusive, probably to ultimately highlight the overall "death" theme of the ritual through "acid-base neutralization".

This also indirectly confirms Wayne's vague knowledge that "extraordinary powers in all fields actually share a core commonality in essence."

However, Wayne, who attempted to explore the ocean of extraordinary knowledge, was quickly pulled back to the real world.

The sun was still shining brightly, and it was clearly not yet dinner time, when Doug came and knocked on the door. "Sir, the police have come to visit."

Doug led the people to the small cabin for receiving guests, while Wayne carefully put away the draft he had written in simplified Chinese characters, and then went to show himself.

After shaking hands, exchanging pleasantries, and sitting down, the police officers' visit was within Wayne's expectations. After all, it was only natural for the police to investigate and provide a general overview of the situation when legitimate free citizens (college students and cathedral monks) were attacked within the city's jurisdiction.

“Mr. Wayne, we have launched a preliminary investigation into the attack on you in the dock area. It has been confirmed that the bodies found at the scene belong to gangsters from Elland. Did you have any conflicts or disputes with them before?”

The police investigation's findings are consistent with what Wayne currently knows.

He didn't rush to answer, but instead asked about the question that concerned him more: "What's the condition of the two cathedral monks who were attacked with me?"

The lead officer quickly replied, "One of the monks was basically unharmed, as for the other... he is still in a coma."

“I left the scene beforehand and was unaware of what happened afterward. What did that monk say?” Wayne pressed.

This directly relates to the "characterization" of the incident. If those people really did launch a "surprise attack," then their intention to silence witnesses would be very clear, and even if some of the perpetrators who participated in the attack escaped, they would basically not escape the gallows.

"According to his description, Mr. Wayne, the attack had completely stopped when you left the scene. Although unidentified people came to the vicinity afterward, they did not attack them again. It's a pity that he chose to protect his companions and did not leave the alley to verify the identities of those people."

"As for Brother Grant who is unconscious... he does not have any particularly serious gunshot wounds. According to the medical team's speculation, he was probably affected by the impact when he fell from his horse."

The officer paused briefly before adding, "Today, officers patrolling the dock area received a report and found guns and several bodies in the dark alleys of the Ellan neighborhood. They were also members of the Ellan gang."

Wayne had a vague idea: "What was the police's conclusion?"

"Based on the whole incident, we speculate that the bodies in the alley were the other accomplices who participated in the attack. Some of them died on the spot, and the rest, although they escaped temporarily, were also injured and eventually died of blood loss in the alley after fleeing back to their territory."

The lead officer seemed to find this explanation somewhat absurd, and after speaking, he waved his hand to indicate that the conclusion was indeed true. Wayne, however, could roughly understand the police's intention to close the case this way; the matter involved the monks of the cathedral and innocent civilians (himself), and the case needed a "result."
However, to continue the investigation, we must at least find out who killed those people. Logically speaking, the attackers were basically members of the Erlan gang, and they died in Erlan violent gang territory. It can be basically determined that the gang was responsible. So the simplest way is to pin the blame on the attackers.

In any case, it seems that all the perpetrators who actually participated in the attack are dead, and there is no longer any opportunity for them to retaliate against the victims.
To put it another way, regardless of whether the remaining criminals were silenced, they were all gang members in the dock area and highly suspected of being illegal immigrants. In the eyes of the world, their fate was a case of "evil begets evil," and it was not worth investigating seriously.

It would be better to move on as soon as possible and strive for a happy ending for everyone.

He understood, but this was clearly not the outcome Wayne wanted. After a moment's thought, he still raised his objections:

“I didn’t have any major conflicts with the Erlans in the dock area before, but I did have a dispute with another ‘Sailors’ Gang. I don’t know if you’ve heard about my other case, where someone falsely accused me of murdering a journalist, and the trial is expected to start soon. As far as I know, the witnesses in that case seem to be connected to the ‘Sailors’ Gang,’ and I think they have a stronger motive to plan the attack.”

The lead officer seemed about to offer an explanation, "Mr. Wayne, this..."

Wayne raised his hand to stop the other person from speaking, his attitude firm: "I understand the police's judgment, but I still stand by my own opinion."

The officers were clearly taken aback by Wayne's reaction. They were momentarily stunned, exchanging unspoken glances and silently conveying their emotions.
Wayne didn't argue with them. The officers were just sent to report the situation, and they didn't have much say in the matter. All they had to do was bring back the results truthfully.

The situation is actually quite simple. The police have reached a conclusion, and if the victims have no objections, then the case can be closed smoothly.
But now Wayne has stated that he does not accept this conclusion, and the police either have to persuade him or attribute the "attack" to the monks of the cathedral.

However, if the police characterize the incident as an attempt by criminals to target the cathedral or monks, the nature of the attack would be completely different. Gang members using force to attack a church would likely be considered a major case with serious consequences in the entire United States, and it certainly wouldn't be easily resolved.
Thus, the possible "happy ending" turned into a double bind. Comparing the two options, Wayne estimated that the police would still be more inclined to continue persuading him. In that case, with a back-and-forth exchange, he could buy time and justify his counterattack.

Wayne didn't intend to make things difficult for the police, but he still had the excuse of "being attacked" to use, so he couldn't let the case be closed so quickly. Even if the police didn't intend to follow up, the detective agency could investigate on its own.

After a moment of surprise, the lead officer patiently tried to persuade him, "Mr. Wayne, perhaps you should reconsider, after all..."

Doug then quietly walked into the cabin. The presence of additional people forced the officer to stop speaking.
At Wayne's prompting, Doug leaned close to him and whispered, "Sir, Miss Harley Quinn is here to visit Miss Inessa and Miss Lina, but she says she has a ball to attend tonight and has something important she wants to tell you and ask you about."

Lina is still in the workshop, can't we ask her to pass on the message...?

Wayne took the opportunity to see his guests off, smiling at the officers. "I have some things to attend to. How about we talk another time?"

The lead officer, being quite tactful, stood up and shook hands with Wayne, saying, "We will relay your opinion to Mr. Wayne."

(End of this chapter)