What to do?
Logan believed that while the robbers might kill, they wouldn't kill everyone—they needed hostages. He also knew that the police in Ancient Splendor were highly capable of handling hostage situations. There was a reasonable chance the robbers wouldn't escape.
But...
He would never leave his fate to chance.
Nor would he entrust his life to the police.
Waiting to be rescued wasn't an option.
He had to act.
If he had a gun, he was confident he could eliminate the robbers himself. Even without a firearm, if he were in peak condition, he could still handle them.
Unfortunately...
Because of his severe loss of vitality, his body was far weaker than that of an ordinary person. His once-formidable abilities had nearly disappeared, leaving behind only a faint trace of inner strength—just enough to keep him alive.
Even if he used that last trace of strength, it wouldn't guarantee victory.
And once it was exhausted...
He would have nothing left to protect himself.
"Where's the money?!" the knife-wielding robber demanded coldly.
"If you want to die, no one's stopping you!"
Logan pushed Felicity aside and shouted angrily,
"I don't want to die like this! Money can be earned again, but dead people can't spend it!"
"You... you coward!"
Felicity glared at him in fury.
Logan ignored her completely.
Stepping into the aisle, he unzipped a large canvas bag.
Bundles upon bundles of crisp euro notes filled the inside.
"Holy crap!"
The robber's eyes widened with excitement.
"Harley! It's real! All 500-euro notes! The whole bag is full of them!"
The other robbers were equally thrilled.
But before anyone could celebrate, Logan spoke again.
"You want money."
"I want to stay alive."
"I don't care about this little bit of cash."
"If you can guarantee my safety..."
"I'll give you one hundred million euros."
One hundred million euros.
Had those words come from anyone else, the robbers would have dismissed them as nonsense.
But Logan was different.
Anyone carrying hundreds of thousands of euros in cash couldn't possibly be an ordinary man.
Still...
Harley remained calm.
"Your money is your business."
He narrowed his eyes.
"But tell me... in our current situation, what are our chances of escaping?"
"No matter how much money we have, it's meaningless if we can't get away."
Logan answered without hesitation.
"If you take a bus full of hostages, your chances of escape are almost zero."
"But if you take only one hostage..."
"The outcome will be completely different."
Harley frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The smaller the target, the greater the chance of escaping."
Logan took a slow breath before continuing calmly.
"Considering my wealth and social status, I'm worth more than everyone on this bus combined."
"I'm the most valuable hostage you could possibly have."
Harley stared at him for several seconds before speaking.
"You're very calm."
Logan smiled faintly.
"In business, I've weathered storms far worse than this."
"When I'm negotiating billion-euro deals, I stay just as calm."
"Because panic only makes bad situations worse."
Harley nodded slightly.
"Then tell me..."
"Why are you helping us escape?"
"Because your survival increases my own."
Logan met Harley's gaze without flinching.
"If you drag dozens of hostages with you, you'll eventually be cornered."
"And once you're desperate..."
"My life becomes worthless."
"I'd rather help you survive."
"I don't care about money."
"Money can always be earned again."
"As long as I'm alive..."
"I can make another hundred million."
A smile slowly spread across Harley's face.
"A convincing explanation."
"But you're smart enough to understand something else."
"Even if we escape with you as our hostage..."
"What's stopping us from killing you afterward?"
"No."
Logan shook his head.
"You won't."
"Who doesn't love money?"
"You robbed a jewelry store for a relatively small payout."
"I'm offering you one hundred million euros."
"You won't kill me..."
"At least not before you've collected the money."
"And the longer I'm alive..."
"The greater my chances of surviving."
"It certainly can't get any worse than my current situation."
Clap!
Clap!
Clap!
To Logan's surprise, Harley tucked his rifle beneath his arm and applauded.
Then he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha..."
"A true businessman."
"You've convinced me."
The laughter faded.
A cold light flashed across Harley's eyes.
"Take him away."
"Wait."
Logan suddenly spoke.
Harley's expression darkened.
"What now?"
Logan glanced toward the blond man trembling on the floor.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"If you break one of his legs..."
"I'll pay you another hundred million euros."