Natasha, You Wouldn't Want Anyone Else to Find Out About That, Would You?

Very good. The plan had successfully taken its first step.

As long as he latched onto this rich lady—no, this heir to the Supreme Guardian...

Wouldn't getting into the Upper District in the future be as simple as a word from Bronya?

Just then, Bronya seemed to remember something.

She suddenly held out her pinky, her tiny finger curled as she looked at Jiang Mo with utter seriousness.

"Pinky promise!"

Jiang Mo froze for a moment before understanding.

He then held out his own pinky and gently hooked it with Bronya's.

"Pinky promise, hang yourself, never change for ten thousand years!"

Bronya recited the promise chant popular among the orphanage children in her childish voice.

After reciting it, she looked up at Jiang Mo, a hint of slyness in her eyes.

"Big Brother Jiang Mo, don't go back on your word."

Looking at how serious she was, Jiang Mo felt something he had not felt in a long time—warmth and purity.

"Mm, I won't."

Jiang Mo promised, then stood up.

"Then I'll be going first, Bronya."

Bronya stood up as well and looked at Jiang Mo.

Her little face was full of reluctance, but she did not cry, fuss, or tug at him like the other children.

"...Goodbye, Big Brother Jiang Mo."

She had many things she wanted to say. She wanted to ask when he would come again, but in the end, she merely nodded lightly.

She knew Jiang Mo would come back. He definitely would.

Jiang Mo said nothing more and turned toward the orphanage entrance.

He needed to leave quickly, before Director Natasha came looking to settle the score.

She was probably furious about him beating someone up earlier.

However, just as he was about to reach the entrance, a figure blocked his path.

It was Director Natasha.

Her usual gentle smile was gone, and her eyes were filled with severity.

"Jiang Mo, wait a moment."

With her arms folded across her chest, she stared straight at Jiang Mo. Clearly, she was ready to hold him accountable.

Seeing this, Bronya immediately ran over and stood in front of Jiang Mo, anxiously trying to explain for him.

"Director Natasha, it wasn't Big Brother Jiang Mo's fault! He was the one who—"

"Bronya."

But Jiang Mo stopped her.

"If I did it, I'll take responsibility for it."

"It's fine. I'll be right back."

He gave Bronya a look, signaling for her not to worry.

Seeing how calm Jiang Mo remained, Natasha frowned even more deeply.

"Sigh... Come with me."

She did not say much in front of everyone. Instead, she turned and headed into the orphanage.

Natasha, You Wouldn't Want Anyone Else to Know About That, Would You?

Jiang Mo followed Natasha into the orphanage.

The inside of the building was just as shabby, but it had been cleaned thoroughly. There was none of the usual stench of the Underworld; only the faint smell of disinfectant lingered in the air.

Natasha's office was the innermost room on the first floor.

The office was small, containing only an old wooden desk and a few chairs.

Natasha sat down and gestured for Jiang Mo to sit as well.

Jiang Mo did not sit. He simply stood in front of the desk and quietly watched her.

Natasha sighed and rubbed her brow.

"I saw everything that happened earlier..."

"That boy provoked you first. He wanted to snatch Bronya's things and even tried to hit her. You were right to stop him."

Jiang Mo said nothing, waiting for what she would say next.

"But..." Natasha's tone became heavier. "You hit him too hard, Jiang Mo. He's only a child, yet you beat him up like that. And I've already lectured him. He's reflected on his actions too."

Jiang Mo's gaze instantly turned cold.

Only a child?

That child had wanted to smash Bronya with a stone and steal the iceberg from her hands.

If he had not reacted in time, Bronya might have been hurt.

In a place like this, mercy was the most extravagant thing of all.

"He should be grateful I only hit him twice."

Jiang Mo said coldly.

Natasha looked at him, momentarily at a loss for words.

She had seen far too much violence in the Underworld.

But hearing words like that from a six-year-old child still made her shudder.

"He already knows he was wrong," Natasha said. "I've taught him a lesson too."

"That's good. But if there is a next time, if he dares bully Bronya again... he won't have it easy. I guarantee it."

Threat flickered in Jiang Mo's eyes, as though he were stating something inevitable.

Natasha fell silent.

Looking at the frail child before her, whose gaze was incomparably sharp, she felt an inexplicable sense of helplessness well up inside her.

The laws of survival in the Underworld had already been carved into his bones.

Natasha changed the subject.

"Jiang Mo, I know it isn't easy for you to make a living outside on your own. The orphanage's conditions aren't great, but at least you would have a place to sleep and food to eat."

"I'll ask you again... Are you willing to stay?"

Natasha sincerely wanted to take him in. "At least here, you'd be a little safer."

However, Jiang Mo refused without the slightest hesitation.

"No need."

"I won't stay."

Seeing the determination in his eyes, Natasha knew she had failed to persuade him again.

How could she make him stay...

As if possessed, Natasha suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Jiang Mo's arm.

Her hand was not large, and it had become somewhat rough from years of work, but she was surprisingly strong.

Jiang Mo's body was held in place, and the distance between them instantly shrank. A faint medicinal scent washed over him.

"Stay, Jiang Mo," Natasha coaxed. "The orphanage's conditions may be poor, but at least you'll have enough to eat and warm clothes to wear, as well as somewhere safe to live."

She squeezed Jiang Mo's thin arm. "I promise that if you stay, you won't have to live like that anymore. The orphanage has been struggling lately, but I'm trying to find a solution. Things will get better soon, and then we'll even be able to eat meat."

"I don't want to see a child like you throw away his life for nothing outside..."

By the end, Natasha was visibly emotional. Her grip on Jiang Mo tightened further, as though she would not let him leave unless he agreed to stay.

At that moment, an image flashed through Jiang Mo's mind.

Nighttime. The side alley beside the orphanage.

Natasha was wrapped in thick clothes, her expression tense.

Across from her stood a masked person whose face could not be seen.

Natasha held something in her hand that gave off a strange glow. Jiang Mo had been too far away to see it clearly, but he could sense the danger spilling from it.

The masked person pulled out a cloth bag from their clothes.

The sound of metal clinking came from inside, as though it contained coins or small hard objects.

The two spoke quietly for a while.

Their voices were too low for Jiang Mo to make out what they said.

At the time, he had merely been a hungry drifter, his mind filled only with thoughts of how to fill his stomach. He had not paid much attention to what they were doing, but instinctively sensed that it was definitely something shady.

Now, combining Natasha's words about finding a way to improve the meals with that bag that seemed to hold money, he understood in an instant.

Natasha had been trading Riftworld Monster parts with a drifter to obtain funds for the orphanage children.

The flashback ended.

Natasha gripped Jiang Mo tighter and tighter, but he did not struggle.

Seeing the change in Jiang Mo's eyes, Natasha thought he had finally begun to waver. She was about to press her advantage and say more.

However, Jiang Mo asked her in an innocent-sounding tone.

"Big Sister Natasha, I've always been curious... What would happen if someone privately traded Riftworld Monster parts?"

When Natasha heard those words, her body stiffened abruptly. Her hand instantly released Jiang Mo as though she had been burned.

Visible panic flashed through her eyes. Her pupils widened slightly, and her lips parted.

"Ah? What did you say?"

Seeing Natasha lose her composure, Jiang Mo became even more certain.

"I heard those things are dangerous. If someone gets caught, it would be a serious crime, right?" He tilted his head.

Natasha forced herself to remain calm, trying to conceal the shock in her heart.

She barely forced out a smile uglier than crying. "What are you talking about? Jiang Mo, I don't understand."

Her gaze began to avoid Jiang Mo's, and she did not dare meet his eyes. Her fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.

A faint smile tugged at Jiang Mo's lips.

He stepped forward, closer to Natasha. The oppressive air around him made her even more nervous.

"Oh? Is that so?"

"I thought Big Sister Natasha would know quite a lot about these things."

"The last time I saw... you were clearly holding a part and making some sort of deal with a strange person behind the orphanage..."

Natasha's breathing became rapid as she looked at Jiang Mo nervously.

"Jiang Mo, you... you must have seen wrong. There was no strange person, and I don't have any monster parts..."

Jiang Mo ignored her denial and continued on his own.

"Big Sister Natasha, if the Silvermane Guards found out about this..."

"What do you think they would do?"