Heir Selection

Those words struck at Natasha's deepest fear.

Trading Rift items was an absolute taboo!

If it was exposed, not only would her reputation be ruined, but she would also face harsh judgment. Even the orphanage would be implicated and shut down!

Everything she had worked so hard to build, the children she had protected with all her strength, would collapse in an instant!

Jiang Mo watched Sister Natasha's face turn pale in an instant and secretly laughed.

He knew he had won.

Jiang Mo could even feel Natasha's rapid breathing now.

Then he lowered his voice further and said slyly:

"Sister Natasha, you wouldn't want anyone else to find out about that deal, would you?"

The office was terrifyingly silent.

Natasha looked at the six-year-old child before her as though she were seeing a little fox in sheep's clothing.

The Heir Selection

Jiang Mo gave her no chance to catch her breath and continued in a rapid barrage:

"Oh, right. If you want to say I have no evidence, that's easy."

"The one who traded with you was a vagrant, right? Only they would do something like this..."

"The Silvermane Guards only need to investigate the vagrants' camp, and they'll soon find out who it was."

"Then they can follow the trail right to Sister Natasha. That shouldn't be difficult, should it?"

At those words, Natasha's expression changed completely.

She had never imagined that a six-year-old child would force her into such a position.

Natasha tried to make one last struggle:

"Jiang Mo, I did all this for the children..."

"You can't do this..."

Jiang Mo's expression did not soften in the slightest.

He knew that the orphanage children were Natasha's weak point, but that did not change his goal.

"I understand that you did it for the children."

"But I have somewhere I want to go too. I don't want to rot here for the rest of my life."

Jiang Mo looked at Natasha, his tone easing slightly.

"I won't tell anyone, as long as you don't force me to stay. Then I won't tell the Silvermane Guards about what you did."

Natasha knew she had no choice left.

Forcing him to stay carried too much risk.

Letting him leave at least gave her a sliver of hope.

She let out a deep sigh, as though she had aged several years in an instant.

"Fine, Jiang Mo. I won't force you to stay."

Natasha finally compromised.

"But you must promise me that you'll never tell anyone about what happened today, or about what you saw... ever."

Jiang Mo nodded. "I can promise that. But..."

"While I can keep your secret, shouldn't Sister Natasha offer some kind of... compensation?"

"Compensation?"

Natasha froze for a moment.

"Hush money."

Jiang Mo said it as if it were only natural.

Natasha frowned.

She was desperately short of money.

The orphanage's expenses were enormous, and she had been gritting her teeth and supporting it alone.

Every trade for Rift parts was like walking on a blade, and the money she got from them was barely enough to matter.

And now, this child actually wanted to take something from her too...

"I... I don't have much money."

Natasha said with difficulty.

"No, you misunderstood. I'm not asking for money."

Jiang Mo shook his head.

"What I mean is... if I ever come to you for help someday, or if I need something, Sister Natasha has to help me."

"No matter what I need or what I need done."

Natasha looked at Jiang Mo. The child's demand made her more uneasy than if he had asked for money outright.

Money was limited. If she did not have it, then she did not have it.

But this promise was like a bottomless pit, filling her with fear.

She had no idea what Jiang Mo might need in the future.

But Jiang Mo held her secret. That leverage was too deadly.

She weighed the pros and cons.

This child was far more dangerous and far colder than she had imagined.

In the end, she could only agree.

"Fine..."

Her voice carried a trace of weary resignation.

"I promise you... As long as it's something I can do, I'll help you."

Villain behavior confirmed: First successful threat! Villain Points +50!

"Then it's settled, Sister Natasha."

"Mm..."

"I'll be going now."

Jiang Mo chuckled softly and turned to leave, leaving Natasha trembling all over.

As he walked out of Natasha's office, Jiang Mo felt completely at ease and freer than ever.

Holding someone else's secret felt like gripping a knife in his hand, ready to stab them at any moment.

He considered how to make use of his connection with Natasha.

Natasha had some connections and resources in the Lower District. They were not much, but they might prove very useful at a critical moment.

The moment Jiang Mo stepped out of the orphanage building, he saw Bronya still waiting for him by the swing.

Her small figure looked somewhat lonely in the courtyard.

When she saw him come out, Bronya immediately ran over.

"Big Brother Jiang Mo!"

She ran up to Jiang Mo, lifted her little face, and looked at him with worry-filled eyes.

"Sister Natasha didn't do anything to you, did she?"

Jiang Mo bent down, patted her head, and said with a smile:

"It's fine. Sister Natasha just talked with me."

"That's great! I knew she wouldn't blame you!" Bronya said happily.

"Bronya, I'm leaving now. I'll definitely come see you again next time and bring you even tastier food."

Hearing that, Bronya's little face broke into a happy smile, and she nodded hard.

"Mm!"

"Goodbye, Big Brother Jiang Mo!"

As Jiang Mo walked back toward Boulder Town, he thought to himself.

His connection with Bronya had been established.

From now on, Natasha would definitely take even better care of Bronya, or he would come trouble her.

And now, he had already built a good relationship with Bronya and made her remember him.

Next, he only had to wait for Cocolia to choose her as the successor to the Supreme Guardian.

By then, even if he accomplished nothing in the Lower District, as long as he stayed alive, he could ride her coattails into the Upper District.

Jiang Mo thought about it and felt that there was not much else for him to do right now.

His body was only six years old, and there were many things he could not do.

The most important thing was to survive first, grow up, and wait for opportunities.

He clenched his fist.

The explosive strength he had shown when beating up the freckled boy made him realize that his body might not be as weak as it looked.

Jiang Mo decided that he would train as much as possible from now on and improve his physical attributes.

In a place like the Lower District, strength was always the trump card that kept one safe.

Jiang Mo returned to Boulder Town.

Over the next month, everything remained the same, yet everything also seemed different.

Ever since Jiang Mo obtained Silver Tongue and kept developing that trait, his life had improved quite a bit.

The first was the owner of that snack stall.

Every time Jiang Mo went there, he bombarded the owner with Silver Tongue.

He praised the owner's cooking as the best in the Lower District, praised his kind heart, praised how young and strong he looked... all kinds of extravagant flattery poured out of him for free.

Gradually, the owner's attitude changed completely.

His gaze toward Jiang Mo grew softer and softer, and sometimes he even took the initiative to ask whether Jiang Mo was hungry.

Eventually, he began treating Jiang Mo like his own son.

Whenever Jiang Mo came by, he gave him food for free, including meat that was usually hard to come by.

Sometimes, the owner even gave Jiang Mo a few Winter City Coins.

Just like that, Jiang Mo's food problem was completely solved. He could even share with Seele, letting her eat her fill as well.

Seele looked at the warm food Jiang Mo brought out, the confusion in her eyes growing deeper and deeper. But she asked nothing and merely accepted it in silence.

Jiang Mo also tried using Silver Tongue on other people.

Perhaps because of his age and insufficient charm, it did not work on everyone. Only some simple-minded people, or those overflowing with compassion, were fooled by him like the stall owner and willing to give him food or daily necessities.

But that was enough.

Jiang Mo's life was now worlds apart from what it had been before.

He no longer had to dig through garbage piles for food every day, nor did he have to fight others over a shriveled piece of bread.

He had even built himself a house.

Of course, it was not a house in the true sense of the word.