Astral Express: I'm a Big Villain, Starting with Wiping Out the Astral Express Crew

"As for how I know, hehe, guess for yourself."

Natasha looked at Jiang Mo. He was clearly just a kid, but the oppressive aura he exuded sent chills down her spine.

He was like a mastermind lurking in the shadows, as if he knew everything and saw everything clearly.

"So?" Natasha feigned composure. "What do you plan to do?"

Jiang Mo leaned forward, his black eyes staring straight at her.

"Me? It's simple..."

The corners of his mouth curved into a smile, a smile that made Natasha's heart flutter with unease.

"I just want to be the mastermind leader of Wildfire."

The mastermind leader of Wildfire?!

Natasha was stunned.

A child, wanting to be the mastermind leader of the entire Underworld organization?

A strong sense of absurdity and resistance welled up in her heart.

"No, you're just a child, how can you..."

"This isn't a request, it's an order."

Jiang Mo interrupted her, speaking coldly, "Have you forgotten our agreement?"

Natasha's mind raced as she weighed her options.

That agreement did exist, and she owed him a favor.

But, letting a child manage Wildfire? That was insane!

Wildfire carried the hopes of too many people and concerned the future of the Underworld; it wasn't child's play!

Even if it meant breaking her promise, she absolutely couldn't agree.

"No, I refuse. Ask for something else."

Jiang Mo raised an eyebrow, his expression becoming somewhat playful.

"I only have this one request."

"I'm afraid I can't comply."

Natasha didn't budge an inch.

Jiang Mo looked at her, the smile on his face gradually disappearing, replaced by a cold threat.

"Aren't you afraid I'll tell others about you privately trading Riftworld Monster parts?"

Natasha's eyes flickered with panic, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Who are you going to tell? Who would care?"

"Don't forget, the Silvermane Guards are no longer in the Underworld."

Jiang Mo smiled. "Natasha, you're playing dirty."

"Say what you will."

Natasha looked at him, thinking that no matter what request Jiang Mo made, as long as it didn't involve the leadership of Wildfire, she could agree.

But this one thing, absolutely not.

"Alright..." Jiang Mo looked at her, seemingly expecting this. "I guessed you'd say that."

He paused, and Natasha thought he was about to give up.

"How about this?"

"I have something you want to know. How about we trade it?"

Jiang Mo suddenly suggested.

"Nothing is possible." Natasha flatly refused. "I'm not interested."

However, Jiang Mo's next sentence was like a sharp dagger, instantly piercing through all of Natasha's disguises and defenses.

Jiang Mo looked at her and said clearly:

"About your brother."

Natasha's body trembled.

Brother?!

"Actually, he's not dead," Jiang Mo said.

Her mind went blank.

Brother... Vahk?

Natasha was an orphan from the Underworld who was later adopted by a doctor's family in the Overworld. Although they weren't blood-related, she had a deep affection for her adoptive brother, Vahk, who had always been an object of admiration in her heart.

Vahk devoted himself to medical research, especially eager to develop a medicine that could resist the blizzards.

However, this persistence gradually became twisted, and he began to conduct dangerous experiments, eventually crossing the line.

When his actions were discovered, Oleg, the Silvermane Guard captain at the time, banished Vahk to the snow plains beyond the Overworld.

Vahk was never heard from again.

Over the years, Vahk had been the deepest scar in her heart.

Natasha had always believed that her brother had died in that frozen wasteland.

She had always felt guilty, feeling that she hadn't cared enough for him, hadn't stopped his experiments in time, which led him to make such an irreparable mistake.

But what was Jiang Mo saying?

Her brother wasn't dead?

"You... what did you say?" Natasha's breathing quickened. "How do you know my brother? He's really not dead?!"

Jiang Mo watched her lose her composure, knowing he had found her weakness.

"You don't need to know how I know."

Jiang Mo said, "Anyway, your brother isn't dead, and... I know where he is."

Natasha was completely stunned.

The guilt, self-blame, and longing for Vahk that had accumulated over the years all erupted at this moment.

She thought she would never see him again, thought he was already buried in the snow plains.

But... Jiang Mo said he wasn't dead, and even knew where he was?

A strong impulse surged into her heart—she wanted to see her brother, at any cost!

Just as Natasha's heart was wavering violently, Jiang Mo's voice sounded again:

"As long as you let me take control, become the behind-the-scenes leader of Wildfire, and direct you to issue orders... I'll let you see your brother."

His words seemed to carry a certain magic, each word hitting Natasha's weak spot with precision.

Natasha's mind was in chaos.

She only felt her consciousness beginning to blur, her reason being eroded bit by bit.

Vahk... her brother... see him...

"...Okay."

As if possessed, Natasha's mouth made the decision for her.

Her brain could no longer think straight, only the thought of "seeing her brother" remained.

She agreed.

Jiang Mo looked at her, his black eyes full of triumph.

He had won again.

He, Jiang Mo, a nine-year-old child, was about to become the behind-the-scenes leader of Wildfire, the Underworld organization.

Natasha stood there, her body trembling, her eyes covered with a layer of mist.

"Then, happy to cooperate, Natasha."

Chapter 24: Plan Achieved

Two days later, in that small clinic in Boulder Town.

Oleg looked at Natasha in front of him, noticing that she seemed a little uneasy, and even her hands were a beat slower as she organized the medicine bottles.

"Natasha, are you alright?"

"You haven't seemed yourself these past few days."

Natasha paused her movements, then straightened a bottle of medicine as if nothing had happened, forcing herself to calm down.

She looked up, a businesslike smile on her face as usual.

"It's nothing, Oleg. It's just that there have been more patients lately, and I'm a little tired."

She avoided Oleg's probing gaze, turning to another topic:

"By the way, I have an idea about the patrols around Boulder Town."

Oleg frowned slightly, but still listened patiently.

"Recently, the Riftworld Monster activity has become more frequent, especially in the abandoned mining area to the east and the garbage dump entrance to the north. Our current patrol routes are too fixed, making it easy for monsters to find loopholes."

"I suggest adjusting them, increasing the frequency of random patrols, especially at night, and shifting the defense force towards these two areas."

She carefully packaged the instructions Jiang Mo had passed on, turning them into her own analysis and suggestions.

Every word was carefully considered, striving to sound reasonable and logical.

Oleg stroked the rugged stubble on his chin, pondering Natasha's words.

This suggestion did make sense; the previous incidents of Riftworld Monster attacks on residents had all occurred during patrol gaps.

Although Natasha rarely actively interfered with specific defense deployments, her analysis was not without merit.

"Mm, you're right. A fixed route is indeed easy to exploit." Oleg nodded. "I'll arrange for it to be done, adjust the patrol plan, and strengthen the vigilance in those two areas."

He didn't delve into the reason Natasha suddenly made this suggestion; their long-term cooperation had given him considerable trust in his partner.

Besides, the suggestion itself was beneficial to Wildfire.

Natasha secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It's really not easy being a messenger for that kid for the first time...

A few days later.

Jiang Mo was in his shelter, listening to the sporadic discussions outside.

"...Hey, did you hear? Last night, the Wildfire people caught a few more monsters trying to sneak into the East Mining Area!"

"Really? Wasn't that area always pretty peaceful?"

"No way, the monsters have been obviously restless lately! Luckily, the Wildfire people are patrolling diligently, or we'd all be in trouble if those things got in!"

Jiang Mo leaned against his makeshift bed, his face expressionless.

Good, the first step went smoothly.

Oleg carried out the order.

His game had quietly begun.

In the days that followed, the residents of Boulder Town genuinely felt the changes.

The harassment from the Riftworld Monsters didn't stop; in fact, it seemed to be escalating.

But each time they tried to attack the town, they were always discovered and repelled by the Wildfire patrol in time.

The new patrol routes and defensive arrangements were surprisingly efficient.