Chapter Thirteen: The Russian Mob

"Because of his abilities." Gu Zhongyan gazed deeply at Jessica.

"Actually, it's not just Kilgrave—I keep an eye on anyone with similar powers. How terrifying this ability is, I suspect no one understands it better than you."

Jessica met Gu Zhongyan's penetrating look, and as memories resurfaced, even the guardian's protection couldn't prevent her heart from skipping a beat. She knew all too well how dreadful such powers could be: forced to obey commands against her will, stripped of autonomy, reduced to a puppet. It was an experience she never wished to endure again.

Gu Zhongyan wasn't lying. For a traveler like him, keeping the secret of his origin was paramount. In the Marvel universe, superpowers abounded—some world-shattering, others bizarre—but the ones Gu Zhongyan feared most were those involving mind reading, hypnosis, and psychic control.

Not only in the Marvel universe—even in the world of Harry Potter, magic such as Legilimency existed. One slip, and his secret would be exposed.

That was why, in his previous life, the first spell Gu Zhongyan learned was Occlumency. Through relentless practice, he'd nearly made the art instinctive, granting his mind exceptional strength.

Arriving in the Marvel universe, Gu Zhongyan was keenly aware that psychic control had become a common skill. He never ceased training his Occlumency.

So, when he expressed his wariness of the Purple Man, even Matt couldn't detect any change in his heartbeat.

"Alright, you've convinced me. But does this thing have to stay with me all the time? If so, I doubt I'll be able to do anything," Jessica said, gesturing at the floating guardian beside her.

She wished the guardian could always remain by her side; the sense of peace was something she'd long missed. Yet she knew that with such a conspicuous companion, she might never leave her apartment.

"Don't worry, it won't affect you," Gu Zhongyan smiled, turned to the guardian, and recited a spell.

"Divine Form Concealment!"

At his words, the guardian hovering in the air instantly dimmed, its radiance fading like the setting sun, transforming into an ordinary leaf that quietly settled into Jessica's palm.

This ability was something Gu Zhongyan had only recently discovered. Initially, he believed his guardian's transformation was limited to its appearance. But as he used it more, he realized the changes went deeper.

First, as now, he could control its light, making it utterly inconspicuous. This made his nighttime surveillance of Hell's Kitchen far more covert. Beyond that, he found that when the guardian became a plant, it gained the ability to split like ordinary vegetation.

The guardian he'd given Jessica was actually just a fragment—a separated portion of its power, a clone. However, this divided guardian couldn't move as freely and was weaker than the original. Still, it was perfect for soothing Jessica's psychological wounds.

Jessica stared in surprise at the guardian, which now felt like a leaf once its glow had vanished.

"Alright, now I believe you're truly a wizard. How did you do that?" she asked, unable to resist.

Gu Zhongyan merely smiled, offering no reply.

Seeing this, Jessica shrugged and dropped the matter. "Okay, I won't ask. As for Fisk, I'll do my best."

"That's good. If that's settled, it's time for us to act. Come, Matt—let's give those Hell's Kitchen scum a taste of what's coming."

Soon, the two vanished into the night. The already noisy darkness of Hell's Kitchen grew even more chaotic.

Late at night, at the Weasley Taxi Company.

By day, it was a garage specializing in taxis, paint jobs, modifications, and car washes. In reality, it was a front for trafficking and dealing 'powder'—a criminal organization.

In the silent garage, the atmosphere was suffocating; burly men covered in tattoos dared not even breathe loudly.

The monotonous hum from the generator room, the squeak of the ceiling fan, and the occasional drip from a corner provided the only sounds in the vast garage, exacerbating the oppressive mood.

Vladimir sat grimly atop an engine hood, his eyes simmering with fury like magma beneath a volcano.

Anyone, whether familiar or not, could see at a glance how angry he was. As the leader of the Russian mob, it had been a long time since he'd felt such rage. Lately, the 'business' of Weasley Taxi had suffered severe blows.

Not long ago, a mysterious figure dressed in black had repeatedly disrupted their deals, causing trouble and making Fisk question Vladimir's competence.

Before he could address this problem, he heard that the vigilante had found an accomplice. Now, not only had the enemy grown in number, but their destructive power had multiplied.

At first, the black-clad vigilante acted chaotically, their clashes mostly accidental. But with a partner, their strikes against the Russian mob became targeted, as if they knew every detail of the organization's operations. Each move hit precisely at the mob's weaknesses.

Vladimir couldn't help but wonder whether they were truly impulsive 'street vigilantes' or agents sent by another organization specifically to destroy him.

Regardless, because of these two, the Russian mob's losses had exceeded half in the past month, and Vladimir's patience was nearly exhausted.

In that increasingly oppressive atmosphere, someone finally spoke.

"Boss, let me go see Fisk. If this keeps up, we'll lose all our territory."

It was Anatoly, Vladimir's brother and second-in-command. Right now, only he dared speak under Vladimir's wrath.

"Fisk?" Vladimir's eyes flashed dangerously, fixing his brother with a predatory glare. "This is my turf, my organization. Since when does Fisk call the shots?"

Anatoly opened his mouth, about to respond.

At that moment, a mocking voice echoed through the empty garage.

"Oh? But from what I hear, aren't you just Fisk's lapdog?"