Infinite: Starting from Infiltrating Other Spaces

With Li Xia's eyesight, he could clearly see that the cramped shacks were made of broken wooden planks, rusty iron sheets, and scraps of discarded building materials.

These densely packed areas covered the entire region, like a festering sore on the edge of the city.

The three little ones were equally shocked by what they saw. It wasn't that they hadn't seen a world worse than this before; Black Descending Star and the Stone Clan were much worse off, but that was when everyone was suffering, and there was never such a stark contrast.

They live like they're in the 24th century on one hand, and like they're in a slum in the 1800s on the other.

Li Xia's gaze fell on the exquisitely embroidered clothes she was wearing, and her expression changed. She called out to the ordinary employee next to her.

Give me your clothes.

The person who was called out was taken aback, but faced with the notoriously capricious head of the Special Operations Department, he dared not resist in the slightest.

He decisively took off his employee jacket and handed it over.

"Go to the logistics department and get it again. Just say that I told you to."

Li Xia picked up the clothes and walked directly into the distance. He had a premonition that the answers to those vicious incidents that broke out in the back alley area also needed to be found in the back alley.

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Chapter 3 Flowing Ash Street

Li Xia changed into a coat, then borrowed a hat from another employee and headed outside.

After passing the bright and clean company building, I walked along the garden-like road for about one or two kilometers until I came to a high wall and gate at the end of the road.

Inside the small checkpoint, the heavily armed guards stood somewhat lazily, after all, it was very safe here, with extremely strong electric current flowing through the walls and the alloy gate capable of defending against most attacks.

Being a guard here feels more like a vacation.

The soldiers' lazy gazes swept over him, and when they saw his employee uniform, they were even less wary.

The company operates on a strict entry policy but a lenient exit policy; it's difficult to get in, but easy to get out.

Not to mention that some business within the company requires going out, and there is a lot of coming and going.

"Department, ID, and exit permit."

The guard yawned and said lazily.

"No."

"No?!"

The guard froze, his gaze falling on Li Xia's face. Suddenly, he was speechless, swallowing back the curse that was about to escape his lips.

He stomped his foot sharply, stood at attention, and shouted loudly:

"Your Excellency Minister, the K35 Passage Security Team salutes you!"

Whoosh!

The others reacted as if they'd been electrocuted, leaping from their chairs to a standing position, or snapping to attention. They jogged over and quickly lined up neatly in front of Li Xia.

He clenched his right fist and pounded it heavily on his chest, then flung it to the side. His face was serious, but he was extremely flustered inside.

This legendary, capricious, and tyrannical head of the Special Operations Department wielded immense authority throughout the company.

He also had the authority to purge internal members and eliminate employees who violated company regulations; countless people have died at his hands.

He suddenly arrived at this inconspicuous checkpoint; could it be...?

The group grew increasingly panicked, and some even began to tremble.

Li Xia took in the expressions and fears of these people, and his image of the minister became clearer and clearer in his mind.

He said coldly, "Open the door."

"Yes!"

The gate slowly slid open to both sides, and the entire team stood on both sides, their posture straighter than ever before, with a joy akin to surviving a catastrophe, watching Li Xia walk out of the gate.

I survived...that's great...

................

Separated only by a wall, the scenery on both sides is completely different; the original greenery and clean roads have vanished.

Instead, there are uneven roads and dilapidated brick buildings, and the signs on both sides of the road look somewhat faded.

There were quite a few people on the street, and even though their clothes were a bit worn, they were very clean.

There seems to be a kind of... effort to appear respectable.

As Li Xia walked down the road, people around him looked at his company uniform with envy.

Clearly, even the lowest-level company employees have a job that these people dream of.

"Meow--"

Black Charcoal's voice came through the team channel; it had seen a report in the office earlier.

The topic was something like 'The impact of employee recruitment on life in the middle district'.

Aowu looked at the shops on both sides, most of which were clothing stores, restaurants, repair shops, and hair salons.

Occasionally you can also see places like tutoring centers or small clinics.

"So, the people living here are all middle-class employees who rely on company orders for their livelihood?"

"Meow! (According to the report)"

"It is quite similar to the former Immortal Palace. Disciples who enter my Immortal Palace can have their families live under the Immortal Palace."

Li Huodan said with some pride:

"But these families live extremely well. The supplies and money distributed by the Celestial Palace every ten days are very generous, so they don't need to be so frugal."

Li Xia didn't speak, but just watched silently as she continued walking along the road, while the three little ones and Li Huodan kept discussing in the team channel.

Valuable information can be gathered, but such information is rare and cannot be gathered simply by glancing at it.

"Sir! Sir?"

A trembling voice called out to him, and Li Xia stopped and turned his head to look to the side.

Inside a small shop facing the street, the door was half-closed, and a little girl who didn't look very big was holding onto the door frame, with only her head showing.

Seeing Li Xia looking at him, he forced a fawning and stiff 'fawning smile' onto his pale face, which clearly showed his weakness.

"Sir, would you like to...want to come and have some fun?"

She clung to the doorframe, pulled open the faded, patched, and obviously ill-fitting nightgown, revealing her thin, reed-like figure.

"Whatever you want—anything is fine with me~~"

The three little ones were stunned. They stared at her exposed body, covered in wounds of varying depths and ages, so thin that her ribs were visible, and fell into silence.

Seeing the group remain silent, the girl grew increasingly anxious. She awkwardly twisted her body and licked her chapped lips.

"Only 20 yuan, no—15 yuan...10 yuan!"

Li Xia was silent for a while, then walked directly into the room. Suddenly, everything went dark. The room wasn't big; it was more like a small cubicle created by sealing off a passageway between two buildings.

The room was filled with what could be described as trash.

The only relatively clean area was a worn-out mattress in the room, and at the far end of the room lay a emaciated woman.

If it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest, he could easily be mistaken for a dead man.

The girl noticed Li Xia's gaze falling on the woman. She quickly walked over, supporting herself against the wall, and pulled up a tattered cloth tied with thin rope to partially cover her figure.

"Sir... let's... let's begin..."

"Need not."

Li Xia looked around, found something that could barely serve as a chair, pulled it over, and sat down.

"Awoo."

The three little ones immediately stepped forward, took out water and food from their personal space, and placed them in front of the little girl. She was stunned for a moment, swallowed her saliva, and looked at the exquisite food but dared not touch it.

Her gaze swept across Li Xia's face, but the aroma of the food was too tempting, and she finally couldn't resist. She picked up the water and carefully took a sip.

Her eyes lit up, and she stumbled to her feet, took the water behind the curtain, and carefully fed the child.

"Alas, the oil has run out and the lamp is burning out; there's no way to save him."

Aowu shook his head and sighed. That woman should have died long ago, but for some reason she was still clinging to life, as if some force was forcibly holding her back.

But both his spirit and soul seemed to have vanished, a state that even the apostle's instant recovery potion couldn't cure.

"Meow----"

Black Charcoal's ears drooped, and the support cat's emotions were exceptionally rich. Fighting for protection, it had witnessed far too many tragic worlds along the way.

"That's normal."

Li Xia rubbed Hei Tan's head: "Because a harmonious and beautiful world has no conflict, there is no benefit, so the Temple of Light will not send apostles there."

Only a miserable and dark world can breed the greatest profit; the apostles follow darkness and live for profit.

"Actually, the second-tier Arcane Dynasty was quite good. The Holy King was a real man, and the common people lived very well. It's a pity that it all disappeared in the end."

Aowu shook his head: "And the one about the world war, ordinary people can survive there too. The pink-haired guy's dad is a pretty awesome emperor."

They chatted casually in the team channel, without the slightest impatience; the long journey had hardened their spirits to the point of being as tough as iron.

But his emotions remained abundant. Even the weakest creature could give birth to a brilliant light. Li Xia never regarded himself as a god who transcended mortals.

They were just travelers.

The little girl stumbled out again, grabbing food and stuffing it into her mouth, unwilling to put it down even as she choked until her face turned red.

Aowu didn't give much food, just the amount for a normal person's meal, but it was still quite a lot for a child.

In just a short while, the whole thing was gone. To the astonishment of the three little ones, the little girl's face visibly regained a healthy glow.

Although he still had the same thin body as before, he no longer looked so frail.

Ok?

Li Xia's gaze sharpened and fell on her. Perhaps she was too weak before, which masked the abnormality in her body. Now, upon closer inspection, he could indeed detect the difference.

It must have undergone some kind of enhancement?

This enhancement results in her absorbing food differently than ordinary people, with extremely high conversion efficiency and speed.

As she pondered, the girl stood up, nervously clutching the hem of her clothes, and mustered her courage to stammer:

"Thank you... thank you, but you've given me too much. I—I can stay with you for five days..."

"I don't need you to accompany me, but I'd like to hire you to show me around the Third District."

Li Xia said gently:

"The compensation... is like that meal we just had, three meals a day. How does that sound?"

The girl's eyes lit up, and she nodded frantically, as if afraid Li Xia would change his mind:

"Thank you, sir! You are the most generous and kind man I have ever met. May the light of the Primordial Order protect you!"

She found something that could be considered clothing from a pile of rubbish nearby and put it on.

He pulled out another pair of nearly worn-out shoes, stood up, and bowed like an adult:

"Sir, where would you like to go for a stroll? If you're looking for something delicious, I recommend Old Jiss's meat pies. They're so fragrant you'll want to swallow your tongue. I've had them once."

I still dream about it even now!

If you want a drink, Sarah's cocktails are the best on the block. They say hers are diluted with the least amount of water, and if you order two or more, you can touch her breasts, which are as big as a cow's—"

She paused abruptly, then looked down at her withered body with a sense of dejection.

Then he rallied again and straightened his body:

"In short, there's no place on this street that I, Tina, don't know well!"

Li Xia stood up and smiled slightly:

"That's for the best!"