Watching the girl vanish in a puff of smoke, Lian Kong smiled and disappeared. The girl skillfully traversed several streets and returned to a place resembling a slum. Seeing her familiar home, she gradually slowed her pace. "Dammit, what am I going to do about the food I promised everyone tonight?" she muttered to herself.
"Sister Xinya, you're back!" Just then, a little girl from the slum ran up to her with a smile.
"I'm sorry, I messed up today. I'll find another way for dinner," the girl named Xinya comforted the child, stroking her head.
"Sorry to interrupt you both, but you dropped this bag in your haste earlier. It took me quite an effort to catch up to you," Lian Kong suddenly appeared, feigning ignorance while holding a large bag.
"It's you?! Why are you here again?" Xinya stared at him warily, preparing to grab the little girl and flee.
"Don't worry, I am no villain. I am simply returning your belongings. I won't disturb you further," Lian Kong said. After forcing the bag into Xinya's hands, he left with a smile.
"Sister Xinya, do you know him?" the little girl asked, puzzled. Xinya remained silent. After Lian Kong had gone, she opened the bag to find it filled with high-end food, with a few coins tucked at the bottom.
"This guy..." Xinya exclaimed in shock at the contents.
"Awesome! Sister Xinya got so much delicious food!" The little girl cheered happily at the sight of the full bag.
Xinya, unsure of how to explain, felt doubts racing through her mind. After a moment of thought, she decided to roll with it and treat the items as her own "haul" to share with the slum residents.
"We're back! Sister Xinya got a lot of good food today!" the little girl shouted, leading the way and bragging.
"Fuzi, you ran out of the district without permission again! What if you met a bad person?" Before Xinya could explain, Fuzi was scolded by her mother.
"Don't worry, Auntie, didn't she come back with me? Here is the food we got today—please help me carry it to the canteen," Xinya greeted Fuzi's mother with a smile.
"Sigh, it's really a shame that we have to rely on you young people to toil every day," Fuzi's mother said apologetically.
"This is just daily work for us. It's getting late, and the others should be back soon. Let's finish what we can first," Xinya suggested, and Fuzi's mother readily agreed.
The two carried the food into the kitchen. "Your harvest today is wonderful!" the cook praised upon seeing the bag. On this planet, while the civilization is slightly more advanced than Earth's, its moral development is similar to that of Guangyue Star—top-tier elites control absolute resources and exploit the lower classes. The wealth gap is appalling. In the suburbs of this prosperous city lies this slum.
Xinya grew up here; her father died in a work accident when she was young, and her mother passed away from illness a few years ago. Now alone, she joined the Slum Material Procurement Committee and serves as the Vice Captain of the Slum Defense Department, responsible for obtaining daily supplies and monitoring drifters. Although the government occasionally distributes free food to appease the restless public, it is never enough. Other slums also compete for these rations. Today, she was nearly caught for stealing excess supplies but was rescued by Lian Kong. As a God Master, Lian Kong already knew everything about her situation, while Xinya remained curious and wary of this mysterious man.
"We're back! Not much luck today, just two boxes of dairy and some rye bread." Jessie, Ruta, Saiying, and Qili from the Procurement Committee entered the gate. They hold the same positions as Xinya, working from dawn to dusk to care for the slum, earning the deep respect of the residents.
"I managed to get all the food for today. This should last us two or three days," Xinya greeted them with a smile.
"Leave it to Xinya to find a way. We ran all the way to the neighboring city and couldn't find a thing," Saiying said with a weary face.
"I heard that some gangs have been sneaking into the slums at night to kidnap children and sell them to outer districts. We need to stay alert. I suggest increasing the night watch and screening any suspicious newcomers," Jessie said, pounding his shoulders.
"I've heard about that too. Many other districts have reported missing children. It will reach our district eventually, so it's best to prepare early," Ruta added.
"We can discuss this with the Captain in the next couple of days. It's late now, let's go eat," Xinya smiled and ushered everyone to the public canteen. To the west of the slum was a simple canteen converted from an old warehouse. Residents come here voluntarily for meals. After eating, the young and strong go out to work, while the old and young stay in the district, afraid to wander far. Each household pays a very low monthly fee for three meals, and those with no income are granted exemptions. Since this meager income cannot cover the food needs of the entire population, the Material Procurement Committee exists to obtain food through government relief scrambles and various "under-the-table" methods.
Having returned to the Divine Realm, Lian Kong continued to observe the girl with great interest.