Arknights' Lock of Heaven

An Suo is an exception. As a master thief, she is also well-informed and occasionally provides Chen with clues. Chen will then offer her sufficient or even excessive rewards.

But for a child living alone, it's all just a drop in the ocean.

Chen was also racking his brains trying to figure out how to protect this clueless thief girl.

They couldn't say it was their informant, otherwise everything would become unclear.

If he's your informant, why did he steal from the VIPs of Lungmen?

Although Lungmen's distrust is almost blatant, they can't just do things this way.

Xia Yu didn't care too much. Although the subtle mention of "big sister" had affected his mood, he wasn't about to hold a grudge against a young girl.

He's not that petty.

After all, he was just using her as a pawn, and on a whim, he wanted to see the slums.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to steal her own wallet.

But it's true...

Looking at the locked room, Xia Yu sighed inwardly, 'Even a house with bare walls couldn't be worse than this…'

The room, which was only a few square meters in size, contained only a cardboard bed covered with a worn but clean quilt.

Then there was the small cooking pot in the corner, a stove for lighting a fire, a bowl, and a pair of chopsticks.

And the cardboard box by the bedside was full of old books.

And that was it. There wasn't even a wardrobe; all the clothes were neatly folded and placed on the bed.

This is the house with the hidden lock.

An Suo's life was already quite good, considering he was a master thief and seemed to have a good relationship with Chen.

This is her home, this is her life.

While Chen was racking her brains trying to figure out how to protect the hidden lock, Xia Yu silently walked up to her and took her wallet from the stolen goods.

"Now that the item has been found, the rest is up to the Guard Bureau."

"Let's skip the park and stuff, I'm a bit tired. Just take me back to the hotel."

Xia Yu dared not think about what kind of lives the other people in this slum lived.

He has always been a sentimental person.

After arriving in this world, he dedicated all his beautiful imaginations to the Yan Kingdom.

After all, isn't this country a replica of one's homeland in the world?

But reality gave him a harsh wake-up call.

It was only then that he remembered that the Yan Kingdom had an emperor.

This is a feudal country.

This is not the motherland that gave birth to and nurtured me.

All his hopes were misplaced.

He probably can never go back.

On the bus, Xia Yu watched the scenery outside the window gradually transition from low, dilapidated buildings to gleaming skyscrapers.

Looking at that bustling scene, which is no less prosperous than Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, it's like two extremes.

This is still a relatively good Longmen.

In Chen's words, the slums of Lentinium were hell.

That's just how terrible this world is.

Suffering permeated every corner of it.

Seemingly sensing his low spirits, Chen didn't say a word the whole way.

They returned to the hotel in silence.

Xia Yu locked herself in her room.

The facade of strength that was feigned was ultimately shattered by reality.

On that day, he realized clearly that he could never go back.

Even if this divinely created body can shatter the heavens, so what?

In the end, they still became homeless wanderers.

Ugh……

A soft sigh echoed in the room.

In the end... there's no going back...

Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it... It's easy to say, but...

Everything turned into a faint sigh.

The bright sunshine outside the window gradually faded with the sigh, and the drizzling rain, accompanied by a sorrowful breeze, covered the entire Longmen.

It was as if the whole world was weeping because of his heartbreak.

20. In the end, I still feel uneasy.

Kal'tsit felt a sense of helplessness she hadn't experienced in a long time.

She clearly only wanted to discuss something, so why did she run into this?

Seeing Xia Yu's worried face in front of her, Kal'tsit's heart stopped beating for a moment.

Ah, this damnably beautiful face...

Even the well-informed Kal'tsit was stunned by it.

-

“Dr. Kal'tsit,” Xia Yu straightened her appearance, sat down opposite her expressionlessly, and said calmly, “Do you miss your hometown?”

Homeland... A flicker of reverie crossed Kal'tsit's eyes... her homeland...

The daze lasted only a moment before she composed herself and said calmly, "Having been away from home for so many years, it's natural to miss it."

"So it's reasonable for me to reminisce in my room about that hometown I can probably never return to, right?"

“I understand,” Kal'tsit nodded in agreement, “It’s the homesickness of you Yan people.”

She didn't press Xia Yu for why she said she probably could never go back to her hometown.

Xia Yu raised an eyebrow but did not refute Kal'tsit's statement about the Yan Kingdom.

I probably can't go back to my hometown, so I'll just have the Yan Kingdom as a place to look forward to...

The two exchanged a knowing glance, keeping the events that had transpired in the room to themselves.

"I'd like to ask first," Xia Yu said seriously, "What could be so urgent that Dr. Kal'tsit would barge into my room without knocking?"

“I apologize for this; it was my rudeness,” Kal’tsit said gravely, brushing a stray hair behind her ear. “Something has happened at Rhodes Island that requires me to return and take charge.”

"Does that mean we're leaving Longmen right now?" Xia Yu didn't ask what it was about, but instead inquired about the negotiations.

"I heard you went to the slums today?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Kal'tsit's cool expression, but she did not answer his question directly.

"Can you tell me about your experiences in the slums?"

"What I've seen and heard..." Xia Yu thought for a moment, but decided to be frank, "I haven't seen what slums in other cities are like, just talking about Longmen..."

"It sucks!"

Yes, it was terrible. Regardless of whether the slums in other cities were even worse, that was Xia Yu's impression of the slums in Lungmen.

A hint of surprise flashed in Kal'tsit's eyes. "I've heard that the slums of Lungmen are known for their good order."

"Do you know why I went to the slums?" Xia Yu scoffed and continued, "Because my wallet was stolen by a petty thief."

"When I found her in the slums, I realized she was only a teenager..."

"She was a teenager living in a cramped room with almost no furniture. When she saw me come in, she obediently handed over all the stolen goods and pitifully tried to ask the soft-hearted inspector of the Royal Guard to plead for her!"

"Are you dissatisfied with the Royal Guard?" Kal'tsit's eyes flashed with a glint of light. "Because they protected that thief?"

“No,” Xia Yu shook her head, “I’m dissatisfied with this city.”

"Teenagers in my hometown should be enjoying their youth in compulsory education schools, instead of living in cramped rooms and worrying about what to eat for their next meal every day."

"This isn't some remote mountain area, it's a top-tier metropolis!"

"As a first-tier city, it's amazing that it can tolerate a certain area being ruled by so-called gangs," Xia Yu still remembers the curious looks on the faces of the people returning from work when she left the slums and saw the Guard Bureau's vehicles.

This suggests that the Imperial Guard doesn't come here often.

"Without a complete social welfare system, even the simple social order is riddled with holes..."

"This city is terrible."