Exiled!? Ha! I have An Infinite Space-Chapter 106 -

An Li slowed her steps as we turned into a quieter path, and the surroundings changed in a way that was easy to notice without needing to think too much about it.

The houses here were older, the walls looked worn, and the ground showed signs that fewer people passed through this area unless they truly had to.

"This is Unit 48," she said as she looked ahead, her tone calm. "The shelter house is just in front."

We followed her until she stopped at a simple wooden gate that looked like it had been repaired many times but never properly fixed.

"This is the place," she added before pushing the gate open.

Inside, the courtyard was small and plain, with no extra things placed around to make it comfortable. A few boys were already working, and none of them looked idle. One carried a bucket of water, another was cutting small pieces of wood, while two others were sorting what looked like dried leaves or herbs.

The moment we stepped in, they all noticed us.

Their movements slowed.

Their eyes turned toward us.

There was no greeting.

Only silence and watchfulness.

One of them stepped forward.

He looked slightly older than the rest, his posture straight, his expression controlled. It was not hard to tell that he was the eldest among them.

"Who are you looking for?" he asked.

An Li stepped forward first.

"We came to see your mother," she said.

The boy looked at her for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"I will call her," he said before turning and walking inside.

The others did not move away.

Even as they returned to what they were doing, it was clear they were still paying attention to us.

At the side, three girls stood together.

They looked around fifteen, their clothes simple and worn, but their posture neat. They did not speak, but their eyes followed every movement carefully.

Fu Sheng stood beside me and spoke quietly.

"They are alert," he said.

"Yes," I replied. "They have to be."

After a short while, a woman stepped out.

Her clothes were plain, and there were clear signs of fatigue on her face, but her expression was steady, and there was nothing weak about the way she stood.

She looked at An Li first.

"You came," she said.

An Li nodded.

"I did," she replied.

Then she gestured toward us.

"They came to speak with you," she added.

The woman’s gaze shifted to me and Fu Sheng.

She did not greet us.

She did not smile.

"What do you need?" she asked.

I stepped forward slightly.

"We have land," I said. "We are looking for people to work on it."

She did not respond immediately.

Her eyes moved briefly past us, toward the boys behind, then returned to me.

"What kind of work?" she asked.

"Clearing land, preparing the soil, and planting later," I replied.

"And the payment?" she asked.

"There will be payment," I said. "And food."

There was a slight pause.

I could feel it.

The boys behind us had gone quieter.

Not because they stopped working.

But because they were listening.

Carefully.

The woman noticed it too.

Her eyes shifted slightly, then returned to me.

"Many people promise food," she said. "Not all of them keep their word."

Her voice was not harsh.

But it was firm.

Fu Sheng stepped forward.

"We are not here to make empty promises," he said. "We need people who will stay and work properly, not people who will leave after a few days."

The woman looked at him.

"And why should I believe that?" she asked.

There was no hesitation in her question.

Fu Sheng did not answer immediately.

Instead, I spoke.

"You do not need to believe it now," I said. "You only need to decide if you are willing to try."

She held my gaze.

I continued.

"We are not asking for all of them," I said. "Only those who are willing."

Her expression did not soften.

"If they go with you and things do not work out," she said, "what happens to them?"

"They return," I replied.

"And the time they lost?" she asked.

"They gain experience," I said.

She frowned slightly.

"That does not feed a family," she said.

I nodded.

"You are right," I said. "That is why we are offering both food and payment."

She stayed quiet.

Behind us, I could hear faint movement.

The boys had stopped pretending not to listen.

Even the eldest had come closer, though he did not interrupt.

The woman noticed.

She turned slightly.

"Continue your work," she said.

They moved again.

But slower.

Still listening.

She looked back at me.

"You speak well," she said. "But speaking is easy."

I did not disagree.

"That is why we are here in person," I said. "If we wanted to lie, we would not come ourselves."

She studied me carefully.

Then she asked,

"How many do you need?"

"Five to start," I replied.

Her brows moved slightly.

"Not all of them?" she asked.

"No," I said.

There was a pause.

Then she called out,

"Who wants to go?"

This time—

No one rushed forward.

The boys looked at each other first.

Then slowly—

The eldest stepped forward.

"I will go," he said.

Another followed.

Then another.

One by one, five of them stepped out.

Not out of desperation.

But after thinking.

The woman watched them.

Her expression changed slightly.

Not softer.

But more serious.

"You understand what you are agreeing to?" she asked them.

"Yes," the eldest replied.

She nodded slowly.

Then she turned back to me.

"I will allow it," she said. "But I will not send all of them."

"That is fine," I replied.

"If anything goes wrong," she added, "they come back immediately."

"They will," I said.

There was a short silence.

Then she nodded once.

"That is enough," she said.

We stepped aside after that.

An Li looked at me.

"You handled that well," she said quietly.

I did not respond to that.

Instead, I looked at the boys again.

"They will work," I said.

"Yes," she replied. "They will."

Then she added,

"When I return, I will look for a matchmaker."

I turned to her.

"For Fu Teng and Fu Tong," she said.

Fu Sheng looked at her.

"You can find one?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "I know people here who do that."

She paused slightly.

"They will not move for free," she added.

"That is expected," I said.

She nodded.

"I will speak to them," she said. "But you should prepare yourselves."

"For what?" Fu Sheng asked.

"For quick decisions," she replied.

I understood what she meant.

Time was already moving.