Exiled!? Ha! I have An Infinite Space-Chapter 92 -

After everyone had eaten their fill, the table did not become quiet immediately. Instead, the sound of light conversation slowly replaced the clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

Master Fu wiped his hands gently before looking toward Mr. An.

"You mentioned earlier that you have been here for some time," he said calmly. "How long has it been?"

Mr. An nodded and answered without hesitation.

"It has been two years."

Those words made a few people pause.

Fu Tong leaned back slightly and let out a soft whistle.

"Two years? That means you already understand this place very well," he said.

An Li smiled from the side.

"Understand is a big word," she said. "Let us just say we have learned how to survive."

Madame An gave a small nod.

"When we first came here, it was very difficult," she said. "We did not know how things worked, and we trusted people too easily."

"We were cheated many times," An Li added openly, not looking embarrassed at all. "Especially in the market."

Fu Li shook her head.

"That does not surprise me."

Fu Fei looked thoughtful.

"So how did you manage after that?"

This time, An Yu spoke. His voice was calm and steady, carrying clearly without being loud.

"You learn quickly... or you keep suffering," he said. "After a while, you begin to see who to trust and who to avoid."

Master Fu nodded slowly.

"That is true."

Mr. An then turned his attention toward them.

"And your family?" he asked. "What brought you here?"

For a brief moment, the table grew quiet.

Fu Tong clicked his tongue lightly before answering.

"Our family offended the wrong people," he said. "That is all there is to it."

Madame Fu gave him a small look, but she did not interrupt.

Mr. An nodded as if he already understood.

"That is how most people end up here."

An Li leaned forward slightly, resting her arm on the table.

"At least your whole family came together," she said. "Some people do not even have that."

Bai Ming let out a soft laugh.

"I would not call this fortunate," she said.

An Li shrugged.

"It could still be worse."

That made Fu Li smile faintly.

"That is true."

The conversation became lighter after that. Small jokes were exchanged, and even Fu Tong added a few comments that made the others laugh. The heavy feeling from earlier slowly disappeared, replaced by something more natural.

But not everyone joined in.

Fu Teng remained quiet the entire time.

He ate slowly, keeping his head slightly lowered, only responding when someone spoke directly to him. Even then, his answers were short and careful.

I noticed it.

Especially when An Yu spoke earlier.

Fu Teng did not look at him even once.

Not even by accident.

It was too deliberate.

I watched him for a brief moment before looking away.

Soon, the meal came to an end.

Bowls were emptied and set aside, and people began to stand up one after another.

Mr. An rose first.

"We should not stay too long," he said. "You all need rest."

Madame An stood beside him.

"Thank you for the meal," she added warmly.

Madame Fu nodded.

"You are welcome. Come again."

They exchanged a few final words before leaving the courtyard together.

After they left, the space felt quieter, but not empty.

The younger ones were still around.

Fu Li stood up and stretched slightly before turning to An Nuan.

"Do you want to come inside?" she asked. "I want to show you something."

An Nuan blinked, then smiled softly.

"Alright."

The two of them walked inside together.

Fu Tong watched them for a moment before quickly standing up.

"I will go too," he said.

From inside, Fu Li’s voice immediately followed.

"You are not needed!"

Fu Tong ignored her and went in anyway.

Bai Ming then turned toward the children.

"Come," she said gently. "It is time to rest."

Fu Qin and Fu Lin followed her obediently, while Fu Jin and Fu Jun took a little longer, still reluctant to stop playing, but they eventually went inside as well.

Master Fu was helped up carefully and taken in.

At the table, Madame Fu and Fu Fei began clearing the dishes.

"We will take care of this," Madame Fu said.

Fu Fei nodded and started gathering the bowls.

They carried everything into the kitchen, and soon the sound of water and quiet movement could be heard again.

Little by little, the courtyard emptied.

In the end, only a few of us remained.

Me.

Fu Sheng.

Fu Teng.

An Li.

And An Yu.

The night had settled fully now, and the soft light from the candles flickered gently across the courtyard.

Before anyone could say anything—

Fu Teng suddenly stood up.

No one had noticed when he finished eating.

"I will go and rest," he said.

His voice was calm, without any change in tone.

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked inside.

An Yu’s gaze followed him.

It was brief.

Very brief.

But it was there.

Then he looked away as if nothing had happened.

I saw it clearly... something was definitely going on and I would make sure I find out.

For a short while after Fu Teng left, no one spoke.

But An Li was the first to break the silence.

She leaned slightly forward, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at me.

"You really surprised everyone today," she said. "Bringing out that gold like that... do you always do things this boldly?"

Her tone carried curiosity, but also a bit of admiration.

I smiled faintly.

"Only when it is necessary," I replied.

She laughed softly.

"That kind of ’necessary’ is dangerous here," she said. "You already know that, right?"

"I do," I answered calmly.

She studied me for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Good," she said. "Because people here remember things like that."

Her eyes shifted slightly toward Fu Sheng.

"And they also test people like you."

Fu Sheng did not look surprised.

"We are aware," he said simply.

An Li nodded again, as if satisfied with that answer.

Then she leaned back slightly, stretching her arms behind her in a relaxed manner.

"Still... it is not a bad thing," she added. "At least now no one will think you are easy to deal with."

"That depends," I said. "Some people may think the opposite."

An Li smiled.

"That is also true."

Her gaze turned toward An Yu for a moment before returning to us.

"But that is why people form their own groups here," she continued. "No one survives alone for long."

Fu Sheng spoke this time.

"You mean alliances."

"Yes," she said immediately. "Not the official kind. Just... people who can stand together when something happens."

I nodded slightly.

"That makes sense."

She watched my expression closely, as if trying to see how much I understood.

"You should think about it early," she said. "Waiting until something happens is already too late."

"I know," I replied.

She seemed satisfied with that.

An Li looked at me for a moment longer, as if deciding whether to continue or not. Then she shifted slightly in her seat and rested her elbow on the table.

"Since you already understand that much," she said, "then you should also know that surviving here is not just about having money."

Her tone was no longer playful. It had become more serious.

"It is about what you can build."

Fu Sheng’s attention stayed on her.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

An Li did not answer immediately. Instead, she glanced at An Yu, then back at us.

"There are a few things that matter here," she said slowly. "If you have them, people will think twice before touching you."

I leaned forward slightly.

"Go on."

She raised one finger.

"First... you need a steady source of income," she said. "Not just money you already have. Something that keeps bringing money in."

"That is obvious," Fu Sheng said.

An Li nodded.

"Yes, but many people fail at it," she replied. "They come here with savings, spend it slowly, and then become nothing."

She raised a second finger.

"Second... you need people."

"People?" I asked.

"Men," she corrected. "People who will stand on your side when something happens."

Her eyes were steady.

"In this place, if ten people stand behind you, others will hesitate. If no one stands behind you, even children will bully you."

Fu Sheng did not respond, but I could tell he understood her point.

Then she raised a third finger.

"And third..." she said, her voice lowering slightly, "you need a name."

I tilted my head slightly.

"A name?"

"Yes," she said. "Something people recognize. Something they talk about."

She looked at us carefully.

"If people hear your name and feel uneasy, then you are safe."

Fu Sheng spoke again.

"And how does one get that kind of name?"

This time, An Yu answered.

"You do something people cannot ignore," he said calmly.

His voice was smooth, but his words carried weight.

"For example... defeat someone everyone fears."

The courtyard went quiet for a brief moment.

An Li nodded.

"There is a gang here," she said. "They call themselves Tiger Alley."

Her expression hardened slightly.

"They go around different units, collecting what they call ’tax.’"

Fu Sheng frowned.

"Tax?"

An Li let out a small scoff.

"There is nothing official about it," she said. "They just take money from people by force."

My eyes narrowed slightly.

"And no one stops them?"

"Who will stop them?" she asked. "The guards? They do not care. As long as things do not get out of control, they look the other way."

An Yu added calmly,

"They are led by a man who calls himself Bapo Li."

The name settled in the air.

"He has many men under him," An Li continued. "And he keeps expanding."

She looked directly at me.

"If someone stands against him and wins... everyone will know."

I did not respond immediately.

But I understood.

Very clearly.

Fu Sheng spoke after a moment.

"So you are saying... if we build income, gather people, and make a name for ourselves... we can stand firm here."

An Li nodded.

"That is the fastest way."

I leaned back slightly, my fingers tapping lightly against the table.

"And alliances?" I asked.

She smiled slightly.

"That comes after," she said. "Once people see your strength, they will come to you themselves."

An Yu added,

"Or they will try to remove you."

I smiled faintly.

"That is expected."

An Li looked at me again, her eyes sharp.

"You are not scared at all, are you?"

I met her gaze.

"Fear does not solve anything," I said.

For a moment, she held my gaze.

Then she smiled.

"I like that."

Fu Sheng remained quiet, but I could feel his thoughts turning.

I knew him well enough.

He was already thinking ahead.

Damn...surviving here will need me to get a journal!