Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

Tapu Village was a remnant of a city undergoing urbanization, typically a small village located near the city’s outskirts or at its center, often serving as a gathering place for migrant workers.

Amidst the towering high-rise buildings with illuminated windows, urban villages appeared somewhat incongruous within the bustling cities. The buildings were crowded, the roads had potholes, and the environment was poor.

Lilly held her father’s hand, gazing up at the buildings and observing the tangled mess of wires. In this place, people barely had time to attend to safety concerns while struggling to survive. The disorderly tangle of wires appeared incredibly hazardous.

Having just watched the surveillance video of the girl being electrocuted by high-voltage electricity, Josh felt an even greater sense of danger as he looked at the chaotic wires.

Blake remained calm and composed, holding Lilly's hand with one hand while casually placing the other in his pocket. He strolled until he reached a narrow alley nestled between two self-built houses.

The proximity of the two self-built houses made the alley extremely small, and when the sun was obstructed, it appeared dim and damp.

“Is this the place?” Lilly asked.

Blake nodded and replied, “Second floor.” Passersby cast curious glances at the unusual sight of the two children and their tall companion. Hannah and Zachary had to stay home as Bettany forced them to finish their homework.

The combination of Blake's towering stature and the strikingly beautiful children, along with their distinctively different clothing styles, made them stand out.

A middle-aged woman swiped the access card to open the door. Seeing that Blake intended to bring the two children inside, she asked cautiously, “Who are you looking for?” Blake smiled faintly and answered, “We're looking for Barry on the second floor, the electrician. We're his friends.” He believed that the middle-aged woman might not know Barry, but to his surprise, she responded, “You're looking for Mr. Stark! | haven't heard him mention having friends like you.” Blake murmured, “He’s not much of a talker, so it's normal that he didn’t mention us.” The middle-aged woman nodded, “That makes sense.” Lilly asked curiously, “Ma'am, are you close to Mr. Stark?” The middle-aged woman smiled and replied, “Yes, he’s a very nice person. He's an electrician and always helps the neighbors with any electrical issues they have. He always refused our payment and said that we're neighbors and there was no need to do 80." Most of the residents living here were couples who cannot afford their own homes. They have children, and their extended families came to help take care of them. So, the rent was affordable.

Or they were people who work in the city or run businesses nearby...

“Our building's landlord is very kind, so many of us have been tenants here for a long time. After living here for a while, everyone gets to know each other. We often greet each other when we go downstairs to buy groceries or take a stroll.” Lilly exclaimed, “That's nice!” Blake added, “It’s quite good. Neighborly relationships in the city are not as strong as in a village. Your community has a good bond.” As they conversed, the middle-aged woman had already reached the second floor. She nodded and said, “Alright, we've arrived, their home is at the end of this corridor.” Lilly thanked the woman, and she continued up the stairs.

“Knock! Knock!” Blake knocked on the door.

After a moment, someone inside asked, “Who is it?” Blake replied, “We're here to check on the water meter.” Lilly and Josh were confused.

The door creaked open, and a middle-aged woman poked her head out, looking puzzled. She asked, “Why are you checking the water meter? Didn't we just pay the rent?” The woman was taken aback by Blake and the two children standing at the door.

“Who are you?” she asked cautiously.

Two children ran out, babbling and tilting their heads curiously at Lilly and the others.

Soon, an elderly voice came from inside, “Keisha, who is it?” An elderly man appeared, leaning on a cane and trembling slightly.

Blake’s gaze dropped slightly as he glanced into the room, where he saw an elderly woman placing food on the table, and a young child sitting on a small dining chair, chewing on vegetables.

There were two elderly people, three children, and one woman.

Mr. Stark was not here.

Lilly spoke politely, “Hello, ma’am, we are looking for Mr. Stark. Is he at home?” The woman asked, “What do you want with him?” Blake replied, “We are his employers. He has been working in Diamond Tower in the city center recently. Today, we noticed something strange with the water meter and couldn’t reach him, so we came to check.” The elderly woman from inside the room also came out and said, “So you're Barry’s boss. Come in, come in, and have a seat!” The elderly man was very hospitable, and the middle-aged woman hurried to boil water.

Blake led Lilly and Josh into the room and took a seat.

While preparing tea, the woman apologized, saying, “I'm sorry, the house is a bit messy.” “Barry took a job in the surrounding villages and towns these past couple of days. Since the shopping mall over there closed down... he took on some private work...” It seemed that she was worried that the boss would not be happy about Barry's private work, so she spoke somewhat awkwardly.

Blake reassured her, saying, “That's alright. You're aware of the situation with the shopping mall, right?” The woman nodded, lowering her voice. “It's been all over the internet, and I've seen a lot about it too. It's really... well, it's so tragic. | asked Barry if he was working there that night and if he saw anything. But he never let us talk about it.” Blake's eyes flickered slightly in response.