I revived the Demonic Sect in North America

Li Ang was the first to bend down and crawl through the gap in the torn yellow warning tape.

Emily took a deep breath, but was choked by the stench again, and hurriedly followed with a pained expression.

The others followed suit and crawled into the archway at the entrance to the mouse hole.

The robust Justin lagged behind, still cursing under his breath.

He watched as everyone else went in, and waited for about ten seconds, but no screams or fighting sounds came from the passage.

He gritted his teeth and followed closely behind.

Upon entering the mouse hole, everyone immediately looked around like startled rabbits.

The inside of the passageway felt even more oppressive than the outside.

The lighting here is very dim, and the wall lights are broken.

Only a few rays of sunlight, seeping in from the gaps in the entrance behind and the overpass above, barely illuminated the surrounding mess.

The ground was rough cement, full of cracks and potholes.

It was filled with a dark, sticky liquid, I couldn't tell if it was rainwater or something else, and it was a bit sticky when I stepped on it.

The walls were also very worn and mottled.

Large patches of putty peeled off, revealing the bricks underneath, which were then covered with layers of graffiti.

Above us was the base of the viaduct, where massive concrete beams and crisscrossing steel pipes cast menacing shadows in the dim light.

Occasionally, a subway train would pass by, causing the entire passageway to vibrate slightly and dust to fall in clumps.

What's even more unsettling than the physical infrastructure here is the ubiquitous litter on the ground.

Broken glass bottles, crushed beer cans, greasy fried chicken buckets, syringes scattered everywhere...

In the corner stood several shacks made of cardboard and dirty blankets.

Next to one of the shacks, there were several bulging black garbage bags, emanating a strong, rancid smell of rotting food.

Inside the shack lay an old white man.

The old man, shirtless and wearing only a pair of filthy underwear, sat leaning against a pile of tattered blankets, clutching a dented beer can in his hand.

He was so thin he was skin and bones, with his ribs clearly visible, and his skin covered in dirt and unidentified patches.

When the students came in, the old man still had his eyes half-closed and did not react to the people who came in, as if he were a corpse.

This scene was too shocking.

Emily's face had long been pale from the stench in the cave, and now, looking at the appalling scene inside, her lips trembled slightly.

She gripped Li Ang's hand tightly, her voice trembling with tears:

"My God, Leon, is this hell? This is terrible!"

Li Ang squeezed Emily's hand back firmly, comforting her:

"Yes, Emily, our ideal is to purify these hells, and it is precisely because they are so terrible that our actions are all the more meaningful, aren't they?"

Justin's initial defiant spirit vanished completely upon entering the cave, leaving only shock and physical disgust on his face.

He stared at the old man lying dead in the shack, then at the several used syringes on the ground. Remembering the enhancement drugs he usually used, he swallowed hard and murmured:

"A generous gift from Shirtwaist..."

Jennifer, an Asian girl, was also shocked:

"This...this situation completely fails to meet basic public health standards...how could the municipal authorities allow such a place to exist?"

"The fact is, it does exist, and it exists right in the heart of New York City, less than twenty minutes by subway from Midtown Manhattan."

Li Ang lowered his voice and feigned indignation, saying:

"This is New York! The richest and most glamorous metropolis in the world! Can you imagine how bad things are in Detroit, in East St. Louis, in those outlying cities or small towns?! Do you still think that standing on the street handing out flyers is more meaningful than coming in and seeing it for yourself?"

The students fell silent.

Jennifer, the Asian girl, pursed her lips and glanced at the garbage and shacks again. Her eyes held less judgment and more heaviness.

Even the troublesome Justin turned his face away, unusually refraining from arguing with Li Ang.

Emily, who initiated the event, nodded vigorously and firmly agreed:

"You're right, Leon. Thanks to you for leading us here, we can truly understand what a great undertaking the homeless shelter project is! We must do something for these people... especially that old man over there..."

Emily pointed to the dying old white man in the shack:

"Li Ang, he looks like he's about to die. Shouldn't we help him first?"

"I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush, Emily!"

Li Ang shook his head, his gaze sharp as he looked into the depths of the passage, and calmly said:

"We know nothing about this place. Taking any rash actions could lead to unforeseen trouble."

Emily hesitated for a moment, then, seeing Li Ang's calm gaze, quickly asked again:

"So what should we do now?"

"I suggest we first explore the entire passageway to find out how many people are here, their approximate condition, and whether there are any more urgent dangers. Then, we can retreat and call the police or an ambulance, or contact a legitimate rescue organization. But the prerequisite is that we must ensure our own safety first, understand?"

Emily was already concerned about the team's safety, and when she heard Li Ang's words, she nodded hurriedly.

She turned to ask the others, and none of them had any objections.

"OK, then stick close to me and keep walking without making a sound."

Li Ang gestured for everyone to slow down and continue exploring.

The passageway stretched forward, and the light grew increasingly dim.

Foul stench, garbage, graffiti...

The situation is getting worse.

After walking about ten meters, the passage ahead made a sharp left turn.

Before he even turned the corner, Li Ang heard a noisy commotion coming from the other side and smelled a strong burning smell.

Li Ang stopped and raised his hand to signal the people behind him to stop.

He pressed himself against the wall, slowly peeked out, and looked around the corner.

In the passageway behind the corner, a bonfire was burning with broken wooden strips and waste paper.

The campfire was billowing smoke, with a blackened aluminum can resting on top.

Something seemed to be burning inside, emitting a wisp of smoky smoke with a sweet smell.

The flames were small, but enough to illuminate the six people sitting around the campfire.

Four men and two women.

The four men consisted of two Latino men and two Eastern European white men.

Both women were white women from Eastern Europe.

The six men were all young and naked.

The fabric they were wearing at that moment could not be pieced together to form a three-piece bikini.

One of the Latino men was carefully scraping some light brown powder from a crumpled foil packet with a knife and pouring it onto a small piece of clean foil.

Another Latino man held a shortened straw, one end pointing at the foil and the other end inserted into his nostril, sucking the powder on the foil directly into his nasal cavity.

He then made a face as if he had swallowed a whole tube of wasabi, excitedly shouting a string of Spanish words with a very high slang content.

The two Eastern European men next to him rolled up their sleeves, revealing their arms covered in needle marks.

The two men each tied a rubber tube tightly around their upper arms, and held a syringe already filled with murky liquid in their other hand.

He was squinting, searching for veins in his upper arm.

Two Eastern European women were leaning haphazardly against several men, their eyes unfocused and their faces flushed abnormally.

Scattered on the ground beside the six were more foil packets, empty glass bottles, used cotton swabs, and several flattened beer cans.