"Noll, what should we name our son?" asked Basali.
The obese man stroked Basali's swollen belly and chest, drawling lazily, "We can name the child after it's born. No rush."
Basali fought back her nausea, silently cursing, "You fat pig! One day I'll kill you." She rolled over and stood up, feigning coyness. "I knew you didn't care about this baby!"
The fat man laughed. "Why don't you choose a name? You're a teacher—more cultured than I am."
While they were exchanging playful banter, someone entered. The man asked, "Sean, what is it?"
"Colonel, someone outside wishes to see you."
This Sean was the same one who had delivered intelligence to Alena. He and Basali certainly knew each other, but both tacitly maintained their covers, revealing nothing.
When Sean returned to his room and closed the door, a woman appeared. "When do we make our move?" she asked.
"Captain, tomorrow the Colonel is attending a meeting. I'll be opening his car door. Once he enters, you follow inside. After we start driving, I'll find a way to stop the car mid-route. That's when you'll strike."
The woman was Uwa. She planned to use her invisibility cloak to assassinate this high-ranking official.
The next day, everything initially proceeded according to plan. Sean opened the door, and the Colonel entered the car. But Uwa miscalculated—she held her breath too early. By the time she entered the vehicle, she suddenly became visible. The obese man jumped in shock, shouting, "Who are you?"
Uwa was catching her breath and hesitated momentarily. The man leapt from the car, yelling, "Assassin!" Guards immediately surrounded the vehicle.
Seeing that they were exposed, Sean pulled the driver out and took control. Fortunately, the car was bulletproof. He rammed through two guards blocking the way and sped forward. Bullets pummeled the rear window with loud pings. The main gate had been closed, but he floored the accelerator and crashed through—the car was remarkably sturdy, breaking the iron gate with a single impact.
Within moments, four or five vehicles were in pursuit. Sean told Uwa, "When I find a chance to stop, turn invisible and escape. I'll lead them away."
Uwa responded decisively: "Understood!"
All warriors from the Greenway Orphanage were prepared to die. Each was willing to sacrifice their life for the cause. Since Uwa was far more valuable, Sean drove toward smaller roads. At one sharp turn, he suddenly slammed on the brakes. Uwa seized the opportunity to exit the vehicle—the entire process took just five seconds.
The pursuers, thinking the car had run out of fuel, were momentarily elated. But then the car started moving again. "Why did they stop just now?" one Illuminati team member asked.
The driver replied, "Maybe some small animal ran across the road?"
Uwa initially intended to return and complete the assassination, but she didn't know the way. In this country, Sean was her only contact. She would have to wait for him to escape before trying again.
This was Uwa's first failure. During her previous six operations, she had successfully completed every mission, enabling three operatives to replace their targets seamlessly. After waiting three days with no word from Sean, she assumed he'd been captured. Even returning to assassinate the obese man would be pointless now.
She decided to return to Thailand, but she couldn't read and had never purchased a ticket before—she'd always been accompanied by others. Upon finally reaching the airport, while searching for the ticket counter, someone called from behind: "Uwa, is that you? It's been so long!"
"You!" Uwa was stunned.
The newcomer was a man named Rick. They had once stayed together at a motel and begged for food together. They had even run a restaurant together. Rick had gone bankrupt a few years ago and now survived by scamming people at the airport. Uwa was somewhat emotional seeing him—they hadn't met in over twenty years.
"Do you have any money?" Rick asked.
"How much do you need?" Uwa began to reach for her wallet.
Rick snatched it from her hands. "I'll take all of it!" He turned and ran before she could protest.
Uwa immediately gave chase. She was no longer the naive girl she once was. "Rick, stop right there!" she shouted as she pursued him.
Hearing her voice, he ran even faster. Their chase continued for three kilometers beyond the airport. As Uwa's anger rose, she pulled out a gun and called, "Stop running or I'll shoot!"
Rick didn't stop, replying without looking back, "I don't believe you actually have a gun!"
The moment those words left his mouth, a gunshot rang out. Uwa's bullet struck his leg, sending him stumbling to the ground.
"Do you believe me now?" Uwa asked furiously. As she bent down to retrieve her wallet, Rick pulled out a knife and stabbed her in the chest. Uwa cried out and collapsed.
When she regained consciousness, she was in a hospital. A Good Samaritan had brought her in, but her wallet was gone—fortunately, her invisibility cloak remained. She spent a week recovering, and having no money to pay her medical bills, she was kept on as a hospital worker. She could have escaped, but chose not to. Greenway Orphanage had sent a replacement for Sean, giving her a new mission requiring her continued presence in the country. The new agent was a strikingly beautiful young woman—the type men were instantly attracted to.
De Silva had been deeply troubled lately. Two women had betrayed him simultaneously, and his invention had proven completely useless. Noticing this, Alena asked, "Brother, what's wrong? You've been so dispirited lately."
De Silva sighed deeply. "Am I a failure? I can't seem to do anything right."
"Why would you say that?"
"I just can't understand how Caroline could betray me too. And here we are on this farm, doing nothing day after day, feeling increasingly distant from our goal."
"Yes, the Illuminati have grown stronger since absorbing the city-state. They're not easy to defeat. But Mr. Simon says we're just one small part of all the groups resisting the Illuminati. He wants us to wait patiently for an opportunity."
"What kind of opportunity?"
"I don't know. He hasn't told me, but I sense he knows a great deal."
"You trust him a lot, don't you?"
Alena's face reddened slightly as she lowered her head with a soft "Mmm."
They fell silent for a moment. After half a minute, De Silva asked, "You're twenty-eight this year, right?"
"Yes, brother."
"In ten years, I'll give you something special."
"What is it?" Alena asked excitedly.
De Silva replied mysteriously, "You'll find out when the time comes."
"Brother, can't you tell me now? You're keeping me in suspense."
"Do you know why I look so young?"
"Ah! Do you have some secret? I always thought you just had youthful features."