In distant Thailand, Beyondbear was not faring well; he hadn't eaten for two days. Ludes had left without him, disliking that he ate too much and was big in size, which would easily make him a target.Beyondbear limped as he walked, a result of being beaten up by a group of people. He had entered a shop, not realizing it was a martial arts gym filled with aggressive fighters. As soon as he uttered the word "get out," , fists flew at his face. These people were incredibly fast and ganged up on him, leaving him defenseless. As he fled, someone stabbed him in the calf from behind, and the knife was still lodged in his leg when he escaped. Fortunately, his strong physique allowed the wound to heal within a few days, though it still hurt when he walked. This incident left him terrified, and he no longer dared to demand food forcefully, resorting instead to scavenging through garbage. He picked up a half-eaten chicken leg and chewed it voraciously, his strong teeth grinding even the bones, which he swallowed. This meager meal couldn't satisfy his hunger. As he continued searching, a stray dog approached and stared at him. Beyondbear, who feared people but not dogs, kicked the dog and shouted "get out,", sending it flying into a wall. Seeing the dog motionless, Beyondbear grabbed it by the tail and muttered, "This should be tasty." At sixteen, Beyondbear knew that eating raw food wasn't ideal, so he decided to cook the dog. He hid the dog behind a rock in the outskirts and went to find a source of fire. In a Thai temple, he found a lighter on a table and returned to the outskirts. He skinned the dog but left the entrails, then gathered wood to start a fire. The fur wasn't completely removed, and soon black smoke filled the air, accompanied by a foul smell that made Beyondbear cough uncontrollably. "This dog doesn't smell good at all!" he exclaimed. Once the fur burned off, a more pleasant aroma emerged. With this experience, Beyondbear began hunting stray dogs daily, eventually depleting the local population and facing hunger once more. One day, while wandering near a temple, he noticed people giving food to beggars at the entrance. He joined the line and received a piece of flatbread. Thus, he became a beggar, eating and sleeping around various temples, likely the tallest and youngest beggar in all of Thailand.
Time flew, and two years passed.Meanwhile, in Thailand, Uwa's "Group of Seven" established an orphanage named "Greenway Orphanage." While it appeared to be a charitable institution, its true purpose was to train spies to infiltrate the Illuminati. The orphanage was funded entirely by Suya, a mining magnate whose wealth was vast enough to support such an endeavor comfortably. Uwa could speak some Thai, and Jarat was primarily responsible for training orphans over sixteen. The orphanage housed over seventy children from around the world. After a year and a half of training, two students had successfully graduated. Bayu served as the director, while Uwa operated in the shadows, tasked with helping graduates infiltrate the Illuminati and eliminate adversaries, leveraging the power of the invisibility cloak.
In the future world, Catherine learned of Amandine's death through Suya and wept bitterly. "Amandine, why? Why didn't you listen to me?" Suya, filled with guilt, apologized, "I'm sorry, Miss Catherine. I failed to protect him." After a long pause, Catherine responded, "It's not your fault. I tried to force a change in history."
"Miss Catherine, I've always wanted to ask you this: if history cannot be changed, and the city-states ultimately defeat the Illuminati in the future, why do you intervene and do so much?"
"Before you sent Uwa to Amandine, the name Uwa didn't appear in history books. When they met, Uwa became the future leader of the Illuminati. You, me, Uwa, and Amandine have all become part of history." Suya pondered for a moment and noticed a flaw. "If you didn't know about Uwa, why did you ask me to send him to Amandine?"
"Because I knew Amandine would receive a baby, so I wanted to personally arrange for someone to deliver him."
"Was this baby chosen by you?"
"Yes, the first-generation invisibility cloak had flaws. It required someone with exceptional lung capacity to maximize its effectiveness, and Uwa was the perfect candidate."
"Why did you choose me?" Suya pressed.
Catherine chuckled, "Many people passed by, but you were the only woman who picked up the baby. Who else could I have chosen?"
"Does that mean someone else helped you find the baby before me?"
"Yes, that person was Bayu's father. I told him to find a woman to deliver the baby so Amandine wouldn't suspect anything. The time phone on the baby was also his."
"How did Bayu contact you later?" Suya continued to probe.
"My father launched over twenty thousand time drift bottles, averaging about twenty per timeline. In your timeline, I received twelve calls, two of which were picked up by the Illuminati. The remaining ten were from seven people who maintained regular contact, all of whom became wealthy individuals. You are the most successful among them. Bayu contacted me through Nat's family, as the two families are related."
Their conversation ended, and Catherine's companion, Enos, said, "Sister, I wish I could go back in time and eliminate all the Illuminati."
"Without a time machine, it's impossible. Now, we can only rely on Uwa and the others to avenge Amandine."
"Why not have Uwa assassinate Corey directly?"
"Corey is extremely cautious and hard to approach. Even if we killed him, the Illuminati would simply elect a new leader. We need to gradually replace their high - ranking leaders with our people over the next few years. By then, even if we don't kill him, his days will be numbered."
"So you want Uwa to eliminate anyone who stands in our way?"
Catherine nodded, "Yes, I hope everything proceeds smoothly."
Their conversation took place in the "Isolated Island Manor." Catherine, now in her eighties, didn't look a day over twenty, thanks to the "Telomere Rejuvenation Liquid" she developed using her father's formula four years prior. She was also expanding her influence, with significant help from her robot companion, Enos. A butler entered and announced, "Miss, a lady named 'Dan' wishes to see you."
"Why is she here?" Catherine murmured. "Let her in."
Dan, a contemporary of Catherine, appeared elderly, with age spots covering her face and a slow, shuffling gait. Catherine stood up quickly upon seeing her old friend, who now resembled a grandmother. "Dan, it's been so long. What brings you here?"
"Catherine, you haven't changed at all. You're as beautiful as ever. It seems Ronnie left you plenty of 'Telomere Rejuvenation Liquid.'"