This time, Beyondbear raised his hand, "Is there no food?"
"I'm sorry, sir, only minors are allowed to select one food item and one beverage daily from the self-service area. Adults don't have this privilege."
"What's a minor?" Beyondbear continued.
"Sir, you're quite the joker." Afraid that Beyondbear might embarrass himself, Ares tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Don't say anything. I'll get you food later."
While everyone was selecting clothing, Ares went to get food for Beyondbear. Their next stop was the Central District, where the first floor served as a dining hall. Seating areas surrounded the perimeter, accommodating up to 8,000 people dining simultaneously, with forty-four elevators providing direct access to all floors. In the center was "Dream Sea," an artificial lake six meters deep and one hundred fifty meters long, bordered by fine sand. Sunlight streamed through the glass ceiling onto the water's surface, providing ample natural light for the entire floor.
Everyone marveled at the sight of "Dream Sea."
"Master, look! There are women swimming in the sea," Beyondbear exclaimed.
"Beyondbear, those are little girls, not women."
It was now half past eleven in the morning. Candice clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "This is our final stop for today. You can dine here or in your own rooms. You can order food through the ordering system, which will deliver automatically. Please check your 'Big Butler' now and click on 'Accommodation.' The system will automatically assign each of you a single room. Tomorrow's schedule will be sent through your 'Big Butler.' My task is now complete. I wish you a pleasant life in the city-state. Goodbye!"
Since Ares was a minor, he and Beyondbear were assigned a double room. Following the guidance of their "Big Butler," they headed to room 22 on the ninth floor. They took elevator number eight and walked about thirty steps to reach their door. Just as they wondered how to enter, the door opened automatically.
"That's convenient," Ares muttered.
"Master, be careful! There might be assassins inside!" Beyondbear shouted anxiously.
Ares silently cursed him for being an idiot but said aloud, "Don't worry, I'm Buddha. No one can harm me."
He stepped inside. The double room was sixty square meters. The entrance led to a 1.5-meter-wide corridor. The first room off the corridor was a small bedroom measuring 2.5 by 4 meters, with a 2.5 by 2-meter bathroom next to it. Beyond the 6-meter corridor was a balcony—a 4-meter square covered with lush grass. Another bedroom was located on the opposite side.
Remembering they hadn't had lunch, Ares asked his wristwatch, "'Big Butler,' how do I order food?"
"Master, please look at the wall," the Big Butler responded.
Hearing this, Beyondbear angrily protested, "Why are you calling him master too?"
A moment later, a beautiful virtual waitress appeared on the balcony wall. "Hello, Ares! Welcome to the city-state's food ordering system. This is your first time using our system. Please select your cuisine. We offer eight types: Italian, French, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Mexican, and Greek. If you wish to change your preferences, please apply one week in advance."
"Master, who is this woman? She's beautiful," Beyondbear asked, pointing at the virtual waitress.
Ares was beginning to regret bringing Beyondbear to the city-state—the man was so talkative. He chose French cuisine for himself and, without consulting Beyondbear, selected the same for him. After eating, they lay down on the grassy balcony and fell asleep.
Today was November 15th. An entry ceremony would be held in the Northwest District's conference hall at 3 PM, presided over by the Holy Virgin from Zi City's "Dream Square." The city-states were named after the twelve Chinese zodiac hours: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, and Hai—twelve main cities in total. When all main cities were built, secondary cities would be named (Zi-2, Chou-2, Yin-2, Mao-2...), followed by tertiary cities (Zi-3, Chou-3, Yin-3...) and so on. Ares was in Yin City, one of the twelve main cities.
When Ares saw the new Holy Virgin on "Dream Square" through his screen, he couldn't help exclaiming, "Auntie!"
He recognized Alena immediately, having seen her photo before. Half a month earlier, recommended by Simon and after passing through multiple selection rounds, Alena had finally realized her dream of becoming the fourth Holy Virgin. However, she could only hold the position for three years, as the maximum age for a Holy Virgin was forty.
Although Uwa knew Amandine was dead, she still came to Bloemfontein, South Africa, twelve years later, hoping for a miracle. Wandering through the streets of this historic city, her emotions fluctuated—both hoping to see Amandine yet afraid of not knowing what to say if they met. Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure ahead. She ran forward and tapped the person's shoulder, calling out, "Brother!"
"Who are you?" the man asked as he turned around.
"I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else," Uwa quickly apologized.
A week later, she picked up her time phone in disappointment. "Sister, my brother is truly gone. I'll never see him again."
After a long silence, the voice on the other end finally spoke, "Uwa, I'm sorry I deceived you. But you must pull yourself together—our mission isn't complete yet."
Catherine was anxious. According to the history books, Corey should have been killed by Uwa six months ago, but he was still alive. Had history somehow changed?
"When will our mission be complete?" Uwa asked.
"When you kill Corey and become the new chairperson of the Illuminati."
"No, I don't want to be the chairperson."
"Fine, then you must at least kill Corey to avenge Amandine."
"That... I..."
In Mexico, North America, Corey lay on his deathbed, his life hanging by a thread. His illness had begun two years ago and had recently worsened. He was in a small building where he had been born. Two nurses and a doctor stood nearby. A middle-aged man entered, "Father, we're all here now. What did you want to tell us?"
Corey waved his hand gently, and the nurses and doctor left. Soon after, five people—both men and women—filed in. These were all his children. He began to speak slowly, "I founded the Illuminati when I was twenty-five. Back then, I attracted many young people with the slogan 'Advocate Science, Promote Righteousness.' As our numbers grew, I gradually lost my way and forgot my original purpose. It wasn't until six months ago, when I met someone, that I finally awakened—but it was too late. Now my life hangs in the balance, and I must rely on you to finish what I started."
"Father, what is your wish? We'll help you fulfill it," said the middle-aged man.
"Help me find someone."
"Who?"
"A woman named Uwa. Give her this letter." As Corey spoke, he took out a letter from beside his bed.
The middle-aged man accepted the letter and couldn't help asking, "Why do you need to find this woman?"