Ultraman: It turns out this is the easy mode.

The people at Agency S were distressed to learn that the assassin had failed.

The communication channel was deathly silent, broken only by a few aged voices sighing in unison, like a group of leaky bellows pulling simultaneously. They had received the final intelligence from the front lines—the assassins were wiped out, the sole survivor was in Cui Ming's hands, and now he probably confessed to everything, even how many times he wet the bed as a child. What did this mean? It meant that their moles in Third New Tokyo City had been completely wiped out, and that Cui Ming had a few more cards to play.

What kind of situation is this?!
Kiro Lorenz's voice came from the speakers, hoarse and slow, all of his usual composed demeanor gone, replaced by the exasperation of an old man cornered. They'd spent most of their lives scheming, treating the entire human world as a chessboard, only to have a madman suddenly appear who didn't play by the rules, not only overturning the table but also crushing their pieces one by one. What kind of nonsense was this? This was utterly unreasonable!
With fewer and fewer capable people left, the only option is to have Rokubun Gigendo continue working.

They took stock of their remaining manpower and found the situation to be dire. The spies sent to NERV headquarters had been purged, the assassins sent to carry out the assassination had been killed in turn, and even the spies planted in various governments were being closely monitored by the five liaison officers. After all that, only Liu Fenyiyuantang, the nominal commander of NERV, was barely alive. Although his quality of life was questionable, at least he had an official identity and was still at the poker table.

When Rokubungi Gendo, whose entire body was covered in bandages, saw the communication, he wanted to cry.

He lay on the hospital bed, his body wrapped in white bandages, like a mummy wrapped up tightly, with only his eyes and swollen mouth showing. The communicator by the bedside lit up red, and Kiro Lorenz's wrinkled old face appeared on the screen, ordering him in an unquestionable tone: Resume work immediately, return to NERV headquarters, and continue the struggle for control with Trevor.

Rokubungi Gendo stared at the screen, his eyes instantly reddening. He wanted to cry, he really wanted to cry; tears welled up in the gaps in his bandages, trickling down his cheeks and soaking his pillowcase.

Damn it! You teammates are terrible!!! Can't you just leave me alone?
He was screaming inwardly, and if he could open his mouth any wider, he would have unleashed every single swear word he'd ever learned. Those old bastards sitting in the stone circle, those useless cowards lurking in the shadows, did they even know what they were saying? Did they even know his condition? He was riddled with fractures, his face swollen like a pig's head, he'd just been scalded with dog urine, stung by wasps, beaten by security guards, and whipped into the ground by a monster's tail! And they still wanted him to work?!

I have my own steps and plans! You bastard!!!

Rokubungi Gendo gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly beneath the bandages that his nails dug into his palms. He had a plan, of course! He had intended to heal his injuries first, then secretly contact his old subordinates, slowly dismantle Cui Ming's power, and then find an opportunity to turn the tables. This required time, resources, and the cooperation of those incompetent allies, not just interference! But now? They were sending people to their deaths time and time again, repeatedly revealing their trump cards, repeatedly pushing him, their only remaining hope, into the fire!

"I'm not going, I'd rather die than go." Rokubungi Gendo spat out the words through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse as if being rubbed on sandpaper. "You guys go play with that monster yourselves. I'm resigning, I'm retiring."

On the screen, Kiro Lorenz smiled, revealing his gleaming white teeth. That smile chilled Rokubungi Gendo to the bone.

"Yuantang, you have no choice. You can either go back, or we'll treat you and send you back. Which do you choose?"

Rokubun Gigendo closed his eyes, two lines of tears sliding down his bandages. He felt that the biggest mistake of his life was meeting this bunch of incompetent teammates.

Just when Rokubun Gigendo was in despair because of their incompetent teammates.

He lay on the hospital bed, his body wrapped in bandages like a tightly bound mummy, only his eyes and swollen mouth visible. The red light from the communicator illuminated his purplish-blue face; Kiro Lorenz's wrinkled old face was incessantly chattering on the screen, ordering him in an unquestionable tone to immediately return to work and resume his struggle for control at NERV headquarters. Rokubungi Gendo wanted to argue, to curse, but only hoarse sobs escaped his throat, tears streaming down his face through the gaps in the bandages, soaking his pillowcase. He closed his eyes in despair, feeling that the biggest mistake of his life was meeting this bunch of incompetent teammates.

He had no idea that his son, Shinji Ikari, was practically treating Choi Myo-seo as his father.

In the corridor of NERV headquarters, Shinji Ikari, carrying a training report, followed closely behind Choi Michi. His gaze fell on Choi Michi's broad back, his dark uniform impeccably tailored, his shoulders steady, each step firm and powerful. Just now, Choi Michi had reviewed his simulation battle data, without scolding or coldly ignoring him, but simply pointing to a few mistakes and saying in a calm voice, "This could have been done better, but it's not your fault; it's a problem with the machine's coordination. I'll have the technical department adjust it."

Although Choi Myung had no interest in it.

Choi Myung casually patted Shinji Ikari on the shoulder, as if he were any junior needing guidance, without any deliberate attempt to be friendly or offering feigned concern. He turned and continued walking, still holding the document that needed signing, as if his earlier words were just a casual remark, not worth taking to heart. He had no interest in becoming a father, nor had he ever thought of replacing anyone; he simply did what he believed was right.

But for Shinji Ikari, Choi was like a real father.

Shinji Ikari stood there, watching the figure disappear around the corner, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the report in his arms. He remembered the look Rokkaku Gendo had given him when he first piloted Unit-01—it wasn't the look of someone looking at a son, but of someone looking at a tool, a part that could be sacrificed at any moment, so cold it sent shivers down his spine. And what about Choi? Choi would hand him a bottle of water after training, would frown and say "Don't push yourself so hard next time" when he was injured, would say "It's normal to be afraid, but don't back down" when he was confused. These subtle, natural gestures, like warm water, slowly seeped into Shinji Ikari's parched heart.

The main reason is that, as an adult, Cui Ming is too reliable.

Unlike Rokubungi Gendo, who schemed in the shadows, or the old guys at SEELE, who treated people like pawns, he would personally go to the battlefield, stand in front of everyone, lift steel coils with his scarred hands, and pat a child's head with equally rough hands, saying, "It's alright, I'm here." This reliability wasn't just a promise on his lips, but a responsibility etched into his very bones. It was the first time Shinji Ikari realized that adults could be someone you could rely on and trust, instead of someone to fear and run away from.

On his sickbed, Rokubungi Gendo was still roaring into the communicator, while at the other end of the corridor, Ikari Shinji, clutching the report, a slight smile playing on his lips, hurried after Choi's departing figure. (End of Chapter)