They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 162 Kaji Ryoji and the Adam Embryo

Why...why him?

Misato Katsuragi's mind went blank for a moment, and the calm sarcasm on her face froze instantly, as if frozen by an invisible cold current.

She turned her head in confusion, her gaze passing over Kaji Ryoji's still somewhat roguish smiling face, and finally landing on Zhang Qi beside her.

Her eyes were full of accusation:

Why didn't anyone tell her that her ex-boyfriend was also on this ship?

"Ryoji said he wanted to give you a surprise..."

Zhang Qi shrugged, his face displaying an innocent expression that said, "This has nothing to do with me," but there was a hint of a smile hidden in his tone.

"you……"

Misato Katsuragi bit her lip, a surge of anger and embarrassment rising to her head.

She was about to explode and give the two men who had conspired to laugh at her a good scolding, but Kaji Ryoji had already made his move.

He stepped forward and, with an irresistible tenderness, sealed her lips with his.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

"Hey?"

Shinji Ikari's face flushed bright red instantly, like a startled rabbit. He hurriedly looked away, but couldn't help but steal glances at her from the corner of his eye.

My heart started pounding uncontrollably. Is this...is this the adult world?

Rei Ayanami tilted her head slightly, her blood-red eyes reflecting the two people tightly embracing, looking somewhat confused.

She couldn't understand the meaning behind this behavior...

"Mr. Kaji is really bold~"

Asuka, on the other hand, presented a completely different picture. She crossed her arms and watched the scene with great interest, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, and a knowing smile playing on her lips.

However, this ambiguous stillness lasted only a few seconds.

"Snapped!"

A crisp, resounding slap shattered all the romance and reverie on the deck.

Misato Katsuragi abruptly pushed Ryoji Kaji away, her eyes slightly red, whether from anger or embarrassment was unclear.

She glared fiercely at Jia Zhi, then glanced at Zhang Qi, who looked completely innocent, before finally uttering:
"I'm going to report to the captain!"

She then strode away quickly in her high heels without looking back, her back view filled with determination and embarrassment.

"It's been so many years, but it's still as popular as ever!"

Kaji Ryoji covered his rapidly swelling cheek, but instead of being angry, he murmured a sigh, his eyes revealing a hint of nostalgia and satisfaction.

He then turned to Zhang Qi, his lazy smile returning to his face, as if the slap from before was just a trivial interlude.

Let's go grab a drink together!

"Good~"

Zhang Qi nodded in agreement. He naturally understood that Kaji's bold move just now was less about rekindling old feelings and more about an efficient tactic—a perfect excuse to temporarily distract Katsuragi Misato, this "unrelated person."

"That's it, kids,"

Kaji Ryoji turned his head, wagged his finger at the three EVA pilots, and said in a slightly mysterious tone,

"I'll borrow your guardians for now."
Next, it's time for the adults!

"Hey?"

Shinji Ikari was startled by what he heard and subconsciously glanced in the direction where Misato Katsuragi had disappeared.

Now that their guardians have left, what should they do next?
"Asuka, I'm leaving these two in your care. Show them around this sea fortress and let them get familiar with the surroundings."

Zhang Qi noticed Shinji's embarrassment and smiled as he spoke to the girl beside him.

"No problem! Keep it on me!"

Upon hearing Zhang Qi's instructions, Asuka immediately straightened her back and accepted the task without hesitation.

……

The corridors inside the cabin gleamed with a cold metallic sheen, and the air was filled with the smell of diesel fuel mixed with steel.

Kaji Ryoji led Zhang Qi to a private cabin. After closing the heavy waterproof door, the whole world instantly became quiet, with only the low hum of the ventilation system remaining.

The languid and unrestrained look that was on his face just a moment ago vanished without a trace the instant the door lock clicked.

Kaji Ryoji adopted an unprecedentedly serious expression. He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, handed one to Zhang Qi, lit it himself, and took a deep drag.

"Just as you predicted, Gendo Ikari's plan has begun."

His voice was deep and solemn.
"His men secretly assisted me in stealing that thing from SEELE headquarters..."

Amidst the swirling smoke, Jia Zhi's gaze was as sharp as a knife.

Over the years, with Zhang Qi's covert assistance and intelligence support,

He successfully navigated between SEELE, the United Nations, and NERV, playing the role of a triple agent, and in doing so, uncovered many terrifying truths hidden beneath the surface. Everything was exactly as Zhang Qi had told him when he first found him.

NERV's "Human Instrumentality Project" is essentially a ritual by which SEELE, following the script of the Dead Sea Scrolls, attempts to guide all of humanity toward an end and a new beginning.

There are three key conditions for completing this ceremony:

Lilith, the Second Apostle of the Final Dogma located beneath NERV,

The S2 mechanism, symbolizing the fruit of life,

And the only artifact capable of suppressing Lilith's power—the Spear of Longinus.

After obtaining the Fruit of Life, Lilith will be equivalent to a god, and by using Longinus's previous ability to suppress the reproduction of life, she can bring humanity back to the womb.

The final result is that all of humanity and Lilith, who has become a god, will live on forever...

"But... what exactly is Gendo Ikari's purpose?"

This is what Kaji Ryoji couldn't understand.

"It's very simple. Our Commander Ikari doesn't want to follow SEELE's script."

He wanted to be the one in charge of this fusion ceremony, not a pawn of SEELE.

Let Adam's embryo merge with itself, and then, carrying Adam's soul and power, go to contact Lilith.

In this way, once the Instrumentality Project is triggered, the destiny of all souls will be determined by his will.

Zhang Qi held the unlit cigarette between his fingers and replied.

Having merged with Adam's embryo, he would be equal to Lilith in terms of authority.

"So...he wants to become a god?"

Kaji Ryoji's pupils contracted sharply, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

This conclusion sent chills down his spine. He had seen countless ambitious people, but he had never imagined that anyone could be so audacious as to dare to usurp the position of a god.

"In that case, shouldn't we stop him now?"

Kaji Ryoji took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
"Adam's embryo is still in my hands. As long as I destroy it, Gendo Ikari's plan will be..."

"unnecessary."

Zhang Qi shook his head, his eyes as deep as the universe.

"No matter what Gendo Ikari wants to do, and no matter what the script for SEELE is, it must be based on one premise—the annihilation of all the Angels."

Until then, we need NERV's support, and we also need SEELE to continuously provide resources behind the scenes.

"That's true..."

Kaji Ryoji nodded dejectedly, acknowledging that this was an undeniable fact.

The organization SEELE has captivated human society for millennia, and its members have infiltrated every level of society.

Entering the game later, if they were to flip the table directly, it would only cause division among humanity.

Now, the apostles are their most direct and deadly threat.

The struggle between them and the apostles was a life-or-death struggle; if any apostle were to come into contact with Adam, it would trigger the Third Impact.

Then what awaits humanity is undoubtedly complete annihilation...

"This is what you want."

Having figured this out, Kaji Ryoji no longer hesitated. He took a seemingly ordinary metal pendant from his neck, unscrewed it, took out a carefully sealed miniature glass tube, and handed it to Zhang Qi.

Inside the tube, a small piece of white tissue, emitting a faint glow, is quietly suspended in a special culture medium.

"Is this really enough?"

"enough."

"For a living organism, every cell contains its most complete genetic information."

Zhang Qi took the glass tube, feeling a warm, smooth sensation on his fingertips. He stared at the tiny piece of tissue.

This is a piece of tissue that was separated from the Adam embryo.

During the Second Impact, Adam's physical body, located in Antarctica, was directly blasted into pieces, while his soul was recovered by SEELE and made into the final Angel—Kaworu Nagisa.

Therefore, this seemingly insignificant organization is of immeasurable value.

With his technical skills, this small piece would be enough.

"I hope everything we've done will go smoothly..."

Kaji Ryoji watched as Zhang Qi solemnly put it away, and felt somewhat relieved.

He has done all he could. After this operation, his identity as a spy in SEELE will most likely be exposed, and the future will truly be a life of walking on a knife's edge.

However, before he could finish speaking—

Boom——! ! !
A muffled, deafening roar came from below the fleet without warning. Immediately afterward, the entire aircraft carrier shook violently, as if it had been violently lifted by an invisible giant hand!
(End of this chapter)