Shinji Ikari, the pilot of Unit-01 during the Spirit Awakening Era

"..." Just as Hinata Makoto, who was drinking coffee and typing on the keyboard with one hand, was about to ask Akagi Ritsuko if there was anything he had forgotten, Akagi Ritsuko spoke up.

"Sorry everyone, we might have to work overtime until dawn again. I just uploaded the data to the shared space. Take a look, these guys are definitely professionals in their field! They've almost figured us out!" Ritsuko Akagi completely disregarded the no-smoking rule here, with a cigarette dangling from her mouth and a speechless expression on her face. She never expected that the other parties would come to such a conclusion.

"No way..." The sorcerers' discussion and summary of the two sides' combat strength surprised Hyuga Makoto. After all, the sorcerers bluntly stated that NERV's EVA series had not taken this situation into consideration at all, and Shinji Ikari had just stumbled upon it by accident. Their words hit the nail on the head...

"Furthermore, I think something has been deliberately deleted from this document. It seems the Onmyōryō people have discovered something very dangerous!" As a professional scientist, Ritsuko Akagi noticed Shinji Ikari's perfunctory deletions and alterations after only one glance. His changes made the entire analysis look fragmented, and she naturally noticed the clues.

"Isn't what they've given us enough to kill us...?" Ibuki Maya looked at the document from the Onmyōryō (Bureau of Yin and Yang) that had been pulled up, glanced at it briefly, and then covered her forehead in disbelief. The depth of the analysis in the document was enough to be used as reference material for NERV, yet such material had its key content cut out?

The unlucky guys in the tech department all sighed in unison. They were all starting to feel a headache coming on. What could be worse than having get off work come up again just when it was almost time to leave work? What's more, these documents were really serious matters.

"So the intelligence department finally got it today? They actually went to ask them for an assessment?" Hinata Makoto was carefully reading the report, but Ibuki Maya glanced back at him and noticed he kept clicking his tongue, and it seemed like the report he was looking at was full of pictures of vegetables? This guy isn't doing his job properly! However, it's understandable if he wants to slack off a bit, after all, they've been working overtime for a week. After roughly reviewing the Onmyo Bureau's contents, Ibuki Maya opened the Totsuki Group's report.

"The Intelligence Department? The Intelligence Department couldn't even get these three to come. It was Shinji who wanted to come. It seems that all three of them were watching the battle from nearby that day!" Ritsuko Akagi looked at several photos in the Jujutsu Association's report. Two of them were highlighted: the fist of Unit-01 blurred by wind pressure, and the palm of the Fourth Angel pierced by high temperature.

"Shinji-kun? But thinking about it this way, it suddenly seems quite natural." Ibuki Maya slammed her head on the table. Ever since Shinji Ikari came here, working overtime from time to time has become a habit for every member of the NERV technical department.

"Maya, do your best. These reports should be interpreted first. Each department should submit a report according to its own scope of work, and then hand them over to Commander Ikari and Vice Commander Fuyutsuki immediately." Ritsuko Akagi sighed. "The shopping district has recovered somewhat in the past few days. I will apply for funding so that everyone can have a barbecue together."

"This is really great news! Is the beer all-you-can-eat?" Hinata Makoto swallowed hard. The photos of the various dishes made by the Totsuki Culinary Company were so tempting, the aromas almost wafted through the screen. He could feel his stomach growling loudly. It was just too delicious! He would probably have to go to the rest area to get himself something to eat, even just a simple bowl of instant noodles would be enough to soothe his stomach.

When Hinata Makoto arrived, he found a large group of his colleagues from the technical department eating instant noodles. Their initial stock was almost depleted, and even less popular instant noodle varieties were nearly gone. Everyone looked at each other and began to whisper among themselves, complaining about the Totsuki Culinary Group's bastards poisoning food in the middle of the night! They had no sportsmanship!

However, everyone knows that the other party's analysis is actually very detailed, and basically, when it comes to food, the Far Moon Group is absolutely serious. No one knows more about food than us (Kawa-eun gesture)! They have tried all the major cuisines and main cooking methods in the world, as long as they can be used, and they haven't even let go of Western pastries and American hamburger fast food!

Moreover, after analysis, the one with the best taste and the most benefits that could be widely promoted was indeed the hamburger patty with a little diluent added... After all, this thing is simple to make and the quantity is very easy to control. In the end, this is the one that the Far Moon Group promoted within its own schools.

"For a barbecue? Well, I've got a little bit of strength left." Ibuki Maya took a deep breath and started quickly reading the report. Before long, she looked up at the sky in despair, then looked back. Hinata Makoto had already disappeared.

"Are you hungry?" Ritsuko Akagi placed a cupcake in front of him, leaned close to his face, and whispered, "Shinji made this. It's the last one I've been hiding." It wasn't just Misato Katsuragi who was taking advantage of Shinji; Ritsuko Akagi also grabbed some. For Shinji, making some cupcakes wasn't that troublesome. He had made two boxes for his sisters when he returned home to offer them as a sacrifice.

Compared to the simple buttercream decorations given to the two of them, Shinji Ikari, who was offering it to Himuro Kirie, tried making a filling. When Himuro Kirie ate it, she was completely bewildered, staring at the chocolate syrup flowing out of the lava cake. Having never seen such a dessert before, Himuro Kirie experienced a shock to her worldview. She then stuck out her tongue and licked it, experiencing the slightly salty and smooth texture of the cream. Himuro Kirie immediately covered her mouth with her sleeve, exhaled a long breath, and her eyes became slightly glazed.

Although she thought the taste was good, Himuro Kirie, who still felt that her younger brother had ill intentions, used the barrier rope to flick Shinji Ikari on the head (Shinji Ikari was sent flying more than a meter away). Before sealing the Divine Mirror with the barrier rope, she placed the wooden tray directly in front of Shinji Ikari and said, "Hurry up and do it!"

“Okay…” For some reason, Ibuki Maya’s face turned slightly red, and her hands holding the cupcakes were trembling.

"Eat up, it tastes amazing. I've gotten so used to his pastries lately that going to a coffee shop is torture for me." After teasing her little follower, Ritsuko Akagi felt a bit cheated. Oh well, to avoid crying in front of the scale like Misato Katsuragi, she'd just eat one less.

"Wow, Shinji's cooking is amazing!"

"It tastes even better when it's hot."

Chapter 76 Boarding the Ship

"Mr. Aso has already arrived." As soon as the car stopped, Ryoko Sakaki noticed Yuu Aso standing to the side, leaning helplessly against the car. Shinji Ikari took a car sent by the Suzuki Hotel directly to the pier. After all, he was a guest invited by their young lady, so the Suzuki Hotel naturally provided convenience very proactively. In particular, they were counting on Shinji to come and help when he had time. Shinji deserves a lot of credit for the Suzuki Hotel's reputation as the safest hotel in Japan.

So while the technical department was painfully working overtime to organize the data after receiving it, Shinji Ikari had already casually prepared his luggage. Under Misato Katsuragi's resentful gaze, he jumped into the car that Suzuki Hotel had come to pick him up. If Shinji hadn't left Rei Ayanami and Ryuji Danma with him, Misato Katsuragi would have definitely given this unruly brat a good beating!

"You're quick!" As soon as Shinji Ikari and Ryoko Sakaki got out of the car, the driver very proactively got out to help with their luggage. Shinji thanked him, took the luggage from him, and then started greeting Yuu Aso in front of him. "Looks like your girlfriend is more popular than you!"

As a well-known freelance photographer, Kurosawa Rei is not just a simple rich woman. If you want to book a photoshoot with her, you usually have to book half a month to a month in advance! She was able to take a few days off this time, partly because she took advantage of her vacation, and partly because she was very interested in luxury cruise ships and such.

Meanwhile, Kurosawa Rei was taking photos of two stylishly dressed girls at the pier, constantly pointing out various poses for them on the beach and snapping pictures of them. He also chatted with the girls about the latest fashion trends, making the two girls' eyes light up. They both expressed their desire to go shopping with Kurosawa Rei at a clothing store next time.

"Remember to remind Rei to keep a distance from them. I think you've noticed it too." Shinji Ikari sighed. It had been a few months since he'd last seen them, and the death aura around them had increased considerably. These two unlucky guys, to be honest, they'd seen far too many people die in all sorts of ways. To be able to maintain a peaceful mind was hardly normal.

"Sister! Sister! Are you with that celebrity trainee brother?" Naturally, this also attracted the interest of Shinji Ikari's girlfriend, Ryoko Sakaki. What girl wouldn't be interested in fashion? So Ryoko Sakaki also went over. Naturally, the fact that Shinji Ikari and Ryoko Sakaki got out of the car together also caught the attention of another person.

"Oh~ little brother, what's your name?" Ryoko Sakaki tilted her head and looked at the little guy in front of her. She squatted down and pinched his cheek, as if she were watching a neighbor's little brother playing a prank, and then patted his head.

"My name is Conan Edogawa!" The person seemed to be forcing a smile, but he managed to put on a bright one.

"A name combining Edogawa Ranpo and Doyle Conan? Your parents must be real detective fans. But, was your father an adopted son-in-law? Otherwise, it would be quite difficult to come up with a name like that." Ryoko Sakaki smiled and patted the little guy's head. Without asking any further questions, she stood up. Ryoko Sakaki was certain of one thing: Shinji Ikari was right. This little guy was clearly not an ordinary brat; his eyes weren't so innocent.

"Um... sort of." Conan seemed to be encountering someone like this for the first time. He hadn't expected his name to be explained from such a tricky angle, and for a moment he was at a loss for words. However, he quickly changed the subject, "Sister, sister, are you and Shinji your boyfriend?"

"Yes, that's right." Ryoko Sakaki nodded, not denying it. She was starting to become interested in what the little guy wanted to do. "Back when he was in the Nakiri Private Middle School soccer team, he beat the Teitan Middle School soccer team, where your Ran-neechan is!"

"Uh..." Conan certainly knew. He still vividly remembered the scene of Shinji Ikari single-handedly dribbling past their entire backcourt and then scoring a crazy number of goals in the first half. But now he knew that Shinji Ikari was a shameless bastard, a superhuman guy. Was it fun to beat up ordinary people? "Awesome!"

"Let's go, it's time to board!" The cruise ship sounded its horn. Although there was no way this cruise ship would leave the Suzuki family's young lady on the shore, Shinji Ikari naturally came over to interrupt his girlfriend's conversation with this not-so-likable kid. Then, looking at the person, Shinji Ikari didn't forget to pat his head to show his friendliness.

"Shinji-kun!" Sonoko Suzuki, having finished taking the photos, happily waved to Shinji Ikari. She suddenly realized how brilliant it was to invite him! Who knew Shinji would bring along such a renowned freelance photographer as Rei Kurosawa! Kurosawa had just expressed a desire to have a summer beach trip photoshoot featuring the two of them. If it turned out really good, she, Sonoko Suzuki, might have to use her influence to get all the hotels under the Suzuki Group to promote it.

Of course, a large sum of money will be reimbursed for Kurosawa Rei's expenses at that time. Judging from the series of photos she just took at the port, Kurosawa Rei's photography skills are already comparable to those of the photographers her brother hired at great expense. It's just that because she is a freelance photographer, no one boasts about her skills.

"Hey, Sonoko, partner." Shinji Ikari smiled and gave Sonoko Suzuki a high-five. When Shinji Ikari first regained consciousness, he wasn't that strong yet. Suddenly facing a high-level cursed spirit, he was a bit outmatched and even got injured in the exchange. In the end, he and Sonoko Suzuki teamed up to defeat the B-rank cursed spirit, causing it to run right into Shinji's trap.

"Hi~" Sonoko Suzuki responded happily, then leaned closer and whispered, "I heard you recently did something really big at NERV! Is that true?"

"Fifty-fifty, after all, the truly amazing one is the person who created that behemoth," Shinji Ikari replied softly. "Did you bring back the things I asked you to buy at Izumo Taisha last time?"

“I brought it, it came in handy! I ran into a spirit at school last time, and I successfully banished it!” Sonoko Suzuki said with a smile, having used dozens of the most expensive talismans from Izumo Taisha Shrine to practically kill a low-level evil spirit with money. “Ah, my grandpa’s here! Let’s go! It’s time to get on the ship.” Sonoko Suzuki waved to Shinji Ikari, signaling them to follow her.

"Shinji-kun, you've had a hard time these past few days! Have a good time on the ship, all expenses are on me!" The old man's face clearly lit up with a smile when he saw Shinji Ikari. Although Shinji was just a not-so-strong exorcist when they first met, his growth rate over time was astonishing. Sonoko's unexpected friendship with him was truly worthwhile.

He was particularly concerned about the fact that he had just learned that Shinji Ikari might be the pilot of NERV's giant robot. If something serious were to happen one day, it might not be entirely hopeless.

"You're too kind, I won't stand on ceremony then." Shinji Ikari replied with a smile. The whole ship belonged to them, so why should he be polite? As long as they didn't go into the casino, he could gamble casually and not spend much money. However, Shinji subconsciously glanced at everyone present. There didn't seem to be anyone particularly ugly or with a gloomy face. Had his luck turned around? Shinji glanced at the little brat following Ran Mouri and shook his head. Impossible!

"Come on! Let's all take a picture together! Kurosawa Rei-neechan! Please!" Suzuki Sonoko whispered a few words to her grandfather, who nodded happily. Then Suzuki Sonoko started shouting. As the controllers of the Suzuki Group, the Suzuki family doesn't have many opportunities to get together. It's already a rare occasion to be able to gather so many people like today.

“Okay! Look here!” Kurosawa Rei naturally wouldn’t refuse, and this kind of opportunity to directly connect her with a huge network of contacts was definitely not a bad thing. In fact, if she were to be remembered by the upper echelons of the Suzuki Group, her career might even experience a leap forward. After all, not just anyone has the opportunity to take such a family-friendly photo.

Shinji Ikari watched as the others quickly lined up and took a neat group photo. He took a deep breath and realized he shouldn't have come. He didn't even need to look at the photos; just by looking at them, he could tell that, apart from Sonoko Suzuki and the old man, most of the faces and expressions didn't look good. He was pretty sure he was right.

Shinji Ikari didn't notice that after Kurosawa took the first picture, she looked at the camera and was somewhat surprised. For some reason, an old man next to Sonoko Suzuki's grandfather in the center of the photo had a particularly pale face. However, she adjusted the camera settings slightly and took another picture. This situation seemed to be quite common for group photos.

"Aso, go check out the engine room in a bit, I'll go check out the cargo hold." Shinji Ikari tilted his head, a smile playing on his lips, and whispered to his partner, "Remember to be careful."

"Hmm?" Aso Yuu glanced at Shinji Ikari and nodded, indicating that he understood. Although he didn't know where Shinji Ikari had gotten the idea that there was a problem, he was very clear that Shinji Ikari's request was correct. Moreover, if they spent some time making safety preparations, they could enjoy the game more, right?

As long as there are no problems with the engine room, they will at least not be stranded at sea. Although it is not far from here to Shikoku Port, and it is basically on the Japanese coast, so it seems that there should not be any major problems, the experience of being able to reach the destination and get ashore is different.

"My brothers said they're going to play in the engine room! I want to go too! I want to see it too!" Shinji Ikari and Yuu Aso's whispers immediately caught the attention of a certain child. Without any hesitation, Conan shouted loudly. In that instant, Shinji Ikari felt that his blood pressure must have exploded.

"Stop arguing! You're embarrassing yourself!" Ran Mouri punched Conan on the forehead without hesitation, then turned to Shinji Ikari and said apologetically, "I'm so sorry, um..."

"You're restless... I understand. It's alright. Come with me for a stroll this time. I'll make sure he doesn't fall into the sea!" Shinji Ikari said with a smile, his eyes flashing fiercely as he looked at the little kid from his childhood.

"Ugh! This is too much trouble." Hearing Shinji Ikari's obviously off tone, Ran Mouri quickly waved her hand. Falling into the sea? That word really has nothing to do with friendliness.

"No problem, no problem! It's no trouble at all." Shinji Ikari said with a smile. How could he possibly just throw Conan into the sea? Impossible. He would definitely throw in a female water ghost as a bonus, so Conan wouldn't be too lonely on his journey.

"Conan's not going! It's too much trouble." Ran Mouri shielded Conan behind her. Shinji Ikari, your malice is practically overflowing. But Ran Mouri also knew that this was entirely Conan's own fault.

"Really?"

"real!"

"Then you should keep a close eye on things; finding someone on a ship is quite troublesome."

Chapter 77 Ambush Fails 8/20

"This is your room. Your girlfriend's room is right next door. We'll bring your luggage over shortly. If you need any services, please let us know." The waiter, with a professional smile, led Shinji Ikari into his room. Shinji glanced at Ryoko Sakaki beside him. Ryoko playfully rolled her eyes at Shinji, waved her hand, and then followed the waiter to the next room with a grin.

After trying to scare Conan with his malicious eyes and words, Shinji Ikari seemed to have failed to frighten Conan in the end, but he did manage to scare Ran Mouri. The animosity between Conan and Shinji Ikari was obvious to everyone, and it wasn't just a one-time thing; it had even gone beyond the level of children's mischief.

As someone who has witnessed firsthand that Shinji Ikari is a true powerhouse who can single-handedly take down a team of police officers and beat up his karate senior, Ran Mouri knows that he is not a saint. After all, people's patience is limited. Although Shinji Ikari may not actually throw Conan into the sea as he said, it is entirely possible that he will teach Conan a lesson with ill intentions.

So Ran Mouri practically forced Conan to stay out of Shinji Ikari's way, preventing him from interfering with Shinji and his teammates. She kept an eye on Conan and was determined not to let him out of her sight, lest he cause trouble for Shinji like he had done before. After all, she had already apologized profusely each time, and she couldn't really expect Shinji to let Conan off the hook every time just because he was a child.

Shinji Ikari's room was on the 9th floor, which was considered one of the second-highest-class rooms on the entire cruise ship. After all, the most luxurious rooms were located above Shinji's and his group, and they were all being used to serve the Suzuki family today. This situation was quite normal. Most of the invited guests were also on Shinji's floor, so Shinji had no objections to the room allocation.

Stepping into the room, it lived up to its reputation as a near-top-tier room, with very nice furnishings. The only thing to mention was that the space was incredibly small. To the right of the entrance was a shoe cabinet, and to the left were the bathroom and washroom. Inside, there was a large two-seater sofa with a small table in front of it and a wall-mounted monitor opposite it. In the corner below, there was a cabinet containing a refrigerator and a safe.

The display screen is touch-sensitive, and you can select services or watch movies on it. Shinji Ikari flipped through it, and they all seemed to be very legitimate services, or at least nothing special.

Next to it is a large bed measuring 2 meters or 1.8 meters. By the window are two sofa chairs fixed directly to the floor and a table also fixed to the floor, as well as a luxurious viewing platform that is only found in high-end suites!

It was actually a balcony less than a meter deep and less than two meters wide. Because of the curved hull, there was only a little obstruction on top, but the view was quite good. Facing the open sea, Shinji Ikari could see an endless ocean. Considering the current time, he was watching the sunset over the ocean, accompanied by the cries of seabirds in the harbor. It was a beautiful scene.

"Wow, this view is amazing." Ryoko Sakaki, who was standing next to her, also walked onto the balcony. She leaned on the railing with both hands, looking at the space where the sea and sky met, her eyes filled with a dreamy feeling. She had a vague inspiration, as if she could use this as the main element to create a dish?! As she quickly began to list the ingredients in her mind, her eyes became even more unfocused.

Seeing that Ryoko Sakaki seemed to be thinking, Shinji Ikari did not interrupt her train of thought. The culinary profession requires far more inspiration than one might imagine. Breakthrough dishes often require just that kind of inspiration. Moreover, because of Shinji Ikari, Ryoko Sakaki had been exposed to special ingredients earlier, so her choices and combinations far exceeded those of her peers.

"Click! Click! Click..." A series of camera shutter sounds came from the side. It was clear that Shinji Ikari and Ryoko Sakaki were not the only ones attracted by the scenery. Yuu Aso and Rei Kurosawa, who had entered the room earlier than Shinji and the others, were already standing on the balcony admiring the beautiful view. However, Shinji watched Rei Kurosawa snapping away at the sun and, to be honest, he was quite worried about the sun. But he figured that digital cameras probably wouldn't need Type-0 film.

"Shinji, let's go. There's still a while before departure. Let's go for a walk first. We should be able to make it in time for dinner, so it won't be too late." After watching her girlfriend start using up her memory, Asou Yuu smiled and gestured to Shinji Ikari. They should get on with their business. Neither of them wanted to miss the lavish dinner that night, so there were still about two hours until dinner, which should be enough time for them to explore the ship inside and out.

"Let's go!" Shinji Ikari didn't waste any words and turned to leave. However, before leaving, he greeted Rei Kurosawa, "Rei-nee, keep an eye on Ryoko Sakaki for me. She seems a bit lost in thought, and I'm afraid she might accidentally fall into the sea."

"Hey, Shinji, what nonsense are you talking about!" Hearing her own name, Ryoko Sakaki suddenly snapped out of her reverie and protested coquettishly.

"But you were really engrossed in the moment! It was beautiful! You and Shinji looked so good together watching the sunset~" Kurosawa Rei tilted her head towards Sakaki Ryoko. Shinji might have noticed, but Ryoko, lost in thought, didn't seem to notice at all. Should we print it out and send it to them later? "Want to see?"

"What?! Rei-nee, you ambushed me!" Ryoko Sakaki turned around and rushed back to her room. Shinji Ikari, who had just opened the door, looked at Ryoko Sakaki with a strange expression as she rushed into the next room, and pushed Yuu Aso out of there!

"So... what happened?" Asou Yuu, who hadn't heard the two women's conversation on the balcony, had a strange expression on her face. Ikari Shinji, who knew but didn't intend to say, just shrugged. Thanks to Rei-nee's help! NICE!

"Let's go, where do you plan to start?" Aso Yuu knew Shinji Ikari's habit: no matter where in the Suzuki Group he went, Shinji would always help with the tour. Aso Yuu thought this habit was excellent. For them, it was just a matter of spending a little time to take a closer look, but it saved them a lot of favors. Look, the Suzuki hotels in Shikoku even called to invite Shinji to visit, that's proof enough.

"The places where things are likely to happen are the guest rooms, cargo hold, kitchen, and engine room. The first one involves privacy, so we can only walk around the corridor. There's no rush; we can go anytime after dinner. The kitchen is busy right now, so let's not cause any trouble. We can go before bed. You go to the engine room, and I'll go to the cargo hold? I'll take a walk around the cargo hold and then go up to the deck for a bit." Shinji Ikari looked at Yuu Aso, thinking it was better to be prepared. He would go and familiarize himself with the location of the lifeboats in a bit. In case of an emergency, he might not be able to protect many people, but if there were lifeboats, that would be a different story.

"Alright!" Although Shinji Ikari was younger, his execution and task allocation were clearly more seasoned and reasonable than Shinji's. Shinji was agile, and the vast space of the cargo hold was obviously more suitable for him to move around. The engine room, on the other hand, required more keen observation and judgment, and Shinji's fighting skills could not be fully utilized in the confined space, so Yuu Aso went instead.

"Check your watches, 4:12 AM Tokyo time, 5:12 AM Beijing time." The two men each took out a compass from their bags, roughly checked the direction, and then gestured to each other before splitting up and heading in two different directions. Just now, Shinji Ikari and his companions had already found out the approximate locations of the cargo hold and engine room.

After the two parted ways, a small figure peeked out from around the corner. "I didn't expect this guy to have an accomplice this time?" Of course, this person was none other than Conan Edogawa, the former high school detective who had always been suspicious of Shinji Ikari and is now the mainstay of the elementary school detective club!

"So you're planning to disobey again!?" But a terrifying voice came from behind him. Ran glanced sideways at the two figures walking away in different directions down the corridor! Then she smacked Conan on the forehead!

"I want to go play in the engine room! I want to go on a grand adventure!" Conan tried to use his usual cuteness to get away with it.

"No way!" Ran brandished her fist, using the most direct way to intimidate Conan. "Honestly! I don't know where you get such a big curiosity, always following people around like that. What if you can't find them? Let me tell you, you've already offended Shinji quite badly. You've almost caused the police to misunderstand him several times. Be careful not to cause trouble and get thrown overboard!" Ran said irritably.

"Alright!" Conan understood that Ran Mouri wouldn't let him go and see what they were doing right now. He could only find another opportunity later. He had just overheard that Shinji Ikari was going to the cargo hold and his companions were going to the engine room. These were both places that sounded dangerous. How could the ship's management let them wander around like that?

"Good! That's a good boy. Come on! Let's go back to the room. I'll take you to the restaurant for ice cream later!" Ran Mouri was very satisfied with Conan's compromise. She felt that her established strategy was very correct. As long as she didn't let him out of her sight, he wouldn't cause trouble for Shinji Ikari and the others! Although Ran Mouri didn't know what Shinji Ikari and the others wanted to do, she had heard from Sonoko Suzuki that Shinji Ikari had many secrets, but he was someone she could absolutely trust.

"..." Even though Ran was holding his hand, Conan kept looking back at the corridor behind him.

"Tsk...too bad they didn't follow." Shinji Ikari jumped down from the wall around the corner; the ambush had failed miserably.

Chapter 78 How could I possibly be interested in you!

"Shinji-kun! You've worked hard!" The old man of the Suzuki family looked at Shinji Ikari wandering around on the deck, even jumping onto the lifeboat and tilting his head to look around. He wasn't angry at all. Instead, he thanked Shinji very seriously. Sonoko Suzuki, who was next to him, also happily gave Shinji a thumbs up.

After collaborating with Shinji Ikari, Sonoko Suzuki, out of interest, went to Izumo Taisha for "further studies" on Shinji's recommendation. Izumo Taisha was overjoyed at this opportunity, but they didn't just give her a perfunctory lesson. They seriously taught her some self-defense items when facing these strange creatures, as well as some common methods and prop-making techniques for dealing with small ghosts and supernatural phenomena.

Then, holding the special edition of the "Miko Apprentice" certificate for the eldest daughter of the Suzuki family at Izumo Taisha (it is said that the eldest daughter of the Suzuki family later brought many of her close friends from prominent families up the mountain for "purification", causing Izumo Taisha to hesitate about whether to give the eldest daughter a share of the profits), she ran down the mountain and actually solved a so-called mysterious incident on campus, which greatly boosted Suzuki Sonoko's confidence.

It wasn't until Sonoko Suzuki's best friend adopted a primary school student that Sonoko realized that sometimes, what's truly terrifying isn't ghosts or monsters, but the human heart. Greed drives seemingly innocent and kind people to commit countless insane acts.

"Old man, you're in good spirits!" Shinji Ikari jumped off the lifeboat. There wasn't much to say about the cargo hold; a few crew members were just sneaking around smuggling some cheap goods. As for the rest of the ship, it seemed quite clean. As long as they did a quick patrol of the dining area and cabins at night, there shouldn't be any major problems. After all, they were just there to make sure there were no evil spirits, not to play detective.

To be honest, Shinji Ikari was somewhat surprised when he met this old man. After all, in his memory, the Suzuki Sonoko family in the anime was not large, and could even be described as very small. Basically, the Suzuki family, which was one of the top wealthy families in Japan, consisted of only Sonoko's family, plus at most an uncle who had a grudge against Kaito Kid. Shinji Ikari had no recollection of such an old man. Moreover, it seemed that the Suzuki family was quite large. When they took the group photo earlier, there were nearly 20 people in three or four groups, making it a large family in a sense after the timeline changed.

"Hahahaha... Brother Shinji, the Onmyoryo hot spring trip you organized last time was really great!" The old man burst into laughter on the spot. As for going to Shikoku Beach, he said it was boring. He was past the age of going to the beach to see crowds of people. So, if it weren't for the fact that he occasionally needed some exposure to increase the Suzuki Group's presence, he would have been disappointed.

What the old man really wanted to do was visit the Yin-Yang Bureau's sanatorium deep in the mountains, where he could soak in a hot spring and enjoy a drink – that was the true taste of life. In particular, the traditional Japanese banquets prepared with special ingredients by the chef from the Totsuki Culinary Group, introduced by Shinji Ikari, for two days and four meals were an eye-opener for the old man.

The old man's friend who went with him immediately said that no matter the price, they wanted to make a reservation. After all, they were all conglomerates or tycoons, and such treatment would make any of those damned ryotei outside look ridiculous! But both the young lady from the Totsuki Group and the Onmyo-ryo smiled and said that they usually did not conduct such joint business with the public, and directly declined. Wasn't that a huge loss of face?

Ultimately, the Suzuki family patriarch didn't even glance at the bill before signing it. Spending twenty million US dollars on hospitality for three days and two nights was absolutely worth it! Having two mysterious corporations serving him and his invited friends—what a grand spectacle! He wouldn't trade it for a sun phase! Not to mention, after two days, he was refreshed and walking briskly; why would he need a cane?

To be fair, both the Totsuki Group and the Onmyōryō felt that earning ten million US dollars was too easy. This was truly a win-win-win situation. Both sides paid several million yen each for Shinji Ikari's introduction fee, even after deducting what they considered potential losses. After all, they had completely acted against their conscience when refusing to support the old man.

Although this hot spring is generally not open to the public, people can stay at Izumo Taisha Shrine! Look, Sonoko Suzuki lived there happily, didn't she? And it has a hot spring too, right?

As for the Totsuki Group, well, the young lady who came is Hinako Inui, the head chef and owner of the well-known high-end Japanese restaurant Kiriya in New Tokyo City, known as the "Empress of the Mist." She's just a business; closing down for a few days would have resulted in significant losses. She wouldn't offer specialized services without a high enough price and profit margin.

"You're too kind! I'm glad you like it." Shinji Ikari walked up to Grandpa Suzuki. "If you don't mind."

"Yes, thank you!" Old Master Suzuki nodded. Earlier, Shinji Ikari had checked his pulse, felt the energy circulate throughout his body, and then asked him if he would like to go to the Bureau of Onmyōdō.

Actually, Shinji Ikari initially just thought that the old man's body was a bit weak, and that soaking in a hot spring would be good for his health. Then he thought that since they were going to soak in a hot spring, they might as well bleed a little and go to one of the good places in the Yin-Yang Bureau. However, Shinji Ikari knew very well that those places for recuperation basically didn't have any decent food. After all, you're there to recuperate, and a simple diet of plain porridge every day is the real deal. But the old man was different, and it was only right that he be nourished.

Under these circumstances, after confirming that the Onmyōryō (the Bureau of Yin and Yang) did not mind, Shinji Ikari called Gin Dojima, whom he was relatively familiar with, and asked him to help make the connection. Shinji Ikari's original intention was simply to send a student of the Elite Ten level.

But things started to get absurd from here. After hearing Shinji Ikari's idea, Gin Dojima, perhaps thinking it was a great opportunity to befriend the Suzuki Group, simply called a female student who had already graduated. Then, leaving Shinji behind, they directly connected. The two groups of superhumans blatantly revealed their ruthless intentions, but the other party thought it was a great deal, which left Shinji, who knew the rest of the story, speechless.

However, later on, a not-so-high-level hot spring in the Onmyo-ryo collaborated with the Suzuki Foundation to develop a hot spring resort hotel. A branch of Kiriya was also opened there as a high-end restaurant that only accepts reservations, which can be considered as a result of the collaboration. I heard that the hotel was booked for two whole years, and its popularity exploded.

"The old man has been exercising very diligently lately!" Just like last time, after Shinji Ikari circulated his energy throughout his body, he found that there were no major problems at all, and he looked much healthier than before.

"Yes! I followed your advice, practicing calligraphy in the morning, Tai Chi in the afternoon, taking a walk in the evening, playing chess, and then going to bed early. I keep my body active every day, and now I'm full of energy!" The old man spoke with a hint of pride, pleased that his granddaughter had found such a reliable friend! It was just a pity that his granddaughter was older than him, and he heard that Shinji Ikari already had a girlfriend. Alas! What a pity, such a good son-in-law, he missed out.

"Bang! Enough! What future do you have, a piece of trash like you? Painting? Stop dreaming!" A roar came from afar.

"Hmm?" Startled by the roar, the group turned their heads slightly. Shinji Ikari also glanced at them. The old man of the Suzuki family scratched his head with some difficulty. "My younger brother has a bad temper. I hope you don't find it funny."

"Looks like every family has its own troubles. The ship is about to depart, I'll go check on the guest rooms, excuse me." Shinji Ikari nodded, preparing to turn and leave. What new stories could there be in the tales of the wealthy? It's all about money, creating a whole bunch of messy situations. For some reason, Shinji felt like there was going to be some drama tonight.

"Why don't you go for a walk with Shinji?" The old man's expression was somewhat unpleasant as he directly told Sonoko Suzuki to go with Shinji Ikari, clearly not intending for her to be involved in what was to come.

"Huh? Oh, okay, let's go, Shinji! Is NERV full of all sorts of high-tech equipment, just like in those anime?" Sonoko Suzuki didn't refuse; she was also full of curiosity and wanted to ask Shinji Ikari.