Tch! What a pain!

The iron doors slowly opened, revealing two people.

Huang Zhetian took a look. Oh, old Ikari's second lover, Ritsuko Akagi, is here too. Heh, this is getting interesting...

"My name is Kozo Fuyutsuki. I'm your Deputy Commander. If you have any questions, you can ask Miss Misato or Dr. Akagi." As expected, Fuyutsuki spoke with calm authority, looking alert and dignified.

"Hello, new pilots. My name is Ritsuko Akagi. You may call me Miss Akagi or Dr. Akagi. I've already reviewed all your records. Misato and Shinji can show you around the Headquarters Base. There are some differences between headquarters and the Branch." Akagi sounded as though she were reading from a book, simply getting it over with.

When she had first met Shinji, she had only given him a brief glance before turning to talk to Misato. It had left Shinji feeling rather awkward...

That didn't mean she was usually talkative, though. She only exchanged a few words with people she knew well. Most of the time, she drank coffee, looked at her laptop, or read a book. Unless you spoke to her first, she wouldn't speak to you. Gendo Ikari was the exception, of course...

"Hello, Deputy Commander Fuyutsuki. I'm from the China Beijing Area NERV Branch. It's a pleasure to meet you. May I call you Teacher Fuyutsuki?" Huang Zhetian asked with a smile.

"Heh, of course. Very few people call me teacher anymore." Fuyutsuki smiled kindly at Huang Zhetian, his face lined with wrinkles.

"Well, now you have someone calling you that again, don't you?" Huang Zhetian teased.

"All right. You're an amusing young man, coming all the way from China. Commander Ikari will be here shortly. I'll be going now... Misato, Akagi, take them upstairs. Shinji..." Fuyutsuki hesitated, looking at Shinji with a complicated expression that he quickly concealed. In the end, he opened his mouth and said, "You should go with them. See your father while you're there." With that, he clasped his hands behind his back, turned, and left.

"Misato, tell them to follow..." Akagi put her hands in her pockets, then turned and left as well.

What a strange woman... Tch, what a pain. Sure enough, nobody involved with Gendo Ikari is quite normal. At least, that's how it looks so far.

They arrived at Gendo Ikari's office, where the sheer size of the room left Huang Zhetian slightly surprised.

He had no idea what the enormous pattern on the floor represented. Similar patterns and scenes had appeared in both the original TV series and Rebuild of Evangelion, but Huang Zhetian hadn't paid much attention to them while watching, nor had he looked them up... This was the first gap in his knowledge he had encountered in his two years in this world.

Gendo Ikari sat with his hands interlaced in front of his chin and mouth, as though propping up his head.

Fuck! There's that iconic pose again... I have to admit, old Ikari does look pretty stern like that. And with this backdrop and setting, too... Man. One word: perfect!

"Hmm... You handled the situation well. Misato, you did a good job this time. Another Angel has been eliminated, and the pilots of the Special Unit and Unit-02 performed adequately." Commander Ikari spoke slowly, the glare on his glasses making his thoughts impossible to read.

"My tactics only succeeded because Shinji and the others worked so well together. Shinji did a good job this time too, Commander." Misato's words left a certain girl quietly fuming. No names mentioned.

"I know... Shinji," Commander Ikari called.

"Yes... Father." Shinji snapped out of his daze and answered nervously.

"You did well this time. I hope you'll do the same next time. All right, I'll leave the rest to you. I've only just returned, and I have things to attend to." Commander Ikari casually praised Shinji, then seemed eager to leave.

It was the first time Commander Ikari had ever praised Shinji, and the boy looked so happy... Huang Zhetian felt sorry for this poor, ill-fated pawn. That praise had come several episodes earlier than it had in the story.

"Goodbye, Commander Ikari. All right, let's go," Misato told Huang Zhetian and the others. Apparently, she couldn't bear staying there much longer either.

Why haven't I seen Rei Ayanami yet? Speaking of her, she's a big deal. Gendo Ikari valued her highly in the TV series, because she was a crucial pawn in his plan to become a god. That was why he went to such painstaking lengths to orchestrate everything...

That emotionless, taciturn, expressionless girl is harder to deal with than any other character. I could overlook those old fanfics where people killed everyone left and right, but changing Rei Ayanami's personality too? How could it be that easy? Does she even know you? She wouldn't give you the time of day.

On the way out, Huang Zhetian kept thinking about the plot, the characters' future paths, and their personalities. It seemed he would have to start with Shinji Ikari. Half the story revolved around Shinji, after all.

"What's wrong, Zhetian? What are you thinking about?" Shinji asked, puzzled as he watched Huang Zhetian walk with his head lowered in thought.

"Oh, I was wondering where I should stay. I still don't know where I'll be living," Huang Zhetian hurriedly replied. "Oh, don't worry about that. I've decided. You and Asuka will come live with Shinji. My place is pretty big, and living together will let you get to know each other better. That'll help everyone work together in future battles..." Misato turned around and told them cheerfully.

"Huh? Live with this idiot Shinji? No way! Absolutely not!" Asuka bristled the moment she heard that, and the sight left Huang Zhetian grinning comically.

"And even if I could put up with living with Shinji, why do I have to live with that pervert too? Idiot! What are you laughing at? You look so creepy!" Asuka turned toward Huang Zhetian and glared at him, her cheeks puffed out.

"Haha, I told you, this is so you can work together better and defeat the Angels. Enough, Asuka. Your luggage has already been delivered to my place. You're coming whether you like it or not." Misato covered her mouth and snickered.

You really know what you're doing, Misato. Now you won't have to do any housework...

"I wanted to live with Mr. Kaji... Damn it." Asuka looked miserably at Misato, her face crestfallen.

"Hmph! That bastard! He ditched us and ran off! Unforgivable!" At the mention of him, Misato flared up again.

"Miss Misato, send me your address. I'll go buy some ingredients and make you all a Chinese meal tonight. You haven't had one before, have you?" Huang Zhetian asked them with a smile.

"Sure! Could we leave dinner to you from now on, Zhetian? Hmm?" Misato gave Huang Zhetian an alluring look.

"Of course. I'm in no position to turn down a beautiful woman's request." Huang Zhetian chuckled.

"Hmph! Idiot Zhetian! Pervert!" Asuka muttered.

"My luggage has arrived too. There are only a few bags. Sorry for the trouble, Miss Misato, but please put them away for me." Sitting in the back seat of a car driven by a man in black, Huang Zhetian finished giving Misato his instructions, then rode out through the tunnel to buy ingredients at the market.

"Luggage? Hmph! I'm afraid Misato's place won't have room..." Asuka said haughtily.

"You're really something..." Misato understood perfectly well and gave Asuka a helpless look.

In another room.

A girl with short blue hair and ruby eyes sat in a chair, looking at the medicine in her hand before swallowing it with water.

She stood and walked to the window, gazing expressionlessly at the dusk outside. Then she glanced at the broken glasses in the trash can...

"Shinji..."

The evening light fell across her, making her look especially lonely and forlorn.

"Thank you... I still haven't said those words to that person," Rei Ayanami murmured softly.