Unexpectedly, Asuka only glanced at Rei Ayanami before going down the stairs and leaving to the left.
That left Huang Zhetian with orange juice and sunflower seeds in hand, but no entertaining drama to watch.
Looks like the plot has changed. Is this a variable introduced by my arrival in this world? Huang Zhetian pondered as he ate his sunflower seeds and watched the scene before him.
Meanwhile, Shinji and Rei Ayanami were getting along wonderfully, while their classmates watched them with envy, jealousy, and resentment...
Huang Zhetian noticed that the corners of Rei Ayanami's mouth lifted slightly when she talked to Shinji.
Looks like Rei Ayanami has developed a sense of self. That's a good thing, but also not such a good thing...
For my next objective, I should still save Kaji... That means snatching someone right out of old Ikari's hands. I'll have to plan ahead, but where do I start?
"Zhetian, you idiot! What are you staring at those two for? Huh? Come with me! Stop looking!" Asuka marched up to him, snatched his sunflower seeds, and demanded fiercely with one hand on her hip.
"How about I look at you instead? You're more... Ah!" Before Huang Zhetian could finish, Asuka tripped him.
"Pervert! You think I don't know what you're thinking? If you weren't cooking dinner for me tonight, I'd give you a good beating right now! Hmph! Come with me, and don't you dare look back at them!" Asuka pulled him to his feet with a haughty air, still muttering, "I'm only helping you up because of last night's dinner. Don't get any ideas."
It was the first time Huang Zhetian had touched Asuka's hand. It wasn't as soft as he had imagined; instead, it had a certain firmness. Soft yet tough-it seemed to be the result of regular training.
"I wasn't thinking anything. So what do you mean by telling me not to get any ideas? Are you telling me to think about you? How are you going to repay me for last night's dinner?" Huang Zhetian teased shamelessly.
"Are you an idiot? Zhetian, you idiot, I'll let you call me by my name as payment for last night's dinner. And another thing! If you tease me again, I'll stop talking to you." Blushing, Asuka turned her head away as she threatened him. His words had made her heart race, and she felt something different, too...
"Hahahahaha! All right, let's go. Shinji, hurry up..." Huang Zhetian laughed heartily. Asuka really was amusing. Seeing the two behind them still chatting, he called out to Shinji, his useful pawn. Shinji still had no idea this was his father's plan...
It was also Huang Zhetian's plan...
Suddenly, Rei Ayanami and Shinji called out to them from behind. Shinji said urgently, "Zhetian, Asuka! Another Angel is here! Miss Misato told us to return to NERV Headquarters."
The Seventh Angel-Music Angel
SEELE
01: "The script and the personnel are all in place. Only the issues concerning Unit-01 remain unresolved. Keep the S² Engine to a minimum if possible; otherwise, have it appear early and merge with Unit-01."
08: "Leave it to Gendo Ikari. If he can't even solve this problem, what use do we have for him?"
03: "Yes. We still have plenty of time, so there's no rush. The important thing is to keep the Spear of Longinus safe. It's the key..."
04: "As a precaution, the Mass Production Units are being developed secretly in each country. We've already sent people down to Central Dogma to extract cells for replicating the Spear of Longinus."
07: "Tsk. Gendo Ikari is becoming harder and harder to control. The Tree of Life, the Spear of Longinus... Replicating this thing will take a long time, but it should be ready just in time. There's no need to worry about missing the Human Instrumentality Project's deadline."
02: "Let's hope so... If Unit-01 won't work, the Special Unit can take its place when the time comes. Their structures are almost identical, after all. Think of it as taking out another insurance policy. Having another trump card isn't a bad thing."
05: "China is difficult to control. We have no Chinese member in SEELE. That makes this very difficult. They only provide resources and refuse to take orders. It leaves us with very little room to act..."
09: "Five thousand years of history-what did you expect? That ancient nation still stands. There are unknown things there, and even now, we haven't figured China out. It's very difficult to advance the Human Instrumentality Project there..."
10: "Don't we have a Chinese pilot here? Our investigation found that he cares a great deal about the girl who pilots for Germany."
06: "Then start with them. We can begin moving the plot forward, as long as it doesn't stray too far from the script. That will be all."
NERV Headquarters
"What? Three against one? Seriously? Can't you let me handle my debut battle in Japan on my own?" Asuka complained from inside her cockpit.
"We have no choice. This minimizes the risk of anything going wrong. If we fail, it'll trigger the Third Impact. Every time an Angel arrives, we have to bring out all our strongest trump cards," Huang Zhetian said gravely.
"Exactly! We only get one chance. One tiny mistake, and it's all over. What we're doing might look underhanded, but it's effective," Misato's voice rang out.
"Fine, but let me make this clear first. Neither of you had better hold me back out there, or you'll regret it!" Asuka declared imperiously to Huang Zhetian and Shinji.
"You're both newcomers, so why are you so different from Zhetian, Asuka? I really don't get it..." Shinji shot back, sounding rather indignant.
"Hmph! I can't be bothered to explain right now. I'll charge out in front, and you two draw the target's attention for me. We'll finish this quickly!" Asuka's disdainful voice reached them both.
High in the sky, three enormous aircraft released the Evas. The three giant weapons landed firmly, throwing up a vast cloud of dust.
Clang-bang-clack! After a series of mechanical noises, the operational crew dragged the power cables over.
With a click, they switched to external power. Asuka said helplessly, "Three against one. What a bunch of losers."
Huang Zhetian didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on the Seventh Angel, the Music Angel, as it slowly approached across the sea.
This could be tricky. In the original plot, two against two wasn't enough. Would three against two guarantee a win? Huang Zhetian drew his machine gun and watched the Angel.
His gaze grew solemn as the system displayed:
Seventh Angel: Music Angel Kill reward: 6,000 training points Additional defeat reward: one Resurrection Ring. Note: The richer the rewards, the more dangerous the target.
This is going to be tough. I hope Asuka doesn't get careless.
Before you continue