Chapter 1152
, 6th Division, Yiyuan Hall: No!!!
A bone-chilling cold spread down his back, and the excruciating pain throughout his body made Rokubungi Gendo slowly open his eyes. His blurry vision gradually cleared, and what came into view was still the cold floor of the research institute's lobby. The swelling on his cheeks was still burning painfully, his throat was so dry that he couldn't make a complete sound, and even moving a finger felt like a struggle.
He struggled to sit up, but a staff member's indifferent and distant voice came from behind him: "Mr. Sextant, you're awake."
Rokubun Gigendo turned his head, his eyes still filled with lingering confusion and madness, and asked in a hoarse voice, "How did I get here?" He only remembered being kicked away by Choi Myung and having his vital points stepped on by Ikari Yui before losing consciousness.
A staff member handed over a paper notice, his tone completely flat: "Mr. Sextant, you have been dismissed from the research institute. Please pack your belongings and leave as soon as possible."
"I've been fired?!"
These words exploded in Rokubungi Gendo's mind like a thunderbolt. His eyes widened suddenly, and ignoring the excruciating pain all over his body, he staggered to his feet, snatched the notice, his fingertips trembling from the force, his eyes filled with disbelief, as if he had heard a fairy tale.
"Impossible! This is impossible!" he roared, his voice hoarse and lisping. "Who? Who fired me?!"
Looking at his manic behavior, the staff member looked helpless and patiently explained, "Yes, Mr. Sextant, you were causing trouble in the lobby and harassing Researcher Ikari. Your behavior has seriously affected the order of the institute."
"No! That's not it!" Rokubungi Gendo shook his head frantically, his eyes filled with obsession. "Yui Ikari wouldn't do this to me! She wouldn't let the research institute fire me!"
He gripped the notice tightly, his knuckles turning white, his eyes swirling with a frantic obsession—in his mind, even if Yui didn't like him, she would never be so heartless towards him. Just like before the world shattered, she would always be more gentle and tolerant towards him. How could she just stand by and watch him get fired?
"Researcher Ikari was afraid of your harassment, so she personally applied to Senior Cui to have you dismissed. Please leave and stop harassing her." The staff member's words were like a cold knife, piercing Rokubun Gigendo's heart.
"No! I don't believe it! I want to contact Yui! I want to ask her myself!" Rokubungi Gendo roared, frantically pulling out his phone with a cracked screen and dented body. Ignoring the phone's lag, he shakily dialed Yui's number and impatiently dialed it.
Seeing his stubborn and unrepentant appearance, the staff shook their heads helplessly and turned to leave the lobby—they had long seen through him; this man had been completely driven mad by his obsession, and there was no point in saying anything more.
At this moment, Yui Ikari was sitting in the passenger seat of Choi Myung's car, which was heading towards Choi Myung's house. Sunlight streamed through the car window onto her face, softening her previous coldness and annoyance. She was looking down at her phone when suddenly the screen lit up, displaying the caller ID "Rokubun Gigendo".
Yui Ikari's brows furrowed instantly, a hint of disgust flashing in her eyes. She turned to look at Choi Myung in the driver's seat, her tone calm yet tinged with helplessness: "Senior, it's a Sextant."
Cui Ming kept his eyes on the road ahead, his hands firmly gripping the steering wheel, and asked calmly, "Is this harassment? Do you need my help?"
Yui Ikari nodded slightly, a hint of certainty flashing in her eyes: "Yes, we do need to help you, senior, after all, it's very dangerous." She knew all too well Rokubun Gigendo's obsession; unless she completely cut off his hopes, he would only keep pestering her endlessly.
With that, Yui Ikari pressed the answer button and turned on the phone's speaker so that Choi Myung could hear it too.
On the other end of the phone, Rokubun Gigendo's hoarse and frantic voice immediately came through, filled with pleading and urgency: "Wei! No! Don't fire me! Tell me this isn't true, okay?"
Yui Ikari took a deep breath, her tone cold and firm, without the slightest hesitation, and said, word by word, "Mr. Sextans, please stop disturbing my life. I'm with my senior now, preparing to go to his house. Please don't contact me or bother me again." She paused, her tone becoming more distant, deliberately emphasizing, "Also, please don't call me Yui, I can't accept that. Please call me Ms. Ikari, thank you. I'm afraid my senior might misunderstand."
Before she could finish speaking, Yui Ikari pressed the hang-up button and promptly added Rokubungi Gendo's number to her blacklist. The disgust in her eyes completely disappeared, and when she turned to look at Choi Myung, she regained her gentle demeanor: "Senior, I'm sorry you had to see this."
Cui Ming shook his head slightly, his tone calm: "It's alright. If he bothers you again, just tell me."
Meanwhile, on the other end of the phone, Rokubungi Gendo stood frozen, holding his phone. All that could be heard from the receiver was the busy tone. Ikari Yui's cold yet resolute words were like countless sharp knives, piercing his heart and tearing his last remaining obsession and hope to shreds.
"No!!!!!!!"
A piercing, distorted scream erupted from his throat as he slammed his phone to the ground, shattering it into pieces. Tears streamed uncontrollably from his swollen eyes, mingling with the blood and dust on his face. Disheveled and desperate, he crouched on the ground, clutching his head, his shoulders trembling violently. His suppressed sobs gradually turned into a broken whimper.
"Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!"
At the same time, the world consciousness in the shadows was laughing hysterically. The laughter at the level of consciousness was maniacal and ear-piercing, full of mockery and pleasure. "Hahaha! Gendo Ikari! Can you feel it? This is despair! This is the taste of wanting but not getting! So satisfying! So cathartic!"
As it watched Rokubungi Gendo break down and cry, the pleasure in its heart reached its peak—this was only the beginning. It wanted to watch this man be devoured little by little by obsession and despair, until he went completely insane, until he lost all meaning in living.
The car drove smoothly for a while and soon arrived at Cui Ming's house. Unlike the cold and solemn atmosphere of the research institute, Cui Ming's house was simple yet warm. Several green plants were planted in the courtyard, and soft light shone from inside the house, creating a reassuring atmosphere.
Choi Myung parked the car and turned to help Ikari unbuckle her seatbelt: "We're here."
Yui nodded, opened the car door and got out, following Choi Myung into the house. As soon as she entered, she saw three familiar figures sitting on the sofa in the living room—Misato, Ritsuko, and Zeppelin. The three of them were huddled together, talking in hushed tones, and the atmosphere was not exactly relaxed.
Hearing the door open, the three of them looked over at the same time. Yui Ikari smiled warmly and took the initiative to greet them, "Hello."
Yui walked to the sofa and sat down, glancing at Choi Myung beside her with a knowing look in her eyes. She already knew the situation; Choi Myung was straightforward and honest, and aside from needing to conceal crucial combat intelligence from aliens intent on destroying the world, he rarely lied.
He never deliberately concealed his family situation or the people around him, and he was always open and honest about even the smallest conflicts between them. After all, for him, there was no need to scheme and fight over trivial matters; being honest with each other was much more reassuring.
However, Cui Ming bringing her to his home today was clearly not just for a simple get-together. (End of Chapter)