Chapter 1209
Betrayal by All: Gendo Ikari
On the other end of the phone, Rokubungi Gendo slumped to the ground, trembling all over, his face covered with tears and twisted hatred. The surroundings were a mess, and the broken phone screen was still flickering with a faint light.
"Shinji Ikari...you bastard..." He gritted his teeth and roared, each word uttered slowly and hoarsely, his eyes filled with a madness that seemed to consume him.
Being touched on his most sensitive spot by his own son and publicly insulted, the humiliation and anger almost tore his reason apart.
He wanted nothing more than to rush to Shinji Ikari and tear this disobedient son to pieces, but a sliver of reason in his heart held him back—he couldn't.
He knew all too well that he was now isolated and helpless, lacking the strength to fight against Cui Ming. Shinji Ikari was his only breakthrough point, the last straw he could grasp.
Even if he is insulted or contradicted, even if the hatred and humiliation in his heart are about to overflow, he must endure it.
Rokubungi Gendo slowly propped himself up, his trembling hand wiping away the tear stains and dust on his face. The madness and collapse in his eyes were forcibly suppressed, replaced by a deeper layer of gloom and obsession.
He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms, using the pain to force himself to calm down. He repeatedly muttered to himself, "Endure... I must endure... Wait until I take back Wei, wait until I deal with Cui Ming, then I'll teach this piece of trash a lesson..."
His face was as pale as paper, but a twisted smile curled at the corner of his mouth. Beneath that restraint lay an even more surging hatred and scheming—Shinji Ikari, I will repay this humiliation a hundredfold. You just wait.
He bent down, picked up the still usable fragments from the ground, and pieced them together bit by bit, with only one thought in his eyes: as long as he could use Shinji Ikari, as long as he could achieve his goal, what did this humiliation matter?
Under the shade of the trees in the park, the wind was still gentle, and the soft pecking of white pigeons dispelled some of the afternoon heat.
Shinji Ikari hung up the phone, blocked the number, and quickly walked back to Choi's side. The anger on his face had not completely faded, but there was a hint of cunning and elation in his eyes, as if he had done something very satisfying.
"Mr. Cui Ming, you heard it all, right?" He plopped down on the bench, his tone carrying a hint of self-satisfaction and lingering complaints. "That bastard dared to call me trash. He should take a piss and look at himself in the mirror."
Cui Ming looked at his childish appearance, a faint smile flashing in his eyes. He scattered a handful of grain on the ground, and the white doves gathered around, nuzzling his fingertips. He said in a flat tone, "I heard you. Well said."
With Cui Ming's approval, Shinji Ikari became even more enthusiastic. He leaned forward, his eyes full of cunning, and said in a low voice, "Mr. Cui Ming, tell me, how can we properly annoy that bastard?"
He had long disliked Sextant, and now that he finally had the chance, with Cui Ming by his side, he just wanted to vent his anger and let that stubborn and ruthless guy taste the feeling of being helpless and frustrated.
Choi Myung turned his head to look at the cunning in Shinji Ikari's eyes. His fingertips lightly brushed the feathers of the white dove, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips. His tone was indulgent: "How do you want to disgust him?"
"Let me think!" Shinji Ikari frowned, pondering seriously, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the armrest of the bench. "Doesn't he want me to cooperate with him? Let's deliberately keep him hanging, pretend I'm wavering, make him full of expectations, and then pour cold water on him!"
He became more and more excited as he spoke, his eyes lighting up: "For example, when he calls me again, I deliberately delay answering until he's jumping up and down in frustration, then I answer and say 'I forgot'; or, if he asks me to go to a specific place, I deliberately arrive a few hours late, or even don't go at all, making him wait there for nothing!"
Cui Ming listened to his idea and nodded slightly, agreeing in his tone: "Okay, but you can be even more ruthless."
"Even more ruthless?" Shinji Ikari's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Mr. Choi Myeong, do you have any good ideas?"
“What he cares about most is Yui Ikari, and what he hates most is others mentioning his sore spots.” Choi Myung’s tone remained calm, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. “You can occasionally ‘loosen your grip’ and say you’re willing to consider cooperation, but deliberately bring up ‘stand-in’ and ‘dead eunuch’ repeatedly on the phone to poke at his sore spots, watching him get anxious and jump up and down, but he doesn’t dare to lose his temper with you—after all, he still needs you.”
"That's it!" Shinji Ikari slapped his thigh, suddenly enlightened, his eyes gleaming with even more cunning. "How could I not have thought of that! That bastard hates it when people call him a dead eunuch, so I'm going to say it anyway, and deliberately say it when he's most looking forward to it, just to piss him off!"
The more he thought about it, the more relieved he felt. He couldn't help but smile, his tone full of anticipation: "Mr. Choi Myung, let's do it this way! I want to see if that bastard will go completely insane after enduring so much!" Choi Myung looked at his excited appearance, the smile in his eyes deepened, and he sprinkled another handful of grain, saying calmly: "Okay, I'll go with you."
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling on the two of them. White doves pecked at their feet, creating a scene of serene beauty. However, the cunning and tacit understanding in their eyes foreshadowed that the "path of forbearance" for Rokufen Gigendo was destined to be anything but easy.
Shinji Ikari took out his phone, scrolled through the blocked pages, and a mocking smile appeared on his lips: "Sextant, didn't you want to use me? Then I'll play along and see who's playing whom in the end."
Choi Myung had actually prepared a whole host of plans for what was to come.
Those little tricks he used to tease the sextant were just the tip of the iceberg; they were just casual pranks he played on Shinji Ikari.
Cui Ming had many backup plans, so many that they could drive that bastard Rokufen Gigendo to utter despair, leaving him with no room for resistance.
From the moment Rokubungi Gendo first set its sights on "Ikari Yui's" stand-in and attempted to oppose him, Choi Myung never stopped plotting. He calculated every step meticulously and prepared corresponding countermeasures for every possible unexpected event.
However, Cui Ming definitely needs to do some things as well.
A small follow-up plan
After all, plans can't keep up with changes, especially when it comes to people's hearts and fanatical madmen. It's always good to have a backup plan.
This extra preparation was mostly for Shinji Ikari, who was by his side.
On Shinji Ikari's side, Choi Michiko cannot be completely trusted.
It's not that I don't believe Shinji Ikari's hatred for Sextant, but rather that I don't believe in the bonds of blood—Sextant's obsession is too terrifying, and no one can guarantee that he won't use some means to manipulate Shinji, or that he won't make the boy waver between kinship and hatred.
Cui Ming has seen too many people entangled by obsessions and family ties; he won't gamble, nor can he afford to.
Shinji Ikari also knew that Choi Mie didn't fully trust him.
He looked down and kicked at the pebbles at his feet. The excitement on his face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of helplessness. His tone softened as he said, "I know you don't completely trust me."
After all, the sextant is there.
That bastard was his biological father, his blood relative. Even if they were sworn enemies, and even if he loathed Sextant, this blood connection was an indelible fact.
He himself knew that no one could trust someone who was related to the enemy by blood without reservation.
Why.
Shinji Ikari sighed softly, his eyes filled with weariness and disgust. His fingers unconsciously clenched, and his tone was full of emotion: "That bastard Sextans, he really caused a lot of harm."
It ruined his childhood, ruined his relationship with his mother, ruined all his expectations of family affection, and now it has made it difficult for him to even gain a pure sense of trust.
Seeing his dejected appearance, Cui Ming didn't say much. He simply scattered another handful of grain, his tone calm yet reassuring: "Do what you're supposed to do. You don't need to worry about the rest."
He didn't expose him, nor did he try to comfort him, but he gave Shinji Ikari a sense of confidence with the simplest words—even without complete trust, at this moment, they were allies fighting the Sextant side by side.
Shinji Ikari raised his head, glanced at Choi Myung, and nodded slightly. The helplessness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a firmness: "I know, I won't give him a chance to use me, and I won't do anything for that bastard."
He would no longer be swayed by Sextant's tactics, and he would no longer let that bastard continue to destroy everything he had. (End of Chapter)