Chapter 1355
Scientist: Mr. Hikari, just give us the scraps when you're done.
"Damn it! Cui Ming, you bastard!"
Rokubungi Gendo forced a roar through his teeth, his voice comical due to missing teeth and a whistling sound, but the venom in his tone was thick and irrepressible. He stared intently at the ceiling, his eyes unfocused yet burning with a mad flame, as if he could see through the thick concrete to the man sitting in the command room drinking tea.
"You stole my wife!"
These words were like a curse dug from the depths of his soul, carrying a bloody obsession. Yui Ikari, the woman he longed for, the woman he would stop at nothing for, the shadow he thought he could regain once the Instrumentality Project was complete, was now standing beside Choi Myung, looking at another man with a tenderness he had never experienced before. This image was like a dull knife, repeatedly cutting into his heart, causing him excruciating pain.
"You hit me again!"
He continued to howl, his voice so shrill it sounded like he was denouncing some unforgivable atrocity. Every beating, every time he was slammed into the wall, every time Spike slapped him, played on repeat in his mind, crushing his pitiful self-esteem into dust.
Although the whole "wife-stealing" thing is just nonsense...
Yui Ikari stood by the window of the command room, her gaze calmly fixed on the gloomy sky outside. She was Yui Ikari, yet not the Yui Ikari of Rokubun Gigendo's memories. The woman beside Choi Myung possessed an independent soul, her own choices, and a life trajectory entirely different from that of the soul who died for Rokubun Gigendo. Her gaze towards Choi Myung held no obsession, no madness, only a grounded, warm, and genuine human emotion.
After all, the Yui beside Choi Myung is not the same person he remembers.
Rokubungi Gendo lay on the metal bed, still muttering curses to himself, his voice growing weaker and more indistinct. He couldn't distinguish between reality and illusion, between memory and obsession, only instinctively replaying the images that drove him mad. Meanwhile, out of his sight, Ikari Yui was carrying a cup of hot tea towards Choi Myung, her steps light, a faint smile on her lips, completely unaware and unconcerned that a madman in a laboratory was wailing for her.
Hikari, head down, was recording Sextans Gendo's blood pressure data during his outburst, muttering to himself, "Intense emotional fluctuations... Apostle cell activity increased... Interesting..."
"Old Cui, Sextant has Apostle cells in him."
Hikari stood in the center of the laboratory, holding a newly printed gene analysis report in his hand, his voice filled with the excitement of discovering a new continent.
Cui Ming leaned against the door frame, his gaze fixed on the figure on the metal bed that was still twitching slightly, his face expressionless.
"……Understood."
His tone was calm, as if he were confirming a routine list of supplies, but a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.
Instead of rushing to recover, Cui Ming asked, "Can we kill him now?"
His voice was low, each word carrying an impatient killing intent, as if he would personally snap Rokubun Gigendo's neck the next second if he got a positive answer.
A subtle fluctuation emanated from the air, as if some being beyond the material realm was speaking directly to him. It was the voice of the world's consciousness, without a specific location, yet clearly resonating within Cui Ming's mind.
"Brother, brother! Wait a little longer, he's still useful. After Hikari finishes his research, send him to another research department."
Cui Ming frowned and tapped lightly on the door frame twice with his fingers, making a soft tapping sound.
"...Alright then."
He looked away, silently complaining to himself. There's so much going on on the world consciousness side…
Trouble that could have been easily resolved was instead left unresolved, used as experimental material, as leverage, or as bait to lure SEELE, the old fox. This indecisive approach was at odds with Cui Ming's decisive and efficient style, but he also understood that with the bigger picture in mind, some things couldn't be decided solely based on personal likes and dislikes.
"Hikari, after you finish your research, hand him over to the other research departments."
Cui Ming turned around and gave instructions to the scientists who were still excitedly recording data, his tone regaining its usual businesslike composure.
"Okay, by the way, this guy can develop new treatments. You'll see then, you're the expert."
Hikari responded without looking up, the test tube in his hand gleaming with a bluish light under the lamp, containing a sample of Apostle cells extracted from Sextans Gendo. His mind was already rapidly constructing various experimental plans; the data on chimeric genes, energy fluctuations, and rejection reactions were priceless to him.
Cui Ming stopped and looked back at him, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Hmm... I'll check it out later if anything goes wrong."
His voice carried a clear warning, and the aura of "If you dare to cause any trouble, I'll put you in the fighting device" permeated the air.
Hikari shrank back, carefully locked the test tube in the safe, and chuckled dryly, "Don't worry, don't worry, this time it's definitely insured, absolutely!"
Cui Ming didn't say anything more, but just glanced at Rokubungi Gendo on the metal bed, then turned and left the laboratory, his footsteps fading into the distance in the corridor.
Rokubungi Gendo lay under the pale light, listening to the footsteps disappear, and tears welled up in his eyes again uncontrollably.
He knew he wouldn't die anytime soon, but the days to come would probably be worse than death.
Cui Ming is the type of person who cuts off other people's escape routes.
So he directly reported that the Six-Part Origin Hall had Apostle Cells.
The report was submitted to the highest level through encrypted channels. It was concise and clear, without any embellishment, simply stating the facts.
Rokufennig Gendo, former NERV commander and core member of SEELE, has been found to have traces of apostle cell chimerism in his body, suggesting he may have been conducting self-modification experiments and is at risk of uncontrollable mutations. It is recommended that he be transferred to a specialized institution for in-depth research.
Liufen Yiyuantang had no way out.
On the day the report was submitted, research applications from various countries poured in like snowflakes. Biotechnology departments, gene research institutions, abnormal life form research centers, and several clandestine laboratories whose names couldn't even be revealed—all extended their hands. They didn't care what commander Rokugendo had been, or how many secrets he possessed; they only cared about the apostle cells flowing in his veins, and how many unknown mysteries were hidden within that half-human, half-apostle body.
Countless people are planning to slice him into pieces!
Those scientists, usually so refined and polite at academic conferences, now wore expressions of ravenous hunger. Their research proposals were filled with various cutting methods, from the cellular level to the tissue level, from gene sequencing to energy spectrum analysis—each step precise to the millimeter, each claiming to "contribute to the future of humanity." Some suggested peeling off skin samples first, others demanded the complete removal of the steel nails and bone from the left leg for comparative studies, and still others wanted to directly open the skull to see the effects of apostle cells on the brain.
Now a bunch of scientists are sharpening their knives, just waiting for Hikari to finish his research on Rokusengi Gendo so he can start cutting it up! (End of Chapter)