Episode 2: The Takeout Order from Hell
684 Words
Section 1: Echoes of the Inferno
I clutched the crystalline core from the Meituan zombie, the blue flames still burning the explosion’s aftermath into my retinas. The five figures injecting gamma rays into gas canisters grew clearer—the glowing colors on their gloves matched the five red markers on the shop’s holographic map.
Bai Shuang prodded the remnants of Gluttony’s esophagus with her ice dagger. The barcode on the metal fragment suddenly projected a hologram: [Specimen Gamma-002: Devouring Function; Lost Control on 2045.3.16]—the exact date of my time leap.
"Five Gamma receptacles correspond to five modified gas canisters," she pressed the fragment onto the grill. The blue flames devoured it with a sound like a wailing infant. "The other four specimens must be..."
[Ding! First Order Reward Calculated]
Golden text overwrote the warning messages:
[Unlocked: Memory Marination Function]
[Access Last 24 Hours of Zombie Memories]
The crystalline residue from the Meituan zombie swirled, scorching a takeout interface onto the bulletproof glass. The first order blinked urgently—the customer’s profile showed a girl in qipao, her crescent moon earrings identical to those worn by Dr. Bai Lu in the explosion footage!
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Section 2: Dead Man’s Order
"Don’t accept Qing Li’s order!" Bai Shuang’s ice blade rebounded off the screen. "She’s the architect of Sector 13’s Memory Purge Project. Your..."
A swarm of mutated roaches burst through the vents, their QR-coded wings auto-scanning. As the holographic order unfolded, the scar on my neck burned—the wound from the gas canister shrapnel now glowed with the same code as Qing Li’s earring.
[Mandatory Order: Grilled Brain (Memory Preservation Edition)]
[Penalty: Gamma-092 Toxin Release Upon Rejection]
The freezer growled like grinding gears. A formaldehyde-preserved brain rose, golden threads pulsating through its cortex—exactly matching the data cable from Bai Shuang’s USB in Episode 1!
"This belongs to the parliamentary archivist." Frost crystallized around Bai Shuang’s cybernetic eye. "The one who voted for the eradication protocol... now he’s *ingredients*."
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Section 3: Flavor Interrogation
Blue flames revealed the five red markers from Episode 1 as I grilled the brain. The nearest radiation source hurtled closer—Hong Yuan crashed through the ceiling, the serial number on her mechanical wings matching the stamp on the gas canisters.
"Beta-class cyborg weapon?" Bai Shuang’s ice daggers formed a cage. "You’re the ones who turned my brother into..."
Hong Yuan’s particle cannon shattered the ice prison. In the flying debris, a memory fragment flashed: the mutated fish from Gluttony’s stomach in Episode 1 now swam in Sector 13’s lab tanks, while Dr. Bai Lu injected blue liquid into a gas canister.
"Your brother volunteered to be a vessel!" Hong Yuan’s voice morphed into Qing Li’s tone. "Just like this Gamma Adaptor you’re protecting—he’s merely Dr. Bai Lu’s..."
I hurled chili sauce onto the grill. Exploding capsaicin molecules invaded her respirator. When her visor cracked, I saw the brand on her collarbone—identical to the Meituan delivery box’s serial number.
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Section 4: The Oven’s Verdict
As the brain sizzled at medium rare, the shop suddenly teleported. Through new floor-to-ceiling windows, I saw the subway station destroyed in Episode 1—now housing Gluttony’s regenerating esophagus chamber. Qing Li inserted a gamma vial into his spine.
[New Order: Five Brain Banquet]
[Penalty: Gamma-092 Release in 23:59:59]
The freezer rattled. Five frost-coated heads rose—their temples embedded with gamma receivers. Bai Shuang’s locket snapped open, her brother’s photo burning: "Sector 13’s council... they unanimously approved the purge."
Hong Yuan aimed her cannon at her own spine. "Self-destruct sequence activated... won’t become ingredients..."
A countdown burned in all our pupils:
[First Customer Arrival Imminent]
[Required Dish: Judgment Feast]
[Failure Penalty: Gamma-092 Dispersion]
When the first head leaped onto the grill, I recognized that face—the food safety inspector who licensed my shop three days ago. His lips moved in the flames:
"Save me..."
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End of Episode 2
Preview: Episode 3 "Five Brain Banquet & the Defecting Mech-Wings"
Will Gluttony’s esophagus regenerate? Who is Qing Li truly? Can Bai Shuang contain the viral outbreak?
- Writer
