Chapter 41: The First Meal
When the final set of audio equipment was installed, the night had already grown deep.
wiped the sweat from her forehead, handed the screwdriver in her hand to the team member beside her, and worked her stiff shoulders.
Beyond the power station's forward defense line, the darkness was so silent that only the wind remained.
The sound wave broadcast system played grating frequencies at the edge of human hearing on a twenty-four-hour loop, and the effect was excellent—since the system had been activated, scattered activity within three kilometers of the defense line had been completely wiped out.
She patted the dust off her hands, watching this invisible sound wave defense line take effect successfully. Some of the tension in her heart eased.
"How's the surgery going over there?" she asked toward the ID card in her hand.
's voice rang out calmly, carrying the texture of electric current:
[The situation is better than expected. At least that thing didn't cause any irreversible damage... probably.]
"Probably?" was a little puzzled.
[The separation of the parasites went smoothly. There's only one problem.]
"What?"
[All the patients have developed a bit of unknown tissue growth in their bodies, and it's very hard to remove.]
frowned. "So what do you plan to do next?"
[We'll isolate and observe them for a while first. I've arranged separate isolation rooms for them, and a has been assigned to patrol and keep watch.]
[In any case, let's wait and see how 's research goes for now.]
"Understood." nodded, not pressing further. "Then I'll wrap up on my end."
[Good work. Go get some rest.]
"Mm."
***
A little earlier, inside the in of the power station.
stood in front of the isolation culture chamber, looking through the thickened transparent wall at the clump of parasites inside that had already completely hardened.
It no longer wriggled. It now looked like a strangely shaped black stone, its surface covered in sharp plate-like structures.
But the air pressure sensors on the inner wall of the isolation pod showed that it was still carrying out extremely faint gas exchange.
A deathlike state.
opened her notebook, where several preliminary observation conclusions were scrawled in hasty handwriting:
1. 's pain perception weakened, suspected neurological problem.
2. Parasite characteristics: rapidly hardens and armors upon contact with the outside world; a certain dose of causes it to enter a deathlike state.
3. When and parasite are separated, zombification is triggered simultaneously; unknown tumor-like tissue growth appears inside the 's body, cannot be excised.
She circled the phrase "cannot be excised."
Over in the operating room, the removal surgeries were still in progress, and this growth had been found in every patient whose removal had already been completed.
It could already be preliminarily determined that this was the abnormality caused by the parasite. But what was the meaning of this abnormality?
set down her pen and rubbed the space between her brows.
In nature, parasites modify their hosts mostly to make their own lives more comfortable, or to make the easier for the next link in the food chain to prey upon, completing the parasitic transfer.
Among these, there is rarely any effect beneficial to the —after all, that's parasitism, not symbiosis.
[How is it going? Any progress on the research?] 's voice sounded.
"No leads yet. Many of the test reports haven't come out, so there's nothing to say." shook her head.
[Don't you have any guesses? After all, you are pretty imaginative, aren't you?]
"I have reason to suspect you're mocking me, but I have no proof." rolled her eyes at the camera, then continued, "Paralyzing nerves, weakening pain perception, gradually consuming."
"That logic flows pretty smoothly. But the patients' organ conditions are still fairly good."
"Or rather, a little too good."
thought of that eerie rate of flesh recovery.
Then she suddenly lowered her head and quickly wrote a few characters in her notebook—
Beneficial symbiosis? No.
She crossed it out and wrote anew: protecting the body.
[What, found something new?]
"Can't call it a new discovery." shook her head. "Just a new idea."
"If I'm not guessing wrong, this thing's parasitic cycle should be quite long."
"And it's probably not purely a parasite, nor the type that 'opens up the 's chest' like those Aliens."
"Its mature form is most likely a new kind of composite , with the parasite and eventually fusing into one."
[In that case, every time a drastic environmental change activates the 's zombification, it's actually the parasite trying to forcibly accelerate erosion and fusion.]
reacted quickly.
"Exactly." nodded. "Several patients have said they seem to be able to sense the emotions of the creature in their bellies. This might be a phased phenomenon during the assimilation process."
"Right!" She smacked herself on the head. "That hypothesis is interesting."
Then she lowered her head and began rapidly scribbling out a pile of experimental plans in her notebook, the handwriting so messy that only she could read it.
She was muttering under her breath, clearly completely immersed in her own world.
Seeing this, didn't disturb her. Instead, he turned his attention to another group of people who needed comforting.
***
The cafeteria in of the power station.
Serving a hot, steaming meal to newly arrived survivors had become 's unwritten welcome ritual.
After all, no matter how vast heaven and earth may be, eating is the most important thing.
But for the more than a hundred survivors from District, the word "cafeteria" had long since vanished from their lives.
During those days in District, they had eaten only canned food, biscuits, and every other ready-to-eat item that could be consumed cold.
They could hear zombies snarling at every hour, and every mouthful of food could be the last of this life.
So when these people walked into this bright, clean cafeteria without a single drop of bloodstain, the vast majority unconsciously stopped in their tracks.
The white light of the fluorescent tubes fell evenly across the room.
Long tables and chairs were arranged in neat rows, tissue boxes sitting on the tabletops.
There was no smell of decay in the air—only the fragrance of rice and stir-fried dishes.
The walls were walls, the ceiling was a ceiling. No pulsing blood vessels. No writhing membranes of flesh.
Quiet. Clean. Normal.
These three words, put together, gave the people who had walked through hell a powerful sense of unreality.
Many even wondered whether they were already dead, and everything before their eyes was merely a hallucination at the end of their lives.
"What are you all standing around for? Go find a seat! Then come get your food. Don't worry, there's more than enough!"
's booming voice broke the silence.
He was standing behind the serving window in an apron, holding up a stainless steel ladle, with two equally aproned chefs standing beside him.
After finishing the day's supply collection mission, he had volunteered to go into the kitchen and work alongside the professional chefs, determined to make the new survivors' first meal feel safe and comforting.
had his own persistence when it came to preparing food to reward these people who had barely survived.
He still remembered how he had felt the first time he cooked and ate here after the disaster. He wanted to share that feeling.
"Come on, come on, don't be shy! Plenty for everyone today! We've got rice and noodles—stir-fried cabbage, braised pork, beef brisket stewed with potatoes, sweet and sour ribs, egg drop soup... Take whatever you want."
called out the dishes with a grin, and his relaxed tone quickly diluted the somewhat solemn atmosphere in the cafeteria.
Someone moved.
A gaunt middle-aged man was the first to approach the window. When he took the tray with both hands, his fingers were trembling.
He lowered his head to look at the steaming rice and dishes on the tray and stood there for a long while. Only then did he silently walk toward a seat.
With the first person taking the lead, the others slowly began to move as well.
The line formed quietly. No one cut in. No one fought over anything.
"Little ones, you can eat over here."
"Go wash your hands first. Tell Teacher what you want, and Teacher will serve you."
crouched down and spoke gently to the dozen or so newly arrived children.
She wore a clean white shirt, her hair tied back in a ponytail, and her smile was very warm.
The children ranged from six or seven to thirteen or fourteen. Some wore tattered clothes. Some still had unwashed grime on their faces. Their eyes were all full of bewilderment and uncertainty.
And behind , several children in clean clothes had already run over.
Grinning, they grabbed the hands of the new children.
"The sink's over here! Come wash your hands quick, or Uncle will deduct points!"
"If you run out of points, you can't have spicy strips. There are lots of spicy strips here."
"The food here is super tasty!"
"There's soup too! Egg drop soup!"
Seeing peers their own age, the new children's tense shoulders visibly relaxed.
A few followed right away. A few others looked back at the adults beside them, and only after receiving reassuring looks did they relax and follow.
Only one little girl with messy hair didn't follow. She was about eight or nine, her face dusty, her clothes dusty too.
She walked timidly up to and, very properly, bowed first.
"Te... Teacher, hello."
"My name is Liu... ."
Her voice was very small, carrying a nervous stutter, and her eyes held anticipation.
"I wanted to ask... is my uncle... okay?"
didn't react at first, then asked gently, "Weiyue, who is your uncle?"
"My uncle, he, he's called ."
was just about to speak when the beside her sounded first.
[Don't worry, little Weiyue.]
[Your uncle is doing very well now. The bad thing in his belly has been removed.]
[He's had his nutrition replenished and is resting now, so it's not suitable to disturb him for the time being.]
[So you need to eat a good meal too, little one, then take a bath, change into some nice new clothes, and get a good night's sleep.]
[Tomorrow, you'll be able to see your uncle.]
's voice carried a deliberately slowed rhythm.
The little girl looked up at the robot beside her and clutched the hem of her clothes tightly.
"Can I see him right now?"
Her voice grew even smaller.
"I won't disturb him. I'll just take one look... just one look. As long as I can see him, that's enough."
As she spoke, she suddenly tilted her head up.
But tears still spilled out. In a panic, she raised her hand to wipe them, but the more she wiped, the more they came, and she couldn't stop them no matter what.
She was flustered, and a little frustrated with herself.
"I'm not..."
Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
's heart ached. Without saying anything more, she reached out and pulled the girl tightly into her arms.
"Don't be afraid. No one here will blame you. If you want to cry, then cry."
The little girl buried her face tightly in 's clothes, her sobs kept low, her shoulders jerking.
"Mom said... I can't cry anymore... I have to be strong... I have to live on strong..."
Her voice came in fragments.
"But I can't even manage this little thing..."
"It's okay, it's okay. Cry if you want to."
gently patted her back, her voice immeasurably soft. "Little Weiyue has already been very strong. You've done wonderfully."
"Your mom is definitely not disappointed. If she could see you now, she would be proud of you. Little Weiyue worked so, so hard to make it all the way here! That's amazing."
[That's right, little Weiyue.]
's voice sounded again. [Crying is a common phenomenon by which young children express emotions. It's not the kind of behavior that deserves excessive blame.]
[Also, regarding your request just now, I approve it.]
[However, you can only take one look through the door of the isolation ward.]
[In addition, you have to finish your meal first.]
The little girl lifted her head from 's arms and sniffled hard. Tears still hung on her face, but there was already light in her eyes.
"O... okay! I understand! Thank you!" The words came out haltingly, thick with sobs. "Thank you... Teacher... thank you... Uncle Zhuang."
wiped her face for her, then took her hand and led her toward the sink.
After two steps, the little girl looked back once in the direction of the before following along.
This scene made many of the adults quietly eating in the cafeteria redden around the eyes.
They watched the children wolfing down their food, looked at the dishes piled like small mountains in their own bowls, then looked around at the safe, stable surroundings. A feeling called "new life" finally surged belatedly into their hearts.
***
The cafeteria grew more and more crowded.
Steam billowed out from the serving window, and the clinking of chopsticks against bowls and plates replaced the silence.
Some people began to talk in low voices. Some buried their heads in their food. Some welled up as they ate, then lowered their heads and gulped down a few mouthfuls of soup to push the tears back.
An old man carried his tray unsteadily past the long tables and found a seat in a corner.
He took a bite of rice and chewed for a very, very long time. Then he set down his chopsticks, pressed his palms together, and his lips moved—no one knew what he was saying.
At a nearby table, a young couple who had barely survived sat shoulder to shoulder. The woman leaned against the man, and the two of them looked at each other, then suddenly broke into silly grins.
A boy of fifteen or sixteen sat alone by the window. His tray was already empty, but he didn't get up. He just sat there quietly, watching the people in the cafeteria come and go.
Here, there were no snarls. No writhing flesh. No death that might come crashing through the door at any moment.
Only the aroma of food, the clatter of bowls and chopsticks, and the occasional sound of children's laughter.
stood behind the window, watching the cafeteria gradually grow lively. He grinned, then continued serving the next person.
"Eat a little more. There's still plenty in the pot."
's consciousness swept across every corner of the cafeteria, watching these people who had just crawled out of hell slowly relax. A feeling he found hard to describe spread through his cognition.
He couldn't say what it was exactly. It just felt really good.
On the system panel, a new notification unexpectedly appeared:
[Ding! Detected that among the sheltered survivors, there are more than 20 minors under the age of eighteen.]
[ triggered: .]
[Reward: 2000 , " " Ă—1.]