The mall's broadcast sounded again.

"Attention, customers. Dinner time has arrived. Please proceed to the Food Court on the 5th floor to enjoy delicious food. We have prepared fresh grilled meat, ribs, trotters, and large bowls of meat noodles to satisfy all your culinary desires.

Note: Between 17:00 and 18:00, we will conduct a comprehensive disinfection outside the 5th floor area. Customers are advised to proceed to the 5th floor as soon as possible.

Note: Do not attempt to avoid dinner. The disinfection is a genuine process and will leave no dead corners."

As I smelled the aroma of meat in the air and listened to the meals offered on the 5th floor, my already empty stomach couldn't help but churn.

Grilled meat, ribs, trotters, and large bowls of meat noodles—what are the ingredients for these foods, and how fresh are they?

It's truly terrifying to think about!

Although I was already famished, I had no desire to taste any delicacies.

Moreover, this announcement sounded strange and completely different from the first broadcast.

The first broadcast seemed more like a subtle warning for everyone to avoid danger.

But this time, it felt more like an order and coercion.

It was driving the customers to the 5th floor, making it clear to us what would happen if we didn't comply—complete disinfection!

Like eradicating pests, a thorough disinfection.

As for what they would do, I didn't want to know at all!

In any case, this announcement was completely different from the initial one, and the publisher was also different.

Clearly, it couldn't be trusted!

I took my daughter and mingled with the crowd, heading towards the 5th floor.

Right in front of the staircase was a large pot, inside of which was a tomato and cheese thick soup. The red, white, and yellow colors were mixed together, emitting an indescribable smell.

I couldn't help but feel nauseous again, but the people around me were happily crowding around it, eager to indulge.

My daughter was also excited, her eyes gleaming as she looked at the pot. "Mom, it looks delicious. I want to eat!"

She urged me to hurry up, and I could tell she was hungry. But that thing...

The red is tomatoes, perhaps mixed with something else.

The white is cheese.

And the yellow looks more like greasy fried pork!

I saw someone scoop up the thick soup with a ladle and chew it vigorously, making a crunchy sound.

Some of the soup kept dripping down the corners of his mouth.

And in the moment he finished eating, the whites of his eyes started to turn red and bloodshot.

"Xiaoxiao, Mom doesn't like cheese. Let's go look at something else!"

My peripheral vision caught sight of something unusual under the pot. Normally, gas is used, but sometimes special wood is used for the aroma of the food.

But the wood burning under the pot looked more like a stack of intertwined hands.

I quickly pulled my daughter away, preventing her from looking at the pot.

We were pushed into a small shop by the crowd behind us.

A female clerk greeted us, "May I help you two with something to eat?"

My daughter cheerfully said, "I want to eat ribs..."

I noticed the bloodshot eyes of the clerk and quickly interrupted my daughter, "Do you have any vegetarian options?"

The female clerk rolled her eyes and impatiently said, "We are a braised food shop."

Uh... This thing is even more terrifying than the thick soup and ribs!