Chapter Four: No Takeout from the Cosmic Buffet

As they approached the bowl, the floor opened. They fell onto a conveyor belt made of plates. Mechanical teeth marked FOOD WASTE RECYCLING waited at both sides. Luanma found repeating textures between the gears. Qiao Mai loosened their bolts with feedback. Wanxiang called every turn. “Right bend in three seconds. No stop ahead, Xiao Gu. Stay aboard!” Xiaogao turned a pursuing pudding into a springy cake. The five bounced into the congee. Beneath it waited a private dining room. The Nameless Guest sat across the table. Five plates held five memories: Xiaogao’s first disastrous stream, Wanxiang’s final bus route, the program stolen from Luanma by a coworker, Qiao Mai’s desk on the night of his broadcasting accident, and Zhaoye’s first championship.