She tore open the crimson ramen package, placed the noodles in a bowl, poured in hot water, and found something to cover it.
Normally, anything could serve as a cover; X used a document clip as a makeshift lid, patiently waiting for the noodles to soften.
While waiting, X opened the frozen pizza and microwaved it. Watching food cook was always enjoyable; nothing could ruin this good mood.
The pizza only needed about 40 seconds to a minute on high in the microwave. Hearing the "ding," she took out the fragrant pizza.
It was an Italian spicy salami pizza. Slices of red spicy salami and some smoked ham were on a thin crust. Because X had added extra cheese, the melted cheese coated the delicious meats after heating.
Cheese is an excellent dairy product, almost universally applicable as an ingredient.
The milky aroma was rich, and the pizza was hot. Pulling the cheese apart revealed varying lengths of stringy cheese—delicious and visually appealing.
This might be a controversial opinion, but X firmly believed that stretchy cheese is the soul of pizza, whether it's a savory spicy meat pizza or a sweet and delicious fruit pizza. She loved them all…
Though there's little X wouldn't eat, except mustard and bitter melon.
Even if there was a cat on the pizza, X would probably just scoff, "This cat is too fat," then ignore it and eat the pizza.
The thin-crust pizza was easy to bite, but the thick layer of cheese and toppings made it feel heavy and satisfying. The smoked ham and salami were distinctly savory, stimulating the appetite—
Combined with sweet and crunchy bell peppers, corn, and carrots to balance the richness of the cured meats, the only word to describe the experience was the blissful taste of cheese.
Except for being a little messy… everything was perfect.
Opening a bottle of strawberry soda, the strawberry aroma softened the creamy taste, followed by the fizzy sensation on the tongue.
The ramen was good.
She set the document clip aside, poured out the excess hot water, leaving only enough liquid for the sauce.
X opened the seasoning packet and added sweet chili sauce; although sweet and spicy, it was actually quite hot. Initially, the spiciness wasn't obvious, but after a few bites, it became intensely hot.
Drinking a Coca-Cola or another carbonated beverage at this point would provide a double sensation.
X challenged the gochujang (Korean chili paste) ramen. She used metal chopsticks to stir the bright red paste, swirling it clockwise to coat each noodle, resulting in a bright reddish-orange color, similar to the caramel coating on candy—
This type of coating is called "dressing".
X wasn't particularly tolerant to spice, but she had the "the spicier the better" mentality—like someone with a low alcohol tolerance who insists on drinking strong liquor. Knowing she couldn't handle spice, she still challenged the fiery gochujang.
She wondered if the AI intentionally placed the gochujang here… it was a trap, and even knowing it, X still fell for it.
Food was there; how could she not eat it? Like a piece of cheese in a mousetrap, it was irresistible.
To mitigate the potential fire, after mixing the gochujang, X added two slices of cheese. The hot noodles quickly melted the cheese, infusing a rich milky aroma.
Milk is a good way to relieve spiciness, and dairy products can also alleviate the heat to a certain extent.
After mixing again, ensuring the cheese fully melted into the reddish-brown noodles, X sprinkled seaweed flakes and white sesame seeds on top. The cheap instant ramen instantly felt luxurious, like a high-end dish.
Gochujang ramen should be eaten while hot…
Looking at the bright red noodles, X swallowed, tentatively picking up a strand with her chopsticks and placing it in her mouth… A savory flavor, not spicy, with a strong cheesy aroma.
Carefully savoring it, she even felt the stretchy texture of the cheese, a certain magical elongation. The hot cheese had a strong coating effect, and the seaweed and sesame seeds enhanced the flavor.
But after the second and third bites, the spiciness became noticeable. The initial mild spiciness stimulated the taste buds, creating a desire to eat more.
After the fourth and fifth bites, a slight pain appeared on the tongue. The spiciness wasn't just a taste; it was a painful sensation… but exciting, strangely addictive.
The strong cheese aroma partially neutralized the gochujang's intense spiciness, delaying its burn in the mouth. X was unaware until the sudden, intense heat hit her tongue.
It was the kind of stubborn persistence where despite the burning sensation, one continues eating. Even for those who enjoy spicy food, this level of heat would be considered intense.
Wiping her brow, having quickly finished the ramen, her tongue was still numb—burning numb.
Unable to fully handle the spiciness, her eyes were slightly red, tears welling up. Having endured the challenge of mustard, the gochujang ramen was enough to bring tears to X's eyes… a little disappointing.
One bowl of ramen wasn't enough for X's considerable appetite. After wiping the gochujang from her mouth, she started on the spicy salami pizza.
The rich cheese masked the burning sensation, and the distinctive savory flavor was enjoyable. Although the combination of cheese, crust, and cured meats was incredibly caloric, what did it matter?
Enjoying delicious food brought happiness. X had a radiant, warm smile, like the sun.
This was enough food for two adults, yet X devoured it all, leaving the table clean—remarkable for someone so slender.
If the AI Secretary didn't strictly control her diet, X's weight would likely increase rapidly. Even now, she was too thin; where did all the energy she consumed go?
Like the Corporation's energy production—a mystery.
After eating, she felt lethargic. X lazily leaned back in the Manager's chair, gently swaying, eyes half-closed, as if about to doze off.
But shortly after closing her eyes, the AI Secretary's urgent voice sounded again.
[Manager, it's not yet time for you to rest. You've only collected half the energy today. You can't settle for half; you need to collect all of it…]
"Ugh, but I want a nap!"
X slumped in the Manager's chair, curling up like a black cat.
[Manager, although the time flow rate in the Manager's office and the containment units is different, there's a time discrepancy—]
[But you can't be lazy because of that. Using the TT2 Protocol consumes a tremendous amount of energy, and the energy you collect is a one-way street…]
[You should consider how much time you have left to collect energy…]
[Although you've collected half of today's quota, the term 'half the energy' is inaccurate and imprecise…]
[Because energy is invisible, 'half the energy' is illogical. In other words, the correct term should be…(interrupted)]
The AI Secretary was seemingly accounting, like a financial report. The AI seemed unusually verbose today, agitated by something—
It was as if raising X was a complete loss, constantly reprimanding and belittling X, making her incredibly embarrassed, wanting to disappear. X was close to snapping under the Secretary's nagging.
Having not heard the AI's sharp tongue for several days, this was enough. X didn't know what she'd done to upset the Secretary; she could only attribute it to the unpredictable nature of AIs.
"Alright, alright, Angela. I understand. I'll start working right away."
Unable to bear the AI Secretary's incessant reminders about energy, X opened her eyes, sat up straight, and prepared to resume her work.
The time saved was likely for today's meeting; the meeting schedule prevented late overtime.
Normally, collecting energy took extra time, but now she needed to increase efficiency, spending less time meeting the ever-increasing Energy Quota.
After notifying the Deans, the afternoon officially started. The Energy Quota was indeed increasing—not linearly, but exponentially. Each day, the standard quota rose significantly.
In other words, management would become increasingly difficult, demanding greater managerial skills.
But for now, X could handle it easily; management was proceeding smoothly.
She commanded the Deans as usual, monitoring employee progress through surveillance cameras, checking their mental states, and promptly notifying the Deans to send overworked employees for treatment.
The only difference was the 'white noise'. To be honest, since containing [1.76 MHz], the noise had been quite bothersome. The containment unit vaguely emitted various kinds of chaotic 'white noise'.
When the counter was four, it was relatively quiet. Once it started dropping, it became increasingly noisy, as if something was getting angry.
It's just a specific electromagnetic wavelength, yet it has a temperament. Abnormalities are truly extraordinary.
Abnormalities like [O-02-56], [Punishing Bird], are incredibly annoying. They seem to have a particular obsession with the Manager, sticking to the camera to capture its attention, showing X its 'pink-colored' belly.
Whether it wanted X to touch its belly was uncertain, but X certainly wouldn't dare. It's far more dangerous than a pufferfish. A pufferfish might bite a finger, but a Punishing Bird could reduce a person to dust.
Perhaps dissatisfied with X's lack of attention, this little bird would often peck or tap the camera. It seemingly showed no interest in other employees, focusing solely on X.
It seemed to want to land on X's head or stay in her palm… perhaps even enter her collar.
X didn't know why… but it was unimportant; she didn't need to worry about it. As long as energy was produced, this impulsive little bird could do as it pleased.
Because all newly acquired Abnormalities came with information, managing them was simple and efficient once their characteristics were understood. The afternoon's efficiency was much higher than the morning's.
As the Qliphoth meltdown increased, the [Ordeal] appeared.
This Ordeal was Amber, [Amber Dawn — The Perfect Meal].
A striking amber warning appeared on X's screen, accompanied by the constantly fluctuating Meltdown Alarm:
[New—Food, Substitute—Excellent]
[We—Survive, We—Eat. We—Decay, Become—Food]
Called the [The Perfect Meal] Ordeal, these insect-like creatures were referred to as food. Honestly, it was quite unsettling; only someone incredibly hungry would consider eating them.
And until now, there had been few examples of food turning on its predator. These numerous insects were highly aggressive.
These soft-bodied insects, generating in the corridors, were as tall as employees, with chitinous armor. Numerous amber eyes peered from the crevices in their lower bodies; their numerous suckers and visible rows of teeth looked plump and menacing.
Even through the Cognition Filter, they looked strange; removing it would likely make these [The Perfect Meal] creatures even more terrifying.
What flavor of food were they? Grape or tangerine? X certainly didn't want to find out.