Zhang Xiaowen's mood improved dramatically after punching Magic Cube across the room. Now lounging on a sofa munching cream-filled cookies, she watched the robot demonstrate upgrades from atop the coffee table.
*Clink-clank!* Two 15cm gray mini-missiles emerged from Magic Cube's back. "Tracking warheads. Air/ground capabilities. One-hour recharge per shot—don't waste them."
"Thought you installed fireworks," Zhang Xiaowen snorted as the weapons retracted.
"I prioritized structural reinforcement and ammo capacity over—"
"Sure, sure. Let's sweep the building."
Their search led to stairwells splattered with blood and gnawed bones. At the seventh floor, they found an elevator shaft reeking of decay—a metal coffin packed with half-eaten corpses from the outbreak's first panic.
A scream ripped through the ninth floor.
"Survivors!" Magic Cube's wheels blurred into turbo mode as they charged upstairs.
Behind a battered security door, two girls clung to each other in a bedroom. "The…the knocking stopped?" whispered the younger, trembling.
Gunfire-cracked silence answered.
Peeking through the peephole, the older girl gasped: "Soldiers! They're here to save us!"
Outside, Zhang Xiaowen rolled her eyes at the door's excited whispers. Beside her, Magic Cube morphed into a toy car, missile hatch popping open in mock threat.
"Stand down, R2-D2." Removing her helmet to reveal cascading hair, Zhang Xiaowen knocked gently. "Open up. We're friendl—"
The door flew open. Two tear-streaked faces launched into a sobbing hug. "You're…you're girls too! Like us!"
Magic Cube's camera lens zoomed on the cookie crumb stuck to Zhang Xiaowen's cheek as she awkwardly patted their backs. *This rescue mission just got 73% more complicated.*