Detective Mo Zhiming is drawn into a case by Xiangzhi White, who claims her boyfriend, chef Qiang Dazhuang, has developed a grotesque, insatiable appetite. She reveals they once hunted and ate a panda in Sichuan, after which Qiang’s gluttony spiraled. Mo suspects a psychological disorder, but Xiangzhi fears possession by a temple deity — later identified as Taotie, a mythical gluttonous beast from The Classic of Mountains and Seas. She leaves a panda pelt as proof, then vanishes, along with Qiang.

Mo’s investigation leads him to a shut-down restaurant, Volcano Barbecue, linked to illegal wildlife trade and cannibalism. Would Mo find Qiang and rescue the victims in the underground? The story leaves a stark reminder of humanity’s thin line between desire and monstrosity.