The wind rustled bleakly. Inside the narrow alley, the footsteps sounded particularly muffled and oppressive, accompanied by the occasional low-pitched conversation of a young man and woman. Suddenly, the voices ahead gradually faded away, and even their silhouettes vanished without a trace.
The men tailing them came to a halt. Raising their hands to signal a stop, they stood frozen in place, scanning their surroundings and exchanging silent glances. After a long moment, one of them stepped out of the shadows, walking over to the spot where they had last seen Deng Yuyuan and Zhang Ci Hao. He shook his head at his companions.
Slanting tree shadows leaned against the mottled wall, leaves brushing past their faces. Rather than believing the pair had vanished into thin air, they figured the two had noticed they were being followed and fled ahead of time. Unwilling to give up, the rest of the men approached the spot and clicked on their flashlights, hoping to find some tracks.
