The sky, which had been clear moments ago, had somehow gathered a few clouds. The warm sunlight faded, and the temperature around them seemed to drop. The winter alley was cold, and so was the wind—but Li Lin and Zheng Zhi felt that their blood was colder than the wind around them.
The tall, elegant, seemingly flawless "Iron Doll" stood there in silence, radiating a grave-like chill and danger. No one knew when or where she had emerged. Her pale female face calmly watched Zheng Zhi and Li Lin, and for that instant, neither of them dared even breathe.
Li Lin clutched the roasted sweet potato in his hand, standing rigidly as though struck by lightning. His first instinct was to draw his gun, yet in reality, he did not dare move even a finger, as if afraid that the slightest motion would touch some kind of "switch" and send the killing machine before him pouncing at him.
At that moment, he even entertained a self-deceiving hope that she had merely been passing through, or that her sensors had malfunctioned and failed to detect him. But that pale face was staring straight at them, and his hope instantly went out in the cold wind.
Just then, Zheng Zhi's voice suddenly rang out, slightly stammering and very low. "Li—Brother Li, don't panic. I—I—I have experience. She's just an illusion. She can't actually touch us..."
Li Lin seemed to draw a faint hint of comfort from his partner's experience-based statement. But in the next second, he saw the tall, motionless figure suddenly move. She walked toward them, her heels striking the concrete and ringing out with a crisp, icy sound through the alley.
Zheng Zhi swallowed, but still muttered to Li Lin, "Don't panic, don't panic. Last time was even scarier than