"Save... save me."
Chu Nanli was just about to leave the alley when she heard a faint cry for help.
Driven by the instincts of her former life as a military doctor, she turned her head to look inside the alley.
The end of this alley connected to other pathways on both the left and right sides; judging by the direction of the sound, it seemed to come from the right.
Chu Nanli stepped into the alley and, upon reaching the corner, saw a boy around seventeen or eighteen years old lying on the ground, eyes closed, in agony while clutching his neck, appearing to be suffocating.
Chu Nanli hurried forward and crouched down to check his condition.
"Can you still speak?" she asked.
The boy shook his head in pain, his throat only capable of producing labored gasps.
Chu Nanli flipped his eyelids and pinched his cheeks to keep his agape mouth steady, making it easier to examine his throat.
As the wind blew, Chu Nanli's face veil fluttered.