Blazing Armor

On Wednesday afternoon, Gong Yingxian came to the squad to pick up Ren Yi, and the two drove to the hospital.eftVdPqxhiYhPweSCdDZIDKfNxeYuk

This private hospital was nearly twenty kilometers away from the Phoenix Squad, quite a difference from the convenience of crossing the street to go home as before, but still not too far.uFMaTJGIsMeybXmnDmFyGFVsKySgkQ

On the way, Ren Yi asked about their investigation into Liu Dayong.alsoDHtUcSONBJzYRAFchjaWumTHNG

“We’ve found his son and a cousin of his, and we’re still investigating further. His cousin was the one who stole oil with him back then, but for some reason, the cousin wasn’t caught when Liu Dayong went to prison. Maybe he ran. We promised not to press charges for what happened back then, and that’s when he admitted it. He also remembers the incident.”vgNhaqnlcRCBwVzJadGaHmPVXXthKE

“How much does he remember?”LYDyoccFOKtxXCJuPOkiFfrUnSWYEo

“Well, it was eighteen years ago, so it’s limited. We’re guiding him through the memories. But he helped us identify which gas station it was, though that gas station has long since been shut down.” Gong Yingxian kept his eyes on the road. “We’re also going through old vehicle records, PetroChina employee logs, looking for any possible clues.”EwnZiFMMjfnbiuBQiXbzqSDFenfezc

“That barrel Liu Dayong mentioned—I think it was preserved as evidence. At least the photos are still there. I didn’t pay much attention to the markings at the time, but I’ll go back and check.”PzfYopbaYuUeklxPFyHgflVVpAiMLo

“After the New Year, we’ll compile all the clues we’ve gathered so far and redo the fire investigation.”NcOopZbEUsJxrZZrYaixJZcQXLYmCg

“Alright.”RSyBXBRzKqmepdZRONntLCXUdpECTa

During their conversation, they arrived at the hospital.pGDHHAWlMQREqPfuHYAczZSPoBHjeZ

The atmosphere of the private hospital was completely different from that of a public one. There was no bustling crowd, no hurried, anxious expressions, and not even the pervasive smell of disinfectant. If you covered the hospital sign, it looked more like a high-end research institute.wEoREqgellDoRyLhPLdPdAqEJSytSl

A doctor and two nurses were already waiting at the entrance to receive Gong Yingxian.ojDXyXVZgnTYSdjTfGcQITFjRcCLDR

“Dr. Gong, hello.” The doctor greeted him respectfully, bowing slightly. “It’s been a while since you last came to the hospital.”eNnUktNbZuabBCDSXnWSCSHDFYuiyH

“Hello. This is Captain Ren, as I mentioned on the phone.” Gong Yingxian introduced Ren Yi. “Ren Yi, this is Dr. Han. His mentor was your father’s attending physician. Dr. Han is responsible for your father’s regular treatment and rehabilitation.”GvPtVFhZAlspefBgWACoLSAEkspPPU

Dr. Han smiled. “Nice to meet you, Captain Ren. The mentor Dr. Gong mentioned is a renowned figure in neurology, both nationally and internationally. He works at several hospitals and travels frequently, so he’s not here often, but I’ll be in regular communication with him about your father’s condition.”IzDcXujcKXsImapzmxauwQjrDVVveH

Ren Yi was taken aback. He thought his dad was just here to retire, but now it seemed like Gong Yingxian was planning real treatment? And with such a prestigious doctor? He glanced at Gong Yingxian, puzzled.QcHpNwsjVGGzAKaVeETZkuYMyKgeLW

Gong Yingxian remained calm. “Let’s go inside and check out the place.”kdoFwOuwEndRjEpLUaykhBkEiQxAia

Dr. Han gave them a general tour of the hospital. Ren Yi had never been inside a private hospital before and was stunned by the luxury. The advanced and highly expensive equipment, costing hundreds of millions, was everywhere.qgWpDAqSbAxpfEDDrDkloATQFBHfFU

Finally, Dr. Han showed them the room arranged for Ren Yi’s father—a luxurious 80-square-meter suite with every possible amenity, even more high-end than a five-star hotel. The room was nearly as big as Ren Yi’s home.cYrLGdtvPZbpcClyAtprwcqiQLhwpb

Unable to hold back any longer, Ren Yi pulled Gong Yingxian aside to the balcony. “This is too much, man. This isn’t what we talked about before.”UHeonmXEupIdkkIUTugWGrzWKMpWss

“What’s wrong with it?” Gong Yingxian asked. “The environment here is excellent, and there will be people to take good care of your father.”npZDcsVFilMCVSwjAJlqkYwNKzHYuG

“No, this is too extravagant. Is he here to be hospitalized or to go on vacation? I really can’t accept this. Even if I could, my dad absolutely wouldn’t. He’s a retired cadre, old-fashioned. If I put him here, he’d definitely scold me, asking if I’ve taken some bribe or something.”CxmILuXLLtKVIrvZcbcxChDFFjNvrf

Gong Yingxian frowned and stayed silent.ZdotIxOKvfshFCzuqQZPYwYVxAfqtb

Ren Yi felt a bit frustrated too. “Maybe I should just send my dad to a nursing home. I’ll definitely find a good one, so don’t worry about that.”pdTfczjcDvcHXxlUjWGBJoOCwYWGdE

“But aren’t we friends?” Gong Yingxian asked, sounding disappointed.fhdmtQzmsbxvHARviKXCwQarpTRfRp

Ren Yi felt his heart soften. He scratched his head, unsure how to respond. He was touched by Gong Yingxian’s kindness, but at the same time, he felt conflicted.VRZoZtSsxKbStMpNgdrsIdhBDDVXCN

Accepting a few meals from Gong Yingxian wasn’t a big deal, but receiving such a huge gift without reason didn’t sit right with him, both as a friend and professionally. However, seeing the disappointed look on Gong Yingxian’s face made it hard for him to refuse.wOcUbVECcSGSXxwfOYUEleMXnlIwwD

Gong Yingxian turned his head, quietly gazing out the window, his expression showing a hint of loneliness. “Ren Yi, I have… a lot of money.”HVJEyYdavUGDHmHukIUclMAMfhOnbk

Ren Yi was stunned.ibesNUzqnstjDGXDcMhZekWkIymBFe

“But it doesn’t mean anything to me.” Gong Yingxian lowered his gaze. The afternoon sunlight fell on his perfectly chiseled profile, as if a divine light had breathed life into a sculpture. His finely etched features were both extraordinary and vivid as he said softly, “If I can do something for you, then the money will have meaning.”DdoLbnILaZvFTBAZjdfwMOUSmSFNrx

Ren Yi felt his nose tingle, almost on the verge of tears. To hide it, he lightly punched Gong Yingxian, half-joking and half-serious, “Stop it, why are you being so good to me?”BRZHxyycTwDpFePnPRkivVMQxULIkO

Gong Yingxian chuckled. “Alright, I’ll ask them to switch to a regular room.”rVMrtXEFeSOxSXqCqbWveHfHLOFaJx

“I…”XmSFtcdBGrTRVTMCtJGISXmtlbdSHh

“No more arguing.” Gong Yingxian locked eyes with Ren Yi, his gaze unwavering, his eyes glimmering like fragments of sunlight.bidRdSfyLdEDBucwWHnJuddEFNxNHh

Ren Yi couldn’t resist such a look, couldn’t resist this person. His heart surged with emotion, and suddenly, he reached out and hugged Gong Yingxian, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and giving him a gentle pat.ZrZUQKnoylJdmFqvSuNFUDwgqhijqn

Gong Yingxian froze for a moment, but quickly returned to his senses, sliding his arms around Ren Yi’s waist.alZJygGsLNlqVivzivJubJfxMVOAjV

Given their height difference, Ren Yi’s chin fit snugly against Gong Yingxian’s shoulder. In a small voice, Ren Yi whispered, “Thank you.”NZYbBTHrDwHaBuXBHdBKOrEfRKKfLJ

Gong Yingxian’s breathing grew heavier.ZusRIpRppShDMbhhfLBafGJsDVHvbE

After thanking him, Ren Yi’s overheated brain cleared a bit, and he suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He tried to step back without making it obvious, but the arms around him remained in place, preventing him from moving. Whether intentional or not, he couldn’t tell.VAsSSfmugopYwgmbyYRcmhaXrXtLQQ

Gong Yingxian’s hands trembled slightly. He knew he should let go, but he didn’t want to. Why was it that whenever this person got close, he wanted to get even closer? There were so many impulses inside him that he couldn’t even understand.DQsHcyLiuMrXKlPOEoOhLPBehlWhDL

He’d never had a friend like this before. Did all friendships make you feel like this?nuXnWOZrHsiVjePlVOfXBmHqjAKttf

Maybe the “why” didn’t matter at all. If he didn’t want to let go, then he wouldn’t let go.IPjRxKCeVskDhYiKdqBcULmiouNTjp

If he wanted to do something… what exactly did he want to do?SLWVxxveifGJhIQJtxPPmMYgZhMAWp

Ren Yi finally realized that Gong Yingxian was deliberately preventing him from moving away. His heart pounded wildly, and he didn’t even dare to breathe.qKHdkWmfyjuWKPMQCnDZThmRMhLxGD

What did this kind of hug mean? What could it mean?!QGxNhDNTEYmeqBOmqmeDetQTonDkWP

Ren Yi opened his mouth to speak, but not a single word came out.zYjEuyEmyMjyAtNyeWgbzfZlhAdpfP

Just then, the sound of a door creaking behind them broke the moment.TtViJKZiJKqWRsyYkuBdaWhSDUbsqj

The two of them immediately pulled apart like two thieves caught red-handed in the middle of a crowded street, standing stiffly, awkwardly avoiding each other’s gaze, as if they were large, rigid toys. Neither of them dared to make eye contact.REFgZxfbpmSbwhAtpmwngXMISnhfhf

Dr. Han’s cheerful voice broke the tension. “Captain Ren, how do you feel about the place?”tjsQqTswUasRrfiYhVBBDPbxvwsryA

“Oh, we were just discussing…” Ren Yi stammered.siYQcrLoROhDTuXEAfoZIwtsQZmUjG

Gong Yingxian quickly interrupted, “Let’s switch to a regular single room.”FeaebCTBXPOaHmVrrEuhaKSHgyhCOn

Dr. Han was a bit taken aback but didn’t press further. “Alright.”XjmLmHpzUnElNzonlQYXsZPQmwIDaK

“Let’s go take a look,” Gong Yingxian said, feeling his cheeks grow increasingly warm. He quickly walked off, hoping no one would notice his flustered state.PlTsGncjHziUPHlOEwuFdoUubxXoZR

After they toured the regular room, Ren Yi felt a little more at ease. Though it was still far better than a public hospital, at least it looked normal.ATHRdrZKoliiMSqfsynzQDaOHvhXUb

A nurse approached with a clipboard, smiling sweetly at Ren Yi. “Captain Ren, we’ve completed your father’s records. Your father is not only a retired cadre but also has several commendations, which means most of the costs will be covered by his insurance. The remaining expenses will be part of our charitable support, as we include veterans in our support program. Is there anything else you’d like to ask?” She handed the documents to Ren Yi.SCTwYkWEbwgRKeuLtibiSdmlqRgcER

Ren Yi was surprised. “I only gave you basic information. How did you find all this out?”RQnAqMFfNHXvvfHyDzyaPaafOeejSQ

“The social security number reveals quite a lot,” the nurse replied with a smile.LLMChczeAzoNYFigKGVvZMhyATejqB

Dr. Han immediately joined the conversation, laughing. “To be honest, since Dr. Gong took special care to arrange this, we did a little extra research to better serve your father. We also obtained his previous medical records. We believe that with our new treatment methods, his condition will significantly improve.”MqvYawiaVxscAytvVOKwXAYYeYRuDL

“Oh, I hope so too. Thank you very much,” Ren Yi said, thinking to himself how perfectly Dr. Han had flattered them.GyzujkUtjIXXlqbjnucwiMxWZhiliD

“You’re too kind,” Dr. Han replied. Then, turning to Gong Yingxian with excitement, he added, “When we learned that Captain Ren’s father was the firefighter who saved your life all those years ago, we were deeply moved. It’s truly rare to see such loyalty and gratitude, remembering him after all these years. We will make sure to take excellent care of Mr. Ren.”RglaBISSrQLwGnDIYrTQqDDFTLsXno

Gong Yingxian’s previously calm expression changed drastically. “What did you just say?!”HCcNAlAXXjUIuqbNnutqydcjwNEBrO

Ren Yi was equally stunned. He had planned to find the right moment to tell Gong Yingxian, but hadn’t expected the revelation to be blurted out so unexpectedly. Now, he too was at a loss.lloYPHjFwUCYDtAxREbFYIYZDRFKNF

Dr. Han, completely bewildered, stammered, unsure what he might have said wrong.KcuzdjBNGKqAmBGEcbOXPZdHCNmhml

As Gong Yingxian processed Dr. Han’s words, he looked at Ren Yi in disbelief. His eyes were sharp, with a hint of panic, as if he felt deeply betrayed.eLvxaZGcZgdyqvakxiLgHVElpJIpRJ

Ren Yi noticed something strange in Gong Yingxian’s expression. Even though shock was understandable, why did it also seem like there was… anger? Of all the reactions Ren Yi had anticipated, none of them matched this. He could only assume that Gong Yingxian was simply overwhelmed. Without thinking much further, Ren Yi grabbed Gong Yingxian’s wrist. “Come on, let’s talk somewhere else.”ueRcEtFNixYHTQeAdGlsPlCvRpKKHk

Without waiting for an answer, he pulled Gong Yingxian aside, seeking a private spot to explain.PxiYnmXSYYTTSgtQiPsMdVwWtJjQLs