Blazing Armor

Qiu Yan pondered, “If Purple Flame wasn’t the killer from back then, why would he wear a bird mask?” She seemed to have thought of something. “Yingxian, he might be wearing that mask because of you, to mess with your mind.”lvbzGjJDXBzLMBWCpOIvisskaayatU

fKUEzbOkNhkZAkG

Gong Yingxian’s expression shifted. “Yes, yes! From the very beginning of the video, he was speaking as if he was directly addressing us. Both the mask and his words made us feel like we were the targets, that he was taking revenge on us or declaring war. But maybe this was all a trick, meant to confuse us, to limit our thinking. We still don’t understand his true motive.”VwmTWtsjyhrPPfYSUrmCLTvxEUXxkP

hkMwOLSRjPUZiML

Ren Yi quietly repeated, “Motive…”oerCLvhaSbNvGMyWKkpqqxYifaqaEb

JWbNnZsXNbtwyOn

“Is it revenge? Is it provocation? Or does he simply want to commit crimes for the sake of it?” Qiu Yan frowned, questioning herself. “What exactly is his motive?”EKWllgESUwcijhaAytGhCsQROEQoQm

dqIJuWLzXOFeQoN

“Prometheus, preacher, fire, wildfire…” Gong Yingxian muttered the words Purple Flame had mentioned in the video, sinking into deeper thought.oroyqAPZIGwXAfWkEeatxqxQlQaVPm

NjQSzBFTmzniRvl

Everyone was racing against time, trying desperately to find answers to the questions at hand. Ren Yi paced back and forth, constantly checking the time. He was furious with his current helplessness, and the relentless ticking of the clock filled him with dread.UMwzsvBmndKgFhLZvXvYFwxkqCLCyd

lycVvptNtXMZhHC

This wasn’t an ordinary New Year’s countdown—this was the countdown to the deaths of tens of thousands of lives. They absolutely couldn’t fail.fHSUgCOWwdMGDOcGDaynOAKSAxRxDN

hYMADRAypSjArxN

At that moment, Cai Qiang’s team sent a message. They had located the truck that transported the explosives; it was one of the equipment trucks from the company responsible for setting up the main stage. They were now on their way to find the person in charge.xJbNZdhcKAgriTplzjrNLHZHiAoeuI

qfUMSglDULXtaRU

Even though they had found the vehicle involved, this wasn’t exactly good news. Companies like this, taking on projects of varying sizes, often didn’t employ permanent staff for such labor-intensive work. With high personnel turnover, it might not be easy to find the suspect quickly.oCYtWWzhhEiEAEHMOIqOjYhiEtaIJy

FjDsytdXClJxFRs

Captain Zhang’s team immediately used surveillance to lock onto the vehicle. The truck had entered and left the venue three times today, and there were a total of eleven men who had handled and moved the equipment—young, strong men.eToxcoOTMMJmgzVrHFreRlxXYZflcy

mbRGhcCDjkDbnXc

“This guy looks suspicious. He glanced around several times, like he was watching something.”CBIlUDNzwuKqorCIvvAiYBjHArrUPQ

BgpmnyjNZvAjOFp

“Send his picture to Cai Qiang.”huygREzLOynMICtMkKHUxUjwaVkrkW

uBnBqlnwllAZFFU

“Dr. Gong,” Tan Haochun said, “I’ve summarized domestic fire cases from the past few years, but there’s too much data. I need some keywords to narrow it down.”IKGVuVAZIoXKgoGBqrqTgTyVdZhxoX

ysRGytcSyxzeWny

Gong Yingxian responded, “Filter out fires from underdeveloped areas, arson cases driven by revenge, arsonists over 45 years old, large-scale fires, and secondary fires caused by other incidents. Focus on Tier 1, 2, and 3 cities, where fire was the primary or main criminal method, that could have been caused by one person, and cases that have a substantial amount of text or video content on Asala.”nKEzaABaByYoXOvqlubATuxYtvGrBL

AZPgriwUosQDSgc

Tan Haochun popped another handful of sunflower seeds into his mouth and vigorously rubbed his hands together. “Leave it to me!”iWghyRLJJOpnDCcJANOAnoUJjJFecf

kcyNBZXlmmRLppg

Ren Yi couldn’t hold back any longer. “There’s less than half an hour left. If we can’t pinpoint the bomb’s location soon, it’ll be too late.”xVcnPdYjPtkGmFMrcQkmBDPGpPYjrO

SKPnuFBDaPgLHkR

Gong Yingxian took a deep breath. “Give me a little more time.”MYMiBsIbUFKzTheJReYAQgcyhkxhWv

UcnsltaZaYptPGF

Just then, Hegu made progress on his side. “Officer Gong, Captain Ren.”VZxHhzzLJiqoASjydJKrjVvbQieVMW

meRATQfhHeyxGeg

Both of them rushed over.aWrTsPhRinrqAtxIjsRIcxhKCJIrcn

urkHNlzWMrZxJIS

The table was covered with various complex design schematics. Hegu held up the action trajectory map that Tan Haochun had compiled of the suspect and explained, “I’ve compared the places he likely visited during different time periods with the equipment installation routes. I believe his target isn’t just a single system, but he’s aiming to trigger a chain explosion.”ngjHbuuNXghmVEdSVzmjFnUKtfXfLV

TwVdaNjwYeMhXZk

Gong Yingxian squinted at the diagrams. “Each time the hacker breached the surveillance system, it lasted no more than thirty minutes. An adult walking briskly covers about a hundred meters a minute. Factoring in time to avoid detection and plant the bombs, any location beyond a twenty-minute walking radius is likely just a decoy planted by the hacker. Those can be ruled out.”IJEkovZjvObQAKwkiidrtxXjGKVQVz

xRhrKrsgbbVmHNY

“Got it.” Hegu deleted the overly distant paths, leaving fewer and clearer movement trajectories.jpYuRLSqRqJTYcwyHbEtWIesdKgjfd

ymTfHaqWSkGozLU

“What do these tracks correspond to in terms of equipment?”DMjCVtVRPAbJNXmrFpaoSAGAhrsajC

PEuZoNnyHKNxxlR

“This is the boiler room, but that was the first place we checked. The suspect wouldn’t plant bombs in such an obvious location. The line extending from the boiler room is the gas pipeline. These others are water pipes. The gas pipeline is the most likely to cause an explosion, fire, and mass casualties.”JoZBKsNZslSyioHYgUHQKElbwfBkvx

QjWIFRAbOaUUFtz

Ren Yi interjected, “But we’ve already shut off the gas valves. The remaining gas in the pipes isn’t enough to cause a chain explosion.”wrkEYklDMfCsVlqmIDqgAjLamhnrCH

yYtqTpDwtqoEEej

“Exactly. So the ultimate target of the suspect probably isn’t the gas. Among these systems, there are two other highly dangerous components: the solar power system and the energy storage generator, and the hydraulic system. The former has an enormous amount of stored energy, and the latter has multiple hydraulic cylinders. The hydraulic system doesn’t just manage sewage, it’s also responsible for the retractable roof, as well as the lifting, lowering, and rotation of the stage.”nLPEHBnRbGvjNWGIwKaSSuVjLyXlLE

TUXkukTqSTXuGgF

Ren Yi said, “But both of those are relatively stable. Electrical fires are easy to put out, and hydraulic oil is hard to ignite.”aFOqbpXMvlLpnmPhceyeHliQxXQvLm

zHOeMbconiZaASJ

Gong Yingxian said, “Engineer He, you know this equipment better than any of us. Imagine you’re the suspect—how would you use these systems and six bombs to cause the most damage?”FkxrEomMyWbYdFnQwfwiltdcwnEvPX

QYowmDokfFGOqXm

Hegu furrowed his brow deeply. “In principle, without gas as fuel, none of these systems would cause a large-scale explosion.”ecEgqFsqXuVleeWiVtskVlHKBXnPFP

yxXMYRwZaqMvlDr

“But Purple Flame would’ve known that we would cut off the gas.”bIFbkAaLpZKmthSWSgATsWZfQaBgZd

agZmZVlPcaYJtpY

Qiu Yan said, “Maybe we’re overcomplicating things. Purple Flame’s goal might not be to cause massive casualties but to send a message—a declaration of war. After all, as long as one bomb goes off, it’ll make international news.”OqOkjwuRbcvQfZHwDOJNJkQXbMeSSV

QKcgIQcfEcNctNX

“But if that’s the case, the bomb placements could be random. There’s no way we could find them all in under an hour. I don’t think Purple Flame would set up a no-win situation.”CoWXYOJRByqqCJDnYKdMNAaxxdCklA

cITugyplxGxCLFW

Ren Yi said coldly, “He’s the leader of that X cult, a psychotic arsonist. Are you really expecting him to kindly leave us clues?”JoEGIOyqpXGujDmIIKOyUdOQLmsEeB

hdWLQRhdbpymWNA

“I believe he will,” Gong Yingxian said with conviction. “Because of his arrogance.”KXZLMKJEdKbsSWEghMpbmSVEvoIAMW

iQtBsoypecyooNy

Everyone looked at him, puzzled.YbWelwDgVWAomnLMgfKBqzlTGEUiqx

BvYGxKEieoJGCIp

“If his goal was just to cause an incident, he wouldn’t have sent that video ahead of time to warn us. We’re in the open, and he’s in the shadows—he could’ve just blown us all to pieces. He called this a New Year’s gift, but in reality, it’s a declaration of war.” Gong Yingxian turned to Ren Yi. “He said we’re connected, that we share a bond, that all of this is orchestrated by the will of God. He wants to follow this divine will and ignite the fire. In our previous encounters, although they committed many atrocities, we solved the cases, caught people. The two of us even made it onto Asala’s bounty list, which, in a way, makes us their adversaries. And Red Flame’s death—our victory—might have humiliated Purple Flame, even challenging his authority. That’s why he wants to defeat us on this symbolic day, in this stadium watched by thousands.”OECTmCvNPosRfhBtDmGCZUJlbtXWfJ

kexjAMXFVvXJZHd

A chill ran through Ren Yi’s entire body, freezing him to the core.CPFNARIMaSInaHXGoUHCdwcOuXtQjz

wWVbqcQattvmMCP

A flash of insight hit Gong Yingxian, making his lips tremble. “He’s broadcasting. No—six media stations and an online platform are broadcasting right now. He’s going to perform his spectacle during this live broadcast. The members of that organization, and the secret users of Asala, are definitely all watching from their screens. So, he set up a relatively fair game. He’s giving us a chance to fight back. If this had been a dead-end from the start, it wouldn’t showcase his power. He’s so arrogant and conceited that he wants to watch us struggle in vain and then broadcast our defeat to everyone.”vbQcegmTqvIMWHRrXmRPadVQCIxKJi

jdsBdHshkrFandO

Qiu Yan bit her lip hard and cursed viciously.
Hegu suddenly slapped the table, speaking in a low voice, “I’ve figured it out. I missed this earlier, but now I know!”ZXAyuQseZjPuXMkHtbCOYoryqajyec

uiXVunPQdKdhGRb

“What is it?”gkMhYUpJFzSkaBOjvNciGrrnSEBxKd

lNEzBpUMiLFMzuk

He rushed to the table, pulling out several design schematics, studying them intently.GucifRBGebkVNwGWDNYsVTvfusSiMn

rGQqFPnhqrbhwno

“Engineer He, what exactly…?”umpSOBYZfvgDISVUEtnQuldGikIdse

uSTXjtuaBrdaprz

“Antifreeze!” Hegu’s eyes widened. “The antifreeze in the condensate water circulation system. It’s only added in winter. Antifreeze is relatively safe, with a high ignition point, but if exposed to high heat and an explosion…”trjVKcKVLOohRyETTozHySJWjIVnuO

BmWCzdeTpwvvVnK

Gong Yingxian clenched his fist. “Ethylene glycol’s ignition point can reach over 400 degrees. But once it hits its explosive limit… This water circulation system runs throughout the entire venue, including the structural columns. If the suspect uses the gas, the generator, or the hydraulic cylinders to trigger an explosion with the antifreeze, the whole stadium could be in danger.”kjvfzOjeVyhlMLvTEDMpVZMCQZeTIC

GbROqUfhZTfuVed

With trembling hands, Hegu picked up the schematics. “I’m marking all the critical nodes where these systems intersect. Those spots are likely where the bombs are planted!”NcwrMOHGWEwxXUcwBBHZloRubvAQst

PTNDPfNKXlFFsul

Ren Yi glanced at his watch, his voice shaking, “Twenty minutes left.”hAMMdaICLJVWWnRVDqwgjBFuyebZxO

bRTGsacMqyPIRun

At that moment, Cai Qiang reported in. The suspicious man caught on surveillance was a temporary worker hired by the construction company. He had disappeared, and they were now searching the entire venue. The man’s photo had been sent to everyone involved.HmOzGmmZUpoOFXoeBTjJeLULpgcmWa

EFIFsfyywYFKAng

Hegu finally marked out 24 critical nodes. Qiu Yan immediately sent the information to multiple teams of police and firefighters, instructing them to search the areas and notify the bomb disposal unit if anything was found.JMOrDJQfUXvYeHKBNCDHjyhUSMVNQz

XnZLBBuCBYRyqXF

Ren Yi wanted to join the search teams, but Gong Yingxian stopped him. “You’re staying here.”psBWBjwxMAZAaZZWaJCAMxNIvbrHKN

uxajiwUUuGZiiij

“I’m not of any help here. Let me…”dwHbOaWnCtaPTtxLchoXyDRyYHTgHL

eMUBNcWnAfEiPpn

“You’re staying.” Gong Yingxian’s voice was firm, brooking no argument. “You understand these maniacs better than most officers. Tan Haochun is almost done with his analysis, and I need your help.” While this was one reason Gong Yingxian wanted Ren Yi to stay, there was a deeper, unspoken reason—he wanted Ren Yi away from the bombs. No matter what, whether the bombs went off or not, they would stay and fight to the very end. That was their mission. But if the worst came, he wanted Ren Yi by his side.zFMjoUXsDmlpFauhWFJqAkuyjdfqII

zcZkGKZCbflUGkP

“…Alright.” Ren Yi stared deeply at Gong Yingxian, his heart aching with a dull throb. In twenty minutes, what kind of fate awaited them? He didn’t dare to think about it. But the thought of sharing life and death with Gong Yingxian made him fearless.LBDNaRqQtiqWQDGSMZnQVajQdRDhVr

FeGGOpdhClLAvch

Soon, one of the firefighter teams led by Wang Meng found the first bomb inside a power distribution box, and the bomb disposal unit successfully defused it.AemSbhguFlTJmyGlNVxsyTqOiMFoMt

WQyLobaMoPAgKFB

Cheers erupted from the conference room.eiVeOGRZRMtMDYzySvxiNawXaBAMes

yzuWtYvRkMxMthD

At that moment, Tan Haochun also completed his data collection, compiling all the fire cases from the last five years that met Gong Yingxian’s criteria. There were more than 400.qIiDrmSRYLfaThHuZycuNzrlYsGIQp

NZIZeZmEbXxvLEt

Gong Yingxian frowned. “Still too many. Eliminate the ones where the culprit was already caught.”gvLmlgzgSDKluMEBmDyuJveRLQWxwS

SMmDhCAVWLFDLMi

The number of cases immediately dropped by half.CQZFvTgzswCyPRTGfvSTjeTUnopnYV

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“Print it out,” Gong Yingxian instructed, standing by the printer. He turned to Ren Yi, “There’s no time for a detailed analysis now. Based on your experience, your intuition, and your understanding of these people, pick the ones you feel like they’re responsible for—just trust your gut.”YYeVKtqPTnEBgZeOSOhKmKYDHqNLHj

UYMRKEHBbOcniiX

Ren Yi nodded.VXXVSteuueNtHpLIdbtYhSSzsyGWSd

ujmCfoYcNbQQKBc

As the printer churned out the pages, Gong Yingxian quickly skimmed through them. His memory was incredible, practically photographic, allowing him to absorb the case summaries almost instantly. He handed over any cases he found suspicious to Ren Yi.YhpAJKVwTrVCcsYfUxrNOafMpCGSWh

VVqQbOPYIXwGwJH

In about ten minutes, the two of them sifted through over two hundred cases, narrowing them down to twenty-seven. They knew there would likely be some missed cases or errors in judgment, but at least this would give them a foundation to work with.kivPuClviQIZKObrAavjPUpeFPirbJ

WolhFvgWlKZNCDa

While they were sorting through the cases, one bomb after another was found and defused.BdBxLSEcgmkJEHXBXgzMtPLxNXrJEC

dAfFpWxGSgpEDll

Gong Yingxian and Ren Yi then carefully reviewed the selected twenty-seven cases again. As Ren Yi read, he grew increasingly uneasy, though he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. The cases seemed unrelated at first glance—different regions, backgrounds, and victims—yet he felt there was something lurking beneath the surface, some unseen shadow connecting them.yhdWbCfPsSAqJCwUWyVmGmWdDKzwGm

IayZzDDKKOkpouB

Gong Yingxian stood with both hands pressed against the table, his expression shifting.SfeRWHbUrUBEFlfZYXqoFaFkByhccY

myixKmbDZylHuCH

Ren Yi asked, “Yingxian, do you see something?”fAYMnKLvDoqRfRoILcdilSubaOcJnT

gbvUCVTUyXyAkAR

Gong nodded. “What’s odd about these cases is that they’re not motivated by revenge. But to call them accidents seems too coincidental. There’s something intentional in these coincidences. If they were deliberate, though, it’s hard to discern the underlying motive.”skdFuUxCqDIcmbGmHFhLRNJHqiQNgq

MwSOcupcaZUPSmF

“Exactly. Like this one— a travel photographer’s camper catches fire. There are signs it could be arson, but it might’ve just been a gas leak.”qbdraZeyrXsGcHldISvnncDcrICiKt

PUPnRoYFelDTZod

“Here’s another one: a video blogger known for posting bizarre fashion videos. His apartment caught fire, and both he and the arsonist died, but the investigation showed they had no personal connection.”vachoBtylzdxXzMlzIQaPreOazIBkF

GrBZqiflnqJZkaV

“And this—some kind of graffiti trash bin. It went viral online for a while. The arsonist who burned them said the trash bins looked strange, even evil.”RKRtvloUSENggCyphtIZFrSrJFpLYC

JhWQMptzRTSIbDm

Tan Haochun blinked. “Do they share any similarities?”RJQSXHqSKUMxjfAhnbnapBUuCMEDsF

ldqpcPOfqtjtQHd

Gong’s mind raced so fast that it gave him a splitting headache. A strange idea hovered at the edge of his thoughts, but he couldn’t quite grasp it.JPdamSbQUgZUSKGRFGZqCCZLaQInrK

EivzsvHGsoCLSgB

Qiu Yan’s voice grew urgent. “There’s only seven minutes left. We still can’t find the last bomb!”GwdKytowxAdtvCpnItGtKSPYijRXiB

zuEBlmtbSNywqXC

“Fire…” Gong muttered to himself, “Fire represents the will of God. And what is the will of God? It’s ‘fairness to all things, to every person and object on earth,’ ‘rewards and punishments, rise and fall, life and death—all governed by heaven’s law.’”EeWFzfCTWNJCokCMBFrhFCOIDMDtKn

SUnXGGOxjqJdaOg

Everyone was anxiously watching Gong Yingxian.cFvUYVMWZLfHWocIchQaXlkYxoOtJt

ixHrUhIchLIkIQX

“‘Fire represents the will of God descending to earth. Those enlightened by God…’” Gong continued to repeat Purple Flame’s words, lost in thought.QuUJRSYlyrZpfVXmQAqwzPPfWavKdT

sioNQGDvTvfchSz

Suddenly, he lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot, his expression twisted.flDZXFZfFeBDXyIwULHpwobIAmTBVw

NUEliIldnOrlDIi

“You—you figured something out?”BOjpBBvZwViriTXqCpWflXdSYGHiRL

EdeBafjfPTgVdjW

“I understand now. Purple Flame’s so-called ‘evil souls.’”cJYULrembHRtCqpdtjzHdLBcnzdbfr

rbemxpErBOkONuP

“What are they?!” Ren Yi asked urgently.ouPDdYuuVXwEiksPRUoLpITCCDhQfc

LMGeJsRNHABHfty

“Evil souls don’t just refer to people. They could be anything—people, objects, plants, anything. Those enlightened by God are the ones who receive ‘fire.’ Prometheus stole fire, but it wasn’t to save humanity. He was merely a preacher, bringing fire—the will of God—to the world. Some people are enlightened by this fire, while others are not. But the ‘fire’ here isn’t literal fire. It’s ‘enlightenment.’ Purple Flame compares himself to Prometheus—he’s the preacher, using fire to enlighten the masses. His followers receive the fire he conveys, the enlightenment from God. Most ignorant people don’t receive the fire, and they become his targets for further preaching. But there’s also another category—people or things that have received fire but are not enlightened by it. These are what Purple Flame refers to as ‘evil souls!’”twllyoRykPUpMXSQgJcpiFFCltQADJ

QKhvtbopPAfDCwv

Everyone was stunned.UvReGiILQOhmDiDAnpKQFPHAulZrac

UcQpaJPFVVGFnJo

“What is fire? Fire represents the heart, emotions, the soul, life, immense energy, and vitality. ‘Fire’ is the power bestowed by God upon all beings. Some receive this fire and become God’s followers, like Purple Flame and his disciples. Others receive the fire and remain ordinary, using it for simple tasks like cooking and heating. But there’s another group—those who use fire to make themselves powerful, both externally and internally, making themselves stand out. In doing so, they distort God’s will, making it lose its fairness. Think of a wildfire—small grass is burned away entirely, but a large tree, as long as its roots survive, will regrow. God’s fairness is questioned here.”ckJBHnBsiwIIlRaWdahYaERunFxpXG

dyUkngIfdKRQuxo

Qiu Yan gasped. “So what you’re saying is, his so-called ‘evil souls’ are just those people or things that stand out too much?”ecTfhvVUdrTCuNVwfTLHOXrrOJAenM

btCACuNsMpWIFOA

Ren Yi finally grasped what Gong Yingxian meant. “In reality, destroying these ‘evil souls’ just means eliminating anything or anyone that challenges him. The more outstanding or influential the person or thing, the greater the impact and example it sets. In the end, Purple Flame is just consolidating his power.”svztFWJQuWhyBznqgcbiVZJkKwBaSx

fEnkpoTaLWiQxEN

“Exactly,” Gong agreed. “Purple Flame brainwashes his followers with this twisted logic. He makes them believe that these individuals or objects not only defy God’s will but, in some cases, use fire to fight fire—like firefighters—or use their fire to influence others, like writers, artists, singers…” Suddenly, Gong’s expression shifted drastically. His voice grew heavy. “The last bomb… it’s on the suspect. Purple Flame’s ultimate target is Song Juhan.”SxWyNkITCVMyzqVQxjzdMPpFyslsau

vsXWsKCBBpEviLQ