Blazing Armor

Ren Yi and a few other officers, including He Xun, donned the heavy fire-resistant suits. It was clear that manually closing the fireproof rolling shutters would require approaching the flames directly, and ordinary flame-retardant clothing simply wouldn’t suffice.EMMKUbkaWpOCWtoXQwcpcVBmBqUvmE

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“Gao Ge, Sun Dingyi, head to Building B and lead the team to locate usable fire hydrants first.”KZGKHVYhpBGclUpewfboNXBnRSDvUN

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“Yes, sir.”nTviTCcjpLalKPUCFCFPzBymdTiZZQ

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“The smoke inside is thick, and the terrain is complex. Everyone must ensure they stay with their teammates at all times. No one is allowed to act alone. If anyone gets separated, press the alarm immediately.”GbpqyBWHVVQBetWXEnkMkWXBGYKcIM

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“Yes, sir.”ZMdFpVQiXeVUMHGalhyaWKDnFkAugX

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Ren Yi led the team toward Building B, all the while observing if Yan Jue’s high-pressure water hose was in position.WyJQFldxFbtOLyOSQTgxYULoikLJvQ

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As they passed a fire truck, Ren Yi noticed Gong Yingxian standing to the side, motionless, staring at him. The mask of calm carefully crafted on Gong’s face was betrayed by the anxiety in his eyes.CozPlEHtypWcOHFeXOhIJwgTeTqgtD

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Ren Yi didn’t stop but removed his thick gloves and gave Gong a thumbs-up.zsjBfWceuaeUujdBuBYQuFxVdbmJzz

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Gong’s head drooped, as though weighed down by an unbearable burden, and his heart clenched tightly.GqOQQxzCbvwPQGMLyhSAxbcjmWHLCQ

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He didn’t want to see Ren Yi walk into the fire, didn’t want to see the person he loved repeatedly approaching the nightmare that haunted his life. Yet, he could do nothing but endure every agonizing second of the moments that followed. His whole life seemed entwined with the fear and despair brought by fire. Fire had taken his family, destroyed his childhood, and now kept threatening to take Ren Yi away from him. The most infuriating and heartbreaking part was his powerlessness to stop it.AUNNnBygtepEbFVznFdtJgJMsBodCW

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If he could, he’d do anything to keep Ren Yi away from the flames, away from danger. But he knew that wasn’t possible.TkXwSRsLWkzfWQbEMXjtxpXjpgsHtB

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He couldn’t stop a man from fighting for his beliefs.PCtSOASIcwieYSxpoTflOlQdMsFzYn

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After giving Gong Yingxian a long, deep look, Ren Yi forced himself to turn away. He knew Gong was worried about him, and he understood what that felt like. As a child, whenever his father went on duty, he and his mother would be restless, unable to sleep.dFqXdjFkRuGEbmyUnJEGaBQoQWzRmS

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He had once asked his father why he chose such a dangerous job.drsYeQiiWonRQKQCHrNZhFjeDayYAx

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His father replied, “Someone has to do it.”SGqbRiCohsnntrQcPOLzqfLZqtslzf

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Someone has to do it. Why not me?lHxgmUOTCpBOnaYwyDEKzprArZphVv

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The voice of Yan Jue confirming the high-pressure hose was in place came through the walkie-talkie. Ren Yi took a deep breath. “Move out.”qosfbSzGijLEHySOQXZiHAlslUvqYB

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He led the team into Building B through the south emergency exit.ZioJXVqlARajKNGaNCjVSfhuMDbonZ

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The lobby on the first floor had a seven-meter-high ceiling. Since the smoke and flames were rising upward, the conditions here, although close to the fire’s origin, were slightly better than expected.HtYIzWhHORFiUxMEdDasRAGVbWhSDX

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“Gao Ge, take a few people and search for water. Report back once you’ve found it.”JipbEOXtyyMFvjVTLqpfdXqKEWXyFf

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“Yes, sir.”ilxLnesbIdxkyPHaSltdWzzrjyVbYa

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Ren Yi attached a rescue rope to himself and tossed the other end to He Xun. “Sun Dingyi, come with me to scout ahead. He Xun, stay here with the others and keep communication open if anything happens.”jmJVUblyFUuXDfPPYBWztDHZossOfL

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“Got it.”hIKjPmCKgkUcqiYvXGOeFmAEzYBjsb

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With the rope secured, Ren Yi and Sun Dingyi stepped into the thick smoke.jotfGaoPnikKoijDWJuWCeyWQANMHG

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“The fireproof rolling shutters for the corridor are at North Gate 1. You’ve memorized the map, right?”HiCmcaynzrdhwwdfmKucdvIDcaMyuE

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“Yes, sir,” Sun Dingyi replied.HBxJKPXncsldvxacSaPUmPWrokatLD

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“Follow the wall, use the columns as reference points.” The dense smoke on-site made visibility increasingly poor as they moved north. In such an environment, it was nearly impossible to maintain a sense of direction. They had to rely on the terrain map and their judgment of the layout to approximate their position.XBcJmmUVAPxxdxzJkzhEVkHstJjWZN

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“Firefighters! Anyone there?”fsnRsPDyHSXoeauQgKPwuCYEtglCJE

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They shouted continuously as they moved forward.tfeOTtVyckppbXvejHFOQWpSWESbqV

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The further they went, the higher the temperature climbed. They knew they were heading in the right direction.siKBXBrBFXEAauHbtoHbdNQYMVWDWi

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Through layers of smoke, the fiery red glow grew larger in their vision, flickering ominously.CToIHbodTTzxbMFsmPQJRNWufMtZqN

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Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed nearby. Both men instinctively dropped to the ground. But the explosions didn’t stop; it was as if firecrackers had been ignited, one blast after another. The chaotic detonations bounced unpredictably from one direction to another, like a ghost playing tricks, leaving the two glued to the ground, too scared to get up.xnxIHsGDtjuVxSMnGOEbmDMRsOlRPS

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“Are you guys okay?” He Xun’s voice crackled through the radio.HGvizANuVKwdLFXshTpGNljARiPYTH

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“No idea what the hell is blowing up,” Ren Yi replied.QYqagCDHVcuBkcKMaoQzRFsbbvyojd

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A sharp clatter sounded as something hit the ground near Ren Yi. He turned his head and saw an aluminum canister, blown apart and mangled. It looked like a can of hairspray or something similar.ytfvguesCVtzkeLKFGYAwYKDATFFVU

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Once the chain of explosions finally ceased, the two struggled to their feet.zYnNICJIfSEtggbHFciRfJEWINXuON

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Sun Dingyi grumbled, “Out of all the gear, I hate this suit the most.”QvxGqJsvCxLRNlAoVLdaGCuqbywLmi

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“I think it’s cool—makes us look like astronauts,” Ren Yi countered.pBAJBqJqUvSLDalaelczyImSzTbHKi

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“Yeah, astronauts get to float. We’re like we’re filled with lead.”wHSnEHljtAsUvLeJVBSTvSgMbRbvea

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“Then take it off.”JbgqQqBWRCBEiMnlkhzqdTPRSNRAGb

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“Tsk tsk, listen to yourself. Do you even hear the words you’re saying?”VLfDDwgXbikZZThTTSNJMGbdWlAQbJ

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“Less talking. Save your air,” Ren Yi snapped, leading Sun Dingyi as they maneuvered through the flames and pressed onward. “The North Gate 1 should be just ahead. We can’t see the rolling shutters yet. We’ll need to get closer.”NJvKAODnZXhrNYmmzZEyGbbyHCluzL

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“The fire’s too intense up ahead; we can’t get through,” Sun Dingyi called into his radio. “Gao, did you find water?”oTwyjeVqIPywhlrMeGKllXXjNbtPxD

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“Only one hydrant is operational,” came Gao’s reply.yNjjdgHuaqTiOUdjMxgKjrPhJTknEE

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“Follow the wall toward us. We’re near the third column.”VhotlgHUnqtJhqgBcwoSfMQiEsBdem

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“We’ve also found one,” a firefighter from San Ning Squad reported.PVAaFjyDIlNWJXAIzKDDFCGzsNPzPl

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He Xun gave orders over the radio: “Good. Pair up and search the fire perimeter for injured personnel. The rest of you, follow me to North Gate 1.”gbBCmODXqLDQCiTDAzqkdNgUPPOTCn

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A few minutes later, two water hoses converged with Ren Yi’s team.nGOzpKNFVCrTcywpMhrIEhNegNhIab

XMUCnMnFQVprscr

“North Gate 1 is just ahead,” Ren Yi instructed. “We’ll push forward as close as we can to assess how to deploy the rolling shutters. Give me the hose. Anyone without fire-resistant suits, stay in the back.”ZgypclGuoGeKxtjJjLIcGrAXecYWkU

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Ren Yi and Sun Dingyi gripped one hose, while He Xun and his squad member handled the other. Together, they opened the water lines and advanced against the flames, inching closer to their objective.OaHedNVPWVbYvjGFMNbejgZdtQwuvg

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The combination of water and fire created an overwhelming amount of steam, making the scene feel like a living hell. Ren Yi could feel sweat pouring off his body like small streams.pUAsAeUPhuVYbPluvqLVEXjsxzglel

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Ren Yi shouted, “Yan Jue, aim the water hose at the first floor, North Gate 1 of Building B. We’re heading toward it now.”HTBRhpEWFmzSoAWleWZYrEneJvOuMg

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“Got it.”eWzsENFAXwdaXevvzRBOovZNRuPxRz

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From outside, Yan Jue’s two high-pressure water hoses blasted the fire on the first-floor corridor, temporarily suppressing the flames.CHjNVhuLRFihaRZizADcJRSbKXAvfy

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Seizing the moment, Ren Yi and his team charged forward with the water hoses, shouting as they cut a path through the roaring fire.EPPtXUHhQVsJJcvzhEFXqSLpGrhqJo

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As the main door of the corridor became faintly visible, Ren Yi called out, “He Xun, stay here with one water hose and half the team to hold the position. I’ll go ahead and try.”GVTlUOdvtOoCvIMLwYaBppYMiDAsVo

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“Understood.”KifRhHrhyDyDVXgnaHfycJByrXYpcN

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Fighting fire is always a battle of wits and courage. In a smoke-filled inferno like this, if the entire team advanced too deeply, the fire could double back and cut off their retreat. Someone had to stay back to secure their exit.bHbMaaClEsJxdjkrOeMxeqemmlbVzv

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In his early years in the fire department, Ren Yi had made a deadly mistake like that. Eager to save lives, he rushed in with a water hose down a dead end. The fire hose burned through, and the flames behind him closed in, trapping him. If his comrades had been two minutes later, he wouldn’t have survived.IRMhEysDMsFZyGOpkvlEZJhbhLOnKw

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Ren Yi and Sun Dingyi used the water hose to carve a path forward until they reached North Gate 1 and spotted the rolling shutter door.WWKifIzdQxcKUvTjVMCuhBnIyvvVxx

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Braving heat near the limit of human endurance, Ren Yi approached the door. The glass cover of the manual lever had already melted. He tried to reach in to pull it, but his gloves were too thick to get a proper grip. He pulled a crowbar from his belt, wedged it between the lever and the wall, and pressed down hard.feZQrIFtRNZRksJwPBkouBujXfKInB

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With a series of creaks, the hinges of the rolling shutter door released. The door crashed to the ground with a loud bang.nruIOeuoLTCVQdvXzCjRsAZGbxJYaM

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Cheers erupted over the radio.QTsDzRfOrjKuWuElonEFYOPSdjLOtt

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Ren Yi exhaled in relief and reported, “The first-floor fireproof rolling shutter is down.”jNRRZXtLIbWnKEywwRcENLwkWhYLvj

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Fireproof rolling shutters can block flames for 2-3 hours, effectively isolating fire zones and preventing the spread of the blaze. This bought them precious time to take further action.KVQiRTnkwOmkhrrgkrqfcBsuZrMaOh

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“Get a few people from the mobile unit over here to extinguish the fire on the first floor. We still have six more doors to lower.”eaJlqkRroaXpYVFDfsEjtscbEDHZww

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The team retreated to a safe zone. After assessing the layout of North Gate 1, Ren Yi explained the positions and methods for lowering the rolling shutters. They split into three groups: Ren Yi, He Xun, and Gao Ge each leading one group, with each responsible for two shutters.PBqAkfCfdlOufhUrOkKZSYUuXGWxja

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Once the groups were formed, they set out with their equipment. Ren Yi’s group, including Sun Dingyi, headed for the sixth floor.rMPNRBpqIezFcSTVtnpozKXVYlkFaa

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The sixth floor housed clothing stores, and the fire here was worse than on the first floor. The area was crowded with flammable materials, and unlike the first floor, there was no open space to release pressure. Smoke and flames accumulated heavily. The moment they stepped onto the floor, they were hit by intense waves of heat.RHSJjmCVBPQajpqFxWWVUaAsMiAEVd

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Sun Dingyi checked the hallway fire hydrants and exclaimed, “Great, both outlets here have water!”oJUrtocPNfXsfPhtEYiqrbZHuQBzMQ

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Cui Yisheng unloaded the hose from his shoulder, connected it to the hydrant, and unrolled it with practiced efficiency.prWVQsSmSFbTKYzYlpmURYzkKeDVuJ

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“This floor is more complicated than the first, but the structure is consistent. Stick to the walls and locate the columns. Liu Hui, take three others to search in the opposite direction. Use the hose to guide you, and under no circumstances let go of it. Retreat immediately if there’s danger.”zqmjLfKeIPLCvtBVyMDWGuuDBwNxUQ

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“Understood.”ZRIjKQvbDBdOYihFRLCbzUIbqvhnnN

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Ren Yi thought for a moment. “Li Sa, come with me.”xZSzkfrwdCufqImNwAZricnhhOmNkc

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“Yes, sir!”mDMriYZmVVsMbGFrJOdsjzXVYCvhWc

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The team split up.PWryaXjGihDQUtcYDOnNwmoHJkGubP

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Although they tried to follow the walls, the dense shops lining the area constantly disrupted their path. Visibility was so poor that even their infrared goggles couldn’t see more than a few meters ahead.hEhmfwzFdiLVaCCsRebEWLrztkHadU

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Ren Yi and Sun Dingyi worked together to open the water hose, clearing a path forward.WlCjRwhxrvkrizwxPePWRKZBAcGPso

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“Are we sure this is the right direction?” Cui Yisheng asked.cyzfeJdAYuclfDibZYdFyTmXuoDrMH

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“It’s definitely north,” Sun Dingyi replied, checking the compass integrated into the multifunctional LCD panel on his arm.OtDnzIBPItHZBwoREnFIGjPSIhsIBP

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“Firefighters! Is anyone there?” they shouted.ScBYmxoCswLXvukLDGbKzjOnyOhkgV

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“Firefighters! If you can hear us, please respond!”aWdPIWXNsbGbumUOXxZXKOrTPINXrE

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From a distance, they could faintly hear calls from another team.tkqMWkTIRLkFLEFuMElQjPQXirfMcv

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After several minutes of progress, the flames ahead grew fiercer, completely blocking their way.CfunZGOzMWzCDhqiUcySIGNOgDUsJy

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“North Gate 1 must be just ahead,” Ren Yi said.wKgxloVBrbaiVDbWzzMbxYwgmZzPre

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“But the fire is too intense to pass,” Sun Dingyi responded.YMtlTqomQdAugSQpopjfOwPrxQZYWt

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Suddenly, a strange sound came from above. Ren Yi looked up and saw a dark object swaying in the thick smoke.ErsnykIheUwUJnuWpIFuXLDRhevzif

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“Get down!” Ren Yi shouted, shoving Cui Yisheng aside. Both men fell to the ground as a row of floodlights crashed down, shattering where they had just been standing.SAQcJCUnRFpUuElYoMuFZVZoVNYhaN

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It wasn’t over. The ceiling materials began to fall in a chaotic mess. The group scrambled into a corner, waiting anxiously for the debris to stop falling.YqibzgAOXWNAIEwuksOrKGkDTohFYq

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Ren Yi took a deep breath and asked, “Is everyone okay?”hCRtetWxaFOpwTxZztDItunzhtNsch

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“Y-yeah, we’re fine.”KbhqrcoYNUUJPZpvIwMKwXIhZXkwJb

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Just then, Liu Hui’s urgent voice came through the radio: “Captain Ren, we heard someone calling for help, but we haven’t found them yet. And now, Awen is missing!”MpzdHadulOyVnMWBlPbHIwoTUfZzkm

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