Blazing Armor

Ren Yi looked through the car window at the dark construction site ahead, confused, and asked, “What are you doing here?”rhiDWzYbvZZATZSilYPNiWNNpEjVGn

uzXMNgTTnwJsSPD

“Getting something.”SNobmiHPOiZkzrWZKIFEYtLJJPAYHl

UOQkfrVzhzUUUvI

“Getting what?”NpNjWxrObqWpHsQpFgLmWIXksmANoL

KVzTaGlpGrRzzMe

“Materials to make a bomb.”lQQUwsRyAJnEctunyayexjMOiJeEcD

RNkkyFSpAZNPvMv

Ren Yi’s expression changed: “What?”rZEKgNlRDymASSgYyglBYYTmLOLeXS

vXpsWhOXpYvYvku

Gong Yingxian said, “I only have seven bullets in my gun, which isn’t enough to deal with them.”EbGMOoJvhKGIOFZSRpcaXBEygGpAzk

UGaoSeVQoJsrvXE

“What do you want to do?” Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian nervously.nYtnpFvjSlIRZXQDrtUcNkvPaAOftO

ZzkwnNzbFqjIcbR

“Bai Yan gave me the whereabouts of his accomplice; I’m going to find him.”KWFmzibBYUIyjymjvxjnXCCBdgqYyW

pYRmmNtPCTFviwZ

“That’s the one with counter-surveillance skills, the one who shook off the police, right?”ypaXcxBYLtSQZAIoTIlvHSyaSrlPVR

dcJqnteOTfNWaYy

Gong Yingxian nodded: “He’s a retired special forces soldier, code name Huang Yan. He’s done a lot of dirty work. Also, Zhang Wen’s code name is Cheng Yan; he was deliberately placed within the system to gather intelligence and cover up some arson evidence. There are several people with the code names Hong Yan and Cheng Yan, but from Bai Yan upwards, the code names are exclusive to specific individuals. The one responsible for technology in the organization is Qing Yan, and Lan Yan is a very mysterious person; no one knows who he is. It’s said that all the organization’s funding comes from him. Bai Yan told me all this.”xiiLNTElkCgcbMEzRgEmAjBEexbzjC

NvjxMhOyTvYYtLi

“Red, Orange, Yellow, White, Green, Blue, Purple…” Ren Yi said nervously, “Since this Huang Yan is so powerful, you should notify the police to handle it. Do you really want to go catch him alone? And the two tenants of 1206, the hostages are in his hands, right?”LNVfyznFmyVSKlFfnSHsiwrgNbYNRD

XxmuzfMvreekKBe

“If I notify the police, I might expose myself, not just to the police but also to Purple Flame. Right now, the police have sealed off the news; Purple Flame shouldn’t know whether Bai Yan is dead or alive. If Huang Yan gets caught, he’ll guess that Bai Yan has talked, and he might destroy a lot of evidence and channels, even escape, making the police investigation even more difficult.”caKLyFQIWrCHjeiQjWMqlNPqiRqaTU

mqmITEZUSTCNYXr

“But I still think it’s too dangerous.” Ren Yi grabbed Gong Yingxian’s hand, this instinctive action revealing his inner unease.kJvkJDSqAGegdslrluQfloaivfOkMK

wixqBKCAFnbOhlJ

“That’s why I need some things.” Gong Yingxian nodded towards the construction site, “I bought some materials.”woSoMGHSRkDQupjYEfYtkNRASTLCGG

HZSQjSbuTKYvLPn

“How did you ‘buy’ them?”eFtahlaDhaKbNjCvKzpvMdGHmGCdJU

sBJlevAvAVxDsRI

“I have a few suppliers for my chemical lab; this person never asks questions as long as you pay him.”FfsYJFWdDnbzAqTUhsxNWobeNPmqgV

RRNOPwgauXUHsMA

“…Are they all dangerous materials?”zSHVhfCfZvBjrNhZIkuwuDSMktKdmQ

DjfdSbZCJQkOWQJ

Gong Yingxian took Ren Yi’s hand and kissed it near his lips, revealing a meaningful smile: “The materials are just ordinary materials; whether they are dangerous depends on who is holding them.” He opened the car door, “You stand over there and keep watch while I’m gone.”wbHFMynfJOcGjnmDyfhXgnqDRSsasp

YCeTVZyBJTTGGNB

“Yingxian…” Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian’s back, sighed deeply, and unbuckled his seatbelt to get out of the car.hsjDrtFVzvIXDVsyCPRKogXIGPVnhr

xibdIZWzVCWRner

Although it was midnight and the area seemed deserted, Ren Yi felt guilty for being there. After looking around, he chose a spot where fiber optic cables were piled up to hide a bit.MNcZwTITgAVCSJGZuvMdGxBtulWYNJ

hWNDeFiZHfXBGfw

He had barely stood there for a moment when a strong light suddenly shone on Ren Yi’s face without warning.hIyqbLrPnzjsFmaTSXvaSYOniDzyKN

qRXjmGOpxzmwOdN

Ren Yi instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes, which were blinded by the light, and his heart raced in fear. He thought the police had come to catch him and wanted to run, but then he remembered he wasn’t the one being hunted. Why should he run? He should notify Gong Yingxian instead.axuWYCggJeGxYvDfBDBBzfAKqTRHML

HOvWBUOPukfTfvE

“Hey, you! Stop right there!” An old voice called from not far away.MloeRhUAQwuMCJxPOKSlsepRKoqprv

fLCDADUroRBQuLY

Ren Yi’s eyes gradually adjusted to the light, and he squinted to see that the beam was clearly from a flashlight, and there was only one person on the opposite side. Could it be a night watchman? Ren Yi immediately calmed down.YhgVHCxPNSUBOWSJKuasioFxwlLWzY

zAWaRoSjrGvsqJm

An old man came running, holding a flashlight in one hand and a stick in the other: “Damn it! Here to steal cables again!”JftWVAWrilrYSeAeECWIdyqjlHRkvW

CBdZRBRupzuyXJD

Ren Yi quickly explained, “Sir, I’m not a thief.”HbObtuHAsKDaVfJYifmUIMSmjyqmwD

plDtdvSxgioVwxm

The old man raised his stick to hit him, and Ren Yi dodged to the side, shouting, “I told you I’m not a thief!”hLCkcBzMDuuVIxaTfNbAiSAYoETfvI

paPCgKdQUUHFMyE

“If you’re not a thief, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?”XTFJunxWSdZynwcIhpnKfwvgnWjptu

DenPlPnuuUqRMEe

Ren Yi was momentarily speechless. Indeed, what was he doing at a remote, abandoned construction site at three or four in the morning?ZotKYcGCHczBYOlZcKUMPYsOHBNvYV

rWPArmQJubYGWeO

The old man pulled out his phone: “I’m calling the police!”udRFutlXzcrkpelNkwGJWFAFwTxSor

oKgKHxEvQMeHnTR

“I’m a police officer!” In a moment of panic, Ren Yi blurted out, “I’m, I’m investigating a case, it’s confidential.” He thought to himself, at least he used to be a member of the armed police; that shouldn’t count as impersonating an officer.JEyJqQYoQMlRYgAAgSxtUpelhCdRrV

lCUwQHVOohIcASe

The old man paused, sizing Ren Yi up: “Where’s your police badge?”LJQGuksqVgRpXprIfgryTxWlYvOScR

lMvFOWNwBAktvUh

“…”FSkJGhqcvXdskbizbnSWYJbhtYVRbL

zUQBagLhQrRSlZA

“Where’s your gun, your handcuffs? How do you prove you’re a police officer?”ydvjINeyiIjTSKJumTwygobYnzQQZE

WVNgYIrXUIrrIZB

“…I’m in plain clothes.”WvVUhUCowzNXLQCmOOVXlOswuFBynI

KwKPoeFaooPrSOY

The old man angrily said, “I’ve spent my whole life on construction sites; I’ve seen plenty of people pretending to be police to extort fines. You’re a thief, and you dare impersonate a police officer!” The old man raised his stick again to hit.zKmrggwfvsQTwEcOPXZDHsWsNJtOXc

eSUJscVBJCjKDfz

Ren Yi quickly dodged, getting angry himself: “If you hit me again, I’ll fight back!”VZhSCACbXsDbmUWJeKoXyZrLIepPqe

KkCsOYsdRkoFAGV

“You’ll fight back! I’m calling the police right now.”FoOLQZXTPuIMPPkquGcNhVtampiVYm

SsfatpbAhIPYRrg

“Don’t! Please don’t call the police!” Ren Yi immediately softened, “Sir, calm down. My colleague will be back soon; he’ll explain everything to you, really.”bABnJTADneAWreAmkAcguYObiaczhd

upBNrRXspCESABH

The old man held up his phone, looking at him suspiciously: “You squat down.”PydjIauQSqmRmMzEGUvxUzQIhPOald

UHKqlMUGwtEormd

Ren Yi sighed and squatted down.pGXdxvAEWJJhFwnQLIyEZyJjLoAVSd

VgHMBNepqCRXXXh

“You’re young and good-looking, but you’re not learning anything good.” The old man snorted coldly, “Do you see that sign?”gBVYxoptssMJeOMebxpKESqLeYfEaU

HkJRcUGgxdacQaa

Ren Yi looked at the sign next to the fiber optic cables, which read: No copper in fiber optics, stealing is useless.YcmNJGjElTSnrwCFkrhdckqjtOLMiB

yzcvruGpRuVpdJO

“Can you read?”yaYpjxXLBQpifhtyPReEkMPmNWCFMQ

dnLNrhkFRwQLcVb

Ren Yi didn’t bother to respond.ZCfsAHXoCqRjNEEJZfCYLJMGeuLZCA

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“Can you read?! Read it out loud!”EziuaAKngyqqoVemgeOgxsOLEjVdBD

EMAUpmsEIFMkCOG

“I already said I’m not…”YZvMNFXruKfTBbnRZiPOnkxGOpVKmA

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“Read!”BoRyymCGJEqigyUuyroysLKDcbkIRA

lgkREqgUxSEqUfU

Ren Yi rolled his eyes: “No copper in fiber optics…”vvUlbWYrJTXQfMQNeJnAAVqrVKzVpt

tBzkcWPXdllLYLo

“‘Fiber’!” The old man shouted, “It’s ‘fiber’, not ‘thousand’. Didn’t you go to school when you were young? Now you’ve grown up to be a thief!”yMUQyBUKHkZGrUuOplwPMiMHocoYwp

iFFrsrjhDrTMvXO

Ren Yi was almost in tears from laughter.AZDQdOyTcGIokFOEcblpPJmaeMECdE

IAnmKFwURLQeFVz

At that moment, footsteps approached from behind, and Ren Yi turned to see Gong Yingxian.ufFwNmJAexTmdXzGtfIxELgJQbiDjd

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The old man became tense.SjPcKkyjofZiXWkGPGvpwYmRpJnJPr

kUqZmGgcRVDlAsA

Gong Yingxian walked up to the two of them, calmly pulling Ren Yi up from the ground: “What’s going on?”SdjPucjQszcvOQuofZiQwxQZUHVInb

PMTqsJjRtbiYYbi

Ren Yi said, “This old man thinks I’m a thief. I told him we’re police officers investigating, but he doesn’t believe me.”lmuoNnhfNKOMqHJSERUKvsieaGjmEp

NrmGRXSAyfgmRsn

Gong Yingxian took out his badge, showing the large side with the police emblem to the old man.DEpRUWBOOvYSSjimqHkkBpSSXnvnhr

GWmAJrnBMcMQVYs

The old man looked a bit embarrassed: “You really are police… Sorry, officer, you, you carry on.” He said and walked away reluctantly.qDxMpgkSBrBFSvpifOkSMrzoCZiDeA

vNgNrTuyOLWWXkT

After the old man left, Ren Yi sighed: “I didn’t expect there would be someone guarding this broken place.”PxFbnNZUTGJeUDeDRSgTapfRArCOHo

BLAwuHqHivZOTpF

“Help me load the stuff into the car; we need to leave quickly.”WGVHAyOikKGkcbuTjVtSsxULTShoqD

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Gong Yingxian dragged over a cart with a woven bag and several sealed barrels on it, and the two quickly loaded the items into the trunk.bMGejPUfcKLjnTHYLFVBgWcjwjrddk

PvLLitRiifUmWHP

At that moment, Ren Yi caught a glimpse of a light flashing behind them, clearly the old man peeking.PTcVadYHsjaPQgEsRgutCGgZvItwEO

UPvEYdipbbjsdYc

Gong Yingxian frowned: “He might call the police.”nuTNTNrCXKYMwFnBQZVzErVRiSWeGN

BTEPOPJFPUqmSIO

“What should we do?”KprZinrhqxlWNkrHpHTShVbcPuIwAK

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“Let’s go.”cSBFqMLSYxXUXCxeDXtHpxvfTbQpEo

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They got into the car and quickly left.NksrvgTIRNZIMURoLXhTKLWUUDXFtr

PAPgrueZOrMsjQi

Back at their temporary residence, Gong Yingxian moved everything into the bathroom, laid out a large plastic sheet on the floor, and handed Ren Yi a piece of paper: “After dawn, go help me buy these things.”QtuLprJJQzCMRoGjdRoyoeIxarLkLQ

HNsZaHfQXrGKPQe

Ren Yi took a look at the list, which included a drill, light bulbs, cotton thread, transparent tape, disinfectant, laundry detergent, and over thirty other random items.RzIWQfXcdfSStjVhGFAxdPgtmkzcKg

NRHKMgVbYJcDmtC

Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian: “Yingxian, I still think you should notify the police. I don’t want you to take risks or break the law.”WSYTnorOIEnhJqCJWPSboTPcmXYTwY

kdGeWrNUcYDBVVK

Gong Yingxian grabbed Ren Yi’s shoulders, looking deeply into his eyes: “There are only four months left until the 20-year statute of limitations expires; this is my last chance. Ren Yi, I’ve spent my whole life searching for the murderer, and now the real culprit is within reach.”SJGQfrHADSebZpyKEsHcccxgztMnFx

hYQkKbJdrHusnZt

“But…”PVSgkKIRjEELTjAoYWtASyymJxGuSW

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“The reason I took Bai Yan away is that I increasingly felt resistance within the police. This time, being wanted only proves that point. As long as we want to investigate further, something will eventually go wrong. Now that I’ve become a suspect and Yan Jie has been suspended, perhaps I can only rely on myself to continue the investigation!”DMbnkmECYIWDfBQsQHqyWXGBQPPrhQ

XKIolWzUtKmaPeU

From the bloodshot eyes of Gong Yingxian, Ren Yi saw fatigue, madness, and hatred. He knew that the obsession with revenge had completely taken over Gong Yingxian, making him increasingly reckless. He could choose not to be a police officer, but he couldn’t ignore the need to find the real murderer.SumzWRldOkNAJIoQBdkYcDfrRNAIbs

xtpZyGilniNGJkV

Ren Yi helplessly dropped his shoulders: “Alright, I hope you can catch Purple Flame and take down this organization.”UTIqblyADxvRoybFScKtiUvechqDiw

yQzunJqEfJcEbNx

“They are already at the end of their rope. Huang Yan is Purple Flame’s top enforcer, the one who has had the most direct contact with Purple Flame. Maybe he can help us find Purple Flame.” Gong Yingxian tightened his grip on Ren Yi’s shoulders, unconsciously exerting more strength, “I know I’m getting closer to him; I’m about to stand in front of him, and he’s scared.”WWjKhUfQPHOgEiilEJmZjFEcDtfMph

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Ren Yi let out a pained grunt.hKRDnxdJoLjQVnKJqwCzYOZDUtlzwc

vYylWtTBoHOkpFd

Gong Yingxian came back to his senses, released his grip, and the obsession and fervor on his face faded in an instant. He awkwardly said, “Did I hurt you?”YyMtfinEwFwDovRQhKMVUhmOemwdpF

wvYzunLAGSPgvpw

“It’s fine.”fykznLtofqXaUMrOJQoKWbZycmynTk

FETsFMMVlcfrPmT

Gong Yingxian hugged Ren Yi: “Ren Yi, do you know? Protecting you has become more important to me than my revenge, so no matter what, I must defeat Purple Flame.”AgTRqHwQCJdjiivqtaXRQPMSHAuNut

nEKVodAxqDRZQaG

Ren Yi nodded.TjviuHYseipIAiskQdXFXpnGDzMHbK

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“You might be… the only good thing that has happened to me in this life. I never thought that a person like me could fall in love one day. This time, I won’t let anyone take away what’s important to me.”PowmeMmRnxLSWfCNWWGOePpSbCTvSi

bvWgUxYXdXwgyfU

Ren Yi also held him tightly, firmly saying, “No one can separate us.”PBHtQYTGgYkBUSzJRiHPCZBRbNgdJT

cpLKFiuPpPKhDVT

—-CacZmLARciHFOHBmJlOeVwvROLnsOM

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Ren Yi followed the list Gong Yingxian gave him to shop at the supermarket and hardware store.PMkNMpvPpnxhkPypmpUtIuqrMriNBA

RRQDmQQGngYqxnA

Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked it up to see an unfamiliar number: “Hello?”IIHduQRYnOXuQGsjQuWqYyUKpDknxi

laemATEMZEdhyct

“Captain Ren, hello, I’m Zheng Pei.”XmLLEmCUqJOlmXWAByfzpjNMTdGvxl

EVdpEcjhQFjftxn

Hearing this voice, Ren Yi instinctively felt disgusted. He wanted to hang up, but then thought that if he hung up, it would seem guilty. He impatiently said, “What do you want?”llqrBWLUonQxtUOoVrjqJCiZRVMlGe

pqHQAChBRthIoTS

“Where have you been these past few days?”CEqSdnXQlqmYypshpHTXnnQhcfgmik

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“I’m not your criminal; why do I need to report where I am?”JiawfZaCcucbQZhrZJaLQxVnXbBcCK

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“Captain Ren, I thought you were willing to cooperate with us in the investigation.”UZtRNjEACcVbTUKttppfwBBkGlrXhV

LOGiCjIJzMWuutX

“You think what you think; I’m hanging up.”GSPBtVxvsfBaudtpXaPkjZlITasJPD

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“Are you with Gong Yingxian?” Zheng Pei said quickly.PrimsVBKMJSoOOIPwpaTnJTtdMFbFy

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Ren Yi paused: “You found him?”eJVnvTHtNYLRuJAyCyWKOADndtuefT

pcyOusEqMfXcwnK

“You visited the nursing home to see your father the day before yesterday, and then your whereabouts became a mystery. Where are you now?”gjIAosLYPQNpRGajQhgKlXIQPmbNHz

gpGhYCehRqltOrB

“I told you, I can go wherever I want without reporting to you.” Ren Yi retorted, “How do you know I went to the nursing home? Were you following me? I warn you…”XBeNGWcghYxxRfwFkdCBFDCdMKuyvl

CSrUBrOBFrvonrP

“Captain Ren, please give me a few minutes to explain.” Zheng Pei’s voice had a calm strength that was very convincing, “If you’ve seen Dr. Gong, I don’t know what he told you, but I can roughly guess that he must have said Bai Chicheng killed Yue Xingu, and Bai Chicheng used the clues from his case to blackmail him to escape.”BYVPOcKScskotJDzlFyfFebapdiueG

fsPHcepgIaQNVTK

Ren Yi remained silent.NVBasTUjingpCrXLKakCNMmmCuKPff

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“In the hotel, Dr. Gong once excitedly said he wanted to kill Yue Xingu, wanting Yue Xingu to experience the feeling of being burned alive.”jNEbndgKscRbXYlpYGkQwfKufZMnLJ

XRpujKFQlxnZUnA

“So what? Who hasn’t said something extreme when they’re angry?”pLCEGjUifxfZelNQBOGXWDhvfnjCRx

fjPrXCcqoycQOAa

“But his threat completely coincides with what happened afterward. After he said that, he actively turned off the listening device.”gFaBdcHGjPiRHbOdPbMgFCLfklbUbx

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Ren Yi froze.XZsEfKXrHzSoKylJSKqkKfUIenMotj

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“What, did he tell you that Bai Chicheng made him turn it off? How could Bai Chicheng know he had a listening device? He turned it off himself; Bai Chicheng never asked for it. So what they said afterward, no one knows, but the result is clear: Yue Xingu was really burned alive, and he escaped with Bai Yan.”KAFqDfaOpakplKfYaIkMjqppyNrICF

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Ren Yi said in a deep voice, “That’s all your speculation.”YNTwvlRXRJhqhKUVdUGFiVObqaMAnA

ILFxwMNrdqzablh

“Right, this speculation isn’t enough for us to suspect him, but while examining the crime scene at Zhang Wen’s house, we found something.”AEFZgktxqVyUrEoeboGhKoUxPfcIwn

BrjylwKjWsyQCxV

“What did you find?”yVUxgnSDFaekYjaylMnMYzqITviMqB

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“An envelope, printed with the letterhead of Sakir Private Hospital, containing photos of Zhang Wen taken while he was at the hospital.”PAXkkjPAhAELktscLxTHbjwRODmhtK

waQroTeyreKTxrJ

Ren Yi was stunned.soBmpNMeELGxiLrIfswTsYrrvcovOf

fsXKOhfmZUAgSIw

“I think Captain Ren is familiar with Sakir Private Hospital. From the photos, it looks like Zhang Wen was secretly photographing you and your father.” Zheng Pei said, “Do you know what this means? It means Dr. Gong at least knew something was off with Zhang Wen after your incident, but he didn’t tell anyone. He sent this to Zhang Wen, naturally to threaten him. As for what he made Zhang Wen do, you should want to know just like I do. But regardless of the purpose, if he hadn’t concealed this from the police, Officer Cai Qiang might not have been injured.”MsHJjGHfmTgISpUPRkGqvPXGbWTLJX

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Ren Yi felt his heart racing violently, his mind buzzing.tQOTfzaoAGSNhlYLavdycETeteNEMb

HHzRMmcxKLfFrHK

Is what this person saying true? If it is, why did Gong Yingxian hide it from him? Why hide it from him again?xhykQsEhgnEeXvMQOyenrAroWMkkTH

jwpjkwEqjVNzhNh

They had agreed to no longer keep secrets from each other!IrQdEbuMTwDrtJGJgAleDdbvJenbca

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“Captain Ren, if you’re willing to cooperate with me, you’re also helping Dr. Gong.”zLDflvmLrLsEpSvnucFdABaehSsgqL

KTlalHogtevtWpY

After a long silence, Ren Yi softly said, “I also want to know where he is.” He hung up the phone and threw it into the trash can.vwDUJURnsxgGKUJcftnsbddYfhiGNb

leJfyVmUBPLqXeE