Chapter 113
After stepping out of the bathroom, Ren Yi’s legs felt weak, and he deeply regretted digging his own grave with this behavior.dwtWACoOCqTDVyJYSgbNXIIowmMAtm
UBuLkDOXKcvRfqbHe finally learned his lesson and realized that Gong Yingxian was not someone to tease casually. Gong’s “normal mode” was already intimidating enough; when teased, it became utterly lethal.bIfmarrcZMvANlaOPEzkrzWIDUjtKy
lWwdKmvkbTVVzDhBut Ren Yi couldn’t help himself. He loved provoking and teasing Gong Yingxian. Seeing Gong either blushing or caught up in emotions filled Ren Yi with unparalleled satisfaction—of course, he had to deal with the consequences himself.lsbSsuQfMySVjybgtfjIPZHboEhmbp
hRoPflpdLSOmUNJNoticing something odd about Ren Yi’s walking posture, Gong Yingxian reached out to support him.JgbqWmLlyXvOjBAsMJXuvDSVIYjjOT
vcHHloawiYZpmANRen Yi immediately avoided him—he still had his pride to maintain.zUYazQISIKxHMdmgGyXlTOScsiNDag
YsLflUWHaLYYJqcGong Yingxian asked softly, “Do you need to rest for a bit?”EWvqOzLHpdNZvclDqnWZTRLSRlJeBl
NTgnrMYPxDEuBDF“No need.” Ren Yi sneaked a glance at Gong Yingxian, mischief brewing in his eyes again. “I’ll go sit on the sofa for a while.”OgPhkafBZmceziqzNxXqZRSVIXInkk
atgSCRESPZXLJYj“Alright.”RMiwfaWOkxcYPYNyNaWIbOSGfKYlur
DFkJuKJUvfkIzTtAs soon as they sat on the sofa, Ren Yi pounced on Gong Yingxian, finding a comfortable position to lie down.bzadPKZmbeWyAlrSMORpNLdfoTJRqi
zKNoDMgdGPRJgxeGong Yingxian smiled faintly, placing a hand on Ren Yi’s back and patting him gently.qwysYiCjtBfUGqBflGbFrOFMawJuzu
TRkkKQkvEeVJwVMRen Yi’s ear was pressed against Gong Yingxian’s chest, and even through the fabric, he could feel the faint tremors of his heartbeat. That pulsating rhythm, so full of vitality, came from the person he loved. It stirred an inexplicable emotion in Ren Yi.lHEZLxCxnvxfcOSpbXlWenBkYfaXnD
yZoxdCVjhPusATcGong Yingxian rested his chin lightly on the top of Ren Yi’s head. The soft, fluffy hair carried the fresh scent of soap, and the solid weight in his arms evoked a deep sense of responsibility.UcCoiMDvefNXLZTaVyHNQVisTawrSe
zcibxOUkCbtgUzUNeither of them spoke for a long time, wishing for time to freeze at this moment.EozVGMEhhdjGVLXGVfkeYLCccrWgjU
dTRzantjLgpBJqbHalf-closing his eyes in a lazy haze, Ren Yi murmured sleepily, “It’d be nice if we didn’t have to go to work.”uGZbQfSSjgMiQEmdmQLxeXUZNaOZJf
ILqpSgYiioqRqLZ“I still have plenty of unused vacation days,” Gong Yingxian replied near Ren Yi’s ear.dbTGHiDSQihqLYGuwEPVFGYWensEbj
BKVxgvgifWjNcid“Me too. I haven’t really used my vacation this year,” Ren Yi said with a faint smile. “Once everything settles, let’s travel somewhere warm, with a beach.”ZqmzFmeeczsAVYrnIjvVzcZKxxEvGf
YRlsxLmUfwvwrxz“Alright.”ojMCFitgsNnrNcwiGeHmRzCaVRcEFw
tdMMpyUYLihVTvr“I haven’t traveled since graduating from university,” Ren Yi said wistfully. “Back then, my mom had already passed away, and I’d just joined the squad. It was endless training and studying every day. Then my dad fell ill, and I couldn’t leave even if I wanted to.”AbGQFgcnrgPuzfUALrOvmkqRdijZuT
pkvdQwbuVULrdWO“I rarely travel either,” Gong Yingxian admitted. It wasn’t that he disliked traveling, but being alone meant there was no one to share the experience with. Studying or working alone was more enjoyable by comparison.HXSWEwKVOhbsdzoZLlWmQZdTvZgWjE
myRFmJhQMccLWun“Then let’s go together from now on.”LVHQjKbLPFDFfhOQmtkKpKtuoFRfZs
YtxukVoJmhJKHCi“Together,” Gong Yingxian said earnestly.WalURcsQmlUefzndvxicKrIIcQBRVV
SbBvZITuJLTdCNARen Yi felt a warm glow in his chest, as if his entire heart was wrapped in sunlight. He felt weightless, buoyed by an indescribable lightness and joy.yDtvoxXRGUiiPkyvDJKXRBHlRpknsO
QUDdHoUbZbecLzvThey embraced each other for a long time. Ren Yi struggled internally, reluctant to leave, but duty called. He reluctantly got up from Gong Yingxian’s arms and said helplessly, “I really have to go now.”tRadgaueoTGubzLviUmEecIniGUgxm
DDulTyxkRtHjWdzGong Yingxian couldn’t hide his disappointment. “Alright.”IPAWSVeQWWqzcvhOvqrhkeYsqWiJzg
MTCwNWnETWEbGxRRen Yi kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll miss you too.”NlrSbsJXHWsdIacLPeFOnMjHJsirSr
KlzSlqXfcYoKTuzGong Yingxian touched his cheek, a satisfied smile forming at the corner of his lips. “Let’s go. I’ll drive you back.”ttVlUrOTROHRcSdVrsTlbSbJJhtcHf
EOxnZbogTIkaujTOn the way, Gong Yingxian drove deliberately slowly. It was rush hour, and the traffic was heavy, so the not-so-far distance took a long time.ViZNBsatSgNCimbRGzOOhlsKLXANLY
RDxjYNfieGTvZfYWhen they arrived at the squad, the two lingered in the car, sharing kisses for a long time.qkqRbOvxICteCEzEimqPOPjINBOiOn
chZnFMXjMOFHduBBreathless, Ren Yi asked, “Do you think anyone outside might see us? Like, the officers assigned to protect me?”zmvTqvjRHxUgTVCcCtQaEgyYRJaEYQ
IPpsnuzvfjhziDq“They won’t.” Gong Yingxian lightly brushed his lips against Ren Yi’s. “The car’s modified. Unless someone presses right up against it, they can’t see in.”oIOWcUbhSojKtMBLXFmcNaxmxUvUnR
ikRpfwDgjKNynloRen Yi chuckled. “Modified? What did you do to it? Turn the trunk into Doraemon’s treasure chest? Is it bulletproof?”MBGllEAgUlLaqCpyMDPmSuTXjJAvyP
trUnemilUHExQMa“Yes.”FIWQIDUzXdjOgqBrFJsijsnrhBYfJi
eHevVYpZJmYlbjR“…Yes?”NnAKqMXkDCnHdrjAUJcdvGiSWCAetF
kmiZOtKQagYSprN“Bulletproof.”jlaSnddIkdwjYvRVPQpQEOGYPbTqOT
fPxHZZalryrsMqMRen Yi stared, wide-eyed. “Are you serious?”DuFlARLXbkrAkUOsqYDIeHYTpjQhta
oZRVAooZFZDQqrn“Of course.” Gong Yingxian replied calmly. “Other than how it looks, almost everything in this car has been modified. But it’s designed to appear normal.”hpCIMCCVWEDVUXwiwirOjLueTzGmsu
OaYGIUxOFetNYHD“You rich people really know how to play.”smnTubdQRwBhaKvbeaThrGQsgcmGvR
EwslumYJtqQeifc“If you like it, I could modify your car too—”sUFQsElVkQHVTwXNDclQJfiXupCGFZ
VAgNuPQlEpxSfLS“No, no, my car’s just fine.” Ren Yi cut him off and gave him a heavy kiss. “I’m leaving now.”htsxjfSNCQEsUDcqaoXNxpkBbGEemq
PoGcQhNoqbcidjPGong Yingxian nodded, watching as Ren Yi stepped out of the car and walked toward the squad building. Leaning back against the seat, he let out a relaxed breath, his tongue brushing lightly over his lips, which still carried the lingering warmth of Ren Yi’s kiss. His gaze was filled with indescribable tenderness.nDxGkUugseDSzbHnvFfPIiDknIIbUl
zIwMAwgBLuKUNSpRen Yi headed straight into the garage, spotting a group of people maintaining the equipment. Just as he was about to speak, the alarm suddenly blared.KopUumzUSkArYrNGlFkaNUvvnzDBlw
CsRbYtxiOeNmqVWSun Dingyi pointed at Ren Yi and laughed. “Captain Ren, this one’s specially for you.”myiCCjVsMGGQZsYwWZpEqZOtqIhgxc
hasQxNJjXHlwiHLRen Yi threw his bag to the ground. “Let’s move!”vjvaSOuniDBHbwrQWOcodbIuciihut
XrmVXtFqgmyEApSThey quickly began suiting up as a dispatcher ran over. “Captain Ren, there’s a fire at Wenhui Mall.”eVEZUvTuzTWtLMHUiirGDwnpMqoFTS
kDTAZumRNXPBhZq“Wenhui? The one on Dayu Road?” Dayu Road wasn’t part of his district, but it was still within Hongwu District. Even if he wasn’t as familiar with other teams’ malls, he had a working knowledge of key fire-risk sites in the area.NyiGJLuWNvMwkxoqCJkAledewbJRcb
RaAEVRpgyGWPytf“Yes, it’s a small goods wholesale market. The main station initially sent four squads, but the fire’s out of control, so they’ve called in another four.”NyJrGYhbSFlotkkfjOTZnoFVNyRYnK
mXaSJPlgjJteaEkEight squads… That’s a massive fire.zndFlbcVyTMgpAKpnAWlkrWxpNFglf
TZcsCjmtPUUmjWKThey geared up at top speed, boarded the vehicles, and departed.rYQhpzTKVyRWuSgYoeekhDRJlBhKzv
NGYpTacbKLTHsLGOn the way, Ren Yi began coordinating with the main station to gather details.NtdEStNOKKahBSCTISrTfekcKbMkUh
dekUJBwVfxFLjbjWenhui Mall was a large, multi-purpose complex. Building A was a seven-story clothing wholesale market. Building B housed shopping, entertainment, dining, hotels, and offices in a 30-story high-rise. Building C was still under construction. Currently, there was a seven-story skybridge connecting Buildings A and B, and the fire had already spread to Building B through the skybridge. Building C had also caught fire, and the wholesale market to the north of Wenhui Mall was now within the fire’s potential range—a very precarious situation.RHajTkaVRwtlLfGTFLjuuUVLqbRzEc
zxVPLguzgunZpOyIn places like this, with high concentrations of flammable materials, if the fire isn’t controlled early, it spreads rapidly. Even before arriving on-site, Ren Yi could already picture the devastating scene.zdmRRIRGLFnoUQDMCQeIZXaldlmJFN
BAvJEQeNthQqtAiHis eyes kept darting toward the road ahead, willing the vehicle to move faster, but the traffic made it impossible. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar car in the rearview mirror. Leaning forward, he took a closer look—was that really Gong Yingxian’s car?yrYQIOmCVbimPChhNYbvNmlDrGBBBn
GzMLpQeYNHgBnLTRen Yi dialed Gong Yingxian’s number. “Are you driving behind me?”NkcVAljaSDNjjIQZxLkZRkEaOAcetl
UuaFbIjVDTpwOvy“I was just about to leave when I heard your alarm. What happened?” Gong asked.XzJQgqCFATMwoGHRZlCeVXNQfqYSEo
YaJpPDlLZgljAIm“A large mall on Dayu Road caught fire. We’ve been called in to assist.”EHfMYIRDBNTfScOZncswbDFqImmsrD
zPrGnNEFImeiVJX“Is it serious?”wPsjIqpYCcYyWhlJdCKewztLkBzTIP
jxHEllNaMENNKZV“They’ve already deployed eight squads, so it seems pretty serious,” Ren Yi replied. “Wait… are you following me?”WnZiQhlQhXslrNUFZzXWKPdMCXSJdf
AfyQVjcHkdntdNd“I’m heading back to the precinct, which happens to be in the same direction.” Gong paused. “Do you need me on-site?”geVzUojyaSfJSkhCvlBPkDbSjksyir
pRSdwKTFpDHPNFORen Yi chuckled. “Of course not. This is our job. You focus on yours.”ljghfWZQJMRzThCIPLPxyPOLjQiprC
BFlcOnduSZDIGTU“At this time and in Hongwu District… I’m a bit worried. Could it be related to the purple flame?”IiwnYSaDXImKGzlNrAuglukcYSsPzn
jpqfCqlnDXuhhPD“I’m suspicious too, but speculation doesn’t help now. Whether it’s connected to them or not, we’ll be extremely cautious. For now, it’s not about investigating the cause—whether it’s an accident or arson, our job is to put out the fire first.”ZCXYRnFEaxiQXArSgfTJqsscEYNUIM
lALjAPNLCzdhNhRGong was silent for a moment. “…I’ll still go to the scene. If it’s arson, there’s a high chance the arsonist is still there.”TSaGASMtBCLqsLRUUthoSGpjWZUbND
rjgfVlvPBWqajZd“Alright, but be careful.”BBOIjcbGOBEkUlvrIhTBxZLVFhvYsJ
snhqoLqQTiLeHUK“You too.”FSHZiFSjsJjMUOmUBFOndqFiTyHiWZ
vtLVfPMWqjsdXUL—FQPltiquUGdmlHalUDUGkvDHqpTsWs
EwbqdegCNKlovwTWhen Ren Yi’s fire truck arrived, the site was already teeming with over forty fire trucks, and more personnel were still arriving.GANQIRDpGatZhGkaAWrbLvPWtEwDul
ZWutLBxvAdQUaFoHe glanced at Building A, the initial source of the fire. It had become a full-blown inferno, completely unsalvageable. The current strategy was undoubtedly focused on protecting Buildings B and C and preventing the fire from spreading to nearby markets. As for Building A, they could only let it burn to the ground.QZPzRkQRgNZGBYgYGtrHOfrbhSamLN
dwZRdlqHadinxaZLeading Gao Ge, Ren Yi headed to the temporary command center, where Chen Xiaofei and Xu Jin were meeting with several squad leaders.FpJLSsYBFanaDWbUEZQePwMJoAoWyE
MiBwIXaFgxoMSmiRen Yi saluted. “Captain Chen, Chief of Staff.”jhKeUqsxzlYjPLTfxEEoZhxpQAmIyc
ScKLSrJqkZEGhIy“Come over here,” Chen Xiaofei beckoned.mmDEahBvBiIyJZPCEIRNClyrRZLeAv
ADHafQVsXGJdyOcRen Yi approached. “Are there any trapped individuals in Building A?”thfjdEMwcaJLRyTGNfMcABOxFCWcFA
esOtVmaNLkDrjsK“When the fire started, there were only a few security guards. Once they realized it was out of control, they evacuated. However, there are still many civilians trapped in the mall and hotel in Building B. Wang Meng is leading the evacuation effort.”IrmOJtrKnyAuivfAxXzXkbcKvBrpVg
koiEhwYaaJhfOmDXu Jin frowned. “Those security guards didn’t report the fire immediately because they were afraid of fines and tried to put it out themselves. They missed the critical window for containment. Now Building A is a total loss, with over two thousand stalls burned. The financial damage is massive.”QEAqwwmHCGDDzUyGxhAAuFEJjLwfto
eBDneRowkYkxVHA“Building B is a high-rise hotel? Our district only has one ultra-high aerial platform,” Ren Yi noted. Building B exceeded 100 meters in height, while the platform truck in Ren Yi’s squad could only reach a little over 20 stories.QDCKYjpunjIwZnwRNJDdfynySqWAMD
SQqjkEEkOAQIGLTXu Jin nodded. “We’ve already called in all the city’s ultra-high aerial platforms. Two are currently on-site. But given the scale of the fire, it’s still not enough. The main station has sent reinforcements from three additional squads.”ueYvgFWrdEBunxvazMysEAYqfKPAfd
OUvixKwOasdqsbkChen Xiaofei pointed to the blueprint. “This is the strategy we’ve just finalized. We’ll deploy in four teams:ZJtDvtEUvqrFEasAVtXJOpeWUdTqat
zQsPSawXBwHeoMF1. Team One: Enter Building B to rescue trapped civilians.fMNutTgJkWHHJnUGoEQKLOzVNlJtmb
FZOCPPQUyFFFOhD2. Team Two: Attack the fire from the lower seven floors to push it back toward the skybridge.lvwQNvMfOEVVHYnHOWmYkcWLFpAZbS
zHFXizYYntHmjZL3. Team Three: Use high-powered water cannons from the north to block the fire and protect the adjacent Mudan Mall. If necessary, enter Mudan Mall for close-range firefighting.NiEykVRkaSvwpLZYbptowehpBCvXUE
AqonhOcdlUBrwga4. Team Four: Enter the under-construction Building C to remove large amounts of flammable materials and prevent the fire from spreading further.VCuSRPaFmkAfBYpKfOmkqJAqbWrtbH
TcToOuQivkPUtqKUnderstood?”dDBbodChBPlmengAmhAtSoLQSEsbfQ
RzgCGVPSLKUQxGo“Yes, sir!” the squad leaders replied in unison.CkljWKgPSBTtTWKEuuHnmaNomctLxP
jcsWwKFoZWWXwoXChen Xiaofei scanned their faces with a serious expression. “This is not only the biggest fire in Hongwu District but also the largest in Beijing in the past five years. The situation is dire, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. This is the moment the people need us. This is the moment we prove ourselves. I demand that each of you do your utmost to fight this battle, but as squad leaders, I also demand you protect yourselves and your teams. I want to see every one of you return safely.”ToyURGtXjYWpayRdMfORDhnzZhBIEL
rAqABhJzRtYkRJR“Yes, sir!”eSAbmQoNoCdgXzBvQVBCaSgHzeOlXl
QUbIqrKBWRudzml“Now, let’s assign the tasks.”xzKtAqXCQcrTtPJMpBfUNGDwcmZVhn
qXvbGwdzngvhqyawuakQuymYeZiEhhLFmHVtUaAvylKxF