Blazing Armor

“Ren Yi, Ren Yi!” Yan Jue and a soldier carried Ren Yi onto the stretcher cart. Yan Jue fastened his spare breathing apparatus over Ren Yi’s nose and mouth.MiwvtQGluHJGuIpWITzcNQOAuOtqdM

Ren Yi’s eyelids drooped heavily. He weakly pushed against the mask, his throat issuing dry, hoarse moans. Clinging desperately to his last shred of consciousness, he feebly grasped Yan Jue’s sleeve, muttering, “Sun Dingyi… Sun… Dingyi…”XToyAKuCLCjLhGUTsHyhkQzLgrECHb

Yan Jue looked at Ren Yi’s face, streaked with soot and tears, his heart aching. “Don’t talk anymore.”NsELriECKiPeSMpYQflCEqzJRCYTSL

“Sun… Dingyi…” Ren Yi’s tears streamed down his cheeks.HBvFRTfvIBgLQXCCiPaxgganjqVwlf

Yan Jue stroked Ren Yi’s hair, his lips trembling as if to speak, but no words came out. His eyes were red, and his heart felt unbearably heavy.wAdrqtcJzJBGjzHFBKrIWSjcfHNbMy

Two soldiers carried the gravely injured father onto the same platform. The cart sped away from the corridor, away from the inferno, descending toward the ground.qunqZyzjJoodCvnVtvYQVfFWuLtmGl

The cold, murky air filled Ren Yi’s lungs, bringing with it the sorrowful cries from the scene. The air was thick with the scent of scorched coal, the freezing wind, and the smoggy sky pressing down like a suffocating weight.vYgyoFwfiTJpxhkSqaloOtxLgaQSdJ

Ren Yi struggled to sit up but was firmly pressed back onto the stretcher. He let out a low, guttural roar, a surge of furious defiance—though he didn’t even know who it was directed at.XqfrPYNTJmzIzaiUggEXIJcBqGigBa

Suddenly, a warm, firm hand gripped his own.OEJjdEHFKvRViGoOxHEPGxPAkSxTij

Ren Yi froze. Through his blurred vision, he saw Gong Yingxian’s pale, anxious face. He opened his mouth, and in that moment, all the pain and anguish he had been holding back burst forth. Tears streamed uncontrollably as he mumbled desperately, “Where’s Sun Dingyi? Save him… Yingxian… please…”PRXHUdRrWmbGnQEFUgeHbBRTfrlvME

Gong Yingxian’s heart shattered. How could he possibly tell Ren Yi the cruel truth? All he could do was hold Ren Yi’s hand tightly, a hand he vowed never to let go for as long as he lived.LZArbeoAJPwLNEeTJDaunOEVqwurfg

“Move aside! Don’t crowd the injured!” Paramedics pushed Gong Yingxian and Yan Jue away, securing the oxygen mask over Ren Yi’s face. But Ren Yi began thrashing violently, roaring soundlessly like a cornered beast.FIHVUNNVedfYHGoAVWhELZpIiZVHCY

The medics had no choice but to administer a sedative.rmrDRQxeOcyDDtAuyEjeUfyzRFOaRw

Ren Yi’s gaze fixed helplessly on the apocalyptic, overcast sky above him before he slipped into unconsciousness, swallowed by darkness.mnxMtBhHjZUQkWkjYixlYNvmGWrbMg

—MVifqZUoLrYTgFkvBrUssSrAFAxTuW

Ren Yi suffered multiple severe burns and inhaled toxic gases. He remained unconscious in the hospital for nearly three days before finally waking up.FhqofnGfqIrAFZFTABcYhLVevGPwEd

Gong Yingxian and Qu Yangbo stayed in the hospital room, keeping vigil. When Ren Yi opened his eyes, their faces were tense, their brows deeply furrowed. Their concern wasn’t just for Ren Yi’s physical condition but also for his emotional state.umjlVEHjmRTZLweZOSpEYzpobULLQm

Ren Yi stared blankly at the stark white ceiling for a long while, his mind slowly regaining clarity. This place was all too familiar—Hongwu Hospital, a place he had frequented over the years.GLLExNyHZLkNYQvoFRNDiRfnqAWpfx

His gaze shifted downward to the two figures seated by his bedside. The sorrow etched on their faces and their stiff, uneasy postures puzzled him. Why were they looking at him as if he were at death’s door? He was alive, wasn’t he?iUjTyZZZIzoXkIPzMrZEXUvkjbmHOW

Yes, he was alive. But his comrade, who had fallen from over twenty meters high…CxlzqCJRUUOndRPPSHNymFIwIdTjxF

Clinging to a final sliver of hope, he trembled as he turned to Qu Yangbo. “Sun Dingyi…”fgWQkajknYZQisCmkkwkXPapxNApUw

Qu Yangbo’s eyes reddened instantly, tears threatening to fall in the next second.etpyEJOFgHGGCcQGsBCVKLdFTukzCl

Ren Yi exhaled deeply, feeling a hollow ache in his chest, as though something vital had been stripped away, leaving him utterly empty.IQYeZlVsqUAfzNPRLaKevhxQUCDuYB

Gong Yingxian wanted desperately to comfort him, but he didn’t know what to say. Words felt so feeble, so insubstantial at this moment. All he could do was take Ren Yi’s hand and hold it tightly.DnIcfCvorHHOeDkfWCtbWdQNMiydPA

“Every time… every time I go on a mission…” Ren Yi’s voice trembled with anguish, a mix of grief and guilt tearing through him. “I swear to bring everyone back safely.”TZGfaxvUrrjLpBqDsfgqRPfAgEJomM

“It’s not your fault,” Qu Yangbo choked out, his voice thick with emotion. “Ren Yi, it’s not your fault.”FfpSpXoyRnRayFxfCxwrmiuNDGTpaX

“I’m the team leader. I was the one who brought them in there,” Ren Yi said through tears. “If anyone doesn’t make it back, it’s my fault. How do I face his parents? He’s their only son… And his girlfriend… What am I supposed to say to her? How…”JpezMwNqzBzJZLalRuMxrCxkYUcUsL

Gong Yingxian took a deep breath, forcing himself to speak. “Lieutenant Sun, in that life-or-death moment, saved a three-year-old child. His family will understand his choice. Ren Yi, this wasn’t your fault. This was a crime.”DhTwTbrLJwRRFcXjtEKjbjBJCDArXP

Ren Yi turned his head slowly, his voice shaking as he asked, “It was… arson?”tLIvcpbAbjyXHqpolHIhcHCbYUSkAN

“Yes,” Gong Yingxian said grimly. “Evidence has already been found at the scene.”rvqbhcFWJevwSnGBNVUbmPfwpBtAzR

Ren Yi clenched his fists tightly. “Was it the purple flame? Was it them?!”AKDlejBduyHXtSFLijmlzmGUhxUrUF

“It’s not confirmed yet, but it’s highly likely,” Gong Yingxian said, his exhaustion evident as he closed his eyes. “Ren Yi, trust me. I will find the culprit.”bFwRoywJHkgsBLTigNeDwEYKpOVnQM

Ren Yi pounded the bed frame with his fists, fury surging through his chest like an uncontrollable storm.pVFVHzzfqYBCSLTtkiINrthqLKkbbE

Qu Yangbo pressed down on Ren Yi’s shoulders, his voice hoarse. “Ren Yi, calm down. You’re badly injured. No matter how guilty you feel, remember this—right now, what’s most important is that the rest of the team is counting on you. Sun Dingyi is counting on you to avenge him.”dcueRzGvJIEdJRTlaDaLZLACPYTVmm

Ren Yi bit down on his lip, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face.hMjbHVxeDbTSIJBPyfmopQOOwXDJsr

“I need to get back to the team and handle things. Focus on recovering and come back soon,” Qu Yangbo said as he wiped his tears away, bowing his head as he left the room.ACreHbBtWXWhfOzCjhhNnmGpTZkBoX

The moment the door closed, Gong Yingxian pulled Ren Yi into a tight embrace. “Ren Yi, I’m here. I’m here.”iCYFsgDIzlxxSIpfnwCjGZoJwJjmJN

Seeing Ren Yi’s regret and self-reproach, Gong Yingxian felt like his heart was being torn apart. The Ren Yi he knew was always radiant, passionate, and full of life, someone who could uplift everyone around him. Seeing him so broken and vulnerable now was unbearable.QgcJNJEWJcTsXJFfUygpYIBaJStNQB

Ren Yi clung tightly to Gong Yingxian, as if holding on to his last lifeline. He buried his face in Gong Yingxian’s warm, broad chest and let out muffled, heart-wrenching sobs.mOglqAKsLjCuKhpyoksxHaoXEgcdZC

***IPwHDoLAUaaYeadlyaoDhsTeQpMCOR

The mall fire claimed four lives, injured more than thirty, and caused direct economic losses amounting to seventy million yuan.GoUstalwuLuYzJVaMwPeTLKUllZqgL

The father and son they had saved were among the casualties. The father succumbed to his injuries in the hospital, and the boy—just three years old—was left an orphan. His mother had passed away only months earlier, which was why the father often brought his son to work. In a single night, the child lost both parents.xyRGDIIVbgiBRzZIbRBGpsQwNOQbIS

During Ren Yi’s days in the hospital, the soldiers and leaders from his unit came to visit him, but he remained despondent.aZGTIRhgXJBoDxPpOhnPyMYzniVVny

Gong Yingxian split his time between investigating the case and staying at the hospital. Whenever he had a moment, he would rush to Ren Yi’s side, spending his nights at the hospital. The two barely spoke; most of their time together was spent in heavy silence, with Gong Yingxian simply keeping Ren Yi company.lVwZYlZKXACnugWSbzxHXifenjEjzW

After a week, Ren Yi insisted on being discharged. No one could stop him.kxPbNTzSeEoxtgNeNNWZLrEhAVVGll

Following his discharge, Ren Yi couldn’t bring himself to face Sun Dingyi’s parents. The organization had already provided condolences and compensation, and the funeral was scheduled for the following Monday—the day marking seven years since Sun Dingyi joined the unit.wYHAIXcbcvVUQnKjCCwuWXbNdnGmnp

In those days, the entire unit was enveloped in grief. The usual laughter and banter had become distant memories, replaced by a suffocating sense of sorrow and rage.foKyQtAIGZmfJgUYYlZECRLUeGprHC

One morning, while the soldiers were out for their exercises, Ren Yi quietly entered the officers’ dormitory and stood by Sun Dingyi’s bed.wuzGYMJAuAkAeVCayGQToZvHNhkDKz

Even though the firefighting system had been reformed and they were no longer military personnel, their habits and discipline remained. Sun Dingyi’s bed was still made with the precision of a soldier, the blanket folded into a perfect square. Everything on the desk was meticulously arranged, untouched since that day.IhRlZoGjtKqovqSpZGwbduhirkAakM

Ren Yi sat down on the bed. For a fleeting moment, he could almost imagine the dormitory door opening, Sun Dingyi returning from his morning training, laughing and joking as he walked in, talking about the game he’d watched the night before or debating what to have for lunch. Ren Yi could even picture the lines on his face when he smiled.ddvbUhbZtZFTWXmDZKAXnriadowOhF

If only nothing had happened. If only it were all just a bad dream.aYqDcuaPagsewhFRCtgqFqwHcDCCJb

The creak of the door jolted him from his thoughts.VcaKPomFQpXtVNYQKznXlnLStEzzYt

Ren Yi’s head shot up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, but it quickly dimmed when he saw who it was.RRzxUodbEMsTcgiTDCsKTiProJAJOX

Cui Yisheng stood at the door, surprised to see Ren Yi. “Captain Ren, you…” His gaze shifted to the bed where Ren Yi was sitting, and his expression changed.ShoVjNfuYDFIGidxCaTJJPUgrYkPCg

“You’re back,” Ren Yi said flatly.FEnivixQUNgfVCDASHKtLEnzojPUOw

“I wasn’t feeling well. Took a leave.”PhhSownkOWsuJpXmUQusNzvZWlZXvR

“Get some rest,” Ren Yi replied, standing up to leave.DiPICdpWbGmXvNtrPvIVrJQxjEGllP

“Captain Ren.” Cui Yisheng hesitated, biting his lip before asking, “That day… if I’d gone up sooner, would it have made a difference?”hrdrfoBGiCjvObLhNDvSpnuUZUzyWg

He had been ordered by Ren Yi to go back and change into an intact firefighting suit and retrieve extra oxygen tanks after his equipment was compromised. Reporting to the commander, changing, and returning had taken no more than ten minutes. By the time he got back, Ren Yi’s team had already entered the scene.iBBzGPXEOhKPGOPYIpdeYCgpRbJyoJ

If he’d been faster, could things have turned out differently?LEjuBiXlwAUcpkmMqZvUKLdpKTgEQv

“Don’t overthink it,” Ren Yi interrupted. “It has nothing to do with you.”IEDdmfHKzFpDnQKPcftFquPfToySCa

Cui Yisheng’s eyes reddened. “Sun and I were from the same hometown. When I first joined, I couldn’t adapt to the northern climate and coughed for over a month. He took such good care of me.”ImNjqEYmoTQKInkIGUedYKcLgRmxjQ

Ren Yi inhaled sharply, biting his lip lightly.BaXlpPAVlBTDChuVYfwRSEyUmAROyQ

“Captain Ren,” Cui Yisheng said, his voice cracking, “we spend our lives trying to save others. But sometimes, we can’t save them. Sometimes, we can’t even save our own brothers. Do you remember that boy? The one impaled on the windshield? We got him out, but he still bled out right in front of us. I just—sometimes I wonder—what’s the point of all this?”gopHfJPgmHZxNxjJtoAjFVhtKtSVFr

Ren Yi turned back, tears pooling in his eyes. In a quiet voice, he said, “The people we couldn’t save will always haunt us. But the people we did save—they’re the reason we keep going. That’s our purpose.”EtwbuchdKJzcNSMcXtkkSSPNLsnjiT

Cui Yisheng shook his head slightly, his face etched with profound helplessness.BcxLKkqRxBAzxbyFLXmrUalefiWrHm

Ren Yi wanted to say something to comfort him, but the words felt hollow, incapable of even soothing himself. How could he convince someone else? All he could do was pat Cui Yisheng on the shoulder before almost fleeing the dormitory.SdkArLfWocAAvVElVaQxOmlVljoSOS

But where could he run? The entire unit was filled with memories of Sun Dingyi.XCdHLxwYmncClkfxTbvfFGxXiyIexJ

This was the first time, since becoming team leader, that Ren Yi had lost one of his soldiers.HVBSznXIYYtgzrPcoveIoWypnagQaU

He thought back to his childhood, to how his father would sometimes become withdrawn, irritable, or deeply pained. Back then, fire hazards were more frequent, safety measures were scarce, and firefighter casualties were much higher. Over his father’s decades of service, he had witnessed many comrades’ deaths. The worst was the Baosheng Chemical Plant explosion, where his father’s unit lost four members in a single incident. And yet, that wasn’t even the unit with the highest fatality rate.nCHEOLgJjClUyiKLFffFtnIJCDfSsk

How had his father endured?AFAhMZVzPVAZOUNwDQciGQaDoqgAEI

Could he endure this?eEkZYDhBFjGIYdjAhsspHrUGattxsI