Blazing Armor

After hours of interrogation, they couldn’t get anything out of Zhou Chuan for now, and they were exhausted too.

Leaving the interrogation room, Ren Yi limped behind Gong Yingxian, complaining, “I’m so thirsty. You’re holding a water bottle but didn’t think to pour me a drink?”

Gong Yingxian was still reading through the files as they walked. He casually pointed, “Water dispenser.”

Ren Yi grumbled angrily, “Who’s to blame for my twisted ankle? Who had me investigating cases in the middle of the night? And who tripped me?”

Gong Yingxian glanced at him, seemingly having a rare moment of conscience, “Wait here.”

Ren Yi sat on the sofa in the reception area, his eyes scanning the office in front of him. Despite the rows of identical desks, he could instantly tell which one belonged to Gong Yingxian.

It was undoubtedly the cleanest, with everything neatly arranged.

He watched as Gong Yingxian walked toward the water dispenser against the wall, grabbed a paper cup, and bent over slightly to fill it.

The action of bending down tightened Gong Yingxian’s suit trousers, emphasizing his perky butt and long legs, and the raised pant leg faintly revealed the gun and holster on his ankle.

Tempting yet dangerous.

Ren Yi couldn’t help but let out a quiet whistle, sneaking out his phone to take a quick snap.

When Gong Yingxian straightened up, those broad shoulders, slim waist, perky butt, and long legs were still in full display, perfectly proportioned, like something God had meticulously crafted.

Ren Yi took another quick photo, then pretended to be absorbed in his phone just as Gong Yingxian turned around.

Gong Yingxian came over and handed the cup of water to Ren Yi.

Ren Yi took a sip and asked, “So what’s your plan next?”

“There are several leads to follow: Zhou Chuan, the bar owner and his competitor, Cai Wan, and the other three people in the VIP room,” Gong Yingxian said while rubbing his temples. “You should head back to your team. I’ll let you know if I need your assistance.”

“‘Notify’ me?” Ren Yi said, displeased. “Am I your subordinate? Are you paying my salary? The correct term is ‘consult.’”

Gong Yingxian replied, “You can phrase it however you like.”

“You…” Ren Yi was seething with anger. He had been running around for so long, even got injured, and Gong Yingxian hadn’t even said a single “thank you” the entire time. Ren Yi was pretty laid-back most of the time, but this was the first time he realized how much he could tolerate. If it were someone else, they would have lost their temper by now. “I really don’t get how someone with your emotional intelligence has made it this far. Haven’t you been ostracized around here?”

“I’m here to work, not to make friends.”

“With that attitude, how could you possibly make any friends?”

Gong Yingxian paused for a moment before calmly replying, “You’re right.”

Ren Yi turned and walked away.

On the way, he kept telling himself to let it go. A real man should be magnanimous. Why was he even getting worked up over a spoiled, young rich kid like Gong Yingxian? At least the guy was competent as a criminal cop, and as long as they got the job done, nothing else really mattered.

Thankfully, Ren Yi was indeed the type to let things go quickly. His anger dissipated soon enough. He remembered the pictures he had secretly taken earlier and pulled out his phone to admire them again. The more he looked, the more he thought it was such a waste—what a handsome face, but such an annoying personality.

He closed the photo gallery and opened the front-facing camera, flashing a wide grin at the screen. Yup, the guy in the reflection—handsome and charming.

Suddenly, the cab driver slammed the brakes, and Ren Yi’s nose smacked right into the phone screen. Tears almost sprang to his eyes as he yelled, “Hey, man, what’s the deal? My nose is worth tens of thousands, you know!”

“Sorry, buddy, the guy in front braked suddenly—damn, looks like an accident up ahead,” the driver said.

Ren Yi looked ahead through the windshield. The intersection ahead was chaotic, with people staring and even some turning back to get a better look.

“Just close the tab,” Ren Yi said, getting out of the car and heading toward the intersection.

As soon as he arrived at the scene, his heart clenched, and his scalp went numb.

A car and a motorcycle had collided head-on. The motorcyclist’s body had crashed through the windshield and was now stuck there, glass embedded in his waist and abdomen, blood pouring out like a slaughterhouse scene. It was a horrific sight. The condition of the car’s driver was unclear from outside, but it didn’t look good. The crash had caused a rear-end collision involving two other cars, and the remains of the motorcycle had flown off, pinning a pedestrian underneath. Nearby, a young boy was sitting on the ground, crying hysterically. Two young women were there—one trying to block his view, while the other attempted to comfort him with a stuffed animal.

At that moment, several people were trying to lift the wreckage of the motorcycle to save the trapped pedestrian.

Ren Yi, forgetting all about his aching foot, ran over and shouted, “Don’t move!”

The group froze.

“Did anyone call 120?” he asked urgently.

“Y-yeah, we did,” one of them stammered.

“Did you describe the situation?”

“Yes, I did.”

Usually, as long as the person reporting the incident describes the scene clearly, 120 (ambulance) will coordinate with 119 (fire department) to respond. However, to be safe, Ren Yi still gave Gao Ge a call while carefully inspecting the scene on the ground.

The injured person was a young mother. The wreckage of the motorcycle wasn’t just pinning her down; part of the bike’s frame had also pierced through her arm. She was still conscious but having trouble breathing. Ren Yi, having basic first-aid training, noticed that the frame had pierced her arm right between the carotid and brachial arteries. Any movement could cause massive bleeding.

Just then, the call connected. Ren Yi asked, “Did you receive the call for an emergency response on Bo’ai Road?”

“Car accident, yes, we got it.”

“Bring the ladder truck, and hurry.” Ren Yi hung up the phone and addressed several helpful bystanders. “I’m a firefighter, follow my instructions. Ladies, please take her son to the side, and when the emergency responders arrive, hand him over. You three, carefully lift the wreckage of the bike, but don’t touch her arm. Keep holding it up, and if you get tired, switch out.”

Ren Yi instructed the three men to lift the wreckage of the motorcycle to relieve the pressure on her organs. After repeatedly reminding them not to touch the part of the bike frame lodged in her arm, he ran toward the other crashed vehicles.

The driver of the third car in the pile-up had already gotten out and seemed uninjured. There was no sign of movement from the driver of the second car.

Ren Yi ran to the front of the car, leaned on the window, and looked inside. The driver was unconscious. He then looked at the motorcyclist hanging over the windshield. Despite his face being covered in blood, Ren Yi could just make out that he was only a teenager, probably in his early teens.

Ren Yi gently grasped the boy’s wrist. There was still a faint pulse, very weak.

At that moment, he heard the sound of sirens. Looking up, he saw the rescue truck from his team approaching in the distance.

The ambulance arrived almost simultaneously.

Gao Ge was the first to jump out of the truck.

Ren Yi shouted, “Gao Ge, move the ladder truck to the front and prepare the ropes! We need to lift someone out! Sun Dingyi, bring the hydraulic shears! Cui Yisheng, get the chainsaw and head over there! Someone else, check the driver of the second car!”

The Phoenix team’s firefighters began working together seamlessly and efficiently.

On one side, Sun Dingyi used the hydraulic shears to pry open the deformed car door, helping the medics to carefully lift the unconscious driver, who had suffered a head injury, and place him on a stretcher.

On the other side, Cui Yisheng carefully used a chainsaw to cut through the motorcycle frame, freeing the young mother from the wreckage. The medics immediately began administering first aid to stop her bleeding, but the metal frame that had pierced her artery would have to be surgically removed at the hospital.

The driver of the second car involved in the pile-up was also rescued. She had only suffered a brief loss of consciousness due to the airbag impact, and her injuries were minor.

The most difficult case was the young motorcyclist.

The medics started administering IV fluids while one of them shouted, “Captain Ren, he’s going into shock!”

Ren Yi responded, “Gao Ge, are you ready?”

“All set,” Gao Ge replied. He maneuvered the ladder truck into position above the car, and one firefighter climbed onto the ladder, lowering the rescue ropes from above.

They secured the rescue harness around the boy’s hips, connecting the harness buckle to the ropes and adjusting the length.

Two men outside the car carefully lifted the boy’s legs while Ren Yi climbed inside, supporting his shoulders.

The boy was tall and sturdy. Without the ropes securing him, in that precarious position and angle, they couldn’t be sure they could keep his body stable. A piece of laminated glass was still embedded in his body—any wrong movement could end his life in an instant.

Suddenly, the boy moved slightly and weakly opened his eyes. His youthful face was pale as a sheet, covered in scars and dripping with blood. Blood flowed down his face, even from his hair and eyelashes. His gaze was unfocused, and his lips trembled as he whispered in a faint voice, “…help…me…”

Blood dripped onto Ren Yi’s face and body.

“Hold on,” Ren Yi said steadily, “We’re going to save you. You have to stay strong.”

Cui Yisheng, holding the chainsaw, stood nearby and took a deep breath. “Are we ready?” he asked anxiously, glancing at Ren Yi.

Ren Yi nodded.

Sweat had collected at the corners of Cui Yisheng’s eyes. He blinked forcefully, started the chainsaw, and began cutting through the windshield, carefully removing the section of glass embedded in the boy’s abdomen along its lower edge.

As soon as the glass was detached, Ren Yi instructed Gao Ge to raise the ladder slightly. The ropes held the boy’s body steady, with others supporting his head and feet. They managed to lift him out smoothly, then carefully turned him over and placed him on a stretcher.

The boy’s abdomen still had shards of glass embedded, creating an almost horizontal wound. His internal organs were visible.

“He’s stopped breathing!” Two paramedics immediately began wrapping tourniquets, injecting adrenaline, and performing CPR.

The firefighters stood by, watching as the medics connected the boy to a defibrillator, delivering shocks—once, twice, three times. His heart monitor remained flat, like a still, lifeless lake, showing no signs of recovery.

One of the medics sighed. “Time of death, 2:26 PM…”

Ren Yi closed his eyes. The dying look in the boy’s eyes was still vivid in his mind—a desperate, primal fight for survival from the depths of his soul.

The firefighters who had participated in the rescue all bowed their heads.

The transition from existence to nothingness can be faster and more fragile than the time it takes for a flower to wither.

When Ren Yi returned to the station, he changed out of his uniform. Staring at the bloodstains on it, he stood still for two seconds, then suddenly threw the uniform to the ground with fury.

During the weekly meeting that evening, Ren Yi noticed the dejected expressions on the firefighters’ faces. He took a moment to comfort them before asking each team to report on their work in turn.

After the reports were finished, Ren Yi asked the three new members to summarize their first week with the squad.

In the past, new recruits weren’t allowed to enter fire scenes or other dangerous areas during their first year. That year was dedicated to basic learning and training. They would also ride bicycles around the entire district, memorizing every inch of the area—key locations, fire facilities, high-rises, narrow streets, and complex terrains. Each person had to have these mapped out in their minds and create a physical map.

Since today’s full-time firefighters are recruited with experience, they can be deployed to the front lines when needed. However, familiarizing themselves with the district is still essential. So, for the past week, the three new recruits had been walking the streets, getting sunburned in the process.

All three had done an impeccable job and had integrated well with the team.

Ren Yi was quite pleased, especially since he’d often been absent from the squad lately, yet everything remained stable as usual.

After the meeting, only Ren Yi and Qu Yangbo remained in the room. Qu Yangbo asked about the investigation into the bar fire case.

Ren Yi gave him a general update on the progress and took the opportunity to complain about Gong Yingxian.

“This case is being pushed hard from above. I imagine the police are under a lot of pressure,” Qu Yangbo commented.

“But there’s still not enough evidence to prove it was arson. According to procedure, if the fire investigation doesn’t determine arson, it shouldn’t be handed over to the police. Now everything’s reversed—how can we let public pressure drive us into chaos?”

“The incident caused significant casualties. The public is demanding answers. There’s no avoiding that. And with so many suspicious points, even you probably don’t believe it wasn’t arson, right?”

Ren Yi sighed. “I won’t jump to conclusions. But I hope it wasn’t arson. There are enough heartless bastards in the world; the fewer, the better. Plus, working with that Gong guy? It makes me want to punch him eight times a day.”

“You’re here to work, not to make friends. Just bear with it. Besides, try focusing on his good traits. For instance, Dr. Gong—what’s a positive quality of his?”

Ren Yi stroked his chin, thinking for a long while, then said seriously, “He’s got a really nice butt.”

Qu Yangbo laughed and cursed, “Get lost.”

“Hey, wait a minute. Why do you sound exactly like him?”

“Like who?”

“Saying stuff like ‘work isn’t about making friends’ or whatever. Weren’t we friends because we met at work? All of us brothers here met through work.”

“Tch, why are you arguing about this now?” Qu Yangbo replied. “I’m just trying to help you out.”

Ren Yi snorted. “If I’d known, I would’ve had the Chief of Staff send you instead.”

Qu Yangbo chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.