Blazing Armor

“I’ll make time for it…” Ren Yi’s hand slipped, scattering the few bones he’d just painstakingly pieced together. He let out an annoyed mutter.BxWeahDznVUrBHAdEtnjMFBddcGYpH

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“Forget it, I’ll take it back and fix it. I don’t have the right tools here.” Gong Yingxian gathered up the lily-of-the-valley skeleton, carefully packing it into a bag.MKImNAWNKdRdEcrAXEFFViXGdrrTkh

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Seeing the look of disappointment on Gong Yingxian’s face, Ren Yi asked, “You can fix it, right?”HhqIkLhmnRawmbUpNshqCXmrJmNgOl

KbjxfqsEPTukPwp

“I’ll definitely fix it.” This gift held a special meaning, but now it barely resembled its original form. Otherwise, Ren Yi would have immediately understood his intent.lAtqnUNalygaVDLlWWUgDSjUsRyLQi

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“Alright,” Ren Yi replied. “Keep the recording safe too; it should come in handy.”XuLioexGyQyHdtejmaIFFxgMpcBNte

FctlSFktplfEByB

“It will,” Gong Yingxian said confidently. “We’ve already identified several arson suspects. We’re planning to have Fang Zhixu help with the identification.”LgwABlbDkICfmWNnKwyswcdSEkFpUj

ZEyMTKChFaCeWLw

“You’ve locked down suspects?” Ren Yi’s breathing grew cautious.mKqfvWQrsTeOwwiXoHaeApgbHuwmQu

wJiVDRnLFoCzOzR

Gong Yingxian nodded. “We took a lot of photos at the scene. As you might know, arsonists often like to return to admire their ‘masterpieces.’ There’s a good chance the culprit was among the onlookers. There were too many people present, though, so we enlisted the help of a micro-expression expert. There’s one person we unanimously consider the prime suspect, and we’ve already begun covertly monitoring them. Additionally, I’m not certain how deeply Fang Zhixu might be connected to the organization—this will give us a chance to test him.”aoWNUxHajFVZCRpDilGMKVxBwuUGpm

aSvEpGVzsGPjAsP

“If he’s really involved, what will you do?”rJPAfDaUpAjQBFEhxWkSRMXHtBfiFm

MEYcYEtJCIITbUS

“If he’s broken the law, we’ll arrest him,” Gong Yingxian replied firmly. “We’ve also made progress on the unidentified charred body case and Wang Mindé’s case.”nadNorOdAwhbXMqEbXdjUyiKJQQsOY

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“Tell me.”LxyafYUMrWYQBGOVoLDCoeUffEUwDH

kjJYXCAvEUbDCnX

“The unidentified charred body has been identified. We contacted the victim’s family for DNA testing, and it matched the person we suspected.”EdYsZZvuqJsqBtkqNFKoqPgjhOYSqN

vaVoFaNgLLBGEjC

“Captain Qiu mentioned that someone accessed the victim’s account after their death.”ZMCQeDzZvZqtVitKRMMVdkvadyHvXK

PDhnJsOKfiahImM

“Yes, but it wasn’t a direct withdrawal. There were several large transactions, which were then broken into smaller sums and withdrawn from over sixty ATMs across the country. This is a typical method used in telecom fraud to launder money. The bank is helping us trace the transaction origins. We suspect this was a fund transfer for the X organization.”VliooajHltpRbxqqvNNKyYGctwShoX

CDvRcyvpjlmBXsd

“If they could access the account after the victim’s death, they must’ve been either close to him or acting with premeditation.”cKYAYorelffKQAzcWOzzqtyolRgcew

YoWauHMSjAzIdRw

“Highly likely. Now we have another lead to track them. Those withdrawing cash at ATMs are part of the last link in the telecom fraud chain. Each layer takes a cut of the money. At this final stage, the cash becomes untraceable and is handed off to the client by other means. This stage is the riskiest but requires the least technical skill, so it’s usually handled by low-level thugs and transient members of a loose organization. While catching them is relatively easy, identifying their core leadership is much harder. Fortunately, the anti-telecom fraud task force is assisting us.”wITMRoFupiXQiLQFPlzszLfugNWEwJ

fwTRPbOoNfNWugh

“And what’s the connection between this money-laundering group and the Purple Flame organization?”JAgcQWBHbLICLDqNCMqNeSkHYWlYnB

RvZSHqorGASLEjN

“I suspect it’s a commission-based relationship. There’s no loyalty involved. As long as we catch the people in the laundering chain, we’ll make significant progress—at the very least, we can trace the Purple Flame’s funding sources.”yXEMTmcuWuOliNvZJepwRdayHxfgOf

dPeGQaCaUOdLYcV

“Good news,” Ren Yi said, clearly invigorated.yCpyocGRdqesiWnCvuCEkGIEgyGuoh

BIzehsDyxVWGMPL

“As for Wang Mindé, we’ve combed through 20 years of his social connections. One person…” Gong Yingxian’s expression turned grave. “Caught our attention.”adlFFAbToKrOCtFfOFXzYNqodAYwFb

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“Who?”eqEfScyVpGkSYUrrLgYfnAMAIaiONN

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“Feilan’s father.”HXpLEQlClCcozTgXdWIlCoqYboDTJw

PqFBZhhsxkoTapi

Ren Yi immediately drew a sharp breath.rAwkvmEeyOpqEllKZhLJHtKMZTAJRm

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Gong Yingxian continued, “Feilan’s father married into the family. For years, he felt unfulfilled in the Gong household and often complained. His relationship with his wife has been poor; they’ve been separated for years but never divorced. I discovered that he had interactions with Wang Mindé back then.”zNWPvFnFylLuQIwMuESKlEDPFIDOMu

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“As your relative, his contact with the psychiatrist treating you wouldn’t raise suspicion.”wrTbrAQJekRxeHBHFBjsfISjJNKhjS

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Gong Yingxian said coldly, “He’s a weak man. If it was him, there’s no way he acted alone under my grandfather’s watch. Someone must’ve been pulling the strings.”MAGEFysAlYPzCzTDguqYijQWHhfbeg

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“…Does your aunt know?”IySxHGAKGjghBVofedBqYKyHCIhPHy

HkPTYqFMMeFKskl

“They rarely communicate anymore. Aside from matters related to the company or Feilan, they try to avoid each other as much as possible. I don’t intend to tell her either.”iPUiGQfAhgngPtovdFOFYqBkFYTIcR

EyMSUoZeJqBemtN

Ren Yi’s question had been deliberately ambiguous, referring not only to whether she knew now but also whether she knew back then. Yet someone as sharp as Gong Yingxian chose to ignore the deeper implication, showing that familial ties can indeed cloud judgment. Reflecting on this, Ren Yi couldn’t help but consider the complexities. After a pause, he added, “Their goal isn’t just you—it’s to prevent you from delving deeper into the case, which might eventually tie back to the Baosheng Chemical Plant explosion. The root of it all is still the chemical plant.”pdFdWZZoemqDeIBVSVRxvUbnyqonPZ

BytEvwpiYWqDlif

Gong Yingxian lowered his head heavily. “Yes. But the chemical plant case is even harder to investigate than my father’s case. Back then, a special task force was assigned from higher up, and every member was unaffiliated with local political or business powers, so I believe they were impartial. But what if the evidence was tampered with? What if the truth was buried? What if they were misled?”zJByWxoQNaZVhUyraPXrkeuDNjocRr

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“That’s why the investigation must be reopened,” Ren Yi said firmly.DvDRGZpPodLyUSxCOONFMxdmdlMjwE

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“Yes. We’re getting closer. All we need is one major breakthrough, one key piece of evidence in my family’s case.”aNSxdHaHgUScDswPkMSJvMjISqYOdS

KhibhgRECPncrGT

Ren Yi sighed. “I feel like things are becoming clearer. From having no leads at all to now being able to investigate multiple threads—none of your efforts have been in vain.”FEvYWxMlZVsRfZhvbrDiqELHTsBTLh

rPWhDbAqCqfmixV

Gong Yingxian gazed deeply at Ren Yi. “It’s because you’ve been helping us all along.”mwXEhAXtjZuqLelvmtsjbciINpGZkI

SSGfFLsnqbrfEbX

Ren Yi avoided Gong Yingxian’s gaze. “It’s nothing. It’s what I should do. I’ll coordinate with my dad and let you know when it’s set. You should head back to the precinct.”zNXfolRRgIwPLzuHxVTSABAvRBbGNS

dbIulNZfqRopxrm

Reluctantly, Gong Yingxian asked, “What about Miaomiao? I haven’t seen her yet.” He remembered how, in the past, the two of them would cherish every moment together, squeezing in time no matter what. Ren Yi had never been the one to ask him to leave.puJwuKMQVfFvYnIUbdROgGvAoGxvoM

RehFOBMldNEkjpG

Ren Yi checked his watch. “After lunch, they went out to walk Fenghuang. Miaomiao went along too. She’s not at the station now.”dXfIglGJBZFvQvbVcXzoJAmmoOufeu

yXFDOEDAAGvzXCG

“…Alright, I’ll leave then.” Gong Yingxian picked up the gift bag, instinctively clutching it close to his chest.fiduWbMToNNteEvKZuamyrwzLyNnGc

kngetJqGDrJTevs

Ren Yi walked him all the way to the gate, watching as he got into the car and drove off. As he stood there, a mix of emotions washed over him.lZhWJbxzhAFuZTAIqgBsdmlDByxfXd

eKzfebgjZWcNCmW

He hoped he hadn’t made a mistake. He hoped the conversation with his father would relieve some of the pressure, and that Gong Yingxian would find the answers he was looking for.nbPGXNxcNhBRJNtfloaFmljCgWzzGl

DJQVKsKLfstrAmc

Back in his dorm, Ren Yi realized he hadn’t eaten and finally felt hungry. He made himself a bowl of instant noodles and sent a message to Yan Jue, apologizing.cLlHLMvszLlowCTksnwxOMoHpwqbfl

MmbUBflvcupuvBi

No matter the circumstances, it was his responsibility that someone was treated impolitely in his station.zsfCaANbJOJJDMrPijqhciMDgbxRYW

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Yan Jue replied, “You don’t need to apologize for others.”GzluIVxLzeiFukVYVvNwNCcejiqMpq

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Ren Yi replied, “Then I’m apologizing on my own behalf.”KQpOXILvUoljiOPwWmgyuQPFbsUWxN

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“That’s even less necessary.”jbfGuiyfHuRFuiJMjUxSjeXaKgPOIE

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Ren Yi shook his head helplessly, put down his phone, and started eating his noodles.EgFPnGnpFZHcpVVjHBkGFTgyEdOUJR

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Soon after, his phone buzzed again. It was another message from Yan Jue: “I bet the two of you won’t make it. Remember, I’ll always be here.”HqQspFrNDIkhiuoqglByCPsilETVGe

RzmNettxYUfiFYO

Ren Yi didn’t reply and focused on his noodles.imbCdpFZPmYijPYkmZiBMVMulCZUEB

fapvHoZgOguZIwr

—FfzNTkKttAkpIeaQIfriCWtPXDEtQb

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On the appointed day, Gong Yingxian arrived early in the morning to pick up Ren Yi. Once they reached the location, Ren Yi asked him to wait outside while he went in alone.SIkXlkXNDaOPAiJmBJlhfxMnNtoVrx

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On the phone, Ren Yi had already prepared his father, though he hadn’t gone into specifics, promising to explain in person.kjVVxRJmarlFISgPRAICuNiWxIaRpv

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During the ride, Ren Yi double-checked with the caregiver about his father’s condition that morning. If his father had another episode, this trip would be wasted.EGKQpUpzeQNTxosFiIKJuEbAwXnmMm

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When Ren Xiangrong saw his son, he greeted him with excitement. “You’re here! Yesterday, I won a few hundred bucks playing mahjong. Want some pocket money?”UbqEeGIkRilWrNPirjcZfgascFGAhd

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Ren Yi’s heart sank, and his expression darkened.rALyEaPUQqFIdVknBTDahcQELrPyzf

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Ren Xiangrong froze for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter: “Just messing with you. How many times do I have to tell you, no need to keep taking time off to visit me? I’m doing just fine.”mbGVtgwfrjbAuUdNpvuzZmVUsUZSiw

uLGjeShhUwzrJTa

Ren Yi let out a sigh of relief. “Old Ren, you’re getting cheekier by the day. Don’t tell me you’ve got your eye on some pretty lady?”WtrSSFaBydxkTvhpOAlAbavEKdpXdc

mwjMyPYXspeUEkC

“Get lost.” Ren Xiangrong took a sip of water and gazed out the window. “Spring’s here. Time to go visit your mom.”fMjtwSykllKGEuCxvbuqIUjUwOUkpn

LlqphbVSqTxPQLp

“Yeah, I’ll come pick you up early that day.” Ren Yi sat down beside him and started peeling an orange for his dad. “By the way, Dad, I told you yesterday—I brought Gong Yingxian with me today.”iBodlnSpPTKMTGLIsBTePfMRSlFcmG

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“Oh, we’ve been staying in his hospital all this time, and I haven’t even thanked him in person. Is he too busy? He hasn’t shown up once.”vJEjrvErlhHrbLLefawtFoGDPKjmoA

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“Yeah.” Ren Yi looked at his father’s calm expression and felt a heavy weight pressing on him. The truth felt impossible to say.XYBxeaMeLsQRqaYCoWWmUPOYrRjuTO

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If he told his father that the boy he’d saved from a blazing fire years ago now suspected him of being the arsonist, could his dad handle it?zJtHXCpNDMGeuQvZbHocINtoStdMEo

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“Where is he, then?” Ren Xiangrong glanced out the door.CUyDFHqRldiCFWPjotwkKQCfdPChNR

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Ren Yi took a deep breath, opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words. He thought he’d prepared himself—he really thought he had. But looking at the medals and photos on his dad’s desk, the ones he took everywhere he went, he realized how impossible it was.mQmfdpfQiVlpBspGkmaWdbLXaxIbGh

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Ren Xiangrong noticed something was off. “What’s wrong?”UppKWWdJCjNrirGqZPRxYEPZCBQpMA

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Ren Yi said in a low voice, “I… actually…”SvHDjMzoqYhUgwoZdytaqGowdvAkMs

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“What’s with the stammering? Just say it while I’m still clear-headed.”sUBerBNsXjhDTIjjgWteyWpMoiSpPI

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Those words only made Ren Yi feel worse. He struggled, saying, “It’s about Gong Yingxian.”gWyozMjeKMxutqcoXEvnUyzDfGrtmC

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Ren Xiangrong stared at him. “And about why I suddenly moved here, right?”HGsiPSTJzoQdodAQVAdCAckYezfZYg

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Ren Yi stayed silent.VFbMHcOLYIJgwmIbLpPBHEOjpfWbta

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“I’m not senile. You think I believed your excuse? Something must’ve happened between the two of you. What is it? Speak up. Your old man has faced every storm, every hell this life could throw at him. And here you are, acting like you’re afraid to tell me? You’re underestimating me.”pVKWnjQROntUBlDLrnMNNrgsLkqgbP

pnIOzVrkdzsKjZY

Ren Yi forced a weak smile. “Old Ren, you know I’ll always support you and believe in you, no matter what, because you’ve been my hero since I was a kid.”sAFgQENriLlFqtvDakTptkovYsVXfb

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“Hey now, what’s with the sudden sentimentality? Did the doctor issue me a critical condition notice?”WBSHCbiMFZygpvFRtrVQhWvxPnvwpn

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Ren Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t jinx it.”TmDCtWYeBosQOwNxSCqRKbzxdgTbBO

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“Spit it out already. Stop dragging this out.”QXxubeWYTenkUsOdVbvVBdGPgcwEnX

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Ren Yi took a deep breath, carefully choosing his words, and cautiously told Ren Xiangrong the entire story.fWcjRqQvvBrONkWXWOyIdZpwMszXPN

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