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.QVLnClzkiGkVJZTnXCeFxdiSuMtMKj

VFSmGGHtYUpuVsE

“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.rCnrSlYEWmQdhMVcqKUgCFufXgNStw

bhdWFAEkUewrpQo

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

fldSNaDMeVvtSSG

“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.ZNbvdUhgtVTEdpsqYdHocLwjrXSREe

kDJTLOcxiXvkyVV

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

absEpBWVZItZxjU

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

uQxxMsJutkLPYuS

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

wypIviIznHWwIfD

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.”SqeWmHLgDXvjFLYLjNDWtYoZiEhsKz

uTrrOzZEWIBhUUd

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

bfVbqDmtdFjOCsj

“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.”ffLWDDxNpCRjLDRjmMaiabsGpmqkXt

oYpoSalTYUNtFjF

“Tell me.”oJenlfhfnpMfHhLbxZomKIZQDpHnet

giGZdEtLREwAKml

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

ODWSGTcROBXkYmt

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

hKIJmcEPvNeRPnW

“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.”OXmXfRQbtGapYmcwImICllufMDHOUN

dUralscSDTSqRFV

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

vkqcHSpXFnZvrAm

“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.”LVdwamJKqHSuLXqhlkHAjLtgVoyYba

SrIcBpDczeQMgBm

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

zSuJMEbWygASgoN

“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.”udOFDheGjDyBnRlqHZHCWxNKgjZeDY

oJrzhEoKWrYhkut

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

AAwCfdkNqePFlMv

“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.”jmmNRMUoRuomfwiAtJEsZqNXQbWmkt

TUZITwWFBTIrbQW

“Who?”saUDmdvfAlhftDNfQyrwIOXebjHawK

rrzxVLCBnWGEzhI

“Feilan’s father.”CMCBBLUNLscukRELbqCNEueSMPjSgb

OCqjyDaXgPyXilp

Ren Yi immediately drew a sharp breath.aJMiIHvqKiXyXGbmHrkDqiumyWNCLn

TnlIDCTiJHHDRvY

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.”sjwcZQyXjTJwFvDdPemhnkgrRewqqH

pyJKxachlGuCjTL

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

tNNfXazkvbIMfcw

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.”xfMWCdgDkDqQuvdYgMLLmaKwVutROH

AomXELxRZDZixro

“…Does your aunt know?”jlcNLbGnUptddXaxjUxtcFYHaIaYaj

YfrTffIWazGPFri

“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.”RscItfrSZzHvGZvNfiWkeExSNxzCXB

eKZvDihBfyjetjo

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.”eBunUxELgIhACitNtJhcvVJAdSpgNv

JSlxwvuBHSlQumf

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?”HbGKqyOzDPqdILBQQeSeKFAObJRBjk

ysEoOygXNBiVNme

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

lcIVaSRwgkyazKX

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

qjPMZvbKigPZVaB

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.”ayslmcdNzAAJozXUQelbSArDzgsSnG

lXvAOEQWwXZPRUI

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

DUTYzxUVbjXpTvW

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.”qZaVAraGDiFWnqXySQHShPPIIFLoEB

XTARkFHRLJmqwGC

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.ZYbhuJyiFSwhBhvuuPRdmQkPvTCiLy

httIaaHrunxgnHD

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

VeUsVMwvazBOYcW

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

CZSBxeKXwNijtlM

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.tunxLWuvcGatnkTPmyWFUrCEcIwEMs

fHQPWQBvCpsLrKC

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.cophKSGsUaaLXSeRejFpLsIouhUDZW

keoOXFzRFpgMufO

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.WwOzgAxuPESYsgkAdZDeWZodpjUXjz

OFFMnobyUeqazUL

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

IVMYSXacLHzBPTZ

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

ImAfVGiWpRHcGuO

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

jcuILeAIQeGjVKS

“That’s even less necessary.”IUGQayoQVTbcxwBKPlZOdumBFIFwHs

KbPnvkoStFsEvyE

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

lVMGgRVfwjoNSLu

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.”MeyzdeERsVDCQjYUDMMRrIjRFBfrGy

FDDXLIXJoiwdMCj

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

QUKBruWcuoqRNUp

—yQzOlcnQekDmrpzyZsysNCYBtqpkET

UQlDwiUfnDofARM

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.faiZWvvZYEzjdfIMPqtCanhPSFhEMg

YXoCyZkfXpEfjCp

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

nfnBmVcolirSgek

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.bmFoVcptznuoFTrYuqNnYIAjDRGAxZ

XeWrHwBXZZlJkeu

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?”YVCdukSqSaxXavxoErwnUztdECeibX

sSgUZboHipZPyrk

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

QcCUnSTOgkBEBGA

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.”MuTGUeikwelbDFHFkEtKWcDJsPMmvk

gftRADcXObIrpeT

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?”fCjbDnqiNoqWSYsiLauCcSDVeXuhWg

GcAgELsFYjQQcBK

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

xOIBnvdVVhCaznA

“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.”XXofzvoLkiEYUBjyBzplmaPlXBQwdK

EmndcssuAqnOmdO

“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.”oVbqNPtrlWdHbfIdQFyMuXnFAVQxET

RDpbEATunhhHRDi

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

uBJPnsnelEUTNUd

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?iKIdoCktwWmgSsMnQKoFKlrohFPzzq

IBbVGyVxhNGkHDJ

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

rHtnBiLRTojzzHo

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.UJwRHotCVLLYMpnhLEpeeXrmXdtndk

nLcsIScKLRgXVfp

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

JSUoghgapOJLJPe

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

ZnhUkKBwvisEkiQ

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

FdQUlSSqJcBXqwR

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

riVJZyAXcgHXIgG

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

weIxMcmOTDuLmQs

Ren Yi stayed silent.vfnwJVbbAHvxOhronhKlkgPxdJkAcK

OUUOJYhLRRPZtcG

“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.”mHlgCbURzhylikkabxmaGnBLkxBlao

CqGptrJhPDCDvsg

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.”QSWWrBSrqNtmxsFgcVGQavtjipNWsZ

kBhvaFQUwfaIrvY

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

xHydVhASfhlJXhm

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

GcEysmoLCRxXUJJ

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

pyirZlkGthOcFym

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

pHVEezYWRxKURNj