Blazing Armor

After Gong Yingxian calmed down, Ren Yi couldn’t help but tease him, “I’ve noticed you’re quite the crybaby.”ORBrfIJAEWHUbaFsEBpwpOUDWGrSbS

“Nonsense, no way,” Gong Yingxian mumbled.CBxEChYUNRywpqfRpBAWZFUjnLOvan

Ren Yi gave a faint smile. “It’s getting late, we should head back.”VDBnGkpINRtSgJcXOQQIWaylgxxTiy

Gong Yingxian glanced at him from time to time, but he didn’t move or speak.nTmyeOLdrjZqsRJsoITjIfwadwZJxh

“Let’s go.”qOFGUYpzPLMLaWzcTYpXnKnOiOfEAS

“Are we good now?” Gong Yingxian asked softly.sgdULeQRIDXyzDnBcgqTBQWqRTpKWo

Ren Yi hesitated, feeling a bit awkward, and let out a low “Mhm.”rncAJTjNXKtZjBuqMJREHeCIOAJqKQ

Gong Yingxian’s hand gently touched Ren Yi’s face as he suppressed his breath. “Then… can I kiss you?”KYBNWZkvdVTGLMmgsmZHDbtwZJOpjL

Before Ren Yi could respond, Gong Yingxian’s hand moved to the back of Ren Yi’s neck, pulling him closer as he leaned in and kissed the lips he had long yearned for with fervor.ifMeqKnSqTPveFrTBArGKKqtaUZQcw

Ren Yi’s heart pounded uncontrollably, overwhelmed by the slightly rough yet passionately charged kiss. In that moment, they shared unguarded tenderness, a beauty that blossomed for each other, and a powerful desire they could no longer suppress.GzZlRfoVqaCTHBzRqnyZfJrMDDEYuW

The more they kissed, the more emotions surged, their breathing becoming heavier. Lost in their intimacy, their oxygen-deprived minds gave way to primal instincts, pushing them closer together.qJPiHAzJtlXwdDmOsMfdBaXicJcxPP

Suddenly, a blaring alarm shattered the moment like a bolt from the blue, jolting them back to reality.AraqHCzDkHJYwteocBEigdSrAXfHaB

Ren Yi abruptly pushed Gong Yingxian away, wiping his now beet-red face. “There’s… there’s an emergency!” His phone had a special ringtone for calls from the unit, only used in urgent situations.ClBXhIHbCpXTGbyNMDiryRIVyRRMUR

Still dazed, Gong Yingxian struggled to pull himself out of the lingering haze as Ren Yi coolly answered the call. “Speak.”FEduuSNHHyTlADRcXYPMSVquqWzkNR

“Captain Ren, there’s a fire at a residential complex on Anjia Road. Where are you right now?”EeWCBptKDsdPrqAXJUCiHLJMuHgTco

“How big is it?” Ren Yi asked as he sprinted toward the parking lot.PlxPjwurTJaTwAwnipHfrTbxUDTqBL

“Not too big yet, but we’ve been stretched thin today. Two units already responded to earlier calls and haven’t returned. Squad Leader Cui is leading a team, but the commander thought you might be nearby and asked you to go.”JQdGTxmoTvLNtvpobnQYRDhPYbiIbc

“I’m close. Heading there now.” Ren Yi hung up and turned to Gong Yingxian. “Take me to Anjia Road, now. On second thought, give me the keys—I know this area better.”ZsahMjFjgpIHiTSRlvOXlegXmCMANI

Without hesitation, Gong Yingxian tossed him the keys. Ren Yi caught them, got in the car, shut the door, and started the engine in one fluid motion, speeding out of the parking lot.xaquqSzdcbynzfgrwsVfdXgpRnolRs

“What’s the situation?” Gong Yingxian asked.OIFSlBaCflGeXQZyaswcEChmojuPRK

“A residential fire. It’s been a busy day, and we’re short-staffed,” Ren Yi explained. “Good thing I chose a retirement home near my unit.” He glanced at the clock, calculating that it would take at least 20 minutes to get there.WUFfzGGvYnRzhmpKxjwofmKwGYRqul

When they arrived at the Anjia complex as fast as possible, Ren Yi saw flames spewing out of a window on one of the upper floors. Judging by the color and shape of the smoke, the fire inside was already severe.ezrIpixidbDtToDMPbHZmGzRBLuTEP

He spotted their rescue vehicle and noticed two young firefighters grappling with a man, seemingly on the verge of a brawl.nsJaTuvJnRfxroQMQJyZPsslarwBiz

The others were likely inside, breaking down the door.jkEoaGGhlcYIFkqeaEABxpZsJnESWN

Ren Yi jumped out of the car and ran over. “What’s going on?!”wGXNIcYJFGsqTZkTMjWRkhNHhJAsnj

“Captain Ren!” One of the firefighters exclaimed anxiously. “This man is a family member—”UvNxXLEBnZfsSwbusAyTxiREPggLFH

“You took fifteen whole minutes to get here! My wife is going to die!” the man cried out. “You lazy bastards living off taxpayers’ money—what good are you if you can’t save people!”qBJgNhqkcXIjLxNqZsedgbeluLQLra

Ren Yi stepped in, grabbing the man’s arm. “Sir, calm down! We responded as quickly as possible, but it’s midday, and traffic conditions are beyond our control!”HBmxwBwkeiiKQQjjeKwoVFHPtbZFio

The man struggled furiously, yelling, “What excuses are you making? My wife is about to burn to death, and you only show up now! You still can’t save her—what do you even do in life-and-death situations like this? You… you’re the captain? Why are you only arriving now? You abandoned your post! I’m going to report you!”hgGZUexWoUgvZHOXkPCuoesyiScfQh

The surrounding crowd had their phones out, recording the entire scene.FLQldQLOOXaiZhlnzGzHBJXBtzvxJl

Gong Yingxian stood nearby, his gaze silently asking Ren Yi if he needed help.TJFpVDxtuUKeOJkEWZxrxHTurbdgTW

Ren Yi shook his head and turned to the young firefighter. “What’s the situation with their house?”dvGzWwvwtikLcafRPuWvUVmlhIRnkI

The firefighter, visibly anxious, replied, “Their door’s deformed, and it’s a smart lock system with nine deadbolts, making it extremely hard to break down.”ZlKZtEaaQjjeksoGQqwoVjWeCWuzCS

The man shouted, “Don’t you have ladders? Why don’t you use them? How long is it going to take to break the door?!” Whether intentional or not, he jabbed his elbow into Ren Yi’s chest.EStYndNfpNWwpYpDXVwYGMphGxFOwj

Ren Yi winced, his face contorting in pain. He twisted the man’s arm behind his back and, with the help of the young firefighter, pinned him down. “Sir, I understand how you feel! We want to save her just as much as you do! But with flames that intense near the window, it’s impossible to enter that way—we can only get through the front door. You need to calm down!”OvlUuVaMVyyVBQziaxtbYWUUTotwHv

At that moment, Gong Yingxian stepped forward, flashing his credentials in the man’s face. “Police. If you continue causing trouble, I will arrest you for assaulting public servants and obstructing emergency operations.”iamHLbQUvhbnUCyUwMmpaHpkeTQfnr

The man froze briefly before becoming even more enraged. “You’re all in this together! You’re playing with people’s lives! I’m going to report every single one of you!”xxaaNOUPJnSjNaLxXfNTdUPoKPRLzQ

Ren Yi ignored the man and took the young firefighter’s radio, bringing it close to his ear. “Yisheng, is the door open yet? Do you need me up there?”epQPeiMFnaUtLsXaAxbpgCYUPYWVtO

Cui Yisheng’s voice came through amidst a chaotic background. “No need! The door’s just been breached—we’re already inside.”AMPYTERBjhSkbOWjEbzJzZPVemVhlI

A few minutes later, Cui and the others brought a woman down the stairs. Paramedics, already on standby, rushed forward with a stretcher.XHehKgRsFZvRWGUDeZJuKtQsimRhRt

The woman’s body was covered in severe burns, lifeless and unresponsive. It was clear she was beyond saving.cFolTtePpNuQJURBFwQkTCkmstAaRM

Ren Yi watched as the paramedic, Shi Xiaoqian, began performing CPR on the woman. He then noticed her shoulders slump in resignation as she turned to him, shaking her head. Finally, she began announcing the time of death.JzslUQCPdhlXmmeHXZXzZAnenwkWoN

The man collapsed onto his wife’s body, wailing in anguish, his cries heart-wrenching to hear.YiJUgHwvnydrATQPsKYRxBOGkxraIG

Cui Yisheng removed his helmet and glanced at Ren Yi with a defeated expression before lowering his head.DrogdqEPAciVOMtducBxFchToQXYTi

Cui was the most junior squad leader, only allowed to lead teams independently starting last year. Even so, he was rarely sent alone to fire scenes, but today’s unusually high number of emergencies left no choice.pOnWkgXaqWkdbmodBxSNxlPpKgDDpz

Ren Yi could see the doubt and guilt in Cui’s eyes. He walked over, patting him on the shoulder. “In this situation, even if I had been here, the outcome would’ve been the same. Don’t take everything upon yourself.”GNtuaNafPakYUoGLWjIZNxofCXvzcx

“I…”RoQhrSYVamfLkxMcjGavfLQXYZhIKv

Cui Yisheng was just about to speak when the man suddenly pointed at them, crying out, “It’s your fault my wife is dead! You took 15 minutes to get here, and the captain only showed up after half an hour! You didn’t even set up a ladder! If you’re so scared of dying, why are you firefighters? It’s because you wasted time that my wife died!”YMbrZmwaThqyFnsMhKOotEUYBbNeSF

The soot-covered faces of the firefighters filled with indignation and humiliation, but none of them said a word.SFCfiNzOFBNeLYGBpfwgcoUvfgbCna

“It’s your fault! You killed her!” the man shouted. “Everyone, record this! I’m going to expose them and sue them!”aqwMmEvlgFOILGdUWivkNYcnlshDoN

Ren Yi’s expression darkened as he said, “If you have complaints, you’re free to call the police or report us to the emergency management department. But don’t slander my team without evidence.”mrzcdaEQftSHLfaVZSlvKfMhvnHRcj

“You’re all in cahoots with the police! The police even want to arrest me! What law did I break? You let my wife die, and now you want to arrest me?”RHnBJihUxrWOFYjlpKRpqYFRuHYYuo

Without hesitation, Gong Yingxian retorted, “Let me tell you why I can legally arrest you. You violated public order regulations—”xYEQXFrPoPNzysUeZJmPhwAqwRdnVR

Ren Yi interrupted Gong Yingxian, speaking quietly, “Let it go. You two clean up the scene and report to the fire investigation department. Everyone else, pack up.”IRpSjOiTfQXDYsACNpUAnaPpLLnmvd

After packing up the equipment, Ren Yi prepared to return with the fire truck. Gong Yingxian looked at him intently. “Feilan and Shengbo have been talking about you recently, saying it’s been a while since they saw you. When will you come to my place for a meal?”hvHRodxuXrTmrHtMyCKLbdIHNcsXOE

“Maybe in a while. It’s hard to take too much leave lately,” Ren Yi replied, stealing a longer glance at Gong Yingxian, savoring the sight.FZzkCxutSyIAZFNaODqAeYlPKIgNub

“Alright,” Gong Yingxian said softly. “Ren Yi, thank you.”TqDbXAuJnogJvzbwrNQVEENJTIaftX

Ren Yi smiled faintly.lrPcJeuHnjMCmdduNVkaEELYpdJbfB

On the way back, Ren Yi spent the time comforting the disheartened and angry firefighters, especially the younger ones. In his ten years of service, he had seen countless instances of family members acting impulsively out of grief. Some calmed down afterward, while others created more trouble. It was unavoidable and part of the emotional growth every firefighter had to endure.EJHnzVafIKwfujVDfCPhtYQDxpREgD

For Ren Yi, this incident was just another routine emergency with a typical conflict. At that moment, he couldn’t have foreseen the storm this event would unleash, a storm that would drag everyone into a deep abyss.dVbezDdiddhzFgDqvAJTnoATuWWTnR

—NjjczkTLMSLeRyhjUZxBweFkptOsEA

Two days later, Qu Yangbo suddenly pulled Ren Yi into his office, his face grim. “There’s trouble.”zmPuUqBacLSmTniILoDeQIQDICDBun

Ren Yi rarely saw Qu Yangbo so serious. Most of the time, Qu handled internal and external matters with ease, having been raised with a strong sense of political awareness.ZPAWzwowiSyhsACRIQDDoAfzAJXwbu

Ren Yi couldn’t help but feel uneasy. “What happened?”tEfzqBRiePJnCabgbicoaWVrUNWwXI

“The fire at Anjia Complex—it’s all over the internet. There’s a lot of backlash against the team for taking 15 minutes to arrive and you arriving after 30. The public opinion is extremely unfavorable.”zGzsxfrbBHURUcEQKKkuJExEjVeLiD

“It was midday traffic! From Fenghuang Road to Anjia Road, 15 minutes was fast under the circumstances. And I was on leave that day.”TxzAWHDLxPDKFQUWVJiTGPcTESXjyH

“Sure, your explanation makes sense, but does it stand a chance against the public outrage over a two-year-old girl losing her young mother in a fire?”QtvOJOAqipUXKenxZrDFozNKUEVFIH

Ren Yi froze.phtFVuwqXfIeCTBBwZoaWlGemhPpZn