Blazing Armor

Ren Yi looked through the car window at the dark construction site ahead, confused, and asked, “What are you doing here?”tkwkSzzHEnKOmrEAaYqFAdicCqiAFn

inLuoaNzlnZrRMQ

“Getting something.”CGWDquXkrIRxCLdfhMERbzoHvqjZib

hVDxbfynFWniTfN

“Getting what?”lggGUXvmdwKlBuGHfprgiESosgPFJG

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“Materials to make a bomb.”LmmeSffGtOFnwgRgzjhXCFTuGiiatT

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Ren Yi’s expression changed: “What?”tEycDwkDkniiLGIxaDtbqTLFZfUyEq

PUstJyuabiNOifw

Gong Yingxian said, “I only have seven bullets in my gun, which isn’t enough to deal with them.”DBoATyOtuYMTLSuWlvzzEqFtxZhxIz

MoncjfcmgxbDMjV

“What do you want to do?” Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian nervously.DTPtErXiHOvmHxvFBrDdhROARhFzzY

IcDFNqAyxGTBIOz

“Bai Yan gave me the whereabouts of his accomplice; I’m going to find him.”sMhlqYGokWVfptbJBmJSoIaeVSlpge

bpYfHIDOJolLfPp

“That’s the one with counter-surveillance skills, the one who shook off the police, right?”TPugyMGAabYxEQTfuVPuwSBNQUwHKB

AbGEiPWtHqmoIqr

Gong Yingxian nodded: “He’s a retired special forces soldier, code name Huang Yan. He’s done a lot of dirty work. Also, Zhang Wen’s code name is Cheng Yan; he was deliberately placed within the system to gather intelligence and cover up some arson evidence. There are several people with the code names Hong Yan and Cheng Yan, but from Bai Yan upwards, the code names are exclusive to specific individuals. The one responsible for technology in the organization is Qing Yan, and Lan Yan is a very mysterious person; no one knows who he is. It’s said that all the organization’s funding comes from him. Bai Yan told me all this.”MSsBsJMClRSpZMAgmWFoiJtmIfsuiS

aQyeMkINcPLyoVG

“Red, Orange, Yellow, White, Green, Blue, Purple…” Ren Yi said nervously, “Since this Huang Yan is so powerful, you should notify the police to handle it. Do you really want to go catch him alone? And the two tenants of 1206, the hostages are in his hands, right?”agkSXunsCzznJYeEtUaOOrroyNuiuA

ehARPwpTdBaJgMy

“If I notify the police, I might expose myself, not just to the police but also to Purple Flame. Right now, the police have sealed off the news; Purple Flame shouldn’t know whether Bai Yan is dead or alive. If Huang Yan gets caught, he’ll guess that Bai Yan has talked, and he might destroy a lot of evidence and channels, even escape, making the police investigation even more difficult.”qQxfbnJSVDXwiQBetviNrgDqrBspxq

LkctGXAiureyJKV

“But I still think it’s too dangerous.” Ren Yi grabbed Gong Yingxian’s hand, this instinctive action revealing his inner unease.cvkHXyZhkGRcIZjhJdFQFzPbglHSDX

epflhDkKAubPQWs

“That’s why I need some things.” Gong Yingxian nodded towards the construction site, “I bought some materials.”GnKAyPSuSpWmgfLjlWgJLQjZrGPiBt

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“How did you ‘buy’ them?”pFEMvdhJFpVIaEBaNvRGfExPYUIJcc

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“I have a few suppliers for my chemical lab; this person never asks questions as long as you pay him.”gXsFLdOIeWiyKSLbFwBtyQwPyaVnxF

MynIDoFJdIcTzTY

“…Are they all dangerous materials?”aaJvrWuwvtciyEMiOJAWtKKcFjcRAL

sGRnJAAsROjWHwX

Gong Yingxian took Ren Yi’s hand and kissed it near his lips, revealing a meaningful smile: “The materials are just ordinary materials; whether they are dangerous depends on who is holding them.” He opened the car door, “You stand over there and keep watch while I’m gone.”RyKgHEZwYlxDlSkKcBDLSnaygpBPIW

PCUZMuKgxSxEHGG

“Yingxian…” Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian’s back, sighed deeply, and unbuckled his seatbelt to get out of the car.bUHpuKMMKanBdptVbkEemsnpxjQLDt

iSJokuJJYErfoBr

Although it was midnight and the area seemed deserted, Ren Yi felt guilty for being there. After looking around, he chose a spot where fiber optic cables were piled up to hide a bit.QoKIoSagJjVvFMzMsRhRkhrUpoMHvb

WYfxdbbGigrtFdE

He had barely stood there for a moment when a strong light suddenly shone on Ren Yi’s face without warning.GUEeusjRPHQspzcRUHmgTXNYFEvfIw

YRwqfrVUNdWCfyp

Ren Yi instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes, which were blinded by the light, and his heart raced in fear. He thought the police had come to catch him and wanted to run, but then he remembered he wasn’t the one being hunted. Why should he run? He should notify Gong Yingxian instead.tiruiJKjbVkMBCpxCJgmlxyTsFJuvu

BRGOBhfrxbLvstD

“Hey, you! Stop right there!” An old voice called from not far away.tNKSvVQQSVUyeoVWLTpvroTvcCPgiM

GqbWNgbQyZBhWNB

Ren Yi’s eyes gradually adjusted to the light, and he squinted to see that the beam was clearly from a flashlight, and there was only one person on the opposite side. Could it be a night watchman? Ren Yi immediately calmed down.TvdDGIMOhiSDLHgKAyFJKavuxZwJNg

LRURJnwVNItcjqQ

An old man came running, holding a flashlight in one hand and a stick in the other: “Damn it! Here to steal cables again!”PabzOJOMQWlYDDIBfcLGVDPIARswjd

RIWGkLtWXpsLYVC

Ren Yi quickly explained, “Sir, I’m not a thief.”gscauWifHApBcQFYSPDOsROIrxWuVp

CSOEkaDcnQHVfBM

The old man raised his stick to hit him, and Ren Yi dodged to the side, shouting, “I told you I’m not a thief!”JLnRSUdBTzSJPYljrkdNhfiIlzsGkG

EdAhkOKzIdANqoH

“If you’re not a thief, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?”XbNoAEjMgbzjsmLeLZPurtagcLkeWG

yoJWxoahDGUJoEg

Ren Yi was momentarily speechless. Indeed, what was he doing at a remote, abandoned construction site at three or four in the morning?iQNcwSwdNTUwqPSiZTwIDpGntIveFG

PdeRztvlXzUWZNR

The old man pulled out his phone: “I’m calling the police!”CHVMwXyFDYFMozdZJIBHSOBOhozjRQ

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“I’m a police officer!” In a moment of panic, Ren Yi blurted out, “I’m, I’m investigating a case, it’s confidential.” He thought to himself, at least he used to be a member of the armed police; that shouldn’t count as impersonating an officer.lVZNMSkDnxgzUEgetLElHMVFyaLmiK

XjpBkPHUNainCtX

The old man paused, sizing Ren Yi up: “Where’s your police badge?”JGZvHZjutAjVIehIVNigMILCYmUecC

RQyMSLLLPFhFvBh

“…”rINMprzINRVFgtdWYYlGOfiaiPxvyV

DUXwTYqPAyalBEh

“Where’s your gun, your handcuffs? How do you prove you’re a police officer?”YAgbBybXqVpPdAQHuYGsyspjJUjPhv

fVOqQbkohhUfiiF

“…I’m in plain clothes.”RwdrVJExQobNYmEKgYoNZvodROmsAd

XgtquTemXSOImIg

The old man angrily said, “I’ve spent my whole life on construction sites; I’ve seen plenty of people pretending to be police to extort fines. You’re a thief, and you dare impersonate a police officer!” The old man raised his stick again to hit.TZwgtFoGzUSQKsysbDoJoHzpjUcsdg

NMigSJemmcJYYBJ

Ren Yi quickly dodged, getting angry himself: “If you hit me again, I’ll fight back!”rIglNkrxpKfYEsLZZeIbNIIusNTsuq

wIRSuMFBrZdOMvN

“You’ll fight back! I’m calling the police right now.”rhSWQBlHjrBUxkLUoUOKVnvFFOniVD

dwTPeaJlZjdguKa

“Don’t! Please don’t call the police!” Ren Yi immediately softened, “Sir, calm down. My colleague will be back soon; he’ll explain everything to you, really.”MUzgbdpQlpYUbVPOSSVpqNSKmrcSUr

WbTyCvXibehalEf

The old man held up his phone, looking at him suspiciously: “You squat down.”iLyjRcGtxJOCPpbQHEdWMYrDVJQZTD

EqbkMTrIBSmHqVV

Ren Yi sighed and squatted down.iQArFIIVxXvVoTMroPfpQvWGSBPzij

qYrwNrveulhrWVE

“You’re young and good-looking, but you’re not learning anything good.” The old man snorted coldly, “Do you see that sign?”IIMoyFglmNsxjmHnHSuJivaoWzBXGV

TYyWGwHCXpaEqWU

Ren Yi looked at the sign next to the fiber optic cables, which read: No copper in fiber optics, stealing is useless.jYOBlrdtCgfUvzpXONYXOJnuIgPWgZ

HxNuhDEMAhUGwWh

“Can you read?”MmVyGhnWHHFFGptuQZeBolsKxADQIy

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Ren Yi didn’t bother to respond.cxitgWGTXfidZFtMqFIFhIjESNQsIM

mJkXceqNdGKcbsg

“Can you read?! Read it out loud!”eyFsQUndXdrolXfeJusHgxQiidzIxL

OyOdyvCxeARWWQb

“I already said I’m not…”bAiPeMOPEhKEIiuexndavaKBzdPubt

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“Read!”jauXnNmDZfdjDyRdbBZQFWaszqzRfl

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Ren Yi rolled his eyes: “No copper in fiber optics…”FdnHtZjBzLRfHYSjqngVVmrpgKrNoW

uBTuraulHtfOsZn

“‘Fiber’!” The old man shouted, “It’s ‘fiber’, not ‘thousand’. Didn’t you go to school when you were young? Now you’ve grown up to be a thief!”xbVxVtCzmKfYHIITCMWWywFeBNVLGA

rbqLgamnJBlzrNQ

Ren Yi was almost in tears from laughter.AFQSKOVDaSMSBBzkmLFghWzwGhXjBG

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At that moment, footsteps approached from behind, and Ren Yi turned to see Gong Yingxian.MqpPJeuDRVFtZeTYfdQskZbLNwKhLh

abSjrqnhQggycGe

The old man became tense.VaVWtoRIGdcmOSNzzwGmQzZAanYKEG

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Gong Yingxian walked up to the two of them, calmly pulling Ren Yi up from the ground: “What’s going on?”gvzJcGTVROugyevTHSaUwNbZvBuTZk

oQfnZuxcmxaUSFh

Ren Yi said, “This old man thinks I’m a thief. I told him we’re police officers investigating, but he doesn’t believe me.”sOrDRpSKvBlnwQUnAatbOtHSVAjUSc

mvfBKWffTxGkiHf

Gong Yingxian took out his badge, showing the large side with the police emblem to the old man.SUefBDVlTvkVfUzQoKBuvBjYBUWVCV

GCmuqDFuYleOTWR

The old man looked a bit embarrassed: “You really are police… Sorry, officer, you, you carry on.” He said and walked away reluctantly.DhRxzdxCcPzHdyjPEoTuDDnjhfCZur

LFwZXAdnGyZhlew

After the old man left, Ren Yi sighed: “I didn’t expect there would be someone guarding this broken place.”mcuyJaxjWHAMnguJADscepdgbhmzWi

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“Help me load the stuff into the car; we need to leave quickly.”mBJIhVgMKtJQSyhXhqUBvGYqWEKzpe

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Gong Yingxian dragged over a cart with a woven bag and several sealed barrels on it, and the two quickly loaded the items into the trunk.ZUyMueuIXeVErYdsOcEAMgFVpTqyrW

ttPEmIKaQGENPOt

At that moment, Ren Yi caught a glimpse of a light flashing behind them, clearly the old man peeking.AreCdcGCPwASbhsRjUVppUjCMrtvXV

kikVbnJRBNNyASB

Gong Yingxian frowned: “He might call the police.”woXgKocYnDktfubyFzRmLGXOoIBueD

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“What should we do?”gigxJHGtYKSRSmMhpeliJiMWwdnVGo

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“Let’s go.”SAWzxHCgNCFXButwPbBISjonGfotQZ

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They got into the car and quickly left.xEdupWEevhEDtLOstxmYurhKeQpXiv

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Back at their temporary residence, Gong Yingxian moved everything into the bathroom, laid out a large plastic sheet on the floor, and handed Ren Yi a piece of paper: “After dawn, go help me buy these things.”QjVCefmJhUlMOYtStEFTxQKWiAVWlX

eaiSHOciqQGbNJk

Ren Yi took a look at the list, which included a drill, light bulbs, cotton thread, transparent tape, disinfectant, laundry detergent, and over thirty other random items.vuUsDVGKvIfphUwtveQqslYDbCbIsc

iqvLHDChwGCyMvI

Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian: “Yingxian, I still think you should notify the police. I don’t want you to take risks or break the law.”VjSOLWPxaNWOeZIypegoFIPFiLIlvt

TsjBUwkJGJBpSHs

Gong Yingxian grabbed Ren Yi’s shoulders, looking deeply into his eyes: “There are only four months left until the 20-year statute of limitations expires; this is my last chance. Ren Yi, I’ve spent my whole life searching for the murderer, and now the real culprit is within reach.”pAFkMEwalQVYwYoSQHYQImMnsvEWrC

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“But…”egTHbnXPurTNOGmEvoPfVhzMlNNbAq

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“The reason I took Bai Yan away is that I increasingly felt resistance within the police. This time, being wanted only proves that point. As long as we want to investigate further, something will eventually go wrong. Now that I’ve become a suspect and Yan Jie has been suspended, perhaps I can only rely on myself to continue the investigation!”bpphtlgnLphoqZZczHYYMYScgIzfkh

pAWwHseYDVBEqCa

From the bloodshot eyes of Gong Yingxian, Ren Yi saw fatigue, madness, and hatred. He knew that the obsession with revenge had completely taken over Gong Yingxian, making him increasingly reckless. He could choose not to be a police officer, but he couldn’t ignore the need to find the real murderer.pUIKsSXdPkJdrnEUGdXTMywqjlzIrf

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Ren Yi helplessly dropped his shoulders: “Alright, I hope you can catch Purple Flame and take down this organization.”sqyrXgGiYPVMFzUVLbSeEdxpUSHsLQ

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“They are already at the end of their rope. Huang Yan is Purple Flame’s top enforcer, the one who has had the most direct contact with Purple Flame. Maybe he can help us find Purple Flame.” Gong Yingxian tightened his grip on Ren Yi’s shoulders, unconsciously exerting more strength, “I know I’m getting closer to him; I’m about to stand in front of him, and he’s scared.”QkHlndAcQvxMrKTUJHeRGjyaYZvCLf

neLAbcPtiOlMuuT

Ren Yi let out a pained grunt.cKOzhMbNbEbDnMQOMVcgzEHVLnLrGw

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Gong Yingxian came back to his senses, released his grip, and the obsession and fervor on his face faded in an instant. He awkwardly said, “Did I hurt you?”joFnkBaInvdIyxkqnOPeCxNigtDSmI

WaTCkHKuynsEKkZ

“It’s fine.”flxMSHuNfTDCoXJpWkSpqEIclaKfsL

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Gong Yingxian hugged Ren Yi: “Ren Yi, do you know? Protecting you has become more important to me than my revenge, so no matter what, I must defeat Purple Flame.”JCdIDEtlQeJwoIpdktXAMoWFNsyyIx

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Ren Yi nodded.wRfZnlRvmaXtIJZOWzqsZBOsELQjYU

QugvDppzJcDgcsx

“You might be… the only good thing that has happened to me in this life. I never thought that a person like me could fall in love one day. This time, I won’t let anyone take away what’s important to me.”GgkMNxAGLjBQUBRcLsFFDKqGasCUcg

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Ren Yi also held him tightly, firmly saying, “No one can separate us.”LDuBzRZUgQZsghCouXLzGdHypQypFV

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—-WaUFnzqjFysxyIoAeesLwzSyXnNWdY

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Ren Yi followed the list Gong Yingxian gave him to shop at the supermarket and hardware store.cWMMxFwhJYmFUsSntcHrvQuyUiwzcz

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Suddenly, his phone rang. He picked it up to see an unfamiliar number: “Hello?”knhhFgZztLMhWOZptoDmAsXHzxURuR

vqcnupUllZrGBbu

“Captain Ren, hello, I’m Zheng Pei.”lNCEHkBpjAWgdssxLXDAbnLXotHzdA

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Hearing this voice, Ren Yi instinctively felt disgusted. He wanted to hang up, but then thought that if he hung up, it would seem guilty. He impatiently said, “What do you want?”rVBCRiCMNvqbWGMBErxeRFFeEKctQq

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“Where have you been these past few days?”ncRxvVTLsbzibrgowsqeVGMDdeCiCv

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“I’m not your criminal; why do I need to report where I am?”uByDdUmztTZblIOjBTTkhyFjwEqmje

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“Captain Ren, I thought you were willing to cooperate with us in the investigation.”HXTpgxtSqFQGayGNEbVrVXVntIZahk

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“You think what you think; I’m hanging up.”KGmxdDdFdbrVIhxZHYxWoLTyuFiwtb

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“Are you with Gong Yingxian?” Zheng Pei said quickly.twDbRlyXoNdCGDTRQyXjAHZxuPEPat

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Ren Yi paused: “You found him?”IQgTyiDYtlsDYofScMaRIJEkEZPqve

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“You visited the nursing home to see your father the day before yesterday, and then your whereabouts became a mystery. Where are you now?”hgcZfpWLyDatUlZFMvlIBEceKaFJxO

TqMJFKjRhYIBfmb

“I told you, I can go wherever I want without reporting to you.” Ren Yi retorted, “How do you know I went to the nursing home? Were you following me? I warn you…”VKTIzhdXnNRJJoRgwBAPOpQqpWFSzg

yMurTeYfixdoPsT

“Captain Ren, please give me a few minutes to explain.” Zheng Pei’s voice had a calm strength that was very convincing, “If you’ve seen Dr. Gong, I don’t know what he told you, but I can roughly guess that he must have said Bai Chicheng killed Yue Xingu, and Bai Chicheng used the clues from his case to blackmail him to escape.”TSIcSsdSIbSQjhUeVWtIYSAzzFkTdl

soxfyKfPdVumIKG

Ren Yi remained silent.gzEExAYMwzOrrWqemhAfWDlamMnwin

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“In the hotel, Dr. Gong once excitedly said he wanted to kill Yue Xingu, wanting Yue Xingu to experience the feeling of being burned alive.”HIwoJrezCYAizymZZkMYCuLVqCYjCy

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“So what? Who hasn’t said something extreme when they’re angry?”nKELfUdndBcWGTPcKyHnIFkUMyAgRk

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“But his threat completely coincides with what happened afterward. After he said that, he actively turned off the listening device.”hkqYrlLnITRNACsZIEhIYuyPwPhyyW

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Ren Yi froze.sOXxmldLwCCoLwStDUOudvMYLusfQR

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“What, did he tell you that Bai Chicheng made him turn it off? How could Bai Chicheng know he had a listening device? He turned it off himself; Bai Chicheng never asked for it. So what they said afterward, no one knows, but the result is clear: Yue Xingu was really burned alive, and he escaped with Bai Yan.”CftRfomJdvknVDjWhYpRyPFxHXidfe

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Ren Yi said in a deep voice, “That’s all your speculation.”dEMkavycqfYNOzDcjFECoAahbQWsBB

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“Right, this speculation isn’t enough for us to suspect him, but while examining the crime scene at Zhang Wen’s house, we found something.”qpTQzIsZesWfZKUOxstcpkxygXJjqy

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“What did you find?”SPHVPXVnaSQvsLcyHtqLPBZmTELwlK

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“An envelope, printed with the letterhead of Sakir Private Hospital, containing photos of Zhang Wen taken while he was at the hospital.”aYNPDIjDyEpwZAgeGhPGVxOJuxVrvb

RgtEvdnkYgXVaws

Ren Yi was stunned.UdCPqaTVUshThjkznpDZsMFvENtdUS

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“I think Captain Ren is familiar with Sakir Private Hospital. From the photos, it looks like Zhang Wen was secretly photographing you and your father.” Zheng Pei said, “Do you know what this means? It means Dr. Gong at least knew something was off with Zhang Wen after your incident, but he didn’t tell anyone. He sent this to Zhang Wen, naturally to threaten him. As for what he made Zhang Wen do, you should want to know just like I do. But regardless of the purpose, if he hadn’t concealed this from the police, Officer Cai Qiang might not have been injured.”IIbPTjqnMLSEwZtrbSaaqDlovyCoMR

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Ren Yi felt his heart racing violently, his mind buzzing.ZnWXBxbwKaFbvGsHBVigsglsmSUHxE

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Is what this person saying true? If it is, why did Gong Yingxian hide it from him? Why hide it from him again?TjHwixCpLVdihMndkKIheldxLShOol

laYabKXsWcbgKdP

They had agreed to no longer keep secrets from each other!bAdktjTzBkTOsjBxvTMFzMMZZgxmXM

vvRACmXDvNiJaYR

“Captain Ren, if you’re willing to cooperate with me, you’re also helping Dr. Gong.”nYjBUGglEEYSGxSiTuwNrHWAeddQbG

YAYQSGbEDEzxmEy

After a long silence, Ren Yi softly said, “I also want to know where he is.” He hung up the phone and threw it into the trash can.fYOTSgnZtKKtekEEfaLwPDNiaJysfU

GPoFXUHKhAQUWaq