Blazing Armor

The rolling heat wave surged forward, the deep corridor had not yet completely caught fire; only the parts that seemed to have been blown off the walls and door panels by an explosion were flickering with flames, while the fire in other areas was temporarily blocked inside the room by the doors. But those crimson flames, they danced eagerly from the windows, from the cracks in the doors, from the ceiling, like the gaping mouth of a furious dragon, it was panting, it was brewing, it was accumulating, just waiting for the moment it was ready to unleash a blaze that could consume everything.ilhbvnHHAHxVHNKQzklwwKjnXXaefY

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Cheng Mao glanced at the flickering flames on the ceiling: “The ceiling has already caught fire, estimated to reach flashover in no more than five minutes. Speed up the search, if I tell you to withdraw, you must retreat immediately.”FwshWowfzQdAkMDZfNgBgFNGUiJkQR

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“Yes.”oMUqbZnfUOvjJnSuMCfnYoYdHTZxOD

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Two firefighters connected the water hose to the fire hydrant inside the building, extinguishing the flames in the corridor, while the others ventured deeper, spreading out to search room by room for trapped civilians. Ren Yi ran straight to his father’s hospital room.PeTChVmprPRTZaQQWHbrHkmVnNezaT

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The corridor was deep, and the closer he got to the fire point, the thicker the smoke became; two meters away, he could see nothing, and it was exceptionally difficult to make out the room number. Ren Yi felt along the wall, bending low as he advanced, relying on memory to find his father’s room.idUhCqQVGbQpxTrfqktuowHjiHWcEl

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Suddenly, Ren Yi heard a blank sound from the intercom channel, followed by Cheng Mao’s voice ringing in his ear: “Ren Yi, letting you in has already violated protocol. If something happens to you, my career will be over too, but as a brother, I accept it. Now I order you to come back safely, not to protect myself, but because I don’t want to lose a brother, understand?”GKjiLeeSCUnuzlCQbvdozUtxPKlaIV

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Ren Yi felt a warmth in his eyes: “Thank you, Brother Mao.”rtmNWeweqduDlyiZsNEEIOCXxSuvCN

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As he passed a dormitory, Ren Yi suddenly heard a few metallic clinks from inside. He froze for a moment, knowing exactly what that was, and in that instant, his heart began to struggle.zkRddZQikVRfFruTwgvtYCjWnBlass

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In a fire rescue, every second counts; a few seconds earlier or later could completely determine a person’s life or death. He should be finding his father and Gong Yingxian as quickly as possible; every moment of delay could cost them their lives.PYstvzhcjBmfhAQShHkTUoOMduwbTk

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But now, someone was calling for help, right next to him.UtbAArGFfLbNVekoUnaOGipOeSfPEF

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Ren Yi couldn’t move his feet any further. He punched the wall hard, nearly biting his lip, then stood up and opened the door.iMYXfgBuIccsTxogEbzzyymIebVzPk

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An elderly woman was barely crawling under the bed, covering her mouth and nose, banging a lunch box against the bed leg. The thick smoke rolled above, not yet fully settled, but she was already struggling to breathe, her mind foggy. In such an environment, a person could succumb to poisoning in less than three minutes.fowMqypUxKdPGEODFNqfPxXHgUBVqo

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Ren Yi rushed over, pushed the iron-framed bed aside, picked the old woman up from the floor, and turned to dash out of the room, shouting, “There’s someone here! There’s someone here!”kEOCluzOeezKWECaLvGlgqlVhAxcdh

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He ran back a short distance when a firefighter suddenly emerged from the haze—it was Qu Yangbo.KZwdOmuKWslCRgaNDVTnOBnWgwpxDg

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Qu Yangbo unhesitatingly took the old woman from his arms: “Leave her to me, you go find them!”PywygeKgMJEXSnnRCRcFqpFLdvEhYy

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Ren Yi said nothing more; the two exchanged a firm and trusting glance before he turned and ran deeper into the corridor.TdxrCzLlgvyjktknqtoDbmJwKgLPev

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The further he went, the hotter it became; the fire point was just ahead. It wasn’t his father’s dormitory, but it was certainly very close, as the flames were raging here.ZxTzqZDyZYZnidSBWdFUFPhtmjVIeG

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The fire hose couldn’t reach this far; if it were pulled to such a deep position, it would be burned through halfway. So he had lost the cover of water and could only rely on himself.yDVXrQOEzVmiBSNeDTURHxFneCSAWF

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Wearing a fire-resistant suit couldn’t stop the pervasive heat radiation, which seemed to scorch every pore of Ren Yi’s body. He could feel the sweat pouring down him, the high temperature continuously draining the moisture from his body, not to mention the excruciating pain that felt like torture.JxvKQzQTlUbYJbMLcVXUPtdgCUNIHO

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And Ren Yi’s daily training was to adapt to such pain.ELWBlPTeUFdZlKnlfsCNclbmtCgOpy

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Out of professional habit, every time he arrived at a place, Ren Yi would observe the fire prevention measures around him. He knew there was a fire hydrant not far from here. He turned back, feeling along the wall, and soon found it. He pulled out two dry powder fire extinguishers from inside, creating a path he had to pass through quickly.DPQrKJatAfaJLnvQlGJyZvNoEtUlcP

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He endured the hellish environment that most people could not withstand and found his father’s dormitory. The door was already deformed and couldn’t be opened. He took two steps back and kicked the door hard.JjiXThDaPQBhdIQYHNIvaEwPZRdHoO

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The door burst open, and a wave of fire lunged at Ren Yi like a beast. He had anticipated this, so after kicking the door, he immediately dropped to the ground, but the flames still licked at his back and arm.eoeFEsoGkfTEfGWNiDttNVUmnmlqIC

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The fire-resistant suit could only protect him for a short time. He struggled to roll on the ground, patting himself down, quickly extinguishing the flames, but his suit was already burned through, and the high temperature seared through the holes, leaving painful marks on his body.xCdfJILwvVMddrxtYpmYzWooWaZhGT

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Ren Yi didn’t have time to care about that; he got up and rushed inside. The room was already mostly ablaze, with almost no place to dodge or step, making it impossible to enter or see the situation inside.wmzERnZerYuDXTWzOafEEUmzPFUdGW

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His heart felt as if it were being hollowed out by fear, and he shouted, “Dad! Gong Yingxian! Dad!”LnyQaQdFNAYdrNYAfhECuvlspNeqAb

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No one answered.MpFjDJEToseiegWhNKtJfFKvixMWew

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Ren Yi sprayed fire as he forced his way in, the intensely burning, airtight room likely nearing a thousand degrees. Staying here for even a second could cost a life. Ren Yi felt that if he didn’t move forward, his flesh would turn to blood and drain from his body, but he still pushed forward with inhuman willpower.UZPPUzyssCPAOmWJqEFAjlYdyPtdyb

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The dormitory wasn’t large; if it weren’t for the thick smoke and flames obscuring his view, he could have seen everything at a glance. There was no one hiding under the bed, by the window, or in the bathroom—just an empty room, and his father’s wheelchair was also missing.SmBXSpcwZmHnvCAWjEexdiNMurSvUL

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Ren Yi turned and ran out, feeling as if he had been reborn in just a few seconds.gFshysApZHONgKsEmFXhWhdJWBtpXV

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His father had difficulty moving; without anyone else around, he surely couldn’t have gone far, perhaps just nearby. But where was Gong Yingxian? Where was Gong Yingxian?VfzCthuJQYqQqChvwpwlMaofEClHRn

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Ren Yi kicked open the adjacent dormitory and shouted hoarsely, “Dad! Gong Yingxian!”cbXQwEMNZGzgYHCjsqNmUFHBJEOcHD

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His heart was in his chest, but it felt as if it were being burned in a fire. He was so anxious that tears fell, but in hell, tears had no value, evaporating instantly, leaving two dirty streaks on his soot-blackened face.oQzznSTxUqRPJNdJyVUIMEllnpFcuT

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Where are you? Where are you?YgIOTAXhBTvPbYOBviSBJUwjNHzrSE

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No, you have to calm down, calm down!wJlisLjdyiKUDuxBNFmZEzxRctFlZT

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Ren Yi shouted at himself in his mind. His father and Gong Yingxian both had rich experience in self-rescue in a fire; one from practical experience, the other from books. In this situation, how would they save themselves?TUioJKItxMsMncIjUJwAVXcExdTpdN

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It was impossible to escape with an elderly person in a wheelchair through a corridor that was already on fire and filled with smoke; jumping from the third floor was also impossible, and sitting and waiting to die was even less of an option. So what should he do?wYDdvkpFXmLnfRramVJvJTJOIpEcov

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Ren Yi suddenly remembered that at the end of the corridor, there was a public restroom!LVjjCLzFhhfuGIThZZWbLwFjlKgbLL

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Ren Yi turned and dashed toward the depths of the corridor, dodging the flames spreading everywhere. He found the restroom; the women’s restroom door was wide open, while the men’s restroom door was tightly shut, with a bit of fabric visible through the crack.RycnRnMtQXDRPBAhxJXlZvuOVATWhn

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There must be someone inside.bTHUkaWOWnNYTPOlzvvUtceZGkyGMO

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Due to the high temperature, most door frames or doors had already warped. Ren Yi slammed against it but couldn’t break it open. He pounded on the door: “Dad! Gong Yingxian! Can you hear me? Open the door! Open the door!”KNllFxuUvWgZZeetnBxrGACVOLkvpg

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There was no response from inside.AxPSkMYnTgXgMTWzsGjxeJsdpohpiS

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Ren Yi kicked and slammed his body against the door. It had been forced open just a crack. He took a crowbar from his waist and pried at the top door frame that was jamming the door. After a violent struggle, the door was finally opened wide enough for a person to pass through.xnsWZYQkKRdichEZjELovOUghRVBZH

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Ren Yi squeezed inside and his heart nearly stopped.GuKUgviSAlSyrohJwjpsRvrUevvgmx

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Although the restroom was better than outside, it was already filled with toxic smoke.qIArFYbepIKYSXBYTEOXmVHUkNUKez

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Ren Xiangrong was sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a mask and draped in a fire blanket, his hands hanging limply. Gong Yingxian lay on the floor, both of them unconscious.sNvipPoyGzYLTwZDcyjdnVjtLDLPBW

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Gong Yingxian was only wearing pants; his clothes had turned into soaked rags, sealing the door crack, trying to prevent the deadly smoke from seeping in. He had obvious burn marks on his legs.WXYOPnDzpMdZFTUCNNWetPeMiKzaqz

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Ren Yi rushed over, first removing his mask and placing it on Gong Yingxian’s face, then checking his pulse. It was weak but still beating.aUgGiCvttRSwioSzTcHHvpkJqiuDJv

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Gong Yingxian suddenly moved slightly, then slowly opened his eyes, looking dazedly at Ren Yi, seemingly trying to see clearly but gradually losing focus.urMUDbQtTdWcYoZSzQaupEhhsfCenz

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“Yingxian, Yingxian!” Ren Yi caressed Gong Yingxian’s burning face, tears in his eyes, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here to save you.”ZntvxljSEBjrGiamZPjZGzsOfCKmbH

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Gong Yingxian couldn’t hear Ren Yi’s voice, and in his daze, he didn’t know what was happening, only his eyes instinctively searching for focus. In his blurred vision, a figure swayed, gradually revealing a worried, pained face smeared with soot. Slowly, he saw a small black mole on that face, and his gaze locked onto it.JCdiohwAZiXbFwjlhDohksDxHsSXZL

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Memories and reality intertwined in an instant, overlapping in Gong Yingxian’s mind. He saw a person walking toward him fearlessly through the despairing inferno, extending a strong hand to him, offering a broad embrace. Above the cracked lips that held a smile, a small black mole left an indelible memory in his narrow field of vision, that person said, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here to save you.”BgQABNVFcXaGqiAcvSCGNWVSUGsUzC

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Gong Yingxian weakly murmured, “Uncle… save me…”CNJfotcaWyBKqjVJKpOkffsPRqDtDa

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Ren Yi felt as if someone were gouging out his heart.ljlnUjlxJAHBpMWEbQlrYHYJZeCpSY

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He barely wiped away his tears and got up to check on his father. When his fingers pressed against Ren Xiangrong’s carotid artery but received no response, he froze.QzHgctMGfYChZlHrhlxtxEXPFImnxK

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“Dad…” Ren Yi called out, his voice barely a whisper.gCmGmkUxWDYxjiYmKeAxpsSHRiYNfL

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Ren Yi frantically felt for Ren Xiangrong’s pulse, checked for his breath, but there was no response. A dying wail escaped his throat as he laid Ren Xiangrong flat on the ground, tilted his chin up, clasped his hands together, and began CPR.DKBxQIXuincIvEUTtimkHBFNOeEfRJ

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“Dad, wake up, Dad, I beg you, wake up!” Ren Xiangrong’s tears flowed like a fountain, blurring his vision. He kept pressing on Ren Xiangrong’s chest, alternating with artificial respiration, but couldn’t elicit even the slightest response.AXFXhcEhBCuArbIGzZenEzZgFejXBC

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“Dad—” Ren Yi cried out in anguish.JksIuUTnEjDBrRlrPnKFfHTmbylVwu

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“Captain Ren!” someone shouted from outside the window.EfbvhKbVeDODxeLvJfNEUxWjfqQWjZ

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Ren Yi was oblivious, continuing to perform CPR, again and again, even if he was exhausted, even if his arms felt weak, he wouldn’t stop.QmaNiXzPZBqfaxDhDJzYbQYShzShMF

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The arriving squad raised a ladder from the other side of the stairs and saw Ren Yi through the open window. They climbed in, pulling the nearly limp Ren Yi away, and carried Ren Xiangrong and Gong Yingxian out through the window.kHxNMazMJcGbVYDvSFRCrFoZYKdCag

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Many people were saying something in Ren Yi’s ear, some impatient, some urgent, some worried, but Ren Yi couldn’t understand a word.QWJJLJinXnYkvMtjIbcYKBFAKjPwmM

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“Dad… Dad…” Ren Yi reached out, futilely trying to grasp his father, but in his blurred vision, there was nothing, the entire world was collapsing and burning before his eyes, dust swirling, obscuring all light, bringing a darkness that seemed never to dissipate.hUpdyUJQJTzmUdCXSKQMzTZheBRuXk

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Ren Yi forgot to think, forgot to act. He was dazed as someone lifted him up, the hellish heat wave receding, the murky air replaced, and in his ears were shouts, screeching brakes, sirens, footsteps, all in a chaotic din. It felt as if he had moved from one world to another, but he had already given up on perception.qzrRnNGqGeEygzxHLBwYuEJgiteKaL

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He didn’t know how long it had been when someone walked up to him, squatting down. Ren Yi stared blankly ahead, his eyes unfocused, unable to see the other person’s face.XSCoqXoiPPcXsTvpMWzwhJwYuMQgsw

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This person spoke in a tone that seemed to struggle to find the right words, slowly saying, “Old Captain, it was sudden… sudden…” He seemed to have lost the ability to speak, unable to utter the next word for a long time. After a while, he finally said, “He didn’t suffer.”IURNEGGpVaasOBqkSkmsXoqnkYFrGO

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Ren Yi remained dazed, as if he hadn’t understood.GxWMtzsqOkhXHKMOOGhFFVzCtSOjVV

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The person pressed a slightly warm object into Ren Yi’s palm, choking on his words, “Inside is the old captain’s last message.” After saying that, he stood up and left.kRKTLwllcyzBUJIhJuRNGSRqjNGpuu

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Ren Yi looked down and recognized it was a mobile phone. He stared at the blood-red play button, his soft fingers gently touched it.OvGHUnqBzcaEvuJWaZCsapquWfKAWg

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After a brief pause, a woman’s voice quickly said, “Hello, 119 Command Center, how can I help you?”vQKUKozpYvjVAxzAmlIWTecpxvekCN

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“Cough… cough… young comrade, there’s a fire here.”TNpZbKKJQtlOuNozrDSdvqViRjWAxF

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“Please provide your detailed address…”LPElGEcUoeMMJkzjVIJpiySwtSVWoU

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“Listen to me, don’t say a word… cough cough… just listen to me, and remember it clearly.” The noisy background sound made Ren Xiangrong’s voice stand out, steady and calm, “I’m a retired firefighter, I’m currently at Shoukang Nursing Home, No. 8 Yantian Road. The nearest fire station is the Bali Fire Brigade. Don’t take Sunshine Road; it’s narrow and prone to traffic jams. There are municipal fire hydrants on the left side of the outer gate and the southeast gate. Each floor of the building has two fire hydrants. The fire point is in the fifth tea room from the west side on the third floor, where a gas cylinder exploded. The furniture and decorations here use a lot of polyurethane, and by the time the fire truck arrives, it will definitely be out of control. The focus of the rescue is to stop the spread of the fire; the water hoses must block the rooms above, below, left, and right of the fire point. When you arrive, first set up a ladder on the southwest side; the residents here are all elderly people with mobility issues or who cannot take care of themselves and cannot evacuate on their own.”gAhcbSdcLuicjulAarIMpGZYEiiQLJ

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“Sir… I’ve already notified the Bali Fire Brigade to head to the accident site. May I ask what your current situation is? Can you evacuate on your own? Has the surrounding area caught fire?”oQUATqBEDuSpcqyndatCPwOczEssBO

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Ren Xiangrong coughed violently twice and softly said, “I can’t run; my legs aren’t good. I… cough cough… I have something to say to my son; he’s also a firefighter, he’s the squad leader.”MmoJeoPDtUrteawpaTorOJqrCGRqwm

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The operator was silent for a moment: “Go ahead.”vVoxDbWcNFxBVIptGdNlDrTrzdCFhc

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“Ren Yi, this time, I don’t know if I’ll see you again. If I can’t, what I’m saying now is my last words.” Ren Xiangrong chuckled, followed by a series of coughs, “You always think I’m quite unfortunate, finally retired, and then I got sick. I don’t think so, really. I’ve told you, being able to live to this day feels like a stroke of luck, I’m content. But, I also don’t want to spend the rest of my life trapped in this chair, trapped in this sick body, so I have no regrets. This fire, it’s an old opponent, also an old friend; I’ve won against fire so many times, it’s time to let it win once. Cough cough, Ren Yi, having you as my son is the proudest thing in my life. You’re great, really.” Ren Yi trembled, choking back tears, “I know the reason you don’t want to get married, haha, you think you can hide it from your old man? I know everything. I won’t force you; as long as you’re happy, as long as you can find someone to take care of you, to be with you, that’s fine. Officer Gong is very good. I’m going to find your mom now. Son, you must take care of yourself; I’m going to find your mom.”ekPCDkVcolDghhzsnpabAgBnsgotcv

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The recording abruptly stopped.xOEHLDsCMHDuHUbZAxBsmSkMusSgYq

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The phone slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. Ren Yi cradled his head and cried out loud.ZuoDqrQsemWmQaOSTeQyPDaHzUQkQY

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