Blazing Armor

As dawn broke, Ren Yi adjusted his tie and uniform in front of the mirror, locking eyes with his reflection. Dressed in a flame-blue uniform, wearing a blue and white cap, adorned with a gold-red badge and tassel on his chest, his shoulders were sharp and straight, his waist slim and trim like a cypress. Despite his pale complexion, he still exuded a heroic aura.gzmzOItklbTPnGZNuoSfpjXRavZSOf

ibKAkvhGLsJzOzs

He took a deep breath and put on his sunglasses. The publicity department of the headquarters and the media had already made it clear—they wouldn’t shoot his face, and even if they did, they wouldn’t publish it. However, fearing any missed shots, he still made a slight effort to cover himself.NHBZhbToiIlendwqdQaIhQcNLTSmyb

VyRewehxulmmVGr

Once everything was ready, he glanced at his desk. On it lay a 16-inch black-and-white photo of his father, dressed in an old-style jungle green military uniform, his chest adorned with numerous medals, smiling calmly.idacvffrTqOwfaZsmexoVrGGKzfrvp

ZHYgCVFIsGnczra

Ren Yi walked over, picked up the photo, and smiled, “Old Ren, since I was little, they’ve all said I look like you. I never admitted it; I thought I looked like my mom. She’s beautiful, so that’s why I’m so handsome, haha. But later, I found that as I grew up, I really did start to resemble you more.”qWVrzzxpRVOuwDAezqzwNOMSkhGviB

NFjtSciXzBMyUJN

“You said having a son like me is your greatest pride, and my greatest pride is having you as my father.” As Ren Yi spoke, tears welled up in his eyes. He pressed his forehead against Ren Xiangrong’s photo and murmured, “Let’s go, son will send you off one last time.”RvYMwcZBbffgdXKpRchkxcrDfjmJsX

txMscbOWalIAjyF

Ren Yi held the photo carefully in front of him and went downstairs. The playground was filled with soldiers, standing tall and straight, lined up neatly, like javelins, and they had already automatically left a path for him in the middle. Not far away, a bright red fire truck stood quietly, with a white veil tied to the ladder, gently fluttering. Further away, the fire brigade was surrounded by onlookers, none of whom made a sound.nGMcfFumNrxGBgjHudMxCzeRqQCOER

lBNopvRxpNFuMLb

As Ren Yi stepped out, a commanding voice echoed across the silent playground: “Salute—”YCxpNZSdCLKVGAmLwesEBQjZANHdbh

cNVRizvRZiyurGn

The soldiers raised their hands in unison.JDiasdbwPdrQJIZWghMttropoNxGbh

NCWUmraRdgvAuaG

Ren Yi nodded, stepping forward with firm, measured strides.sAIBJSylEmqOXgQlpedVORSwNOCKmW

ZNNCWhRuxhZcZrx

Behind him was a coffin held up by six soldiers; his father’s body was already at the funeral home, and the coffin contained his father’s personal belongings.FOsDmloFztYNvdBCCFwkROJIjqxvpC

ynzYhZnSMGUtUEd

That not-so-long journey was filled with mixed emotions for Ren Yi, as he walked the path his father had traversed countless times in his life, through his most beloved career and beliefs, honor and mission.oGywhRUhUdectbkIFHtvrdFCfvFYrq

ThXjqmBSUHDsrBK

Finally, he climbed onto the fire truck, allowing this old companion to take his father one last time.tLuDsDcCBLQNoBTlUZsHkXbElNcvdp

KbYUjXSuBYRLzPq

Ren Yi carefully held his father’s portrait, nodding at Qu Yangbo across from him. Over the past few days, Qu Yangbo and Gao Ge had helped him the most, but Gao Ge had to stay behind for duty.LAopwDEjqlUUxUMHROXzCrixcIvDBf

ukPMmVRSfyyMTjV

Qu Yangbo returned a look that said, “No need for words.”CvmFfDqOPTUIWArHabZThQKuvVjQnv

WCFhfkSaluADQin

The fire truck left the station, with two official vehicles following behind. The crowd lining the streets silently watched the vehicle; most were neighbors from the area, and this fire brigade was their guardian angel. Many also knew Ren Xiangrong and had come to pay their respects after seeing the media reports.IIwHsmEdGrHaqLhsWYkNBgrKLFJleO

lOZricUvOoFmLKO

Ren Yi lowered his head, resting his chin on his father’s portrait, his mind in disarray.VekytuXZWSFklVUgHIeZteOgRlKttS

FAWhRMypvpKvyUB

When he looked up again, Ren Yi glanced out the window and said, “Did we take a wrong turn? This way seems longer.”ZvecxhFEHyjiLVqPRWulXaMMsOFhWI

OBHkdhoKjjFkxNy

“No, Captain Ren, there are still people who want to send you off,” the driver pointed ahead.JEeVfgGkLqNvEOjDBqJdExdUOtlnMo

nAiNYPvagVwGJmk

Ren Yi turned to see the nearest mule alley brigade, where Wang Meng stood with a group of soldiers lined up at the brigade’s entrance, saluting their vehicle from afar. Their fire truck was parked inside the wall, the ladder reaching over the road, with a bright red national flag hanging in the middle of the ladder to signify half-mast.cnOkrEHeBGMleAMvxjmBiliwGidAte

bEvGHmUJDiKhBng

Ren Yi’s eyes burned with emotion.QEdnAqFEMEtPHWjprmpXjWoSypohPf

gylukghoYjSuisp

Along the way, they passed nearly ten fire brigades, all of which came to pay their respects.SSXIccopYmOcmiFxxNnzjQjkhwdcSv

JtRvhNGMJIjtxdW

Sitting in the vehicle, Ren Yi’s tears fell in large drops, his sunglasses shielding his swollen eyes, but they couldn’t hide his emotions and longing.woihieNhlhPmuCBhwAXMpOpUgbcBkC

JbKomZMFLdjALar

Dad, can you see this?wMQZmDPfToOgqEBGZCMECcWVDrtfAZ

ToVOKtossdHCNEz

You must be able to see it.RHzxqHXKqaRHGrnKaiDRVhJbwkwKWo

UOJLRWFjjQPckdf

—–qxwQyXBbCgbjkckgqgevdkBNoKXFXf

vtMkbtUheqLyZzn

After the funeral, Ren Yi returned to the hospital, dragging his weary body. He worried that without him, Gong Yingxian wouldn’t eat. He had reminded him many times before leaving, but he didn’t know if Gong Yingxian had listened.isuIdlcvJmQxqvCFFfPudwKyjUxuzN

MjomaiOLtRUkXhu

At that moment, Dr. Pompeii was accompanying Gong Yingxian in his hospital room, several sheets of paper spread out on the table, and the two were drawing and writing on them.euYpUwSlBLftcYdbeWgdeCpshYYwis

mQxrcKQgHhzvqQa

“Captain Ren,” Dr. Pompeii greeted, “You must be exhausted. I wanted to pay my respects to the old captain too, but I was worried he wouldn’t eat, so I didn’t dare leave.”cGWzFEwOqaAjCneHnCBIsKhNFJEddp

cymBurXTmpHHjlr

“Thank you.” Ren Yi nodded with a smile, walking over to look at the drawings on the table, which were very abstract, and he couldn’t make out what they depicted.uMHjsWXpHzHqRYwdKWhJOoaMvVXkiy

dsCQKqApdVwZkxr

“This is his way of expressing himself; most of it is hard to understand,” Dr. Pompeii pulled out a paper he had pressed under his sleeve, “But this one is quite clear.”FLzYCJTHvjZQnqpIrNeaKUlbQTfXQo

mWTNYgciYNfsBJX

Ren Yi looked at it; it depicted a small figure in blue clothing. Is that me? He waved the paper in front of Gong Yingxian and laughed, “Is this me?”tpzbSRGNsoqZxVgzshNCBKeWVacuhg

oqDhCkRcYdUzhnt

Gong Yingxian hesitated for a moment, took the paper, and picked up a pen to start doodling again, finally drawing a pair of lips on it.ELVEfzTvfdnpgfFBiKbOYsJqvjxUwB

YaKSdeuoTXCvHPL

Ren Yi felt embarrassed and started to sweat, while Dr. Pompeii pondered for a moment and let out a sound of realization.IqCOPVuwJdpEQFfAvcYZwRFBUHLCzT

BXHjrqLtILGEltx

Ren Yi rubbed Gong Yingxian’s head, “Did you eat well?”psKCTEMCBdQENFjxybPsGvghXkzmUR

pLJPCOsSGKXCrAA

“I kept an eye on him, and he did eat, but he wasn’t as cooperative as when you were here.” Dr. Pompeii tidied up his things, “You stay with him; I’m heading back to the hotel.”WMsdFqFsqYaPxoCuEwRPHTXmxsOKYg

BnrekwkipmHzwoI

“Okay, thank you for your hard work.”UozmgrZkDbpOJxoQlieUroUNieUaPI

ESsDzYtwibgQxZU

“By the way, I spoke with the doctor today; his injuries are recovering well, and he can be discharged early.”fYAWgMxBwJrEnWOdrbYEbMAbWkWJrA

jgdUFsMfdOqgYBi

“That’s great! What about the hypnosis…”vNRxbWzTONeJwcYtPYWShfXmdEuawF

wQUhNUqRojHANSI

“Oh, we’re waiting for Ms. Gong to return to the country; it should be in the next couple of days. Some issues really need to be discussed in person.”UhpgkNDOwDBtYnuJmwdsefGMtVnmkb

nnoJTiGjSUVkLcJ

“Alright.”uFnQdgrZrrBRFguMwOMOocObSokWcW

CUgGSVWWnHXTYCM

After Dr. Pompeii left, Ren Yi squeezed onto the bed next to Gong Yingxian, telling him stories.zCMpdYDMlrDfWOPusWAtSAbHWwLXpw

AZNcwXMDMIpHrPo

But Gong Yingxian would occasionally lean in to kiss him, those kisses felt very pure, with no ulterior motives, just a simple kiss, as if that was the best form of communication, making him feel more at ease.UMDErrDfpYWfLnOxEGLYPTbdNJciUL

NfoaJpRmuBQATKS

However, Gong Yingxian had no ulterior motives, while Ren Yi, who had been teased several times, couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered, recalling what Dr. Pompeii had said, his face turning slightly red.VpTpjRXwLdRUEQwjaInpiuMYKNutJp

OKUVKNHuAyOztGm

After telling stories for a while, Ren Yi recounted the details of today’s funeral to Gong Yingxian, and this time he didn’t cry; instead, he felt very calm and peaceful.jsxXqaAmoNHuoUmMahfBXFxXXtlyLw

BPrliokNHidVeTg

That night, Ren Yi didn’t sleep on his own bed but squeezed onto the same one with Gong Yingxian. To avoid touching Gong Yingxian’s legs, he didn’t dare to get too close, and the two kept a shoulder’s distance apart, gently holding hands under the blanket, not letting go even as their palms grew sweaty.dSUpWrlzTYVXUmEhbCXkSXTpqyuAFd

lWBqIUyHCjKlcsy

He remembered the time before they had mutual feelings, when he used watching movies as an excuse to share a blanket with Gong Yingxian. Those sweet, ambiguous moments, the cautious probing, the unspoken desires, were all beautiful memories in life.otPNOYdDdPKxpIluOElZLucTGFNyiV

XFYxAzHzLmpPCJJ

He had many beautiful memories, all related to the people around him.ADTVyhMuyWbuFMeoZZFngeGoQUGlKT

CKMtJYnaMpFcjrr

How fortunate they were to still have the chance to create many more beautiful memories.TEVlJGHLJmXYWdtYRFReHhuutMOzYG

JFjzABNXiopPVHH

That was the most peaceful sleep Ren Yi had had in the past two or three months.WtTxkTSNQVRRCOsZdjxyWkXNofCzfT

HANhvgvdDVMIdGA

—WSIMtAeuDztiIzjPWxGFCYrLQSbebS

tqUMPSfIgyFPpmJ

Two days later, Ren Yi received an uplifting message—Chen Xiaofei had woken up and was no longer in danger.GDCGwLIGgjPDZUpPbwsxgIrZFORBIh

YmmQHfrimTeWyuF

Although there was still a long road to recovery ahead, at least he had passed the first hurdle.AranGehTyIPLDnvXclaUkifQjWnYxZ

iPzQxDyVppSNjmO

He couldn’t visit yet; only the police could go in to ask questions, so Ren Yi waited outside.grdSdTkewiGcIRVHPvOzxIlIIsZunS

PyYfFVirPoRBBuY

When Qiu Yan came out, Ren Yi asked, “How is Captain Chen?”FTWhjRpfVRhFUTCCeozUbfSspRRMTo

hdgTTLXfPyVOjmM

“I think he will be fine; he’s very strong and clear-headed.”JWfFSCPZQFfnQASuQvlAjosjAuVOAI

yzCbgZDdEECGvFF

Ren Yi sighed in relief, “Then…”KMqDNVRxsfFWoniBvqkNLLXQTKjfgW

ESCHDTIwojAOKvM

“Before the explosion, he received a phone call. We will investigate further, and I will inform you of any key developments. As for whether he has any suspicions, I can’t answer that right now.” Qiu Yan showed Ren Yi his phone, which displayed a somewhat unclear surveillance image of a tall man in black entering the door, his face obscured, “This might be the suspect who planted the bomb, known as Purple Flame.”mEDZtFAqbZXZFHJKlGWFWOVJwhwZgR

gqbNuXaEfawnBYL

“Why do you think he is Purple Flame? Doesn’t Purple Flame have many followers?” Although this person matched the physique of Purple Flame they had seen in the footage, it was only the upper body, making it hard to judge.OAFlearIrppvpmzsyKHZTKaQLZurCy

sZIcGpnWmzkTUVr

“Not anymore; we’ve captured many of them. He has to do a lot of things himself, and his revenge against you might be his last act of madness.”zaiAfhBLpUZWvdgUTrKqssmWVmbEWA

bXhzFylWeAmayAT

“If he’s seeking revenge, why did he try to get me out of the way? Didn’t he always want to kill me?”LuZzEBsXeSuONysHUsTMeAxiXXSBJh

wpIAoHUgYzOUAjW

“Such twisted thinking can’t be understood with common sense. Perhaps he realized that this way, you would be more…” Qiu Yan hesitated to say, “It’s also possible that if you were there, some plans couldn’t be executed, like that phone call that moved Chen Xiaofei away from the old captain.”AiDiCtgBKOtxDyyQnewjCNdiBfYHxm

xYAdCwfmZovMLfj

“What did the call say?”NergEkXKogdCZPevFohaLgVVKyMhou

HgFzRHyqpOZDtBE

“According to Chen Xiaofei, the caller claimed there was a bomb in the break room, and he had to check it alone, without telling anyone.”vkRYPXsFomZVLBgYqanjhVouSADFLr

ZvhgfmkPlvUAtTP

“Is there any evidence?”dGWvTFvPexwZherSKYIksZxYqYEUXE

jylLjEZptMSmely

Qiu Yan shook his head, “Chen Xiaofei is the captain of the fire brigade; without strong evidence, we can’t monitor him, so we’ll focus on tracing the source of that call first.”BPvAXyaxJHOMKAtvdPafaJgLfQWyAb

HQoPZvURAsfeFaD

Ren Yi sighed softly, “By the way, when can the agreement be signed? Yingxian can go home this weekend.”SOtmxpubjpOjFLMKCpppenScGSCXfJ

asaAuEwEbBrdMnl

“Soon,” Qiu Yan replied, “Ms. Gong has returned to the country; she will meet with Dr. Pompeii tomorrow.”jSWcCAcocgwvPkFrtCeAoKGKsJBCjH

HbxQakIRRrmDVnO