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.fkNKkcAocnWuKknEbMUTienGTdvgJy

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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.mOYBUgFbCCeAEjIYnZofGdksYphMsy

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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.FTXagRZoTGMIYaoJpFOTNPNLJRrJcg

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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.”UsknHqpzQgPRNhOXWAkCmpiGrhKEeJ

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“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.”fCSaDHTNxJFTJDcVvDOIPbxymcUYYR

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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.mXmHemHXRNlcJHjKORtSMoykGwdLSH

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

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The soldiers raised their hands in unison.kNQqLuYsxBvkAUtBQqSaqEOwHMumCl

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

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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.IRcDfNzeCJKjnWIXvixCawvtbNbCmu

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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.HRcWXeAjKuaLdcRLRlqpeVvTyWxewY

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

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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.ivZHYqqBLDIFZoXFugLUldJXQQuJMJ

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

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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.nWeEUeeQqstxJUsSkVxvkzFLQaTkyp

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

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

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

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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.fqTeVWcPXQjvSGtbNGcAyDwlLFqZlZ

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Ren Yi’s eyes burned with emotion.YggmDCgaSXAedWtnsixbmoJDYdboom

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

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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.ijNyyeBtkgRqPeNqYcvfhgbaBqEomP

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Dad, can you see this?DoXnSLKvNQUCtlkwJorJSGnGwGzagZ

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You must be able to see it.fFVrrjXjjfprEIXWnurdVExJtqHfJq

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—–LjRLymbfWmHytDjbnYJseZlkjRyXlB

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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.chuxaEdFGEooFNyknHPYQkJiAemsPO

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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.IWMZmRwoffVfjFLGDjHAGgXwLGSFdE

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“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.”KKkMskivDpYTJrQOFyOQLgknzWewhP

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“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.ErCuejBJmKlgdCsyELhmuvgHBivAxn

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“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.”EXUafnVuxHYPUsAqRRjGpnYfdvfwtB

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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?”UQTSeZCYdqJrznAFbqUFnxVfnjEizd

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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.PXvSzgXnwSVVCagAfJdiUsUjkxDBar

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

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

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“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.”oqmBErHssZptkPkkaykKOHXxGkrRsR

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

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

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

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“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.”jkXpnjQJJiQemYdQFnLfhxQVNDEFKs

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“Alright.”SilrjQyDvfcBrTupcRYQETwxdiYuAr

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

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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.lxxWAxlwuDKrDKEmLPrxysqPZeKCIf

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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.cYZOQIRczGtxGgqxFXctBUIgolEXCL

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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.gasSKOJUOqOGLSoaUsEbwRXXevmcwn

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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.STDWbaNkIAszWOkbPXTLPvnQHxKrFP

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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.SQlxtSmwsauxoTEjPDcXyZekcdxhUH

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

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

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

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—xlKiWDTSzfaXGblYYgaVueDBbhpvmw

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

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

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

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

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

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Ren Yi sighed in relief, “Then…”uLNgLHuAaFXnxhhTAuvdHhamjPwNpr

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“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.”QIveXSIoAxtcJkogIKqnqvclOOfVJJ

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“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.AeJJixuLMWErMgKvsFyvbpJEgaqkrJ

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“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.”uFLNNdtokSkcLpOnwUZCtEPLGvstKb

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

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“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.”BjWBgzeGcQOIYbNMBrqSVXHnGknuaQ

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“What did the call say?”YVtWHAFpoCmMjjpLSHvunzaNYgdPuJ

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“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.”IZvdVBfgqpLbtapppEvsnFcYgNbPmn

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“Is there any evidence?”rUbdpKQBrltzERcehMpMvyWUvgclVV

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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.”xZXwmEvnWQgQohtNHsAiEauabemiDI

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

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

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