Blazing Armor

hQVtzlRaOXkjnWQTable of Contents

Chapter 23

After the team event, Ren Yi sat with Gong Yingxian and Gong Feilan in the stands, cheering for the warriors participating in the individual competitions.kHAyNOjMToOTlfsODCtvePVZfiNzxR

YJKkuuZyWcDsdQF

Although many friends and relatives of the competitors were present, the brother and sister duo stood out due to their striking appearance, attracting the most attention.KtkZTYNaUKQPWnhZDtIRPunyzxxHBU

dqxoZyDfrAUoPXE

As they watched, Wang Xuan came over carrying two boxes of iced cola. Ren Yi took a few bottles, handing them to Gong Yingxian and Gong Feilan. Gong Feilan gladly accepted, while Gong Yingxian firmly declined, saying, “I don’t drink carbonated drinks.”FkLHlBNcrZAEUEjzqlEQhERcoaWFlZ

GRNgNcFtPJPnGJF

“Hard to please, aren’t you,” Ren Yi remarked, swapping the cola for a bottle of water.TkbvbNrejEKZyEOWuXEaxfUywbSKek

SVafLwWeyLrMbFk

Gong Feilan couldn’t help but nod. “Cousin is really picky about his food.”lWkzzEmctXLwnHOffGuTMyjBCaJgaJ

tANBkLjOgTdkFgd

“Choosing what’s right for your body isn’t called being picky,” Gong Yingxian retorted.IzrECCUQqfvDDkANvstzJgzZgxaqLP

wYTCvjhqkTqjkTr

Ren Yi scoffed. “Not eating this or that? That’s exactly what being picky means in layman’s terms.”kjHuwHUZNLGWlzkhNHXGSOgrBcgWbo

faKbqTGGPJGeYRg

Gong Yingxian shot him a sidelong glance. “I didn’t ask you to cater to me, so why are you complaining?”TULAxeoBRHfSJadOqlPtcnOmPaANkv

kTngjNOlXfnsmSv

“Who would dare complain,” Ren Yi replied sarcastically.LZLjuOfKHqmVmAGmPxdkQBCQnTyhzi

HGcyCsIweUBMXjT

Gong Feilan sighed in exasperation. “You two, can you stop bickering?”OemXJFDEBJlNRssDaWelYqcPTnXBWV

bUOqdupZkCqoawb

Ren Yi cleared his throat and changed the topic. “So, what’s the progress with the Cai Wan case?”IXqPZbuiwXDYJirMkjjtxlJIwDPAcP

wEXFFlZOYROEekS

“I followed a lot of leads and connected it to Cai Wan’s brother, Cai Cheng. This guy’s been a drifter for years, doing odd jobs like security work and delivering parcels here in Tianqi, but he never stuck around long. Last year, he went back to his hometown. There’s evidence he came back to Tianqi recently, but he didn’t use any state-run transport systems, and there are no ID records.”XudxtEduNPbtZwouQUYlJCujgzngGr

staAkOopiBkQKEa

“Did he come after the bar fire?” Ren Yi asked. “That’s pretty suspicious.”qgpoevoUkhEUZrzamkujigaPxPjpaF

LFzbndecneoJWfn

“Exactly. And he deliberately avoided public attention when returning to Tianqi, making him difficult to track. I had Captain Qiu help me contact local police, and after a bit of investigation, we found Cai Cheng’s been spending money unusually lavishly, likely from some shady source.”UyAQdOapSJdwhJJgQHXjZkbKscXksm

yVvLuouNUWkWOQc

“Have you caught him yet?”NQVANUvskQPbYLyZfIoLzVOJoGhHAL

iMcCBmstruqgTQo

“Not yet. Cash transactions are hard to trace, so we need solid evidence first. But it shouldn’t take long.”JcdZzwcffKAEdqbDGRFCMIGxGbwfEV

hAkEOvOFhwghRCU

“If we manage to bring Cai Wan to justice, we’ll have to thank Captain Qiu,” Ren Yi said nonchalantly. “Didn’t you call her ‘Sister Yan’?”SpujEDmEYAoZskRBfROPfyBWXcEtgn

RJiNwPORsRxegVX

“Yan-jiejie? What about her?” Gong Feilan turned to ask.gYEGXhMoTiYiCpLmmIgShLBkmkTKkW

WLDRvwWTuxvZVfR

“You know her?”uFJAOzjONTWevTrvRexHZcbDdpMsts

lgQNOeYIjDwbFdl

“Of course! Our families go way back. We’ve known each other since we were kids.”ODTIheCuCgxzOFOoKjFCGghzRWfDFJ

LRiQXJehCbeflUF

“…”fsIbJzfPyWTundgRLQnhMTWShUJHNR

iUTEowwnBMiPmUJ

At that moment, Gong Yingxian’s phone rang, and he stepped aside to take the call.PSdatGYxDXvGUUfDcScklOUMuUjofy

UdgmSOZJytqkoID

Unable to resist, Ren Yi turned to Gong Feilan and asked, “Feilan, are your cousin and Captain Qiu really childhood sweethearts?”YxrIOceaGTidJHjCGZAUNMQOdEKUad

EgurNHWFcmNgPun

“Definitely not. They’re seven or eight years apart. How could they have played together growing up?”ZbGxKJGmfsjmsqJmrMsUECKQhcrezS

yopdxstCreKNzcJ

Ren Yi nodded.QYGMsxYiOxXGKUhcHWnJPYXcPdGnad

VdFzevODkfraabg

“But I’m sure my cousin likes her,” Gong Feilan said confidently.fepDlribCpAkoTqzahFfSeoeNTqXsQ

DTlKcxNKQvTNYTg

Ren Yi was taken aback. “…Really?”kllXRNzSUXEdjTOGseytikSAyBmqyv

LlikaspQjznHcSX

“Yeah, she’s the only woman he’s close with. And she’s so beautiful and talented. Knowing my cousin’s personality, if he didn’t like her, he wouldn’t treat her so well.”sikWcrrzIJDRkfZdvABaykfxteMvJM

mhdVPYaikVsFEMh

Ren Yi muttered under his breath, “That makes sense. They do seem like a good match…”xdsBcqwjvsgQxHxikdJJceTZABrvbR

EmQVGzjyFQtfWUK

“Ah!” Gong Feilan suddenly exclaimed, looking nervously at Ren Yi. “Captain Ren, don’t tell me you’ve fallen for Sister Yan too?”JGrKxCUxeKtmyAjEKdSyvRSyUkITon

XUmQHlQfbWCcIJg

Ren Yi smiled faintly. “How could I? We’ve only met for two minutes.”oMQWlFIGUnFXzELGiwFJiFWvnnHfkK

aShLnvbWhdpcsMU

Gong Feilan eyed him suspiciously.chboYgZEIEPTyhlCovOVJLHvTZUtaD

mQqADLGCeLIRSqB

“I was just curious since your cousin seemed so at ease talking and laughing with her,” Ren Yi explained.fNIixtRAFXRZPofTJRBQVdNhWOEboX

tWSZVYwNLMxbTKl

“Oh, good. That makes sense. My cousin really is different around her,” Gong Feilan sighed. “It’s a shame he’s been back in the country for so long and hasn’t made a move. It’s frustrating.”YsBFDduclgKpKFLZgGWtwsIdOCpPDQ

CVBcAMGXwMOtCVY

Ren Yi wasn’t sure how he felt. He suddenly felt a little down but also amused. So, Gong Yingxian wasn’t as unattached to the world as he seemed—he just had his sights set on one person.MwJdsHvCoYZczExTEeyDnSDDmhebbw

mIHzGrmCFLbHpmH

When Gong Yingxian returned from his call, both Ren Yi and Gong Feilan tried to act casual. He immediately sensed something was off and asked, “What were you two just talking about?”CniXuIuidDnAaQVgnLHCfSguEZIyaY

kOhAvKjdJiUkvCq

“Nothing, just cheering for the warriors,” Ren Yi replied casually.wTNgUfhPMCJlvfVJxAqZOJfdFYEaxr

AHoAZrVwRWwqQia

Gong Feilan smiled mischievously but said nothing.AfIlzdDMGLtOKrTNjnJMRNegpxFUMX

gCAIfaKygFRuZse

Gong Yingxian squinted his eyes, clearly not buying it.VUpSXJXmOoQZbaCCDSaIrrWmxMsiUk

RLazRDwAIfMMFAP

Just then, Ren Yi’s phone rang again. He looked down and saw that it was Xu Jin calling: “Hello, Chief of Staff.”QQdBenVfxTaeAyDJyAaWFHvKUmDJOr

TNVQjxsyaIeAucW

“Ren Yi, where are you?”iDfxPeaoXbRSGRUNQUrCkYzHKNSwWu

VeyzUPMWZpXhmdg

“I’m at the competition grounds.”VTOBckVtlSZLseayHteOSZPypnMwlp

ZVjXYHBzFdVeyyO

“There’s an emergency. A high-rise apartment on Anmin Road caught fire, and the blaze is severe. Get over here immediately.”eeZJftokNVzjVTqNffEuWWldiBhPDT

scIbsOPWSzQmFzP

Ren Yi shot to his feet. “Wang Xuan, stay here and look after the participants still competing. Everyone else, we’re responding now. Let’s go.”SYmnPJIBaMrAtyPYvbbpTzOisHfAGw

xQvffjLcfWNXCZj

The group quickly stood up. Cui Yisheng asked, “Captain Ren, what’s happening? Where’s the incident?”CKNJHDjTeUARTqMAcgkUdOiMkuGnSN

PDUHhnjeZYRtdZZ

“A high-rise apartment on Anmin Road,” Ren Yi explained as he led his team toward their fire truck. “Chief Xu just called me.”GwgWHrzFEcZuNxXKRONfJyVITkEmzR

QYflUdiUBErNMnv

Although Anmin Road wasn’t within Ren Yi’s jurisdiction—it was under the Aixin Bridge Squad—it was closer to the competition grounds. For large emergencies, multiple squads, or even several brigades, often had to collaborate. Judging by Xu Jin’s tone, the situation was dire.tmUllIsxthrjSqONtqifAfydxUrhuz

GCYKWxClEhnJUIL

As Ren Yi was putting on his gear and getting ready to board the truck, Gong Yingxian’s voice came from behind: “Captain Ren, can I come with you?”snccGpTIlaQJfzrBgrMAlISwgMwleM

xBBglvyZVpCJUgW

Ren Yi turned around, just now remembering the two of them. Whenever there was an emergency, he would get so focused that he forgot about everything else. He nodded toward the truck. “Get in.”KicAqtaPBVSOOClboWgOgduEBptjzs

pwfJnFVPgFyPHYb

Gong Yingxian turned to Gong Feilan. “Wait here. I’ll have a driver come pick you up.”CHumgXvpSxNyyWakVXXuYmPXYVnOAo

ohtRLNDbQsJAsHx

“Cousin, can’t I come with you…”hSfQwZhVSoFSUYDJoUmHKbletQvjJb

cGhsqumJwgrPwSv

“No. Call me when you get home,” Gong Yingxian said before climbing into the truck with Ren Yi.sMFKxjVERmmCoHfxcVrpRYsggUNoHD

LaCxEyEfVddNBtB

Alongside Ren Yi’s truck, three other fire trucks also left the competition venue, all clearly dispatched to the scene. Ren Yi sent Gao Ge a quick message on WeChat, asking if his team had received the alert. Gao Ge replied shortly after, saying they hadn’t, likely because they were too far away, and traffic would be terrible at this time.YWTBRuJhthinGeqpOcJQYFDEmMRUTI

NTpAXSAJOLpNgfu

In the truck, Ding Qing asked, “Captain Ren, what’s the situation?”oekVhmMqCfojuvsQEvFCBuvLkMzzEh

nkTkusXJtujeGRZ

“I don’t know yet. Chief Xu is probably extremely busy right now. We’ll find out more when we get to the scene,” Ren Yi frowned. “A residential building on fire at this time of day—it’s going to be tricky.”pSAuQHYGXfxgfcCuvKawcHRZaRCcXe

ALpGsKQrWqGhfox

It was now Wednesday at 5 p.m. From their experience, most young, able-bodied people and students wouldn’t be home at this time, leaving behind retirees, homemakers, and young children. In incidents like these, the most vulnerable groups—elderly, women, and children—were often at the highest risk, both in terms of self-rescue and being rescued.DvZmhgMyNDzVCoTmetFqDpeINEPyKd

aNtbjuiIFNcYgkb

And this was a high-rise…RiTCtpPxUvgHnwEtjYLywutdduGfJG

ugvMjpHyFpsmTUY

Gong Yingxian sat beside him, looking grim and remaining silent.ffBrvCvuDWunIgtSdzcrvibsBmisyg

RVMAgOycPvxMkvD

Ren Yi glanced at him and softly asked, “Why did you want to come along?” He knew Gong Yingxian wasn’t keen on seeing fire scenes; the last time they visited a burnt-out site, he’d vomited.vCnfoUOxwkaqvrsZxPelyrDzQlmiMh

trUydcdGhrAvBBd

“If it’s a fire in Hongwu District, the case might eventually land on my desk,” Gong Yingxian replied in a low voice. “I need to get a head start on the situation.”QQFoDHLYIeKnkyjSPDrQYmXezPRxin

IeHSluDetNvZIkb

“Most likely, this is just an accident, given it’s a residential building catching fire during the day.”zZCuqCxmWzSpZxMjnqgIzwdDWLbShh

APFjwdwCazgnAxF

“What if it’s arson?” Gong Yingxian stared intently at Ren Yi. “I won’t rule anything out.”eufCHdXJeFqwtiepOFxvwYYlGAjcqn

jpjsNVMlHlsMLIJ

Ren Yi sighed internally. “When we get there, don’t wander around. Follow my instructions.”PjgApEmsdgMCBFlcfRkUgUCbFdVwjy

RGcqEQlZkAKqZvl

Gong Yingxian nodded.szqXKyDxlzTwwYjwzpgmuXfUslFDFY

YhebvSXZLJyqHoA

Before they even reached the scene, they could see a towering column of smoke rising from the distant high-rise. Ren Yi felt a sinking feeling in his gut.TUQLlKygZxxEOXpEYPumnEJBeXKXSr

JSXbnYnwfLxyWRX

When a high-rise catches fire, if the smoke from a certain floor drifts out at an angle, it usually means the fire hasn’t spread too widely yet. But when smoke starts rising vertically from the top of the building, it indicates the fire is out of control. The building’s stairwells, elevator shafts, ventilation ducts, and utility shafts all act like chimneys, rapidly accelerating the fire. All floors above the initial fire zone are now in danger.ZWQfcuyxHOZtoyukfOcYbJChLwMZlg

IfysQJlfzIxAmBm

The “chimney effect” in high-rise fires is as terrifying as a demon for firefighters. Once a fire breaks out, it feeds the flames, causing them to spread quickly and intensify. Due to the vertical nature of the fire, it’s incredibly difficult to extinguish. In some super high-rises, even the water cannons on aerial fire trucks can’t reach, leaving firefighters with no choice but to watch the building burn.qmbstdSTNoRsihARAgbmEePboXiawk

eyDlTdzyiuzHNXI

Their fire truck arrived at the entrance of the residential complex. The first team on the scene had already cleared a path and guided them to a parking spot.yrLZFCXUEMLHpiQLEkyKhfrEsaqnsJ

uOvAWaGISvyUeQP

Once the truck was parked, everyone got off.RSOdEMZKxOgTMjapCEgBdOnbEOmpMs

uKPpNTglmPSalpE

Ren Yi was the first to spot the team leader from the Luo Alley brigade, Wang Meng. “Wang Meng, what’s the situation?”JlNujYfGUMaxdDSngXvAZyjFEDTcsN

omFseyaYdENctbh

Wang Meng quickly reported, “The fire’s on the 22nd floor of a 28-story building. The people below have been evacuated, but a large group is trapped above. The platform truck has already rescued some, but the fire’s getting worse. The chief of staff wants you to report to him as soon as you arrive.”CiNvVGJsWnbUWKgdRZgblgbJCQGYVg

KBONFgMEYAHeOdx

Ren Yi led his squad forward, quickly spotting Xu Jin, who was discussing strategy with other team leaders.yxzmNCWbozaGfVeEGpRNwUXYoXNAUp

dEYAqcejVhDQjCg

Not far from them, two large fire rescue cushions were laid out. Honestly, those things were pretty useless in high-rise fires—anything above the sixth floor, and it didn’t matter if there was something to catch you or not.TYXcUMveSZfXZCIHUozmfgnqUrcdGA

jkgGXHdMJNVpWGR

Xu Jin saw Ren Yi and immediately called out, “Come over! We need to head up for search and rescue right away.”hjdDleTFJByOojvRHAZBIdxZsCiTRx

iJvimrwzSCjwyHB

Ren Yi glanced at the thick smoke billowing above them, his expression grave.NUNaSgZTfkZhTVkBURJqZpBblKsZka

TwrhyTpvMOVQmkN

Xu Jin pointed at the building’s blueprints and said, “The fire on the 26th, 27th, and 28th floors is under control. We’ve already sent two teams up with the platform truck and successfully rescued all civilians on those floors. We’re now working on finding accessible windows for the next four floors. At the same time, we’ll split into two groups—one will search from the 26th floor down, and the other from the 21st floor up. The fire on the 22nd floor is the worst. Ren Yi, you and Wang Meng take four teams up. You’ll be the on-site commander. If you really can’t make it up, report back immediately. No heroics.”fItUtMKxYGmEHpvfSwKyrdPvCdfXJO

TvvapgiOpnCkqtA

“Understood.”IbMnWVigzlBhlhAEOQlIwVimACBeDx

HajNXjiZnKwIfGw

At that moment, a group of firefighters nearby was shouting, “Don’t jump! Don’t jump!”JAPPbBtecjzfnMlggmYFMKMPXZXUrm

glNmOTcJTItcwOe

Ren Yi looked up just in time to see someone leap from a window with flames licking out of it. He quickly turned his head away, but the sickening thud of the body hitting the ground still pierced through the chaos of the fire scene, reaching everyone’s ears.aRRnmWfpKEbmFFooRDNFzFHASRVkdi

yhjmzFaPKNsmynG

Some of the onlookers started to cry.NiakaltBceLvGPjbvyXmWYyjUVwTLN

EqwpCOWebAJHhgx

Ren Yi shook his head to clear it and began organizing his team.cQQAVaWExqAotnCvazhvWztniBuWbB

RJJnapBrgOywPSh

Along with their firefighting gear and oxygen tanks, the squad carried 65mm hoses, axes, crowbars, hydraulic cutters, chainsaws, spare oxygen tanks, and other equipment. Each man bore at least 50 pounds of gear, and they were about to climb the stairs up to the 22nd floor.WvsdxSmVsINGhdyTGiSGLYAKuulChq

nUFQxYpSWgTgiVN

Once everything was ready, Ren Yi led his men forward. Suddenly, he noticed Gong Yingxian standing off to the side, watching him, his face pale as a sheet.XUCwyaLQhqkGDadJGdmGFtwLGQxPnd

kBEDBYnWRANpebp

Ren Yi felt a sudden tightness in his chest. He took off a glove, gave Gong Yingxian a thumbs-up, and mouthed, “Don’t worry.”eYcykfuNpnHpYPkAEBeqMYVOsgUkCG

itGkOMIWjBhNXlN

Gong Yingxian’s chest heaved with emotion. He also removed the gloves he always wore and returned Ren Yi’s thumbs-up.uDeqkInJlIMUGMVLHClDUoaDAvQdPP

pOfvnBcxKpJMrPf
Table of Contents
xOngXjwfhaOquOclOIAFYsLRbyoBlU

0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments