Blazing Armor

The fire at Wanyuan Community was extinguished at around 8 p.m.EqoeHsfiToODvOYQnYkficGBKhBzKH

rwlogigfVWrbefm

When the body of Zhou Ying, a firefighter from the Aixin Bridge brigade, was carried out, the scene was filled with the sound of stifled sobs. The firefighters who had just finished battling the blaze lined both sides, their faces dirty and their bodies exhausted, watching their comrade being taken away.kLZEfMwGczFcayUlAyoKyRnfWofuSp

iSwlpETSvZRTHCi

Chen Xiaofei, the captain of the Hongwu Brigade, along with the political commissar, the deputy captain, and others, had all rushed to the scene.HLcvRFxGEALHmUuBngpQVahaogoWDw

mGYoWNGUKRhMleR

Chen Xiaofei solemnly called out, “Salute!”TmkguYyOyDpkJKpDOqjldKhUWdqwPL

CDsoyIhntuJfUYX

The firefighters raised their right hands in unison, and the nine fire trucks on-site sounded their sirens simultaneously, making the night feel even heavier with grief.MlWaatbRBDherfglHNLHtBiJJETXlm

zzVoMvhmgCvjbtM

Chen Xiaofei ordered another team to clean up the fire scene, telling those who had been involved in the firefighting to go back and rest.lEuPbZjmrcdcWUQAXxGiktmDlQqRpz

yROvIWvOtywFmwk

One fire truck after another left the scene, but Ren Yi didn’t rush to leave. Instead, he walked over to Chen Xiaofei. “Captain Chen.”kTUqQcWPkaYPZeKObDVMUgTBTpXtMa

hiHuGDfTwNsupRJ

Chen Xiaofei nodded. “You did well.”HIKPLcBqZGbTjtEicmtvkkAkYuvpTZ

aTxiVGABtUmRUlv

Ren Yi looked into Chen Xiaofei’s eyes. “Captain Chen, Commander Xu and Captain Qian’s directives were not an issue.”aAtPqnBdXtlWcfjEvQDyOVwWfLmuEM

pEUvpwaeOUPLvQc

Chen Xiaofei glanced off into the distance. “Qian Yue is in a bad state right now. You were there—what exactly happened?”YsocxpbDSLeSZXxEoKVAWnEgitCDGr

BKgNwmlpmQgSBiT

Ren Yi’s gaze turned bleak and sorrowful. “During the rescue, there was an older woman who insisted on going back to retrieve her belongings. She ignored all warnings and ran back into the fire. Zhou Ying went back to save her, and the floor… collapsed.”hpmWtNrDGNIAispdhgMwNXbbfjGaRz

NxgumDjbamEgcBm

Chen Xiaofei took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a moment, and spoke in a low voice. “Ren Yi, I know you’re worried about Qian Yue, but why did the floor collapse? Was the water pressure too high? Was there uneven weight distribution? There were clear signs of deformation in the steel beams—why didn’t the commander notice? These are all Qian Yue’s ‘problems.’”kjLFbawyTiVuoRWyXwisbOodQcWTKQ

ehOedCoGEqsZyFD

Ren Yi bit his lip, feeling a mix of helplessness and anger in his heart.luTxXLdDLMefIHMlChHnHJLrNIehZS

dYxRLXcrNmkBOVy

He knew Chen Xiaofei was right. When there’s a loss of life, every detail needs to be thoroughly investigated, and the entire chain of command—from the bottom to the top—has to take responsibility, including Chen Xiaofei himself.jCDBrHPIXDQQITElFvBfoMkdkFajMt

aNVrqTlkmzGoBrN

But that was a chaotic, life-and-death situation in a burning building. Who could guarantee that every directive was 100% correct? Did Qian Yue have responsibility? Yes, as the commander on-site, he did. But was he wrong?BqqNabDfPnfYfnhXvYwUyDRGledMmV

BUJrbHHpCOEICdt

Chen Xiaofei saw through Ren Yi’s thoughts. He patted Ren Yi’s shoulder and sighed, “I know what you’re thinking. No one wanted this to happen, but it did. We need to clarify every responsibility to warn those who come after us, to try and prevent something like this from happening again.”vkAHFPirMQgperBUIyuUtlIEhxZYVU

wPGBgTPxaObKKUV

Ren Yi nodded. “I understand.”MWFmTmlaeuVHuCrMfQGeyPQOLpkPyX

PjgNYIytSohZpOR

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of Qian Yue’s situation. You should go back and rest.”IxNwwJMQeJdQtQBAMEmPVKptLLiJAR

ufZMjLZcruwWCTD

—-JQwsNlerhUnXAyNJeXxPOgujbyxxPb

ZNyvvEWMaUDhWqk

After returning to his team, Ren Yi took a shower and fell into a deep sleep, utterly exhausted.NhOVtGtdipHTrbvptRhmtxSOWWEJIT

vrJKOsXpSjSNaYd

Due to the incident, this year’s brigade competition was canceled. Based on the results from the first day, Phoenix Brigade still ranked first, but no one was paying attention to that.ZPbkwdkwjjGmwsnpZQgwkKMwIgVGVk

JquvQiWJHTIsJQM

In the Wanyuan Community fire, six people, including Zhou Ying, lost their lives. Thirty-two people were injured, five of them critically, and they have not yet been stabilized.ZUzoTQfPXLsZKAFIZUdJVPTiBpVTdC

wjExKhujuCWxgxL

After dinner, Qu Yangbo gathered everyone for a meeting to provide psychological counseling, especially for the two squads involved in the rescue. The emotional toll in the short term would be significant.mPjTQJvqdaNMdMDmitaJiEvVPgVBcz

ifAlqMAvgkMjndc

After the meeting, Qu Yangbo said to Ren Yi, “Take a couple of days off.”QYmbPfRVEikJePeKeqIWTqerSDlVrK

rAdNddXzvysKovd

Ren Yi nodded. “I was planning to. I just called Commander Xu and asked to be involved in the fire investigation.”GEstgGrzTgRYmMcXTCeasbQrOMoCIt

hNqKMNSATPWRWje

“You volunteered to be part of the investigation?” Qu Yangbo thought for a moment. “Alright. Did he agree?”vrZSHFDEpNAWcEKUoihLAcnwTVvvCO

RZIqgpIqcIPlwcq

“Yeah, the fire investigation team is always short of people, and I’ve worked with Gong Yingxian before,” Ren Yi sighed. “Let’s hope we get results soon.”aaBOGORZHvIVLcjrQjFNWvYWKCFznG

EqskkXDbQzsiudz

“They haven’t determined if it was an accident or arson yet, and you’re already teaming up with the police?”swIusgJSQAzIbHoIMgUjStnojDFmvG

GBcpNexBZhIWfdB

“I’m just representing the fire investigation team. Gong Yingxian will definitely come along.”CUVYwihmZLBryYclBkDgvHYLzjZIxy

morUvkRKeVJICva

“Why? The bar case was special, but a daytime residential fire is usually an accident. It hasn’t even reached the police’s jurisdiction yet, right?”NdUvkYGkHfTIpjVkazTyvcWMabYxzB

XyjMaWcBYcrhUcp

Ren Yi paused for a moment and then said in a low voice, “Gong Yingxian has a particular obsession with fire cases, and since he went to Wanyuan Community with me, he’ll definitely want to know as soon as possible if it was an accident.”ojeoiWysbUCiDwJldIKBbGXKaXHsZK

LZdaBzxnsjUmezN

“Obsession?” Qu Yangbo frowned, puzzled.GTGdZaosbxLnMupVRvTQhTuiuKqmJJ

cAkbYQjVrmIrcvz

“Yes, an obsession.” Ren Yi understood Gong Yingxian’s fixation—despite fearing and hating fire, he felt compelled to approach and challenge it.xZkbcZnuJpuAPIbfIPXoKUwkanlXIj

hdKDuLhAqvArxcX

“Alright, don’t worry about the team here. Gao Ge and I are holding things down. I’ll let you know if anything comes up.”fclBdlbyybAegaoZBrnMDbRwFEvCFu

BRXQueWgASSQsYq

Ren Yi forced a smile. “Thanks, my capable ‘assistant.'”WyxFXUFptXhOUefCozAwTEaRITFvAx

aFmDSIzusSvgEbY

Qu Yangbo laughed as well. “Get lost already.”zzULgiykiXcZgxPYTcoyatWlBFeqLf

lBCWYuVMVwLiOyv

—fHEutNTnTUPZQPyoUglFjTPzmHylLn

cVvFmSBNjuFNhgn

That evening, when Ren Yi returned home, his father was already asleep. His father was a light sleeper, so Ren Yi tiptoed inside, but unexpectedly, his phone rang loudly.mfgkuIQhvuZfJCsDpzIcYTSqGalLVg

ZEJSsOtNNMaREhD

Ren Yi quickly answered, speaking in a low voice. “Hello?”SQRrTvnOxYqVSLYwedihkKQWDroujX

wxmPcLmThJeYakP

“Ren Yi, is it a good time to talk?” a pleasant male voice came from the other end of the line.lOIOiknMlkmFnKPSHvYVbjeSNsqkxz

dxYLOinXmRUPwqd

“Qi Xiao? Hold on.” Ren Yi went into his room, closed the door, and spoke at his normal volume. “Go ahead.”TitPTAJkoLJAgSjRCzcXHxEpYAIEoX

qCoSllZcTeShQlS

“I saw you on TV—about the Wanyuan Community fire.”XLiUtUPPxiZWefkLVpEjBBqwronwYw

nCmuyiUaoeiRXOy

“Oh,” Ren Yi replied casually, “I made it on TV, huh?”TBTJAOgaWOqzRFiCSrosNrKHiXEKse

omXBnhOvsFqwomF

“…Are you okay?”emVeMqowdlVrCQgpQoMjeRiQTCidzR

dFchfLOOulRnojt

Ren Yi paused for a moment. “I’m fine.”QRASaBWxryqOqDDxLReKFMSpFHOZja

WBAgaiHTMiptLaK

Qi Xiao’s voice softened. “I saw that a firefighter died. I was really worried about you. You didn’t get hurt or anything, did you?”XpPpCelCkwnYJuQwkIaATdBMDEQhgF

jauQsJLrsaeMmcC

Ren Yi smiled faintly. “Really, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”ZWrHUmwxOqnelVqCgpvPTLzMZmnYWR

OspPpghPameSzdI

“Do you have any time off soon?” Qi Xiao asked. “Let’s meet up. I miss you.”kqDLWLTtQMvcagSHdqqWNwcMmIwJkM

OOJuzDpFUALifRs

Ren Yi hesitated. Usually, when Qi Xiao invited him and he happened to be on break, there wasn’t much reason to refuse. But this time, he hesitated. Still, he agreed. “Sure. I have some things to take care of, but I’ll come find you once I’m done.”qdXhRBxoQqFNsQpmSqgEPIKylOVBcG

RADhhwmPCIbkETJ

“I’ll be waiting,” Qi Xiao chuckled softly. “It’s the first time I’ve seen you in a firefighting uniform. You looked so handsome.”ZAcINzlwqPBQXzlrJEhxGRnfKvVFww

QCfCadqbzgOxMOs

Ren Yi laughed. “You can come visit the station. We wear them a lot during training.”IZYkTuuOBPajQMtiRWjqsSQaYWgwlZ

LxwefxGejrNJwRT

“Alright, I’ve been meaning to come see you there anyway.”YHDBDynCvEpynUlzbYlRlLuJlTfwzc

iNiaUoJslSovjMs

After hanging up, Ren Yi collapsed onto his bed, his mind replaying everything that had happened at Wanyuan Community. As sleep overtook him, the images blurred, but Gong Yingxian’s deep and calm eyes remained vividly clear in his thoughts.JyejEpsbaiuQdTLEihHPYysozSUqTT

HrdTrvbPvMZPUWS

—XudRBpafthgpBJGNvptHCCXjhLpHEy

xWicPuQCKDfvAPI

Early the next morning, Ren Yi drove his father, Ren Xiangrong, to a small restaurant their family used to frequent for breakfast. Afterward, they went for a stroll in the park. Ren Xiangrong sat in his wheelchair, the sunlight gently illuminating his peaceful smile.eUiCuaFuZEfXThWTKdLOwJaieKoFRJ

lcicDXBGURYHFAn

As Ren Yi pushed his father, he brought up the recent incident involving a firefighter’s death. After listening, Ren Xiangrong said, “Old Chen was right. Maybe the collapse really was related to excessive water pressure. Maybe the captain didn’t anticipate the steel structure’s deformation in time. Even if it wasn’t entirely his fault, the higher up you are, the more responsibility you have to bear.”WJaxvVGqLvZcOqmGbFUxqsbvjOusUY

cvhRSTFcaGogyPM

Ren Yi had been a captain for less than two years. In his firefighting career, he had only encountered one other instance where a fellow firefighter died. It was a wound he never wanted to reopen, but back then, he hadn’t been in command, so it wasn’t his responsibility. This time, however, he couldn’t help but put himself in Qian Yue’s shoes. Could he have done better if he were in that position?ofuGpvsedkBGLLBaBpNYkOujnqzhys

FHmXHpPUaOBFkpJ

As officers, they had one fundamental principle: if you wouldn’t go somewhere yourself, you couldn’t send your subordinates. If you led them into danger, you had to do everything in your power to bring them back out. But even with all the care in the world, unforeseen accidents could still happen. The thought of how Qian Yue must be feeling weighed heavily on Ren Yi.syGctUBemTtSNLeJzXDFBEBkwOSFJl

oIEyCxYkVoqNmRi

Ren Xiangrong patted Ren Yi’s hand. “I know you’re scared. Who wouldn’t be? When we stormed Baosheng Chemical Factory back then, very few of us made it out alive. Who were we supposed to blame? Can you blame that woman who went back for her bracelet? She lost her life too. Blaming her serves no purpose.”sKgJjpiOzCBuDydjDHrWmVhXUwwDMc

RfLyTKZiCWbKrhf

Ren Yi’s nose tingled, and he stayed silent.dLHdbVBRUzaGILdFydSaSbKCIvLyzw

OZxfGCBDnRADegg

“A true soldier is scared but doesn’t back down,” Ren Xiangrong said solemnly.RixfzbsjiZHGmzXTVXSlDPLBrHDpXY

qoKynxgNDWOmpQh

Ren Yi nodded bitterly. “Dad, I’ll never back down.”JxYlDVNLjiplCifFDpqbNILpSITblv

egvzjwEnxhuahDt

“Ah, thinking about Baosheng Chemical Factory still makes me feel terrible.” Ren Xiangrong smiled wryly. “Back then, they wanted to award me the First-Class Medal. Getting that while alive is rare, you know? But I refused it. I’d only accept it if I were dead. How could I take the same honor as my comrades who sacrificed their lives?”SPFDLzltaKsVoeJMCkeJzNlZwkZNSO

FEDJhSrmMXguXNu

“The information about Baosheng Chemical Factory is hard to find online now. In the end, was it ruled a production accident?”llwwmCgfVSqVnBJOBOYNGBrKQFOdSg

NvWBOKzJKLRQyAQ

“Yes. The sentences were handed out, and fines were issued,” Ren Xiangrong sighed. “The chairman, in the end, committed suicide out of guilt. But what does it matter now? No one can come back.”usXnUGVpiMSURZcRHLANDXrVlxYfrd

HtEtRlXSxXuegIq

Ren Yi wanted to ask more, but he didn’t want to arouse suspicion from his father, and besides, he knew asking further wouldn’t change anything. He had already decided to act as if he knew nothing unless Gong Yingxian brought it up himself.PDUSUlWFbCtsQWFSkQpqCsTMcHQSEe

DuUYHZODDgVvDAa

They strolled a bit longer and then went home.FfSAnlweEqtXDNnGePCkEnZmYkzRpb

NQXZcdtwWxCSDuu

After lunch, Ren Yi handed his father over to the caretaker and drove to Wanyuan Community, where he had arranged to meet Gong Yingxian to investigate the scene.JkQKVNARjVgPbaalVdNGtmzmwdIrhK

FCvRXWxvKvwvHjG

When Ren Yi arrived, someone was already there before him—it was Zhang Wen, the assistant from the fire investigation team who had been assigned to help him, the same person who had assisted with the bar case.MVcCIAVIfdPaoDBMOAXvTytbZgUMkU

gyjObOFokwIblzm

“Captain Ren,” Zhang Wen was taking pictures outside the building.FjMxlKDDQrnCrpaboXLsGlJbcqMhVQ

YUtTTflIGjvZcxZ

“Xiao Zhang,” Ren Yi nodded. “You’re here early.”sdlJcNRoabVrVfwtFHvWEfPnrICNBZ

GRLJIqZZRsJRiqB

“Yeah, I wanted to take some environmental shots first.” Zhang Wen, who looked like he had just graduated from university, wore black-framed glasses. His bangs were a bit long, giving him a scholarly yet shy look. His slim frame made his clothes appear oversized and ill-fitting.FsrismKzaYCztuFuDuVGulrdjPonGi

LmuEkNjbbABjPAC

“Zhang Wen, with the fire investigation team being so short on staff, I hope you can develop quickly and handle investigations independently soon.”qDDUOpyjBdcPQzymFYuercUabBjNHI

vYuxaGvQputdvPy

Zhang Wen smiled. “Captain Ren, I’m just a contract worker. I’m not the same as you guys. It’d be nice to go full-time, but if not, I probably won’t be here long.”DWcabdIyVMxDBekEaVRqePIVsmFPaD

OQChvWfhSAbDsrH

“If you do your job well, there’s always the chance to go full-time, right?” Ren Yi patted Zhang Wen’s shoulder. “If you need to gain experience, I can arrange for you to intern with my squad. Doing fire investigations means you have to thoroughly understand a fire scene, whether before or after the fire.”fNBKhlxAupKUYCTIZstTMHWscAIcsM

BEHsYeOzZfsOIpK

“I was actually thinking about that. I’ll apply to my supervisors. Thanks, Captain Ren.” Zhang Wen hesitated for a moment and then asked Ren Yi about the process of becoming full-time.cSdkTAFHZkHtHCDCfdhHRiZEfLvBGX

xePlRYSfWvZxFcg

Ren Yi didn’t have much inside information, so he shared what little he knew.CuBHDvqALLbzsDYCyxecRdVsrGvwSY

qyKbXQERIdhntoj

They had only talked for a few minutes when Gong Yingxian arrived.GdEJKEtshYUrabjTBzRLHOhTdhCdyr

gdwNDQGxGiagPBG

Gong Yingxian looked Ren Yi up and down. “Feeling better?”jqjcffGPGkgtUndybGhaehgwzEueHi

apMhnyVHGmcylFZ

Ren Yi smiled. “I’m fine. I should be asking you that. Did you get through last night without vomiting?”lJBKipjXstXPfCMuTvbsnBsCyhuSJU

VIlyPkPRveSrSux

“I’m working on overcoming it.”KIWSmpebFycxlhIhHoeSqCXAqUZxcY

LQNGsPifnKWjNSB

“So today…” Ren Yi pointed upstairs with his thumb. “Should I go up first and let you know if I find anything?”eFYnAIxvneOBmrdMKphVHMXCYemGbE

YvjJoPbLaHNxYxg

“No, we go up together,” Gong Yingxian said decisively.YfMRUDXyALUXvldMGHuNEnHPewgHpQ

XnXcvlHGGCVNfJQ

Ren Yi couldn’t help but chuckle. “Are you sure? We’re climbing more than twenty floors. You’re a big guy, and if something happens to you, I won’t be able to carry you.”uJOnXColugdWsmbZmryxsgPWElETAz

fTJIhDCjQldrFcx

“I don’t need anyone to carry me.” Gong Yingxian put on his mask and headed into the building without hesitation.OMvpgItmKWJDgGcYnlqBbImNYvxDWm

bBXLLaYiemuQyiK

The elevator, of course, was out of order, so Ren Yi had to climb again. This time, however, without carrying equipment, it felt much easier.naQvxuMwiraWidGHFqPFEFBQbwVcje

XezwUINOdbHVwQL

Gong Yingxian led the way, showing little sign of exertion until the last few floors, where he started to breathe more heavily. Ren Yi, though exhausted, pretended to be just as composed until he could no longer keep up the act.hZkaRfEFCIjAJDubMonNJvzxpRiqDY

orPDbvVzZuRKUOY

Gong Yingxian glanced back at him and sarcastically asked, “Do you need me to carry you?”iyiuhDLRGaZeDYUTdURkSssYFqYkmF

MVoPSACKhZLCGhH

Ren Yi raised an eyebrow. “Yes, please, come on.” He even spread his arms in mock invitation.rXDwXkKsPXLMqMNGxXqMAXmUUZxLXe

QCKzwccHmACXlrl

“But I don’t want to carry you,” Gong Yingxian shot him a sidelong look and continued up.xmbwOaKEAjfFknZIfuofEzhhfzRKAC

lFpKuygdjoiFYWE

Ren Yi just shook his head with a grin.ohucWBXCAUVlNhxLTCojTSaxhZmtcm

joFZGHGsScCWkLQ

Compared to their stamina, Zhang Wen couldn’t keep up. He was lugging a huge tool case filled with equipment for fire scene investigations. By the time he made it to the 22nd floor, Ren Yi and Gong Yingxian had already located the fire’s origin and were examining it.MpxZrXOHahmmovImabtNkhiycimeXi

VDKxwWGaKrVdGHg

“This is the point of origin,” Ren Yi stood in front of the west-side apartment on the 22nd floor. The number plate on the door had melted, but judging by the remaining digits on adjacent doors, this apartment was likely 2209.pPyShBydYbWJDcfVanzOtnqWgRlyNR

RIXJRKgFWbnrtRO

In front of 2209, there was a burnt shoe rack and a few pairs of shoes, along with other unidentifiable charred debris.avzsMnZxgJIAPIZmNYzjEEqVMJhusO

bxsCuGwqgZOIsXs

On the floor, there was an irregular mark distinctly different from the surrounding area. The tiles had discolored and were bulging.YmuwprTvEwuCbOspABJrGjFJDEQVGH

EvbCpvyGpGggSGx

Ren Yi pointed to the floor. “Just by looking at it, this appears to be the trace of a low-level fire caused by a flammable liquid. Thinking back, I believe I smelled gasoline while we were putting out the fire.”NgNxoJjpQABsqjDFdCizBTBBaxplSN

LHhhSdAbhqCDCmO

Gong Yingxian squinted. “Gasoline arson?”pewYQbVxyOXaPgqNiizFwkAfRsATYb

yjxfUFUHsbJGHQI

“The gasoline smell wasn’t strong, and the fire didn’t display the characteristics of a gasoline fire, so the gasoline was probably just an accelerant used to ignite something else.” Ren Yi surveyed the mess. “What could it have been? Shoes? It couldn’t have burned like this.”qAavIopTkoWrbRYorvlxfgcruOZmGZ

HKaDOzXRqZAXdDW

Gong Yingxian crouched down and, wearing gloves, sifted through the charred debris on the floor. After a moment, he picked up a melted, deformed metal can. He looked up at Ren Yi. “What would you store in the hallway?”AnWmgaoyDhCZLwFXmQokZUEpgOzHac

ILVzYCFJgfmkdPK

“Uh, shoe rack, umbrella stand…” Ren Yi wracked his brain.RvFAefKUiCgwujKZWoxWWhbvynpMoI

GxaakpBQJundKYZ

“Trash,” Gong Yingxian replied flatly.dUZabBuZaEzcCFYPaxtSleiAyyAVde

AqZpXVfvdFYWopV