Blazing Armor

Hearing this, Gong Yingxian was practically furious out of embarrassment. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Ren Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “I was just casually introducing us. We work together, after all. You’re obviously my friend.” He thought Gong Yingxian was sometimes infuriating but at other times so naive, almost like a child—kind of cute, actually.

“Who the hell cares about this ‘friend’ business?” Gong Yingxian felt his face getting hot. “You’re the one who brought it up. I always follow through on my promises. I’m just sticking to my principles and fulfilling what I personally agreed to.”

“Yes, yes, you and your principles.” Ren Yi tried to calm him down. “My bad. Next time, I’ll be more careful with my words when introducing you to others.”

Gong Yingxian shot Ren Yi a glare and then turned his face toward the window, sulking.

Ren Yi sneaked a glance at him. The afternoon sunlight filtered through his hair, skin, and earlobes, making his hair ends look light, his skin like porcelain, and his ears flushed red. Ren Yi’s heart couldn’t help but skip a couple of beats. He quickly stuffed a large piece of meat into his mouth to cover the smile that he just couldn’t suppress.

Maybe he was Gong Yingxian’s first friend?

After finishing their meal, Gong Yingxian still refused to talk to Ren Yi, and the atmosphere inside the car grew increasingly awkward.

Just as Ren Yi was about to take the high road and try to coax him, they saw a familiar figure emerge from the apartment building they had been watching.

Both sat up straight and used binoculars to confirm. It was indeed Zhou Chuan. His hair had grown a bit longer, and he still looked just as rundown and malnourished. He had a backpack slung over his shoulders and was heading towards the gate of the residential complex, head down.

Ren Yi started the car, puzzled. “If he’s going, it should be at night, right? What’s he doing heading out so early?”

“Follow him and we’ll find out.”

When Zhou Chuan reached the gate, he waited for a while until a rideshare car arrived. Gong Yingxian made a call, instructing his colleague to request the rideshare company’s surveillance footage and audio recordings from that car.

They tailed Zhou Chuan for a bit, and he eventually entered a mall. Since parking there wasn’t convenient, Gong Yingxian got out to follow Zhou Chuan, while Ren Yi waited in the car. What he didn’t expect was that this wait would last more than three hours.

It wasn’t until after eight in the evening that Gong Yingxian hurried back to the car, while Ren Yi spotted Zhou Chuan across the street, standing at a bus stop.

“What took so long?”

Gong Yingxian explained, “He stayed in an electronics store the whole time. When he finally left, I went in to ask. Turns out his equipment was broken and being repaired.”

“That idiot… Oh wait, he’s getting on the bus.” Ren Yi started the car and began tailing the bus.

It was rush hour, so they got stuck following the bus for over an hour. As the bus ventured farther and farther out, they checked the route map but couldn’t figure out where Zhou Chuan was headed. It was clear he wasn’t going to Wanyuan Residential Complex.

They speculated that Zhou Chuan might be planning to wait until late at night to act, just like during the Fourth Perspective incident, but for now, they had no clue what his intentions were. Whatever the case, they weren’t going to let him out of their sight.

Zhou Chuan eventually got off the bus and started walking, forcing them to follow on foot. By now, they had reached the outskirts of the Fifth Ring. It wasn’t exactly remote, but this new district was more open than the city center, and there were fewer people around. They couldn’t afford to follow him too closely.

Finally, Zhou Chuan turned into a construction site, immediately putting the two on high alert.

It was unclear how long this site had been abandoned, but it had turned into a makeshift parking lot. Nearby were several residential complexes, and there were at least a hundred cars parked here. The only entrance had an old man stationed as a parking attendant. Judging by the location, this seemed to be a place where people parked their cars overnight.

Zhou Chuan didn’t enter through the main gate, though. Instead, he circled around the site and snuck in through a spot that was too narrow for cars but wide enough for a person to slip through.

The two grew increasingly suspicious, uncertain of what Zhou Chuan was planning, but it was likely related to his “business.” They quietly followed him into the lot and watched as Zhou Chuan settled into a hidden corner and began adjusting some equipment. They took cover in a nearby patch of tall grass.

Occasionally, a few cars came and went, but as the night progressed, the activity dwindled.

Even though it was autumn and the night had a bit of a chill, the mosquitoes in the grass were relentless. Gong Yingxian, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, was well-prepared, but Ren Yi wasn’t as lucky—his arms, exposed in short sleeves, were covered in bites. He scratched constantly and cursed under his breath.

Gong Yingxian shot him a cold glance and sneered, “Serves you right. I told you not to wear short sleeves.”

“It wasn’t cold during the day,” Ren Yi muttered. “What the hell did that guy come all the way out here for?”

“He’s probably waiting for the guard to leave.”

“He’d better be. I’ve fed enough mosquitoes; if this turns out to be a waste, I’m gonna be pissed.”

They waited until almost 11 PM when they finally saw the old man guarding the lot pack up his chair and teacup and leave. Only then did Zhou Chuan rise from his hiding spot, casually strolling through the parking lot, as if searching or scouting for something.

After another hour, Ren Yi’s legs had gone numb. He sighed, “Is this how you tail suspects all the time? Being a cop isn’t easy.”

“It’s only been a few hours,” Gong Yingxian said, keeping his binoculars trained on Zhou Chuan. “He should be making a move soon.”

Zhou Chuan had stopped in front of a bright yellow Kia, a car that clearly belonged to a woman, parked in an open spot with no cars around it. Holding a gimbal-mounted camera in one hand and his phone in the other, he seemed to be documenting the vehicle.

At exactly midnight, Zhou Chuan walked towards the parking lot’s exit. A moment later, he returned—with another man in tow!

Both Ren Yi and Gong Yingxian held their breath as they quietly shifted positions, trying to get closer. Ren Yi pointed to a trash bin nearby, signaling that they should hide behind it.

Gong Yingxian glared at Ren Yi, who shrugged innocently. Resigned, Gong Yingxian put on a mask and reluctantly made his way toward the trash bin.

Though it offered good cover, the stench was unbearable. Ren Yi pinched his nose, gesturing at Gong Yingxian’s mask, then at his pocket, and finally at himself. He knew Gong Yingxian always carried extra gear.

Sure enough, Gong Yingxian pulled out another mask from his pocket. Ren Yi’s eyes lit up, and he reached out to grab it, but just as he did, Gong Yingxian unfolded the mask and put it on his own face, grinning smugly as he watched Ren Yi’s expression of frustration.

Ren Yi shot a fierce glare at him.

The man who had joined Zhou Chuan was dressed entirely in black, with a baseball cap and mask covering his face. He was carrying two woven sacks. From this distance, they couldn’t hear their conversation, but the two men were discussing something near the yellow Kia.

Then, Zhou Chuan set up a tripod and mounted his laptop on it, positioning the camera directly at the car.

Meanwhile, the man in black wandered over to the construction site and picked up a rock. He hesitated for a long time, nervously glancing around. At one point, he even walked to the parking lot entrance to check for any people. Once he was sure no one was around, he returned and used the rock to smash the driver’s side window.

The man in black was clumsy and hesitant, clearly doing this for the first time. Zhou Chuan, holding the gimbal in one hand and operating the laptop with the other, continued conversing intermittently.

At this point, Ren Yi and Gong Yingxian finally confirmed their suspicions: they were setting up a live stream. Zhou Chuan hadn’t changed his ways at all. Instead of targeting Wanyuan Complex, he had chosen this remote spot, thinking it would be safe.

Ren Yi whispered, “When do we bust them?”

Gong Yingxian replied, “Wait for solid evidence.”

They had been recording with their phones for quite a while, but smashing a car’s window wasn’t enough to charge them with anything serious. They didn’t want Zhou Chuan to get away with just another 48-hour detention before strutting out of the police station like nothing happened.

Then, the man in black opened one of the woven sacks and pulled out a white plastic container, pouring its contents all over the car. Even from a distance, the smell of gasoline filled the air.

“Shit, they’re really gonna torch the car,” Ren Yi cursed. “Sick bastards.”

Gong Yingxian unholstered his gun from the ankle holster. “We’ve got enough evidence. Can you handle Zhou Chuan?”

Ren Yi cracked his knuckles. “That scrawny guy? Please. If he doesn’t put up a fight, I’ll be disappointed.”

“Let’s go.”

The two crouched low, using the cars for cover, inching closer to their targets.

They overheard Zhou Chuan excitedly shout into his laptop, “Add another ten thousand?”

The man in black gestured for silence, then opened the second woven sack and pulled something out, tossing it into the car. He then used the sack to cover the car window.

Gong Yingxian and Ren Yi couldn’t see exactly what had been thrown inside, but they knew the duo was about to light the fire.

Zhou Chuan began meticulously filming the car, circling it with his camera and laptop, before returning to the tripod. He nodded to the man in black. “Go ahead.”

At that moment, Gong Yingxian sprang out from behind the car, gun raised, shouting, “Freeze!”

Both Zhou Chuan and the man in black jumped in shock. Zhou Chuan turned, and when he saw the two men, his face paled as if he had seen a ghost. Instinctively, he started to run.

“Don’t you dare run!” Ren Yi barked at Zhou Chuan. “You wanna get shot?”

The man in black, visibly trembling, suddenly brought his hand behind his back. In the darkness, there was a flicker of firelight.

“Stop—!” Gong Yingxian shouted as he lunged forward.

But it was too late. The man in black tossed the lit lighter. The moment it hit the ground, the gasoline ignited, flames roaring to life in an instant. The fire spread like a blooming flower, engulfing the car in seconds.

The blast of heat knocked both Gong Yingxian and Ren Yi back, but Zhou Chuan, who had gotten too close while filming, wasn’t so lucky. His foot, splashed with gasoline earlier, was caught by the flames. Screaming in agony, he dropped to the ground, rolling to try to extinguish the fire consuming him.

Just then, from within the burning car, came the faint sound of meowing—multiple cats, trapped inside.

The man in black bolted, running as fast as he could.

Ren Yi rushed over and yanked Zhou Chuan to the side, stripping off his shirt and frantically slapping the flames on Zhou Chuan’s body while shouting, “Roll! Roll!”

Zhou Chuan screamed, rolling on the ground in agony. “The bag! There’s a fire extinguisher in the bag!” he cried.

Gong Yingxian glanced between the fleeing man in black and the burning car, his face pale as a sheet. His heart pounded violently, as if it were going to burst out of his chest. The blinding brightness and searing heat—it was fire, real fire.

“**Gong Yingxian!**” Ren Yi roared.

That snapped him out of his daze. He abandoned the chase and ran to the woven sack, pulling out a dry powder extinguisher and two portable aerosol extinguishers.

Gong Yingxian rushed over with the dry powder extinguisher and swiftly put out the flames on Zhou Chuan. He then moved to extinguish the fire on the car, but Ren Yi stopped him.

“Don’t spray the powder inside! The cats will suffocate. Just spray the outside!” Ren Yi wiped the sweat from his brow, picked up both aerosol extinguishers, pulled the safety pins, and said, “You take the outside, I’ll handle the inside.”

Gong Yingxian nodded firmly and sprayed down the side of the driver’s seat with the dry powder. After emptying the extinguisher, Ren Yi used the aerosol cans to spray inside the car, emptying them in one go.

The extinguishers weren’t enough to put out the entire fire. Ren Yi ordered, “Call 119!” He wrapped his already torn shirt around his hand, reached through the car window, and felt for the door handle, managing to open the door.

Gong Yingxian stood behind Ren Yi, watching as he leaned his bare body into the still-burning car. His blood felt like it had frozen in his veins. The raging flames were like a hungry demon, savagely consuming everything in its path. Memories of a fire buried deep in his past, memories that had tormented him his entire life, surged forward, accompanied by a tidal wave of fear that threatened to drown him. He couldn’t breathe—he wasn’t sure if it was fear choking him or the scorching heat tearing at his throat.

Suddenly, a flaming cat leaped from the car, howling in panic as it darted across the ground. The flickering blaze on its body was the very image of hopeless despair. In a matter of moments, it collapsed, silent.

Ignoring the intense heat, Ren Yi finally managed to pull a small kitten from beneath the seat. The kitten’s side was on fire, and it writhed and screamed in pain.

Ren Yi quickly wrapped the kitten in his shirt, grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground, and smothered the flames. With the oxygen cut off, the fire slowly died out.

When Ren Yi turned, he saw Gong Yingxian standing stiffly nearby, his eyes wide, fixated on the fire. Sweat dripped from his chin, sizzling as it hit the ground.

Ren Yi had no choice but to yank Gong Yingxian aside. He tossed his phone to Zhou Chuan, who was lying on the ground groaning. “Call 119,” Ren Yi ordered. Then he approached the burning car again, knowing there were more kittens inside, all just a few months old—clearly from the same litter.

He braved the flames, fumbling under the seats, desperately searching.

At that moment, Gong Yingxian seemed to awaken from his nightmare. His eyes caught sight of gasoline dripping from the tank beneath the car. His voice trembled as he shouted, “Ren Yi, there’s a gas leak! Get out of there!”

“I see it,” Ren Yi replied calmly. “Just a minute.” He was fully aware that the ruptured fuel line, caused by the fire’s heat, was a ticking time bomb for a larger explosion. He couldn’t afford to ignore it.

“**Ren Yi!**” Gong Yingxian’s eyes turned red with panic.

Ren Yi finally managed to grab another kitten, but his hand was scorched by the heat, forcing him to release his grip. He reached in again, determined.

“**Ren Yi!**” Gong Yingxian watched helplessly as the flames inched closer to the leaking gasoline. He took a step forward, but it felt as if his legs were rooted to the ground, unable to move any further.

He was terrified of fire. It was the one thing in the world that could paralyze him with fear. From this distance, every inch of his skin felt as if it were being pierced by needles. The flames seemed like gaping jaws, ready to tear him to shreds the moment he got too close.

He bit down hard on his tongue, the pain grounding him. With his strength returning, he sprinted forward, grabbing Ren Yi by the waist and forcefully dragging him away from the car.

Ren Yi held a scalding hot, lifeless kitten in his hands.

Gong Yingxian dragged Ren Yi far from the burning car before his strength gave out, and they both collapsed onto the ground.

Ren Yi looked down at the kitten, which had long since stopped breathing. His nose tingled, and his breath became unsteady. He was about to curse when he realized the trembling wasn’t coming from him—it was from the person holding him.

Gong Yingxian was shaking uncontrollably, his arms still wrapped tightly around Ren Yi. He wasn’t crying, but the raw fear radiating from his body was palpable. The fire had brought him to his breaking point.

Ren Yi, his throat tight with a mix of emotions, didn’t know what to say. Instead, he shifted slightly and gently placed the lifeless kitten on the ground. Then, without pulling away, he quietly patted Gong Yingxian on the back, trying to offer comfort.

For a while, neither of them moved. The fire crackled in the distance, its glow flickering against the dark night, but for now, in this small moment, they found a strange sense of stillness.