Blazing Armor

GaKFMgANMNnShuzTable of Contents

Chapter 43

Ren Yi took two days off to return home and stock up on food and daily necessities.

While watching a movie with his dad, he took the chance to calculate how many days off he had left this year. To his surprise, he had already used up half of them. In previous years, he rarely used up his vacation days, but since Gong Yingxian’s arrival, he suddenly felt like his days off were never enough.

Fortunately, there were less than two months left in the year.

Just as the movie reached an exciting scene, Ren Xiangrong suddenly asked, “Son, why have you been taking so many days off lately?”

“I’m just trying to spend more time with you.”

“I don’t feel like you’ve spent that much more time with me,” Ren Xiangrong glanced at him, “Why are you taking so much time off? Can you really leave your squad behind?”

“Oh come on, Old Ren, I haven’t taken that many days off.” Ren Yi explained, “I get 45 days a year, and I’ve only used half. There’s Xiao Qu in the squad, my deputy, and the platoon leader—they’re all perfectly capable of handling things on their own. I’m not worried at all.”

Ren Xiangrong snorted, clearly not convinced.

“Besides, I’m not taking time off to have fun. I’m helping the police with a case, sacrificing my personal leave for it. You always gave all your free time to the firefighting service, but you can’t expect me to do the same, right? Mom had plenty of arguments with you over that.”

Ren Xiangrong glared at him, “At least I had a wife. You? If you were taking time off to date, I wouldn’t say a word. You’re already thirty. Hmph.”

Ren Yi rubbed his nose and fell silent.

Ren Xiangrong stared at him for a while, then, with a hint of expectation, asked, “You aren’t really dating someone, are you?”

Ren Yi denied it immediately, “I told you, it’s for the case.” As Gong Yingxian’s face flashed in his mind, his chest felt a little warm.

Ren Xiangrong, disappointed, turned back to the movie, muttering, “I’m not saying you can’t take time off. I just really regret not spending more time with your mom back then.”

Ren Yi sighed softly.

“I won’t be around much longer, but you—find someone to keep you company. Don’t end up alone, okay?”

“Don’t say things like that.” Ren Yi felt a deep sadness.

Watching your closest loved one slowly have their vitality drained away by illness, while being completely powerless to stop it, is one of the most helpless and heartbreaking things in the world.




The next morning, Ren Yi got up and busied himself. He installed security cameras both inside and outside the house, with real-time footage available on his phone. He also instructed the housekeeper to be vigilant about any suspicious people nearby. His address had been exposed on Seraphim, leaving him constantly on edge. Better safe than sorry.

After finishing that, he had lunch and grabbed Gong Yingxian’s pillow before driving to his other house.

This house wasn’t far from where he currently lived. When buying it, his dad’s only requirement had been that it not be outside his district. They had lived there for a few years while his mother was still alive, only moving back to the old house after his father became ill.

Walking through the door, Ren Yi was startled, almost failing to recognize his own home.

The floor tiles gleamed from being freshly polished, every surface was spotless, fresh flowers decorated both the dining table and coffee table, and even the sofa covers had clearly been washed.

Ren Yi set down the pillow and walked into the kitchen. On the counter, he found a velvet box, which he opened to reveal a set of high-end tableware. Then, he checked the fridge—a 500-liter double-door unit, packed to the brim with all kinds of ingredients.

He didn’t even want to check the bedroom or bathroom, guessing they were probably just as immaculate, with plenty of new items he’d never seen before. Shaking his head with a smile, he thought, What a character.

On the dining table, he found a note left by Steward Sheng. It not only listed Gong Yingxian’s dietary restrictions and his favorite foods but even detailed the recipes. Ren Yi made a note of the restricted items, then put the note away. If he was going to entertain a guest at his place, naturally, he would take charge.
JscKxWtAGMtmXPRffeVgkltPtpfgEc

xWbvlPxgZqWXcuw

He began to make preparations and had been busy until about three in the afternoon when Gong Yingxian suddenly called.

Ren Yi held the phone between his shoulder and ear while kneading dough with both hands. “Hello? What time are you coming?”

“I might not be able to make it today.”

Ren Yi frowned, stopping what he was doing. “What’s going on?”

“My colleagues and I are staking out the suspect—the guy with the hood.”

“You found him?”

“Yeah, he has accomplices. We’re in a densely populated residential area, and we don’t want to cause a commotion. We’re waiting for the right moment,” Gong Yingxian’s voice sounded heavy. “I just don’t know when it will end.”

Ren Yi had been looking forward to Gong Yingxian visiting today, so hearing this news left him feeling quite disappointed. He thought for a moment and said, “Where are you? I’ll come by and take a look. Maybe I can help.” He wanted to see Gong Yingxian, no matter the circumstances.

After a moment of hesitation, Gong Yingxian said, “I’ll send you the location.”

Ren Yi put the half-prepared ingredients back in the fridge, changed his clothes, and headed out.

The area where Gong Yingxian was staking out was only two or three kilometers from the car-burning case scene. It was an old neighborhood filled with low-rise buildings and damaged roads, standing in stark contrast to the nearby modern commercial area. It was likely awaiting demolition.

From a distance, Ren Yi spotted Gong Yingxian’s car and parked behind it.

He walked over and knocked on the window, hearing the sound of the car door locking before opening the back seat and getting in. The passenger seat was already occupied.

Gong Yingxian glanced back at Ren Yi. “Are you hungry? I’ve got some food in the car.”

“No, I’m good. I had lunch.”

“Hello, you must be Captain Ren.” The young man in the passenger seat turned around and offered his hand. “We’ve probably met at the precinct before. My name’s Cai Qiang.”

“Nice to meet you.” Ren Yi shook his hand. “How long have you been staking out here?”

“Almost an hour now.” Gong Yingxian rolled up his sleeve to check his watch. “My colleagues spent several days in the area before identifying the suspect.”

Cai Qiang added, “This suspect has a record of causing serious injury in a brawl and has served time. We confirmed with the landlord that he has accomplices staying with him. According to data from the food delivery company, he frequently orders food for three or four people.”

“With so many people, it’s just the two of you on this stakeout?”

Gong Yingxian pointed to an inconspicuous van in the distance. “That’s also one of our teams.”

Ren Yi frowned in confusion. “Why don’t you just go in and arrest him?”

“We’re worried the suspect might resist and cause a commotion, which could harm the surrounding residents since the area is so densely populated,” Cai Qiang explained. “We want to wait until they come out, ideally when the suspect is alone.”

Ren Yi sighed inwardly. It seemed like today wasn’t going to happen after all.

Sensing his thoughts, Gong Yingxian turned his head slightly and said, “If not today, we’ll do it tomorrow.”

Ren Yi smiled at him. “No problem.”

“One more thing,” Gong Yingxian said. “This morning, I arranged a meeting between Zhou Chuan and Peng Fei.”

Ren Yi was surprised. “So soon? How did it go?”

The look on Gong Yingxian’s face suggested the outcome wasn’t great. “Peng Fei had no reaction when he saw Zhou Chuan. He claimed not to know him, and from his expression, mannerisms, and tone, it didn’t seem like he was lying.”

“Maybe he’s just very good at hiding it.”
UszxFztMWtYLgBwWDGQkjfSCMVnodu

yzWRyqdKgWZsyvq

Gong Yingxian shook his head. “Someone who can perfectly mask their facial expressions and body language in a sudden situation would need special training, like a special forces operative or a psychologist. People like that are very rare. Peng Fei has no such background; he’s just an ordinary guy. I really don’t think he knows Zhou Chuan.”

“If he’s not a suspect, then who is that man in black?”

“He’s not entirely off the hook either,” Gong added.

Ren Yi was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

Cai Qiang chimed in, “After the meeting with Zhou Chuan led nowhere, we weren’t satisfied. Dr. Gong had a sudden idea and asked me to bring the trash we collected from the scene to show Peng Fei. This time, he reacted, but he still denied any connection to the evidence.”

“You mean some of that trash might belong to Peng Fei?”

Gong nodded. “Either it’s his, or he knows something. I could see it in his expression. I’ve already sent the evidence to forensics for fingerprint comparison. But considering how badly burned everything was, there’s no guarantee we’ll find anything.”

“Fire-damaged evidence is notoriously hard to analyze. I think our best shot is still focusing on the guy in the hood.”

“Exactly. That’s why, as soon as we got word from our colleagues, we rushed here to stake him out,” Cai Qiang said with a cold chuckle. “Once we get one, the other won’t be far behind.”

As the three of them idly chatted, the sky gradually darkened. Ren Yi glanced outside and muttered, “What if they don’t come out all day?”

“Then we’ll move in at night while they’re asleep. The landlord gave us a key,” Cai Qiang replied, then glanced at Ren Yi. “Captain Ren, you really don’t have to stay here with us. It’s taking up too much of your time.”

“It’s fine, I’m on vacation.” Ren Yi glanced at the back of Gong Yingxian’s head, wondering how the man could sit there for so long without even needing a bathroom break.

As if on cue, Cai Qiang suddenly said, “Whew, I need to hit the restroom.” He opened the door and stepped out of the car.

Once it was just the two of them, Gong Yingxian quickly turned around, looking at Ren Yi with wide eyes. “You really don’t want to go home? Stakeouts are boring.”

“It’s fine. If I went home, I’d just be on my phone. I’d rather stay here and see how the police catch the bad guys.” Of course, Ren Yi wasn’t going to admit he just wanted to stay with Gong. “By the way, do you know what I prepared for you today?”

“What?”

“Not telling.” Ren Yi grinned. “You’ll have to see for yourself.”

Gong raised an eyebrow. “Is your cooking that good? You sound confident.”

“It’s decent. As long as I follow the recipe, I can’t mess it up too badly. By the way, do you play games? What kind of movies do you like?”

“Why do you ask?”
jJZDWtJFwMHllcHVibAGqhUHLWcIgB

EeBidJKiQTZCeWI

“Let’s see about that when the time comes,” Ren Yi said, lifting his chin. “We’ll see how quick you can pick it up.”

Gong Yingxian snorted lightly. “If I want to learn something, there’s nothing I can’t master.”

Ren Yi clicked his tongue twice. “Big words, huh.”

Gong responded without an ounce of hesitation. “I’m serious.”

“Alright, I get it, you’re smart. I just hope you learn fast so you can carry me to a higher rank.”

“Rank in what?”

Ren Yi casually replied, “Just a really impressive place.”

Gong Yingxian, suddenly earnest, said, “Wherever you want to go, I can take you.”

Ren Yi froze for a second, his heart suddenly racing like it might burst out of his chest. Internally, he cursed, Damn, is that something you can just casually say to someone? The way Gong Yingxian unintentionally said things like that so easily sent Ren Yi’s thoughts into a spiral. He really didn’t want to overanalyze the words and actions of a straight guy, worried it was just his own overthinking.

Just as Gong Yingxian seemed ready to say more, his radio suddenly crackled to life. “Dr. Gong, did you see that? The suspect just came out.”
paAeTtIOEhJTkZYbYsSsUuruowYipm

MqEMgmrftahszmc

yQAaoMfxFqGCSrgHeOmHWvDseWRpsN

DLhnZKLEHTtVehY
Table of Contents
JqdYoFMEySzgwJpZKSjKTAXYXUMnrB

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