Blazing Armor

The two of them looked in the same direction and saw two men appear at the mouth of the alley. The taller one resembled the figure and outline of the hooded man they’d seen on the surveillance footage.

Cai Qiang’s voice came over the intercom, “Damn, I was only gone for two minutes.”

Gong Yingxian said, “Wait until they reach the trash bin by the street. We’ll move in from both sides, try not to cause a scene. Cai Qiang, you go straight to their rental to check for any stragglers.” As he spoke, he opened the car door and got out.

Ren Yi followed suit, but Gong Yingxian forcefully pushed the door shut again, “Stay in the car.”

Ren Yi, clearly dissatisfied, rolled down the window and said, “Last time, I let you join my operation.”

“That was because you invited me. Now I’m telling you to stay in the car,” Gong Yingxian insisted firmly. “Do not get out.”

Ren Yi pouted.

Gong Yingxian adjusted his tie and turned to walk toward the suspects. Two plainclothes officers who had gotten out of a van approached from another direction.

When Gong Yingxian was only a few dozen meters away, the hooded man noticed him and visibly tensed.

Ren Yi thought to himself, Gong Yingxian must not realize how conspicuous he looks. With a face like that, he’s really not suited for undercover work.

Sure enough, whether due to suspicion or recognition, the hooded man said something to his companion, and the two suddenly turned and bolted.

The police gave chase.

The two suspects ran in different directions into the alleyways, disappearing into the maze of the crowded residential area.

Gong Yingxian pursued the hooded man, while his two colleagues went after the accomplice.

Ren Yi knew the hooded man had a history of violent offenses. In a densely populated area like this, the police wouldn’t draw their guns unless absolutely necessary — both to avoid injuring civilians and to prevent panic. Worried about Gong Yingxian, Ren Yi pushed open the car door, jumped out, and followed.

The hooded man was clearly familiar with the area, darting through the narrow alleys. The neighborhood had a strong local vibe: clothes drying, grains being sun-dried, groceries sold on the roadside, chestnuts being stir-fried, all scattered throughout the alleyways. The infrastructure was poor, the roads were uneven, the houses rundown, and the stench of garbage and sewage filled the air.

From a distance, Ren Yi chased after Gong Yingxian, thinking that despite his usual fastidiousness, when it came to work, Gong Yingxian never hesitated to get his hands dirty, no matter how exhausting or unpleasant the situation. It was a testament to his unwavering determination.

Gong Yingxian shouted sharply, “Stop! Police!”

The nearby residents, upon seeing the commotion, quickly moved aside.

The hooded man was in good shape and ran fast. Gong Yingxian was close behind, his handcrafted leather shoes stumbling over the uneven ground—not the best choice for running—but he was steadily closing the gap.

Finally, the hooded man ran deeper into the alley and, in a panic, dashed into a dead end.

“Stop running!”

The hooded man glanced back at Gong Yingxian, then leaped onto a large trash bin by the wall, quickly pulling himself up.

By the time Gong Yingxian reached the trash bin, he stretched out to grab the man’s foot but missed. The hooded man flipped over the wall.

Just as Ren Yi turned into the alley, he saw Gong Yingxian leap up, using the trash bin lid for momentum, and deftly vault over the wall. As a firefighter, scaling walls and crossing rooftops was part of Ren Yi’s training, so he followed without hesitation.

As soon as Gong Yingxian landed on the other side, he grabbed a half-broken broom lying on the ground and hurled it at the hooded man.

The broom struck the man’s back, but he only paused briefly before continuing to run frantically. Gong Yingxian, now enraged after vaulting the trash bin, sprinted forward with speed, then launched himself at the hooded man, tackling him to the ground.

The hooded man let out a scream and began struggling violently. Gong Yingxian landed two punches before the man swung his arm, and in the corner of his eye, Gong Yingxian caught a glint of metal—something silver flashed briefly in the night.

There was no time to see what it was; Gong Yingxian instinctively dodged to the side. Right after, he heard the sound of fabric being ripped, followed by something metallic dropping to the ground with a clatter.

Gong Yingxian rolled on the ground twice before stabilizing himself. Crouching, he looked down and saw a long tear running along the left side of his suit jacket, and the strap of his underarm holster had been cut. His service weapon had fallen between them—closer to the hooded man.

The hooded man now held a knife in his hand, his expression fierce as his eyes flickered to the gun on the ground. Because of the dim light, it took him a moment to confirm it was indeed a gun.

Gong Yingxian stood up, his face dark with fury, roughly tearing open his suit buttons and tossing the jacket to the ground.

At that moment, Ren Yi flipped over the wall and landed gracefully.

Gong Yingxian froze for a second, casting a fierce glare at Ren Yi. Seeing the hooded man quickly bend down to grab the gun, Gong Yingxian sprinted forward.

The hooded man grabbed the gun in one hand and swung the knife with the other, aiming a vicious stab at Gong Yingxian. Gong Yingxian dodged to the side, seized the man’s arm, and yanked him forward. His other hand gripped the man’s wrist and sharply twisted it downward.

The hooded man let out a scream of pain, forced to drop the knife, but he quickly kicked toward Gong Yingxian’s groin.

Such a dirty move, probably picked up in prison, Gong Yingxian thought, and had no choice but to release his hold and step back two paces.

The hooded man seized the moment, unlocking the gun holster’s clasp and pulling out the pistol.

Ren Yi, seeing this, shouted urgently, “Watch out!” and charged forward.

Gong Yingxian swung his long leg, sweeping the hooded man’s calf and knocking him to the ground.

The madness in the hooded man’s eyes grew as he aimed the gun at Gong Yingxian. In a split second, Gong Yingxian kicked his wrist, sending the gun flying out of his hand.

Without hesitation, Gong Yingxian followed with another powerful kick, landing squarely in the hooded man’s stomach.

The man rolled several times on the ground, groaning in pain but still trying to get back up.

Gong Yingxian unclipped his handcuffs from his belt, kicked the man down again, and swiftly cuffed him.

The entire sequence took only seconds, finishing before Ren Yi could even catch up. Ren Yi stood there, stunned by how ruthlessly efficient Gong Yingxian had been.

After securing the cuffs, Gong Yingxian finally let out a breath, his gaze cold and dark as he looked down at the hooded man.

Ren Yi, still reeling from the moment when the hooded man had aimed the gun at Gong Yingxian, felt a lingering fear.

Gong Yingxian picked up his service pistol from the ground and said coldly, “You don’t even know how to release the safety, and you still dare to use a gun?”

Snapping out of his daze, Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian’s torn clothes and stammered, “Are… are you okay?”

Gong Yingxian snapped, “I told you to stay in the car!” He was furious. He had been dealing with a violent suspect with a criminal record—someone who knew that capture meant certain death. In such a situation, anything could happen. The moment Ren Yi had shown up, the gun had been right at the suspect’s feet. Gong Yingxian’s heart had nearly stopped in that instant.

Ren Yi, seeing an opening, quickly retorted, “Now you know why I was so damn pissed last time!”

Normally, in their verbal sparring, Gong Yingxian always came out on top, but this time he was caught off guard. However, he quickly raised his voice, yelling, “And you still dare talk back!”

“I…” Ren Yi, seeing the furious look on Gong Yingxian’s face and recalling how he had just taken down the suspect, immediately backed down. “Are… are you hurt?”

Gong Yingxian took a deep breath, “Scum like him can’t hurt me.” He glanced down at his dirt-covered and torn clothes, feeling utterly disgusted. Roughly, he yanked the hooded man up from the ground and began marching him forward.

Ren Yi followed closely behind, stealing glances at Gong Yingxian the whole time.

By the time they exited the residential area and returned to their previous stakeout spot, two police cars were already waiting. Both suspects had been apprehended and were being loaded into the vehicles.

Cai Qiang glanced at Gong Yingxian’s filthy appearance and grimaced, “Ah, Dr. Gong, that must’ve been rough.”

Gong Yingxian tossed his gloves into a nearby trash can, opened the trunk of the car, and pulled out a bottle of disinfectant, spraying himself down immediately.

Ren Yi walked over and started to ask, “Do you want—”

Before he could finish, Gong Yingxian turned the bottle on him and sprayed him relentlessly. Ren Yi had no choice but to close his eyes, breathing in the strong smell of alcohol.

When the bottle was nearly empty, Ren Yi finally asked, “Do you want to go clean up somewhere?”

Gong Yingxian shot him a sideways glance, “Back to the precinct. Get in.”

The drive was silent, the atmosphere in the car suffocating.

Once they arrived at the precinct, Gong Yingxian retrieved a clean suit and shoes from the trunk without so much as a glance at Ren Yi, then headed straight inside.

Ren Yi didn’t even have time to complain, more concerned with what would happen during the hooded man’s interrogation.

Cai Qiang led Ren Yi inside. It was well past work hours, but the precinct was still bustling with people on duty and working overtime. The suspects they had just brought in had caused quite a stir.

Cai Qiang brought Ren Yi to the surveillance room next to the interrogation room, where they could see and hear what was happening without being seen themselves. The hooded man was slouched in his chair, his eyes vacant. It was unclear whether he had been worn out by Gong Yingxian’s kicks or had simply given up, knowing his fate was sealed.

Cai Qiang pulled up a chair and smiled, “Have a seat, Captain Ren. You’ve been a huge help with this case, doing the fire investigation and all. I didn’t expect you’d even help catch the criminal.”

Ren Yi chuckled wryly, “I didn’t expect it to be so intense.”

“You’re practically one of us now.”

Fifteen minutes later, they saw the door to the interrogation room open. Gong Yingxian walked in, now dressed in a crisp, iron-gray suit from head to toe, his hair neatly in place. There was no trace of the dirt and grime from earlier.

Cai Qiang joked, “What a waste that Dr. Gong didn’t become a celebrity.”

Ren Yi smiled in agreement.

Gong Yingxian sat across from the hooded man and tapped the table, starting with the routine questions.

The hooded man, however, remained silent, a mocking expression on his face as he stared at Gong Yingxian.

After a moment of silence, Gong Yingxian’s voice came through the surveillance speakers again, “What, you think staying quiet is going to help?”

“I just don’t feel like wasting words,” the hooded man sneered, lifting his chin. “Why don’t you ask something more interesting?”

“And what would be interesting?” Gong Yingxian asked. “Did you set the fire at 2209 Wanyuan Apartments?”

The hooded man sat up straight, even leaned forward, staring directly at Gong Yingxian, “I know who you are.”

Gong Yingxian’s expression didn’t change. “My personal information was leaked on your sick little network. It’s no surprise you know me.”

Gong Yingxian’s face changed instantly. “What did you say?!”

Ren Yi shot up from his chair, his expression darkening. Cai Qiang was also stunned.

The hooded man burst out laughing.

Gong Yingxian slammed the table hard, his blood rushing to his head. “What did you say?!”

“I said…” The hooded man grinned maliciously, “Gong, the young master—do you remember that ‘bird’?”

Gong Yingxian’s eyes widened, his pupils constricting. He shot out of his chair like he had been shocked, rounded the table in one step, grabbed the hooded man, and slammed him into the wall. The suspect’s handcuffs were still attached to the table, and Gong’s force dragged the whole table with them, creating a screeching sound.

Cai Qiang bolted out of the surveillance room, with Ren Yi right behind him.

“What did you say?! What did you say?!” Gong Yingxian roared, his eyes bloodshot, his expression wild and bestial.

Cai Qiang rushed to hold Gong Yingxian back. “Dr. Gong, let go! Let him go!”

Ren Yi also tried to pull Gong away.

But Gong Yingxian held onto the hooded man with a death grip, repeating, “What did you say?!” He had completely lost control.

Ren Yi yelled, “Gong Yingxian, let go! If you get disciplined, you won’t be able to interrogate him anymore!”

Ren Yi’s voice was like a thunderclap, snapping Gong Yingxian out of his rage. His whole body froze.

Taking advantage of the moment, Ren Yi and Cai Qiang managed to wrest the hooded man from Gong’s grip.

Cai Qiang wiped the sweat from his brow. “Thank God no one was around, or this would have been a disaster.” He frowned and said, “Dr. Gong, what’s going on with you? I’ve never seen you lose control like this. Let’s call it a day. You should go home and rest.”

Gong Yingxian stood frozen, his mouth trembling, but no words came out.

Ren Yi gave Cai Qiang a glance, signaling him to take the hooded man away. Cai Qiang quickly complied and led the suspect out.

Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian’s pale face, knowing that whatever the hooded man had said must be connected to the massacre of Gong’s family eighteen years ago. Gong’s reaction was entirely understandable.

“Gong… Dr. Gong,” Ren Yi said softly, “calm down. Breathe.”

Gong Yingxian slowly lifted his eyes, staring at Ren Yi.

“Breathe,” Ren Yi repeated, demonstrating a deep breath in and out. “No matter what you heard or what happened, the most important thing right now is to stay calm.”

But Gong Yingxian’s red-rimmed eyes began to glisten, and his body started to tremble.

Ren Yi’s heart clenched painfully. He couldn’t control himself—his hand reached out to gently grasp the back of Gong Yingxian’s neck, his thumb brushing against Gong’s soft cheek. “You can tell me. You don’t have to bear it alone. You can tell me, but you mustn’t act impulsively.”

Gong Yingxian’s eyes widened, holding back tears. In a hoarse voice, he said, “The bird… the bird mask.”

“What?”

“The man… he wore the bird mask.” After saying this, Gong Yingxian’s gaze began to blur, and he struggled to breathe. Suddenly, he lunged forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Ren Yi, clinging to him like someone about to fall, holding on for dear life.

Ren Yi responded by embracing Gong’s broad back, feeling an overwhelming ache in his heart, unable to find words.

Why now? Why at this moment? As Ren Yi felt the sharp pain in his chest, a deep compassion and tenderness surged through him. He shared Gong’s sorrow, angered by the same injustices. In this moment, unable to deny it any longer, Ren Yi finally admitted to himself that he had fallen for the man in his arms.