Blazing Armor

The next morning, Ren Yi reported to the Hongwu Public Security Bureau.

This bureau wasn’t far from his fire station. Although it wasn’t within his jurisdiction, they had some interactions from time to time. He hadn’t realized when someone like Gong Yingxian had shown up here.

At the bureau, he met the person who invited him to assist with the investigation—Song Bei.

Song Bei was a seasoned police officer and currently the captain of the third squad in the criminal investigation unit of the Hongwu Public Security Bureau. He looked very approachable.

Ren Yi extended his hand, “Captain Song.”

“Captain Ren, hello. Have a seat.”

The two shook hands, and Ren Yi sat down. He looked around the office. The glass was semi-transparent, allowing him to see the people coming and going outside.

Song Bei smiled, “Sorry to trouble you, Captain Ren, especially in this heat.”

“No need to be so polite. You’re my senior, I should be the one saying that. Just call me Little Ren, but you know my last name—it’s a bit awkward.”

Song Bei laughed heartily, “Then I’ll stick with Captain Ren.”

Ren Yi chuckled, “I heard from our chief that there was a twist in that jumping case?”

“Yes. Originally, we were going to close it as a suicide, but some new developments came up recently. It might be related to a financial case, so we’d like you to assist in the investigation since you were more familiar with the scene at the time.”

Ren Yi nodded, “It left a strong impression.”

He remembered it clearly. It was the middle of the night, around four, the time when people enter deep sleep. Suddenly, an emergency call came in. A few youths, fresh from clubbing, discovered a person impaled on the iron fence of a garden in a low-rise building in their community. Blood had flowed down the slope all the way to the gate.

When the fire truck arrived, the person was still alive. They cut the fence and transported both the person and the section of the fence to the hospital with the ambulance, but the person didn’t make it before reaching the hospital.

They all thought it was suicide. Who would’ve guessed that two months later, the case would take a turn?

The collaboration between the fire department and the police was always close. In many incidents, the fire department was the first to arrive, and in their efforts to save lives or property, they often caused unavoidable damage to the scene, especially in fire-related cases.

Song Bei spread the crime scene photos in front of Ren Yi to help him recall, “I’ve read your incident report. Try to think if there were any other details.”

Ren Yi did his best to reconstruct everything he had seen at the time.

Song Bei asked many detailed questions, and the two of them spent over two hours in the meeting room.

Suddenly, Song Bei asked curiously, “Do you see someone familiar?”

“Huh? What?”

Song Bei raised his chin, “I noticed you keep looking out the window whenever someone passes by.”

“Uh, sorry.” Ren Yi was a bit embarrassed. He ruffled his hair, feeling slightly disgusted with himself. Why did he get so inexplicably nervous just thinking about possibly running into Gong Yingxian? It wasn’t like he was in the wrong.

Song Bei checked his watch, “Oh wow, it’s already noon. Sorry for taking up so much of your time. Let’s go grab a bite; my treat.”

“No need, really. This is all part of the job. Besides, you’re busy too. My station is nearby, I’ll head back to eat.”

“I insist! There’s a nice restaurant nearby, and I’ve always wanted to hear about your father’s stories. I’ve heard a lot about him.”

Ren Yi smiled, “In that case, I won’t hold back.”

“Let’s go, let’s go.”

As the two walked out of the meeting room, they saw staff heading out of the office area. Only one person was walking against the flow in their direction.

It was Gong Yingxian!

Ren Yi raised an eyebrow. Gong Yingxian, just like the last two times they’d met, was dressed impeccably in a crisp suit, his long legs striding confidently. In his gloved hand, he carried a plain paper bag.

Their eyes met, and a flicker of surprise flashed across Gong Yingxian’s gaze.

Song Bei nodded at Gong Yingxian, “Gong, heading to lunch?”

Gong Yingxian nodded back, “Captain Song.” He glanced at Ren Yi, his look as indifferent as if he were looking at a stranger.

“Let me introduce you,” Song Bei said. “This is Captain Ren Yi, the talented young leader of the Phoenix Fire Station, here to help us with the investigation into the jumping case. Captain Ren, this is Gong Yingxian, a brilliant talent who joined us last year. He’s a chemistry PhD from MIT.”

The introduction was laid out, but Song Bei noticed something strange—neither of them extended their hands. Instead, they just stared at each other. Puzzled, Song Bei asked, “You two… know each other?”

“No.”

They answered in unison, speaking so quickly as if they were afraid that saying it any slower would mean losing some kind of competition.

Song Bei stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Ren Yi said, “Captain Song, let’s go. I’m actually getting hungry.”

“Oh, right, let’s head out.”

It wasn’t until Gong Yingxian had walked far away that Song Bei chuckled, “So, didn’t expect to see a cop in our bureau who looks like a movie star, huh? The day he arrived, the female officers nearly lost their minds.”

“Hmm… yeah, didn’t expect that. He’s one of your team?”

“Yes, an outstanding young man, though his personality’s a bit… withdrawn.”

Ren Yi thought to himself, calling it “withdrawn” was a bit too polite. He asked, “Why was everyone else leaving, but he was coming back?”

“It’s lunch time, everyone’s headed to the cafeteria. Him, though—” Song Bei shook his head, smiling, “He doesn’t eat with us.”

“Why not?”

“He’s a bit of a clean freak. Only eats food he brings himself.”

“Can someone that antisocial really work in criminal investigation?”

“We embrace all kinds here,” Song Bei tapped his temple, “He’s got a sharp mind, he can fight, he’s fearless, and he’s well-connected. We need all kinds of talents.”

Ren Yi couldn’t help but think, *Could it be because he donated some fancy equipment or something?*

“And besides,” Song Bei added, “there’s a reason for his aloofness. It’s understandable.”

“Oh? What’s the reason?”

Song Bei just smiled, clearly not planning to say more. Ren Yi didn’t press further either—it wasn’t his business, and asking too much might seem suspicious.

—

After lunch, Ren Yi took some time to go home and have afternoon tea with his father before heading back to his station.

As soon as he arrived, Qu Yangbo called him into his office.

Inside, three people were sitting on the sofa—two men and a woman. As soon as Ren Yi walked in, all three stood up.

The two men didn’t stand out, but the woman caught his attention. She was tall, with short hair like a guy’s. Though she had good features, she didn’t have the softness usually associated with women, instead giving off a bold, heroic vibe.

Before Ren Yi could say anything, the three of them saluted simultaneously, “Hello, Captain!”

Ren Yi returned the salute, then looked at Qu Yangbo with a puzzled expression.

“Oh, these are candidates I’ve shortlisted for our team’s firefighter recruitment. Of course, you’ll still have to interview them personally.”

Ren Yi scanned the three of them, “Alright. But it’s getting late today, so why don’t you head home first. I’ll inform you of the interview schedule later.”

“Goodbye, Captain. Goodbye, Instructor.”

After they left, Ren Yi turned to Qu Yangbo and glared, “What are you thinking? A female firefighter?”

“What’s wrong with that?” Qu Yangbo shrugged. “Is there any regulation saying we can’t recruit women?”

They were in the middle of a firefighting system reform. The batch of recruits from last year would be the last to serve as active-duty soldiers. By the end of the year, they’d be transitioning to a professional system, moving from being part of the Public Security Firefighting Department to the Ministry of Emergency Management. They’d be hiring full-time professional firefighters across the board.

Naturally, priority was given to those who had served in firefighting units. As the station captain, Ren Yi had the final say in personnel matters, while Qu Yangbo, who mainly handled administrative and political work, was responsible for the initial recruitment phase.

But Ren Yi never expected that Qu Yangbo would consider hiring a female firefighter.

Ren Yi frowned, “We have over forty men in our team. Would that really be convenient? My dear Comrade Bobo?”

“Calm down, dear Comrade Yan Yan.” Qu Yangbo flashed his signature grin. “Come September, several people will be retiring. We’ve only managed to recruit three full-time firefighters in half a year, and we’re still way understaffed.”

“Being understaffed doesn’t mean you can just recruit randomly.”

“Who says I’m being random? Do you have something against female soldiers?”

“I don’t have a problem with female soldiers. But do you think this job is right for her? When she was in the army, at least she was surrounded by other women. If she comes here… I’m thinking of her well-being. Does she really understand how tough this path is?”

“I think she’s pretty clear about it.” Qu Yangbo adjusted his glasses. “You haven’t even interviewed her yet, so it’s not fair to dismiss her outright. From my interactions with her, she seems like a qualified firefighter.”

“Firefighters are frontline workers. The frontlines aren’t suited for women.”

“That’s discrimination and prejudice.”

“Don’t pull that on me. Go ask any fire department in the country how many have female firefighters. Is this really about prejudice? This is about the nature of the job.”

“We’re not just any station; we’re a Special Operations Fire Brigade. We should have the capacity to embrace diversity. Oh, and by the way, she’s your junior. She also graduated from the Fire Command program at the Armed Police University.”

This was the second time Ren Yi heard the phrase “embrace diversity” today. But when it came from Qu Yangbo, it felt different. Ren Yi narrowed his eyes, sensing something off. “Yangbo, your head should be clearer than mine. Listen to yourself—are you even making sense? Are you hiding something from me?”

Qu Yangbo took off his glasses, slowly wiped the lenses, and then put them back on. “Once the reforms are complete, the publicity department will launch a series of campaigns to showcase the new image of the Ministry of Emergency Management. A heroic female firefighter will attract a lot of attention to our team. You have any idea how much positive exposure that could bring?”

Ren Yi lowered his head. “You got this info from your dad, didn’t you?”

“More or less.”

Qu Yangbo came from a high-ranking family. It seemed his path to politics had been predetermined since birth. Despite being close friends for years, Qu Yangbo and Ren Yi often had differing opinions on a lot of things.

Qu Yangbo patiently continued, “Ren Yi, I understand you’re worried about whether a girl is fit for such dangerous work. But she’ll be under your command. Just treat her like a mascot. Don’t send her to dangerous scenes. She wants to be a firefighter, we need firefighters, and she’ll add value to our station. Isn’t this a win-win?”

Ren Yi stared at the faint glow of Qu Yangbo’s glasses, but he couldn’t see his eyes. “What if I don’t agree?”

Qu Yangbo smiled calmly. “As the instructor, I do have a vote.”

Even though they held equal ranks, Qu Yangbo’s position carried more weight, especially in the eyes of the higher-ups. Yet, he had never used that against Ren Yi before.

“Fine, since you’ve made up your mind.” Ren Yi’s tone was far from friendly.

“Brother, I know you’re not happy, but I’m doing this for us,” Qu Yangbo said. “I won’t deny it—I want a promotion. Who doesn’t? You don’t like politics, so I’ll handle it for both of us. I want us to climb higher together. The better the station does, the better we’ll do, right?”

Ren Yi sighed deeply. “Fine, I’ll go along with it. In the end, you’re always right anyway.”

Qu Yangbo patted Ren Yi’s head with a grin. “Good boy.”

Ren Yi swatted his hand away, just about to curse him out when the alarm rang.

He rushed downstairs. “What’s the situation?”

“…Locked out.”

A collective groan erupted from the team.

Already irritated, Ren Yi rolled his eyes. “Dispatch sheet.”

The communications officer handed him the sheet. Ren Yi pulled out his phone and dialed the number. “Hello, fire department.”

A frantic elderly woman’s voice came from the other end, “Firefighters, when are you coming? My grandson’s about to get out of school, and I need to make him dinner!”

“Auntie, unlocking doors isn’t really our specialty. I suggest you call a locksmith.”

“Why call a locksmith? Can’t you do it?” The woman shouted back, “Locksmiths aren’t free!”

“Auntie, here’s the thing,” Ren Yi explained as patiently as he could. “We have three ways of getting through a door, increasing in levels of damage: breaking the lock, dismantling the door, or smashing the wall. We can only decide on the method when we get there. But for most locks that are even slightly complicated, we won’t be able to unlock them. Dismantling the door is the most common approach. We’re free, but replacing the lock and door is expensive.”

“…You’re not lying to me, are you?”

“I’m not lying. If you can’t use the internet, I can recommend a locksmith for you.”

“You’ll recommend one?” The woman’s voice rose with suspicion.

Ren Yi took a deep breath. “Auntie, unlocking the door will cost you around a hundred yuan. I don’t take commissions.”

“Oh, well then, that’s fine.”

“Please call 119 to cancel your earlier emergency report.”

The call ended.

Ren Yi crumpled the dispatch sheet into a ball and tossed it to the duty communications officer. “From now on, if anyone calls about being locked out, unless it’s an emergency, handle it like this.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ren Yi pressed his throbbing temples, feeling a surge of frustration. Maybe it was the sheer number of things happening lately—he’d gotten so worked up, and it definitely wasn’t doing his health any favors.

He decided to take a short break, spend some time with his dad, catch up with friends, or maybe even go on a date or something.