Blazing Armor

“This one’s for lighting, this one’s for signaling for help. Here’s the rescue rope, and this pocket has small tools for breaking through debris. The first aid kit is over here, and you must keep your helmet on at all times.” Ren Yi fastened the helmet onto Gong Yingxian’s head, adjusting the chin strap for him.GcxeyDCzJusrhNPdiEGtToKlhqbKSE

PwGaHpgcoJguyVe

Gong Yingxian watched Ren Yi’s serious expression, feeling quite pleased inside. He couldn’t help but recall the feelings from their argument last night. That overwhelming desire for Ren Yi to only look at him, focus on him, belong to him—made him so restless that he hadn’t slept well. If things could always be like this, with Ren Yi’s pupils reflecting only his face, it would be perfect.fyHeAxWCsPqZokBUoATOZkaLAjDoqi

lisUsNOSUGMnLvt

“Is it too tight?” Ren Yi asked.bHLtgWVEzORdvRmPuBBgtnLbHQQRDO

hRmZPDFbEYLBpnV

“Just right,” Gong Yingxian replied with a slight smile. “But the clothes are a bit tight.”wDVfenrHwyKAosqJravlANRSOpjabS

ZNukqvhEaisdgPk

Ren Yi snorted, “Stop acting cocky. Hey, you’re the one who insisted on wearing my underwear, and the clothes too. If you’re so tough, take them off.”qNJhsuQxPRjOeVfIZGfrznqOSauOel

ArGMXWMHcCLgvTK

“What, hurt your pride?” Gong Yingxian teased.VSwlLXLUMClYHwZseYTxbIUeGPVuop

bOoNwrqowrDbaZg

Ren Yi yanked at his collar, “Aren’t you a bit too old to still be comparing sizes? You hate it when I say you’re like a schoolboy, huh?”fQjbgOJBZVRJWXcAiYdWbvmPERNkaz

hKNwRfpyOTRbtOn

“I’m not comparing. I’m just stating facts,” Gong Yingxian said, utterly unfazed.ePROwhMYqNZChbvlJkccAFdHpcXFYi

bpDJjmTuyrVqKII

Ren Yi thought back to what happened in the bathroom that day. When he had collapsed onto Gong Yingxian, he had indeed gotten a very clear sense of Gong Yingxian’s intimidating size. Not wanting to continue this topic, he waved it off, “Alright, alright, let’s move.”hTKjVTaBSfStrkYpGSkumWvHaIhlrd

RCCQJknpouGzrkF

Ren Yi gathered Sun Dingyi and Liu Hui, while Wang Meng and Lin Shaoping each took their own team. They carried tools like wooden beams, crowbars, and portable fire extinguishers on their backs.RoJOEakotQzBIKcmHLbBSkycelyjFw

kfRcHtqTPBXxrZr

The remaining soldiers lined up in two columns, working relay-style to remove rubble as quickly as possible from the outside.NoBPaVCvHkKYvCmuqIhGKTimvvcXVa

HQLvsCdUXtGEIQd

Approaching the collapsed building, they found a passage through a gap in the corridor that connected the lobby to the west wing on the first floor. Their headlamps shone inside, but visibility was only a few meters. The interior was pitch black, filled with crumbling stones, which made the scene all the more unsettling.NexKPIoQuIsIFnGTUahVgvTLBrfwcH

NhiQagFSXdirlvm

Wang Meng said, “We’ll go this way. Shaoping, you guys can climb in through the windows at the back.”HpvAJsHAmtGlFecJKrQzVDAGGrXTAD

IRpHEyNzmlcgdKN

“Got it, stay in touch.”QucHPCSLABESnmmJPDdQyeRJkMHrnS

NNVFLnQbDdDZBSC

Ren Yi said, “Let’s head to the second floor.”KkrsLeQEKLNhceYCXUupNlGvVWjrox

vGRdDKWbkrTlCIV

“The second floor might be on fire. Be careful.”kpaAhWLpdmoMBPOXxnBaihKdiSGPMJ

EuvUDxcdUlGXHpN

“Don’t worry.”oDtpIIUCyzJdeHcEkeGnJnKmmvFVxu

adUUqTLxzNIMSPZ

The four of them climbed up to the second floor over the rubble. Being the explosion site, the damage on the second floor was as severe as the first. The air was thick with an odd smell.apYrWNYrPaJDAUgJrXqBQMzNJYuyqB

raZRtyjnWAecxUb

Gong Yingxian wrinkled his nose, his face showing confusion.XUvmTcScNLawWdnusncPaAAWKfJZcE

rkfYDjmMhqiMnTX

Ren Yi took the lead, carefully walking along the wall, “Is anyone there? Firefighters!” He turned into the nearest patient room, the doorframe already warped. “Anyone here?”RCUwgHZwoenMsSwngltfmqxIIUmLDp

fQVuolKmMySxHiJ

The light followed Ren Yi’s head movements, revealing a room where most of the ceiling had collapsed, crushing the hospital bed underneath. A large pool of blood covered the floor, but there was no one in sight. Ren Yi’s heart sank. Though he held little hope, he still decided to take a closer look.ObErjnnaLcleSFEdmGDpXwreocNClq

IsChirQMwPRfmaa

The closer he got to the outer walls, the more unstable the floor became. Moving cautiously, Ren Yi crept forward, laying on the ground to peer through a gap in the fallen ceiling. “Is anyone here?” When the light moved deeper into the gap, he was suddenly met with the sight of half a shattered skull.JQsCnsWsxuYuLVaRRALlljmPoZQDZd

ZrZhcstcwmccrqa

Ren Yi gasped in shock, instinctively scrambling backward.boEhRaLksYMclqXpvFqYZSCCdimDXv

OpOyGQumMSfGyho

“Captain Ren, what happened?” Sun Dingyi asked nervously.xFfesglfRlicYHEnnXBuVlKMTzFDsp

zTaerxCnUOCiYnd

“N-Nothing…” Ren Yi couldn’t shake the image of that fractured head and the bulging eyes from his mind. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his pounding heart, but the overwhelming sense of sorrow gnawed at him. Though he’d only glimpsed it briefly, it was clear that the victim had been a young woman. He said somberly, “There are no survivors in this room.”tPthbcXQDaAWOkncZzRoRpOfTqsRxj

tgZpxjZTcpYYmpK

Gong Yingxian reached out to help Ren Yi up, but the moment he grasped Ren Yi’s hand, he felt the trembling. So instead, he crouched down, staring at Ren Yi’s pale face in the darkness, his chest tightening like needles were pricking his heart. “Are you okay?”YEwiUJITQYlAfxpuRdKGwxJgSfWhzg

aYPvZlBIYPoqvcE

Ren Yi nodded, unable to speak for a moment. He gripped Gong Yingxian’s hand tightly in return.wRpNQMSXIpxfcezJgMiDiadrxxjdmg

jSUZGrDbfKmTSHn

In a low voice, Gong Yingxian said, “It’s a chemical bomb, not a conventional explosive.”FIikQryvZMPDYBNXVtqcQuWtJmYwLV

sMpTLCUgryqpByd

“You know what kind of bomb it is?” Ren Yi asked.fnePWGXMmLjjwwjxLlIigKqfSuXHcg

EnRyrLUNEcSUarD

“I have a guess, but I’m not certain yet. We need to find more residue.” Gong Yingxian continued, “There’s no smell of gunpowder here, only chemicals. Honestly, I suspected it was a chemical bomb from the beginning, because a conventional bomb large enough to cause this much damage would be too conspicuous in a busy hospital. Especially with police guarding the entrance. But chemicals, even in small quantities, can trigger massive reactions.”yIXyQKKOapafzuvyVlkqeMsntxTWZt

BcIWFGZYjXmKtaW

“Could it be poisonous?” Ren Yi asked.MrPnZGshciXLFrlYVALUGeAsFqMnlP

YtkkgdDwmtRufTZ

“The people we rescued earlier showed no signs of poisoning, which means the culprit didn’t use toxic chemicals. However, it’s hard to completely avoid any toxicity when chemical reactions occur. As long as the dosage isn’t high, we should be fine,” Gong Yingxian replied.RXHsHnwFTpGyaJtmMqQwIiZmpMsiNG

jekOIHDRrOMUDjh

Suddenly, Liu Hui shouted, “There’s someone here! Still alive!”yonwzOCdgnLrfhZZLOSIVOcrIjSHWY

SmJFEsWzuARZvmH

Gong Yingxian stood up, pulling Ren Yi to his feet as well.iqIthmQQnNWIHkjtsQgtOEzsOMnCLx

zCqkPHZYHrcGtLp

They followed the voice and found Liu Hui in a corner of another room, where a man had been trapped under debris. A triangular section of the wall had caught part of the fallen rubble, preventing it from fully crushing him.YBwpNxCGihyLqmWhTpcFtUkrkeEzPQ

sqJTLtCPhkWtGQe

“Sir, wake up,” Sun Dingyi gently patted the man’s cheek.srveERbnrzGNqEauqPiqnfPVtqywMz

bJUyKbEXnjdnNWi

The man’s eyes were caked with blood, and though his eyelids fluttered, he could only half-open them, breathing faintly.RpEqzpBZtMyihtfLhkLDbGbuFFKafj

RYAzGaUNdjHhrDN

“Let’s try lifting the rubble.”cmTRWilCJqWJQruOPsXCRYqmPFUrME

nqwtzDLfrQKaOQE

The four of them tried to lift the reinforced concrete slab, but even with all their strength, they could only budge it slightly before having to set it down again.izjtfCVSKGXfdqHVRVaCsINIMpGYXc

cJEBaUQZSzDGoxe

“It’s not working this way,” Ren Yi said, positioning some wooden blocks by his feet. “Let’s lift from here and wedge the wood underneath.”rrvOVduUeTfjkQheOmVGoaKtnbHFHz

foPoPuSDzilumid

“Got it.”FwpoJXIuVuvpQQigahWkvMxfwbkBOS

rIsRcHRqrFPBqjX

“One, two, three!”qOgQaZNKrZEbqwAyYuiYiCCrflKyFQ

UUQJstVzGBIkIfq

All four of them heaved together, finally raising the rubble enough for Ren Yi to shove the wooden block into the gap with his foot.lMwJpKXWHxXvjFsEqKwTdoqhHGHOFC

kRIpwNyclPezMng

With the first block in place, they managed to add several more, gradually relieving the weight that had been crushing the man.EXZVovzkPEzjkXHJVzUislJarcHyqY

pHTjjysRlYnpQDy

Ren Yi dropped his gear and wriggled into the gap beneath the raised rubble, grabbing the man’s arm. “Pull!” he shouted.rPmBkApmojngDsrIXYKKqHDgcEVdVt

rkdRwqrmIJJcxrL

The others grabbed onto Ren Yi’s belt and legs, pulling both him and the man out.DosVdpVMIJAFsquLZsmmIDhTaogImM

IijpNTRbGhalPHw

Thankfully, neither Ren Yi nor the man were particularly large, and they managed to drag them both to safety.fDBsdZtRyChJtRygWMssfbXZcvsJpY

NBRHFvnxNDeNDcU

The man’s head and face were covered in blood, and his internal organs were likely injured as well, judging by his condition. He was in critical shape.qGXyphHULCVRgsPArnAUrZmVBUYPHD

TfLZHJMyXzWbxWX

Ren Yi was so exhausted that he collapsed on the ground, unable to get up immediately. Gong Yingxian rushed over, “Are you hurt?”hfbBDqVYOHPDoQpYyMIVYCwNnrQTIF

gcqLYMmtADsbXAr

Ren Yi smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. “Liu Hui, Sun Dingyi, carry him down.” Then, into his radio, he said, “Ding Qing, get someone ready to receive him below.”QDqNRkZFrCGzYUHNJTLrlwAFlHJpDa

TuFBjUxskXpRLNl

“Understood,” Sun Dingyi replied.aSaHSXDCkMlLuewVPDHtjJnWbzopEv

mcwjtwLWxvkgkUz

After the two left, Ren Yi got up from the ground, futilely brushing off the dust on his clothes. He nodded toward the dark, debris-filled area ahead, “The blast point is at the end of the corridor, three more rooms away, according to the blueprints.”rFkLQhLRszWayBivYYcrgPFoxHsANq

userXWUWFaWnmfu

Gong Yingxian nodded, “The smell of chlorine is getting stronger.”hZzJyYzVTGojJvetBGedDkArjkYetk

jhDOoVLqNxctVAE

“What’s that smell?” Ren Yi had noticed the stench growing stronger too.mflVrvPcCALyILVAElGLSpwxQzCsHF

XNSznVuzSfnNcjQ

“Chlorine. I suspect the explosive was nitrogen trichloride. I’m just not sure how it was synthesized or triggered. Nitrogen trichloride is a powerful oxidizer and highly flammable.”MgZMmyXvQOQGeHdodifCFEPmTDmoRI

BkctoiBpMEOYcKy

“Looks like there’s definitely a fire inside,” Ren Yi said. “But given the state of the building, I doubt there’s much fuel left to cause a large fire.”JAqvIYwZeksSdpYkrkVeZpsInCvPrt

TrZynxCybnsKpLZ

“Even without a large fire, it’s dangerous. The closer we get, the more intense the smell will be. The gas is also corrosive—not strongly so, but enough to irritate exposed skin. The skin covered by clothes should be fine, but your eyes and nasal membranes might struggle.”FBFbRfNvVRqslbFnEjfALqMCkoxHlJ

MLXsGlSoAtQbIxd

Ren Yi spoke into his radio, “Sun Dingyi, when you come back, bring some gas masks.”rvDlTvXEbkHhvvhYrHRFxvMjMltZQk

GLjXoJgixLmoqLD

“Got it.”NpXOoWWvGZsZNtlMqDvxlvmoDeToQT

SafIgmmJFsERECB

“How does nitrogen trichloride explode, anyway?” Ren Yi asked.MIyypluwtHtMkLfjiXOSSucrDpcqdU

YfjUCqPicVprpTz

“There are a few ways,” Gong Yingxian explained. “It can explode when pressurized or heated in a sealed container. Mixing it with certain chemicals can also cause a reaction. Even airborne particles, when ignited by a flame or exposed to high temperatures, could trigger a dust explosion. Moisture or heat alone could cause it to combust and react with other volatile substances.”HJoXFojhbaRUstKtdCHajcIsjOAJDa

miYtqGbWguTQawY

“Sounds like it’s way too easy to set off.”aRnTsiPimygVqazThbAPuodyQVQrzQ

kjHNCTkVCkuGDvp

“Yeah, chlorine compounds are commonly used in explosives.”pJYQmmaPcBUxNjMTIJtaJPAuyORDoO

SlVjtnocRToqWzP

“Common in your chemical world, maybe. I’ve never run into this before.”AQGSBWbwhXqVUXgbYkZzNTLIyzUwuC

CDyEnVZIgyAiupd

“Not encountering it is a good thing,” Gong Yingxian’s voice turned cold. “It means the Red Flame Group either has a chemist or access to one. Chemical weapons are far scarier than just arson.”YRdDPBZRHIdTshrkjhLhryelxjlsXr

sgYwAcMsgGXxccE

Ren Yi felt a chill run down his spine. “You’re right. If they intended to use chemical weapons in a crowded place like this hospital, the casualties could have been unimaginable. It’s terrifying.” The thought of what could have happened, even though it hadn’t, made his back break out in cold sweat.kiBqBDDCuCUjxrcnTIAveTbwKUISyj

xkqhKlHWErJIujk

Sun Dingyi and Liu Hui returned with gas masks. After putting them on, they continued moving deeper into the wreckage.OmBnqcDCPMfOeJtSJDcZtbzajCbjhe

UoANeETorDciwSU

The closer they got to the explosion site, the more severely the building had collapsed. The path ahead was heavily obstructed, forcing them to crawl through the rubble.zJtpVyKlipcfwuEFttcQRxrHaeBonG

ARwcwbkHbPdnHvr

Suddenly, Xu Jin’s voice came over the radio, “Captain, report your status.”LUlbiTZWTcDStfNCDBOTnzPYlTbdlF

HHmznDikKvUNSaw

Ren Yi, with Wang Meng and Lin Shaoping still searching for survivors on the first floor, responded, “We’re near the blast site, but the path is almost completely blocked. We… huh? I see fire.”LHajIBYCwNohIZWnlzyFxaFEUBcuZM

wjOYMogxWpWvohB

Amidst the rubble, a flicker of light danced in the darkness like a ghostly flame in the abyss, sending a chill through him.xALhkspyHoZNDiIFBfovfWYHjyfbnZ

ZqREjQRHaHtNgBM

“Is the fire big? Do you know what caused it?” Chen Xiaofei asked. “We can see it from outside too.”aTzjcdxFIUlWuFoYXcxXxCvpLxzstN

ozCsdfrCAiWMRzu

“It doesn’t look large, but I’m not sure what started it. It might block our way to the blast site.”wdaeqPODtMeInJsCCSmHxqjYIOiZcb

AlLkTCVhHTJgjvQ

“Assess the situation first,” Chen Xiaofei advised. “If there’s no safe way forward, retreat.”VaSkGiEZMMdJWcgXWNRQoBVmsPFdJa

yvnRyXvlzPQYpjU

“Yes.”tFVlTXBInyBBnzzCenmXdRwSADylGR

EvmoqZPvjAdLCjw

Ren Yi said, “I’ll go in first and check if the fire has blocked our path.”OchvCTkjejPGYISJrcWxuWKAXBhMRs

yRMFUfBSvpcrlRv

“I’ll go with you,” Gong Yingxian replied. “If the fire has blocked the way, that means we’re close to the explosion site. What I’m looking for can only be found nearby.”nNqFXfjCFBTjmBrgNaBefwxugpRKoZ

lsOTPGiSOMARXbA

Ren Yi looked straight at Gong Yingxian. “Are you sure? That’s fire we’re talking about.”IuqDPpYgrBKBbdaatoVcgLFrNbtkoq

vEmhLlppvtnZpVk

Gong Yingxian took a deep breath. “I’ve told you, I’m scared but I won’t back down. Besides… you’re here.”YFsHhjkWjxKVEVPccPuuhPiChTjvMB

ahEQpgcZeOuANyb

That one sentence, “You’re here,” made Ren Yi’s heart leap. He tried his best to hide the change in his expression and stammered, “A-alright, just follow behind me.”zjUWmcfrKfPhiemDljMjcIfkyxmVmz

XUGUaiPIOUGjSCs

Sun Dingyi blinked and glanced between the two of them, as if he had noticed something.BPjaqFwrQLfufuKmlrtgwtMYORbHXb

STjIcMYyTzqhtMe

Ren Yi added, “Let me warn you first, we’re not wearing fire-resistant suits right now, so we don’t have any heat insulation. It’s going to be extremely, extremely hot near the fire. If you can’t handle it, just get out. Don’t force yourself.”rnAJuhIPfWgNwKSVtsKRiUpnhlNAEu

zFepTcOujFUCevh

“I understand. Let’s go.”LAksLuvMjluqlocUMJjjxQKdHNcBMj

DmpuBUaAElaDBSM