Blazing Armor

Sun Dingyi took out a rescue rope. “Captain Ren, tie the rope around yourself.”

“Alright.” Ren Yi tied the two of them to the same rope, with the other end in Sun Dingyi’s hand. “Give us all the fire extinguishers you have.”

They only had portable extinguishers, but in a critical situation like this, having something was better than nothing.

Ren Yi cast a glance into the depths of the ruins, feeling a bit uneasy. There was always a risk of secondary collapse here, and each step they took could be a step closer to death.

Knowing the danger but pressing forward without hesitation—this is what it means to be a firefighter.

Ren Yi exchanged a look with Gong Yingxian. “Let’s go.”

Gong Yingxian returned a calm and fearless gaze.

Ren Yi turned and crawled forward. It was only about ten meters to the explosion site, a distance that would usually take just a few strides. But now, every step was a struggle. They had to constantly find their footing on the uneven rubble while keeping an eye on the support structures above them, ensuring nothing was about to collapse.

As they crawled, Ren Yi shouted, “Is anyone there? Firefighters! Is anyone there? Please respond! Firefighters!”

The farther they crawled, the more intense the flames became. Ren Yi could already hear the familiar crackling of fire, and the air temperature was noticeably rising.

“Is anyone there? Firefi—”

“Shh.” Gong Yingxian suddenly said, “Quiet.”

The two of them fell silent, holding their breath and listening.

A faint cry for help reached their ears.

“Over here.” Ren Yi strained toward the direction of the sound, crawling with effort. He found two people huddled together at the base of a wall, appearing to be a married couple.

“Help… help us…” The husband’s face was covered in dust, with two streaks of dried, dirty tears beneath his eyes.

Ren Yi noticed the husband had only minor injuries and wasn’t trapped, but the woman in his arms was partially pinned under a large piece of rubble.

“How is she?” Ren Yi moved closer to them and saw that the wife was still conscious, but her lips were deathly pale, clearly from excessive blood loss. To make matters worse, he noticed her swollen abdomen.

“Her leg is trapped under the stone. Please, save my wife—she’s pregnant,” the husband cried, his voice trembling. “I can’t move the stone on my own.”

Ren Yi, in his calm voice, reassured him, “Don’t worry, let me take a look.”

Gong Yingxian grasped the wife’s wrist to check her pulse—it was already very weak. He quietly shook his head at Ren Yi, a silent message of the severity.

Ren Yi examined the stone pressing down on the wife. It would take at least five or six adult men to move it, and it wasn’t just the weight that was concerning. The stone was supporting a portion of a beam, and any movement could cause unknown consequences. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he spoke carefully, “Sir, this stone is too heavy. We can’t move it with just the few of us, and even if we could, it’s risky. It might cause the rest of the structure to collapse, burying all of us. Why don’t you come with us first, and then—”

“No!” The husband held his wife even tighter. “I can’t leave her here alone.”

The wife whispered weakly, “Honey, you should go. I… I can’t make it.”

“I’m not leaving.” The husband shook his head, choking back sobs. “I’m not leaving. She’s afraid of the dark. I can’t leave her here—she still has our baby.”

Ren Yi’s tone was somber. “Brother, the fire is spreading. It won’t be long before it reaches this place, and the air will become thinner. Staying here won’t help your wife, and you’ll put your own life at risk.”

“I’m not going,” the husband insisted, still shaking his head. “She’s afraid of the dark. I can’t go. If we’re going to die, we’ll die together as a family.”

“Please, just go…” The wife wept. “Honey, go, I’m not afraid anymore. I… I’m not going to make it. Don’t stay here and die with me. I beg you, please, just go.”

No matter how much they tried to convince him, the husband refused to leave. The couple clung to each other, sobbing in despair—it was a heart-wrenching scene.

Ren Yi sighed deeply, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he pondered how to rescue them. He pressed the button on his radio and spoke, “I’ve found a couple trapped here. The debris can’t be moved—it’s too heavy, and shifting it may cause a secondary collapse.”

Chen Xiaofei asked, “Is it possible to cut through?”

“The vibrations from cutting are too strong and could cause a collapse.”

Chen Xiaofei paused for a moment, “What about amputation?”

“She’s pregnant. She won’t survive that. Right now, the only option is to try the air cushion.”

“The air cushion might also cause a collapse,” Wang Meng said. “The second floor is under the weight of two floors above, and there’s a fire. We can’t mess with the structure.”

“If we’re careful when placing it, we might be able to get her out without disturbing the structure,” Ren Yi gritted his teeth. “Captain Chen, she’s not going to last much longer. We have to try.”

Chen Xiaofei made a decisive call, “Organize the rescue immediately.”

Ren Yi pulled out some compressed biscuits and water from his pocket. “Feed your wife a little, keep up her strength, and don’t let her fall asleep. Help is on the way. We need to move ahead and check further.”

“Th-thank you.”

Ren Yi turned to Gong Yingxian, “Let’s keep moving.”

The two continued crawling forward with all their might.

“Do you feel it’s getting hotter?” Gong Yingxian asked.

“Yeah, the fire is spreading. Soon it might get harder to breathe,” Ren Yi replied. “These gas masks can filter the toxic smoke, but they don’t supply oxygen. We can’t stay here long.”

As they moved closer to the intensifying flames, Gong Yingxian took a sharp breath. Whether it was the fear of the fire or the decreasing oxygen in the air, he was starting to feel tightness in his chest and shortness of breath.

When Ren Yi reached the second-to-last hospital room, the heat was unbearable, and he was drenched in sweat. He finally got a clear view of the source of the fire. “Captain Chen, we’re right next to the explosion site. The fire seems to have started from an electric heater. Probably the old heating system in the building wasn’t sufficient, so the patient set up their own heater. Since everything around is reinforced concrete, the fire hasn’t spread much, but the radiant heat is extreme. We might not be able to go further.”

“Then don’t push forward,” Chen Xiaofei responded. “From the outside, we can see the fire’s intensifying. There’s no way to use water right now, so just monitor the oxygen levels.”

“Has the exploded room completely collapsed?” Gong Yingxian asked.

“From outside, it looks like it,” Ren Yi replied. “From inside… I can’t tell for sure, but it’s likely blocked off entirely.”

“I need to get closer.” Gong Yingxian raised his hand. “Look, I found something.”

“What is this?”

Gong Yingxian struggled to crawl over to Ren Yi, and the two squeezed into the cramped space, their shoulders bumping against each other. “Give me some water.”

“You have some in your pocket. I gave mine to that couple.”

“Where is it again?”

Ren Yi reached for Gong Yingxian’s waist, seizing the chance to cop a feel of his butt with a sly grin before pulling out a bottle of water from his pocket.

Gong Yingxian poured a little water into his palm and sprinkled the white crystals he had found into it. They quickly dissolved.

“What is this stuff?”

“Dissolves in water…” Gong Yingxian said, “It’s definitely ammonium salt.”

“Ammonium salt? What’s that?”

Gong Yingxian held the remaining white crystals up to Ren Yi’s nose, and a foul stench hit him immediately. He gagged, “What the hell is that? It smells like crap!”

“Ammonium salts release ammonia gas when heated,” Gong Yingxian muttered. “When mixed with urea and sodium dichloroisocyanurate, they can form nitrogen trichloride, which explodes when exposed to heat. Get Captain Qiu on the line.”

Ren Yi pressed the radio button. “Captain Chen, connect Captain Qiu to the channel.”

Gong Yingxian spoke to Qiu Yan, “Yan-jie, the bomber used a mixture of chemicals that produce chlorine and ammonia, which have a strong, lingering smell. Send in the sniffer dogs to trace it. Also, check recent records of chemical sales—ammonium salts aren’t allowed for retail.”

“Got it, I’ll look into it right away,” Qiu Yan said, concern in her voice. “When are you two getting out? I saw a few firefighters bringing equipment in. They said there’s a pregnant woman inside.”

“Yeah, we’ll be out soon. Don’t worry.”

“Stay safe.”

“A timed bomb? Remote-controlled?” Ren Yi mused. “I don’t know much about chemical bombs, but we learned the basics of physical ones. It’s hard to remotely control a heat-triggered bomb. Physical bombs require a timed or remote electrical ignition.”

“That’s not a problem. Chemical bombs rely on reactions. Some reactions take time, others require pressure, temperature, and humidity. Using nitrogen trichloride as the explosive, I can think of at least four ways to create a delayed detonation.”

Ren Yi clicked his tongue, “You’re kind of dangerous, you know that?”

Gong Yingxian chuckled, “Yeah, so don’t piss me off.”

“Wouldn’t dare.”

Gong Yingxian really wanted to tell Ren Yi to stop being friends with that guy named Qi Xiao so that he wouldn’t feel angry anymore, but he couldn’t say it. First, because it would indeed be childish, and second, now wasn’t the right time. He put away his water bottle. “Let’s keep moving forward.”

Ren Yi hesitated. “Yingxian, if we go any further, you’ll see the fire. The whole room is burning.”

In the darkness, Gong Yingxian gazed into Ren Yi’s bright eyes. “I know.”

“And it’s really hot. You haven’t been trained for this. You might not be able to handle the heat.”

“I know. I’m not going back.” Gong Yingxian’s expression was resolute. “Besides, aren’t you a firefighter? With you here…” His eyelashes trembled slightly as he softly said, “The fire doesn’t seem that scary.”

Ren Yi’s heart surged. There was nothing more motivating than the trust of someone you love. He grinned. “Yeah, I’m a firefighter. As long as I’m here, the fire will never harm you.”

Gong Yingxian smiled too. It wasn’t that he wasn’t afraid; he was trembling as he felt the heat from the fire even from a distance. But Ren Yi’s presence gave him immense courage to face the flames. He had always wanted to conquer this nightmare, and now he realized that only Ren Yi could help him do it.

Ren Yi pulled out a portable fire suppressant, opened the safety valve, and as they crawled forward, he sprayed at the nearest sparks. Although this small amount of suppressant couldn’t stop the fire, it lowered the temperature around them.

The heat radiation seared their skin, the burning pain made them want to retreat, and it felt as if their bodies were going to melt. They could barely keep their eyes open.

Ren Yi, having undergone training, could withstand the heat much better than an average person. Meanwhile, Gong Yingxian was struggling, unable to even lift his head. He didn’t dare expose his face, nor did he dare to look directly at the flames.

Ren Yi shielded Gong Yingxian, emptying all the fire suppressant to slightly lower the temperature, allowing them to continue crawling forward.

Every cell in Gong Yingxian’s body was overwhelmed by the scorching pain and fear. Each second felt like an eternity. He forcefully suppressed the urge to retreat, gritting his teeth as he searched for suspicious items nearby. They were close to the explosion site, and he found a lot of residue.

The fire had consumed a large amount of oxygen, and Ren Yi was finding it harder and harder to breathe. He whispered, “Yingxian, we need to turn back. The oxygen is getting thinner.”

“…Alright.” Gong Yingxian was reaching his limit as well.

Due to the narrow space, it was difficult to turn around, so they could only shuffle backward.

From a distance, they heard voices behind them, most likely people coming to rescue the couple.

Faced with many constraints, Ren Yi suggested using an inflatable cushion for the rescue. The idea was to stuff a deflated cushion into the gap, then inflate it hydraulically. The cushion could lift the people trapped beneath the debris, allowing them to be saved without disturbing the structure above.

Of course, that would be the ideal scenario.

In reality, just as they had moved away from the fire, they heard strange noises overhead. Dirt and rubble rained down continuously.

Ren Yi felt a chill in his heart. “Retreat quickly!”

The two of them used all their strength to crawl back as fast as they could, but they hadn’t gone far when the ground began to tremble violently. Large and small rocks started falling around them.

Gong Yingxian suddenly lunged at Ren Yi, wrapping his arms around him and rolling them into a corner, shielding Ren Yi beneath him.

“Yingxian!” Ren Yi struggled to get up, but Gong Yingxian used his full body weight to press him down, protecting him underneath.

A falling rock struck Gong Yingxian’s back, and he let out a muffled grunt, his vision blurring from the pain. Yet, he didn’t move an inch. In a hoarse voice, he whispered in Ren Yi’s ear, “Don’t be afraid.”

Ren Yi, trapped under Gong Yingxian, couldn’t move. His heart was filled with despair as tears spilled from his eyes.

Were they going to die here? No, it was him who brought Gong Yingxian into this. If anyone deserved to die, it should be him. Gong Yingxian couldn’t die here!

Kipzi – THE CLIFFHANGER!!!! I’ll try to get to 66 later but I’m celebrating thanksgiving today and I need to work more on the frontend code of this website.