Blazing Armor

Closing the office door behind him, Ren Yi pointed to the chair. “Sit.”

The two of them sat across from each other at the desk, with Ren Yi looking at Li Sa.

Li Sa had a straightforward and unpretentious personality, with a bit of a boyish demeanor. As the only woman in the squad, she hadn’t encountered any noticeable resistance, which had eased Ren Yi’s initial worries and doubts. However, this time, what had happened would likely affect her significantly.

Before Ren Yi could say anything, Li Sa spoke first, “Captain Ren, the instructor already talked to me, and I’ve gone through psychological counseling. Honestly, there’s no need to make such a big deal out of this. I’m fine.”

“Taking care of your physical and mental health is our responsibility, and I don’t think there’s anything ‘exaggerated’ about it. You shouldn’t have been the one taking risks in that situation, and what happened afterward made both the instructor and me very worried about you.” Ren Yi stared at Li Sa. “Anyone can see that you’re not okay. I don’t want you brushing me off with a simple ‘I’m fine.'”

Li Sa lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers without speaking.

Ren Yi asked, “Did the way he died scare you?” That scene had been too bloody, something most people couldn’t easily handle.

But Li Sa shook her head firmly. “I served in the fire department for two years. I’ve seen it all. I’m not scared.”

“Then what’s on your mind?”

Li Sa fell silent again.

Ren Yi waited patiently.

After a long pause, Li Sa finally spoke. “Captain Ren, the first time you saw someone die in front of you, what was the situation like?” She explained, “I’m not talking about someone who couldn’t be saved, or someone who was already gone when you arrived. I mean… like him, alive one second and then… gone the next.”

This time, it was Ren Yi’s turn to fall silent. After a while, he said, “It was my second year in the squad, just when I was first allowed to enter the fire scene.” He recalled the event vividly, as if it had happened yesterday. “There was a fire in a residential area. When we arrived, a woman was crying for help from the balcony on the fifth floor. She was trapped behind burglar bars and couldn’t escape. The fire had already reached her. She was screaming in agony, crying for help.”

Li Sa held her breath as she listened.

“Our captain led us up there. We moved as fast as we could—raised the ladder, sprayed dry powder, and worked to cut through the bars. Through the bars, that woman grabbed the captain’s sleeve, begging us to save her. By that time, her skin had already started to char, and her hair was on fire. We wanted nothing more than to tear the bars apart with our bare hands, but in the end…” Ren Yi’s expression dimmed. “She died right in front of us.”

Li Sa trembled slightly. “That’s… different. That woman was innocent. But Lü Boqing was a murderer.”

“I knew you’d say that. But just because he deserved to die doesn’t mean you were unaffected by his death, right?”

Li Sa pressed her lips together and gave a slight nod.

“Just as I thought. You’re not the only one grappling with these feelings—this actually shows you’re becoming a qualified firefighter.”

Li Sa looked at Ren Yi, confused.

Ren Yi spoke seriously, “Firefighters face life and death every day. When someone needs us for rescue, we never consider whether that person is innocent or guilty. The only thing that matters is how to save them. Although this time, we weren’t trying to save Lü Boqing, but to stop him from hurting others, having respect for life and empathy for others are precisely the qualities a firefighter should have.”

Li Sa was stunned.

Ren Yi continued softly, “When a living person dies in front of you in the blink of an eye, if they’re a good person, you’ll feel guilty and grieve for not being able to save them. If they’re a bad person, you might not even find enough reason to mourn them, yet somehow, you’re still filled with sadness. What you’re mourning is the loss of life, regardless of who that person was. It’s a completely normal emotion, and you don’t need to torment yourself over it.”

Li Sa took a sharp breath, her exhale visibly trembling. “Captain Ren, how do you know what I’m thinking?”

Ren Yi smiled faintly without answering.

As a firefighter, he had endured nearly every kind of pain there was.

What veteran firefighter hasn’t cried themselves to sleep at night over their own helplessness?

Li Sa wiped her face, staying silent for a long moment before finally offering a sheepish smile. “I’m working on adjusting myself. I’ll be okay in a few days.”

“If there’s anything else weighing on you, come find me to talk at any time. The instructor may be smart and eloquent, but since he doesn’t go to the front lines, he doesn’t understand a soldier’s mindset like I do.” Ren Yi winked at Li Sa.

Li Sa smiled and nodded.

“Oh, and based on my experience, you’re probably going to get some commendation for this. Wait for the news from the division.”

“Honestly, I don’t care about commendations.” Li Sa replied calmly, “But if I really were to get a reward, you already know what I’ve always wanted.”

Ren Yi stared at her intently. “Li Sa, can you tell me why you’re so determined to be a front-line soldier? At first, I thought you were just transitioning to become an officer—you certainly have the qualifications for that—but I noticed you’re too fixated on going to the front lines. This kind of fixation isn’t necessarily a good thing.”

Li Sa met Ren Yi’s gaze, her eyes steady and resolute. Suddenly, she stood up and took off her jacket.

When she began to remove her sweater, Ren Yi was taken aback. “Hey, you—”

Li Sa swiftly pulled off the sweater, revealing a close-fitting tank top underneath.

Ren Yi’s expression darkened.

Li Sa turned her back to him, showing the burns across her shoulders and back. The ugly scars stood out like monstrous creatures sucking life from her, starkly contrasting with her otherwise smooth skin, making the sight all the more shocking.

Ren Yi remained silent for a long time.

Li Sa calmly put her clothes back on, saluted Ren Yi, and then left the office.

Ren Yi slumped back into his chair, sighing.

—-

After a shower, Ren Yi changed his clothes and even styled his hair with some gel, trying to look more energetic. Then he left the squad and headed home.

It had only been a week or two since his last visit, but it felt like much longer. Maybe it was because so much had happened recently—so much that when he stopped to think about it, it all felt like something out of a movie, unbelievable and surreal.

When he got home, the dining table was covered with dishes, all of his favorite foods.

He had called the housekeeper ahead of time, and she had gone home after cooking. It was already past his father’s usual dinnertime, and it was clear his father had been waiting for him.

Seeing Ren Yi, Ren Xiangrong’s expression softened a bit, though he tried to hold it in, his tone feigning anger, “You were supposed to be discharged today. Couldn’t you come home earlier?”

Ren Yi smiled, “I had to handle some things at the squad. As soon as I finished, I rushed back. I didn’t want to delay your dinner, after all.”

Ren Xiangrong snorted, “How’s your recovery?”

Ren Yi waved his arms and legs, “I’m perfectly fine. Carbon monoxide? Please, I’m the son of an old firefighter! I was born with antibodies in my mother’s womb.”

Ren Xiangrong couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re full of nonsense.”

Ren Yi sat down at the table. “Dad, let’s eat.”

During dinner, Ren Xiangrong asked about the callout.

The public only knew about the initial explosion at the hospital, but the situation with Lü Boqing taking hostages hadn’t been reported by the media, as the authorities feared causing panic. Ren Yi hadn’t told his father either, not wanting to worry him even more.

After hearing the story, Ren Xiangrong was furious. “These scum are getting bolder. In the past, the security situation wasn’t nearly as good as it is now. There were more arsonists back then. But now, with the internet, these perverts are actually finding each other online.”

“Yeah, it’s a real headache for the police. They think these people have formed some kind of cult.”

Ren Xiangrong furrowed his brow deeply. “A cult?”

“They worship fire and claim that burning people to death is a form of purification. It’s completely insane. This group has many members lurking within the country, and they might even be connected to the Gong family case from eighteen years ago.”

Ren Xiangrong was shocked. “Really?”

Ren Yi nodded heavily. “That’s why I was in such a rush to ask you about the events back then.”

“But I don’t think I was much help,” Ren Xiangrong shook his head, “My memory’s failing. I really can’t remember much.”

“Dad, the incident reports you kept helped a lot. I’ve also pulled records from the division’s archives. If it weren’t for everything happening recently, we would have already started the investigation.”

Ren Xiangrong’s expression grew serious. “This is… a big deal.”

“Even without the Gong family case, this is already a big deal. But now this *Yafu* cult goes even deeper.” Ren Yi put down his chopsticks. “Dad, actually, there’s another reason I wanted to talk to you about all this.”

“Go ahead.”

“From the fire at the Fourth Perspective Bar to the explosion at Hongwu Hospital, the cases over the past few months all have some connection to this cult, and I’ve been involved in every one of them. Especially this time—I helped the police capture three of their members. I’m… a little worried about retaliation.” Ren Yi didn’t dare tell his father that both his and Gong Yingxian’s names had already been posted on the cult’s *Seraphim* forum. He hadn’t realized how serious things were before, but now he had to take it seriously.

When Ren Yi was in college, he had taken a few courses on criminal psychology related to arson. Pyromaniacs typically seem rather “pathetic”—most often they are men, introverted, physically and mentally below average, and with low mating prospects, leading to sexual repression. Arson gives them the thrill of amplifying their own power through fire, and controlling the fire makes them feel strong. As Gong Yingxian once said, most pyromaniacs are cowards.

These types of people usually commit arson not to kill but to feel empowered, with any harm to people being incidental.

At first, they had assumed that pyromaniacs wouldn’t have the guts to challenge men who embody traditional “tough guy” roles like police officers or firefighters. Plus, with the security in Beijing being so good, they hadn’t taken it too seriously.

But after what happened at Hongwu Hospital, Ren Yi was truly afraid. The family home that had been exposed housed his most important relatives.

Though most pyromaniacs are indeed cowards, there are undeniably more dangerous types of arsonists, such as those who satisfy a pathological hero complex by setting fires and then extinguishing them to save people, or those with antisocial personalities who take pleasure in torturing and killing through fire, and then there’s the cultists.

Originally, Lü Boqing seemed to fit the typical profile of an arsonist—his personality, background, and appearance suggested low social and mating prospects. But once someone is brainwashed by a cult, all those profiles are thrown out the window, because their actions are no longer under their own control.

That’s why Ren Yi hesitantly said, “Dad, until the police take down this organization, I’d like to send you to stay in a retirement home for a while.”