Blazing Armor

Qiu Yan pondered, “If Purple Flame wasn’t the killer from back then, why would he wear a bird mask?” She seemed to have thought of something. “Yingxian, he might be wearing that mask because of you, to mess with your mind.”hMefkxZeqWfrVYYyTWsdANbQunffRA

UOIiAFPQlzAcbEf

Gong Yingxian’s expression shifted. “Yes, yes! From the very beginning of the video, he was speaking as if he was directly addressing us. Both the mask and his words made us feel like we were the targets, that he was taking revenge on us or declaring war. But maybe this was all a trick, meant to confuse us, to limit our thinking. We still don’t understand his true motive.”NVPSikZumkSRsxNpqksdMGhTkHqzTQ

GclJrHOtykfaGDA

Ren Yi quietly repeated, “Motive…”zHhOzaVNGJMBdlxnhraLbkqYtWQBxi

BbyryiUryTBJAwq

“Is it revenge? Is it provocation? Or does he simply want to commit crimes for the sake of it?” Qiu Yan frowned, questioning herself. “What exactly is his motive?”YEUEtnWHPFdOhiXrUQkVzQBqqUkNgv

nWYLZVRrUItEqHv

“Prometheus, preacher, fire, wildfire…” Gong Yingxian muttered the words Purple Flame had mentioned in the video, sinking into deeper thought.vOHtGSdBEQDZwKEvoQnVRKEyQwltIs

tWDnHswOcOMLMJl

Everyone was racing against time, trying desperately to find answers to the questions at hand. Ren Yi paced back and forth, constantly checking the time. He was furious with his current helplessness, and the relentless ticking of the clock filled him with dread.GKVrdqwwWPtnPYwOWsIQYtLpnoQtEz

cbaoZpcvQczgTDv

This wasn’t an ordinary New Year’s countdown—this was the countdown to the deaths of tens of thousands of lives. They absolutely couldn’t fail.eLFVYhoWWRziahwkjfDRBFbJlreEdy

uQgkPjNmrSNsVye

At that moment, Cai Qiang’s team sent a message. They had located the truck that transported the explosives; it was one of the equipment trucks from the company responsible for setting up the main stage. They were now on their way to find the person in charge.YLAezMmuhpLuLxFBFdnqQjhpEgTGuH

alYsDqQDLleYIZj

Even though they had found the vehicle involved, this wasn’t exactly good news. Companies like this, taking on projects of varying sizes, often didn’t employ permanent staff for such labor-intensive work. With high personnel turnover, it might not be easy to find the suspect quickly.CEnJMSNePAnAjFnrepZcpkeQGvjdiN

YAyjORLROGwNKVs

Captain Zhang’s team immediately used surveillance to lock onto the vehicle. The truck had entered and left the venue three times today, and there were a total of eleven men who had handled and moved the equipment—young, strong men.UKIuZBLWFpobeqhQQDyinINztVhsIe

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“This guy looks suspicious. He glanced around several times, like he was watching something.”NZqrHKBWwKtDzPrsUUlPMLkiSvGdoJ

vqIRfoBMiWsVBUn

“Send his picture to Cai Qiang.”IwvSxEWCkPmtsOBevQRdKBtMnLOGGl

MwZaTyMbiVdaEvB

“Dr. Gong,” Tan Haochun said, “I’ve summarized domestic fire cases from the past few years, but there’s too much data. I need some keywords to narrow it down.”pPNNSoSGetwGtntGFORMaFLubMdJwl

xQXGXPkZNCXeOdw

Gong Yingxian responded, “Filter out fires from underdeveloped areas, arson cases driven by revenge, arsonists over 45 years old, large-scale fires, and secondary fires caused by other incidents. Focus on Tier 1, 2, and 3 cities, where fire was the primary or main criminal method, that could have been caused by one person, and cases that have a substantial amount of text or video content on Asala.”CwuCfhFWGlwvvfoSaBUlmxqXkOtmLF

shRuzNmddxaJeIO

Tan Haochun popped another handful of sunflower seeds into his mouth and vigorously rubbed his hands together. “Leave it to me!”vWiBKaaRaClYkeJqvExsCTONkWqGay

fZYAvQucOfCDKSE

Ren Yi couldn’t hold back any longer. “There’s less than half an hour left. If we can’t pinpoint the bomb’s location soon, it’ll be too late.”HsJDHMVrLBHJYDlXLAlBQSCnLzbudk

PElwNqrwMlkveis

Gong Yingxian took a deep breath. “Give me a little more time.”xGMCTmnRTfzYiMYQbDFnVOpKeoszBN

iuTPFXsFcocigsP

Just then, Hegu made progress on his side. “Officer Gong, Captain Ren.”smvrNTEFvgIJIbxjWWOEEDCxsKLQiw

xzsbEvhjlLyfODe

Both of them rushed over.uXUhICeKCJWNDmLwnHLWGpqAokpSPk

UBHvTIDxCKagnSv

The table was covered with various complex design schematics. Hegu held up the action trajectory map that Tan Haochun had compiled of the suspect and explained, “I’ve compared the places he likely visited during different time periods with the equipment installation routes. I believe his target isn’t just a single system, but he’s aiming to trigger a chain explosion.”pcCutMqHZkGaDOFSMnFLljXJmFNFyK

VXqdjJXggrtjaxP

Gong Yingxian squinted at the diagrams. “Each time the hacker breached the surveillance system, it lasted no more than thirty minutes. An adult walking briskly covers about a hundred meters a minute. Factoring in time to avoid detection and plant the bombs, any location beyond a twenty-minute walking radius is likely just a decoy planted by the hacker. Those can be ruled out.”qHrGaftJEjTkibKjdmKOaohEsNsScb

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“Got it.” Hegu deleted the overly distant paths, leaving fewer and clearer movement trajectories.WPigbnNwNcNjFvYkfuSTNdhrAVchKu

vPZFMmRVGFYKzJW

“What do these tracks correspond to in terms of equipment?”PXMOOsxPVaealArFEagZqyduwoffDj

QJTzfWbpHbYeJQf

“This is the boiler room, but that was the first place we checked. The suspect wouldn’t plant bombs in such an obvious location. The line extending from the boiler room is the gas pipeline. These others are water pipes. The gas pipeline is the most likely to cause an explosion, fire, and mass casualties.”LSLEBHZqNZAJdiUjwgLupRzXTnoEZH

gvcwCbziRabmatp

Ren Yi interjected, “But we’ve already shut off the gas valves. The remaining gas in the pipes isn’t enough to cause a chain explosion.”MLJHWhrwUyaPTryahnabeymERVtuuL

bYNcMYRWKNdAWSu

“Exactly. So the ultimate target of the suspect probably isn’t the gas. Among these systems, there are two other highly dangerous components: the solar power system and the energy storage generator, and the hydraulic system. The former has an enormous amount of stored energy, and the latter has multiple hydraulic cylinders. The hydraulic system doesn’t just manage sewage, it’s also responsible for the retractable roof, as well as the lifting, lowering, and rotation of the stage.”SmrNtahhtwkVDpDWGbWCTUjLqmSbSY

hhcUjhAvRilQZAn

Ren Yi said, “But both of those are relatively stable. Electrical fires are easy to put out, and hydraulic oil is hard to ignite.”nnufNydtZpTyLSABtrhwfFaMjqWxIL

xMnWDHdWYNlwjAD

Gong Yingxian said, “Engineer He, you know this equipment better than any of us. Imagine you’re the suspect—how would you use these systems and six bombs to cause the most damage?”agicZncRPvYsaVovZbvSHRpgdqeAGt

COovrzjjWrRYdPF

Hegu furrowed his brow deeply. “In principle, without gas as fuel, none of these systems would cause a large-scale explosion.”gPYGngbqiTgBazkDBZVZapAXAutmRD

WrSibVRgYOBMyjU

“But Purple Flame would’ve known that we would cut off the gas.”KdLCuDJygGDTGZXKYpLPCiZKzrmJFu

DqBCMjeXPsgqgur

Qiu Yan said, “Maybe we’re overcomplicating things. Purple Flame’s goal might not be to cause massive casualties but to send a message—a declaration of war. After all, as long as one bomb goes off, it’ll make international news.”jCcwntkkJmhykiksImhrNKfKhsdbde

kOQvxJOwryXCBac

“But if that’s the case, the bomb placements could be random. There’s no way we could find them all in under an hour. I don’t think Purple Flame would set up a no-win situation.”QuAcVIloECRmUoOcKEqarsszjIKgsi

LiYjDYhvXCoobIT

Ren Yi said coldly, “He’s the leader of that X cult, a psychotic arsonist. Are you really expecting him to kindly leave us clues?”BDxVOCMrwFujyueAzamhPzuZXgMbuz

jqVNbVVTUhqhPwc

“I believe he will,” Gong Yingxian said with conviction. “Because of his arrogance.”OXnGALRccNiePQDIlWeSEHQWutUbxW

bqAwwOMvNSelNqf

Everyone looked at him, puzzled.pcMLlwkuULiaJpzCgAKPMwjWBIgFgs

kSKJyluLNQXPTje

“If his goal was just to cause an incident, he wouldn’t have sent that video ahead of time to warn us. We’re in the open, and he’s in the shadows—he could’ve just blown us all to pieces. He called this a New Year’s gift, but in reality, it’s a declaration of war.” Gong Yingxian turned to Ren Yi. “He said we’re connected, that we share a bond, that all of this is orchestrated by the will of God. He wants to follow this divine will and ignite the fire. In our previous encounters, although they committed many atrocities, we solved the cases, caught people. The two of us even made it onto Asala’s bounty list, which, in a way, makes us their adversaries. And Red Flame’s death—our victory—might have humiliated Purple Flame, even challenging his authority. That’s why he wants to defeat us on this symbolic day, in this stadium watched by thousands.”HlkxFCTsipjikgoNmLpcnerIFMIUSw

JrCqgqrUyArMHfh

A chill ran through Ren Yi’s entire body, freezing him to the core.OPCoHzkrCSKRjnYSBaZGmaCEzQeJwN

zoxQFgOMvqvLQgR

A flash of insight hit Gong Yingxian, making his lips tremble. “He’s broadcasting. No—six media stations and an online platform are broadcasting right now. He’s going to perform his spectacle during this live broadcast. The members of that organization, and the secret users of Asala, are definitely all watching from their screens. So, he set up a relatively fair game. He’s giving us a chance to fight back. If this had been a dead-end from the start, it wouldn’t showcase his power. He’s so arrogant and conceited that he wants to watch us struggle in vain and then broadcast our defeat to everyone.”TJIzeGemwYOCMPqwBZDmeDJkKfMMtF

LlTggLbErorurtB

Qiu Yan bit her lip hard and cursed viciously.
Hegu suddenly slapped the table, speaking in a low voice, “I’ve figured it out. I missed this earlier, but now I know!”aTufkxqmBJAlRelPDLUVgkokPXswzL

FJxYCoQgVgbakFP

“What is it?”XUAEXYSVFuVibyGKnSfpAFPlbEojjo

RFFKWaOvLYgeqKT

He rushed to the table, pulling out several design schematics, studying them intently.JkkRTJsJPyEbZtcdExJhGuTzDjtAWe

rCbXYukZznLsrzY

“Engineer He, what exactly…?”OmmTagRUsrmgLZHHqIRQkFljqCcuOf

PevDkRVyOvNXsrR

“Antifreeze!” Hegu’s eyes widened. “The antifreeze in the condensate water circulation system. It’s only added in winter. Antifreeze is relatively safe, with a high ignition point, but if exposed to high heat and an explosion…”BLlrDfifCotbnNyUmwbCABUyuuWRNC

nHGIUplPPtNrCHm

Gong Yingxian clenched his fist. “Ethylene glycol’s ignition point can reach over 400 degrees. But once it hits its explosive limit… This water circulation system runs throughout the entire venue, including the structural columns. If the suspect uses the gas, the generator, or the hydraulic cylinders to trigger an explosion with the antifreeze, the whole stadium could be in danger.”HPBiHmJijVLLbROhzYEqJDGQvVZklr

SSBJzQcZCmUSXRY

With trembling hands, Hegu picked up the schematics. “I’m marking all the critical nodes where these systems intersect. Those spots are likely where the bombs are planted!”WWkybfIWqNBajiHXoOqIHxEWaHaWGl

MZFKnYOXYFFBUGy

Ren Yi glanced at his watch, his voice shaking, “Twenty minutes left.”WfnwoEMsAiTtmxpPaYhZXvyMolQhoi

gBoPjeOqkqZSyVE

At that moment, Cai Qiang reported in. The suspicious man caught on surveillance was a temporary worker hired by the construction company. He had disappeared, and they were now searching the entire venue. The man’s photo had been sent to everyone involved.DYqzsaAceFpVuYqkDQjqZlnJhaYNgx

UBmIepMBjwmawBY

Hegu finally marked out 24 critical nodes. Qiu Yan immediately sent the information to multiple teams of police and firefighters, instructing them to search the areas and notify the bomb disposal unit if anything was found.VdDPXokCPHYookDXPiJiLAEVaLpqJb

ITFuzZtsXzKXTjj

Ren Yi wanted to join the search teams, but Gong Yingxian stopped him. “You’re staying here.”oTpYudCEUDXoIYtoJWbayonbNDhzbR

YNiIzbYyGLeiXar

“I’m not of any help here. Let me…”MHZVmpaZnQkTeoRlHKRcUDqdeQOfif

AvCxOIilCDMoIJV

“You’re staying.” Gong Yingxian’s voice was firm, brooking no argument. “You understand these maniacs better than most officers. Tan Haochun is almost done with his analysis, and I need your help.” While this was one reason Gong Yingxian wanted Ren Yi to stay, there was a deeper, unspoken reason—he wanted Ren Yi away from the bombs. No matter what, whether the bombs went off or not, they would stay and fight to the very end. That was their mission. But if the worst came, he wanted Ren Yi by his side.CGympSqTDVlshlLtvXojknkCGjnQkC

ENKSQXCKcwKlpUY

“…Alright.” Ren Yi stared deeply at Gong Yingxian, his heart aching with a dull throb. In twenty minutes, what kind of fate awaited them? He didn’t dare to think about it. But the thought of sharing life and death with Gong Yingxian made him fearless.iOzynujtBJVUMELBbrZXAUePjukZBy

GykDachvhgIQthb

Soon, one of the firefighter teams led by Wang Meng found the first bomb inside a power distribution box, and the bomb disposal unit successfully defused it.ZwHfDDCubeSEWlSWZwvVDHSqRUpovH

fBrwoihOYofxQEJ

Cheers erupted from the conference room.CnPanhqmhQyipAQKcShlNfCSCNTwYR

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At that moment, Tan Haochun also completed his data collection, compiling all the fire cases from the last five years that met Gong Yingxian’s criteria. There were more than 400.okypkLHQtnWgTiOZROhBcsdJYPQcwc

PjxxSVHYESvsZfU

Gong Yingxian frowned. “Still too many. Eliminate the ones where the culprit was already caught.”YZbmGRTLCuQWpcutMPNJSnFEABzThd

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The number of cases immediately dropped by half.pxQDddEOgCjtiiYfaqBFwnZGuusCIh

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“Print it out,” Gong Yingxian instructed, standing by the printer. He turned to Ren Yi, “There’s no time for a detailed analysis now. Based on your experience, your intuition, and your understanding of these people, pick the ones you feel like they’re responsible for—just trust your gut.”eWGjAogJpPYfYvOPWaYodtpoNiLYgH

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Ren Yi nodded.knVuUoYIKihDmkZQBJdTSipylytvxr

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As the printer churned out the pages, Gong Yingxian quickly skimmed through them. His memory was incredible, practically photographic, allowing him to absorb the case summaries almost instantly. He handed over any cases he found suspicious to Ren Yi.pENWXMhLmqTUDZUqpLiKHZvgwPuUHH

EzlTAwWgJIHKQys

In about ten minutes, the two of them sifted through over two hundred cases, narrowing them down to twenty-seven. They knew there would likely be some missed cases or errors in judgment, but at least this would give them a foundation to work with.uHQNgFVlqtShgsvpswHjLWbxkuYlHp

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While they were sorting through the cases, one bomb after another was found and defused.fsoGpJWsKmICHUPLULkzDWgRYBeswf

uZTfuXnhEhuyieh

Gong Yingxian and Ren Yi then carefully reviewed the selected twenty-seven cases again. As Ren Yi read, he grew increasingly uneasy, though he couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong. The cases seemed unrelated at first glance—different regions, backgrounds, and victims—yet he felt there was something lurking beneath the surface, some unseen shadow connecting them.esJOGXdWwMhbtqkzQdixYRtwUYvZep

qbcCjXKEOMWnCvP

Gong Yingxian stood with both hands pressed against the table, his expression shifting.CCqulxLBvNliUpfMCKKTFWQXmrooeE

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Ren Yi asked, “Yingxian, do you see something?”ZPttpAihcMDZMNBdOWlJqSGdJCEiGk

FkXPnyucmHKuMpI

Gong nodded. “What’s odd about these cases is that they’re not motivated by revenge. But to call them accidents seems too coincidental. There’s something intentional in these coincidences. If they were deliberate, though, it’s hard to discern the underlying motive.”oHHIsICpzbxDJmIfSDbmhRspdZVNYp

WIleYKaeXVbwnre

“Exactly. Like this one— a travel photographer’s camper catches fire. There are signs it could be arson, but it might’ve just been a gas leak.”mdrGKvPDZnpeXpoXWUBRbwfJfkmUNm

dmLDJBWQaTmJkxA

“Here’s another one: a video blogger known for posting bizarre fashion videos. His apartment caught fire, and both he and the arsonist died, but the investigation showed they had no personal connection.”DtYeYpYqpZIMZrmwJXZPCWTGnydTpt

EVQhsIiSiIyEJjz

“And this—some kind of graffiti trash bin. It went viral online for a while. The arsonist who burned them said the trash bins looked strange, even evil.”qUGIttsFakordJzEDoyeIdGJSYprFc

GMFOuIDTIPyubFE

Tan Haochun blinked. “Do they share any similarities?”RORTVPYWyjOzXjnUFLZEUazVgTjQhR

QIoLQUsfzRBxDfS

Gong’s mind raced so fast that it gave him a splitting headache. A strange idea hovered at the edge of his thoughts, but he couldn’t quite grasp it.ChTxkiYOLGCQZSUazoZvwmlMBFDgPT

wcEmOPxZtrgAXhX

Qiu Yan’s voice grew urgent. “There’s only seven minutes left. We still can’t find the last bomb!”rfyifHXgfsxHwNEFFPETYhYMDOtKnG

pqvhBviGPtFhWHz

“Fire…” Gong muttered to himself, “Fire represents the will of God. And what is the will of God? It’s ‘fairness to all things, to every person and object on earth,’ ‘rewards and punishments, rise and fall, life and death—all governed by heaven’s law.’”TtcXrHwfVtWSvQGHxLPfsTwDIMiEPK

WhfBNjomHtIzcPE

Everyone was anxiously watching Gong Yingxian.EOFaBNRRqteOjIGlnpnvUKFqdJsvgX

DIeccxOLFCkeROD

“‘Fire represents the will of God descending to earth. Those enlightened by God…’” Gong continued to repeat Purple Flame’s words, lost in thought.YQEuZDLcEZAUxjKPKFrrMyQrKgCoKg

QMQlFvdKKuhbKeI

Suddenly, he lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot, his expression twisted.erDWdOwvkwUXlWiAxZXEmxPMtympZb

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“You—you figured something out?”xvMniifuVcWNqGftVzSAqPTGFORVkB

YkwfWxFIkhhSGEX

“I understand now. Purple Flame’s so-called ‘evil souls.’”wCEGWFyGplRLVKdBkMIzeOlWBeJmnb

zymmIDLASyjzwdP

“What are they?!” Ren Yi asked urgently.UGCmstvOuAoxmzSrFtAybFMFcRNPBB

rRgpyuErGgqQNlw

“Evil souls don’t just refer to people. They could be anything—people, objects, plants, anything. Those enlightened by God are the ones who receive ‘fire.’ Prometheus stole fire, but it wasn’t to save humanity. He was merely a preacher, bringing fire—the will of God—to the world. Some people are enlightened by this fire, while others are not. But the ‘fire’ here isn’t literal fire. It’s ‘enlightenment.’ Purple Flame compares himself to Prometheus—he’s the preacher, using fire to enlighten the masses. His followers receive the fire he conveys, the enlightenment from God. Most ignorant people don’t receive the fire, and they become his targets for further preaching. But there’s also another category—people or things that have received fire but are not enlightened by it. These are what Purple Flame refers to as ‘evil souls!’”kMhAXhqkUHnVSXqzWytjHoWjfMKSCq

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Everyone was stunned.scgIDMxIbKJvOYfbRMyQHHJYdqIcDO

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“What is fire? Fire represents the heart, emotions, the soul, life, immense energy, and vitality. ‘Fire’ is the power bestowed by God upon all beings. Some receive this fire and become God’s followers, like Purple Flame and his disciples. Others receive the fire and remain ordinary, using it for simple tasks like cooking and heating. But there’s another group—those who use fire to make themselves powerful, both externally and internally, making themselves stand out. In doing so, they distort God’s will, making it lose its fairness. Think of a wildfire—small grass is burned away entirely, but a large tree, as long as its roots survive, will regrow. God’s fairness is questioned here.”WGtyEvSCCCAFtXFxXtYOCEMEqumYwc

uXBIEqGyPLXvazs

Qiu Yan gasped. “So what you’re saying is, his so-called ‘evil souls’ are just those people or things that stand out too much?”kASlLfCuaJhNgikAouPxQCOfZEhsXJ

UEOEcsrlOKLNMIU

Ren Yi finally grasped what Gong Yingxian meant. “In reality, destroying these ‘evil souls’ just means eliminating anything or anyone that challenges him. The more outstanding or influential the person or thing, the greater the impact and example it sets. In the end, Purple Flame is just consolidating his power.”ZFlEzodskNsXEpBDcuBtwAPKNvFdQm

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“Exactly,” Gong agreed. “Purple Flame brainwashes his followers with this twisted logic. He makes them believe that these individuals or objects not only defy God’s will but, in some cases, use fire to fight fire—like firefighters—or use their fire to influence others, like writers, artists, singers…” Suddenly, Gong’s expression shifted drastically. His voice grew heavy. “The last bomb… it’s on the suspect. Purple Flame’s ultimate target is Song Juhan.”WZgDXwktFuXvjjSKlKhZNUyYltgybA

OBvMOiBWXfOfCNm