Gong Yingxian’s deep gaze and forceful expression were things Ren Yi had never seen before. His steadily approaching figure also exerted tremendous pressure on Ren Yi. Without realizing it, Ren Yi began to retreat. The man before him felt like a stranger, someone he instinctively resisted.
Just as Ren Yi’s lower back struck the desk, leaving him nowhere else to retreat, his phone suddenly rang, shattering the suffocating standoff that seemed to drag them both deeper and deeper into a mire.
Ren Yi quickly swiped to answer. Qiu Yan’s voice came through from the other end. “Captain Ren, you can come over now.”
Ren Yi glared at Gong Yingxian.
Gong Yingxian turned his face away, composed himself, and said quietly, “Let’s go.”
The two left the office and headed for the interrogation room.
Qiu Yan was waiting for them at the door. As soon as they met, she said to Ren Yi, “Captain Ren, the kid inside is extremely clever and difficult to deal with. Listen carefully to what I’m about to tell you, then follow my instructions. Can you do that?”
Ren Yi nodded.
“First, no matter what he says or how he behaves, you absolutely must not let him provoke you or lead you by the nose. You need to remain very calm. Make sure he understands that you’re the one in control, but don’t become aggressive or overbearing. Second, never answer his questions directly. Keep him hanging and trade questions for questions. It’s difficult to get the balance right, so we’ll give you reminders.” Qiu Yan handed Ren Yi a tiny earpiece.
Ren Yi slipped the little device into his ear.
“Third, start by asking him questions related to Phoenix Fire Station and to you personally. For example, why is he interested in you? Once you’ve established a rhythm in the conversation, move on to the Wenhui Mall incident. He’ll be more likely to open up by then.”
“Understood.”
Gong Yingxian said gravely, “In a moment, there will be only the two of you in the room. We’ll be watching from the monitoring room. Don’t be nervous. Remember, you need to lead this conversation, not let him lead you. If you realize he’s starting to influence you, we’ll remind you. Alternatively, you can make an excuse to drink water, smoke, or use the bathroom to disrupt the rhythm.”
“Understood.”
Thinking that the person inside was only a seventeen-year-old boy, Ren Yi wasn’t particularly concerned. Everyone had been seventeen once. Boys that age were generally foolish and impulsive. No matter how clever they were, they couldn’t make up for their lack of experience, which inevitably left them somewhat immature. When facing an adult, especially a physically fit grown man, they would surely show their nerves.
Ren Yi pushed open the door.
The teenager inside raised his head. When he saw Ren Yi, his eyes widened in surprise, then lit up with delight.
“Captain Ren?”
Ren Yi nodded at him and sat down opposite him, giving him a brief once-over. The boy looked even more handsome and clean-cut in person than he had in the photograph. It was genuinely difficult to associate someone like him with the word crime.
“Hello. Your name is… Fang Zhixu.” Ren Yi glanced at the file in front of him.
“Your name is Ren Yi, with the character Yi written using four fire radicals.” Fang Zhixu gazed at him, his eyes shining. “Did you come here specifically for me?”
“How do you know who I am?”
“You’re somewhat famous online. It started a few years ago when you filmed that fire safety promotional video. The major national media outlets ran it continuously for half a year. Later, you were caught on camera during several operations, and the footage was posted online. The Beijing Fire Department also loves using you in its publicity campaigns.” Fang Zhixu rattled it all off in one breath, then said excitedly, “The first time I saw you was in that eight-second fire safety commercial. I was still in middle school then.”
Ren Yi looked at him. “You like firefighters? Do you want to become one?”
“I like them.” Fang Zhixu smiled and nodded. “But I don’t want to become one. It’s too dangerous. I’m not as brave as you people.”
“You pay a lot of attention to fires and things like that. You also keep track of what our station is doing.”
“Of course. I think you’re really cool, especially you, Captain Ren.” Fang Zhixu leaned forward and blinked at him. “Actually, I visited your station two years ago and even played basketball with you guys. I’d just returned from a vacation in Tahiti back then, so I was really tanned, and I was shorter and smaller than I am now. That’s why you forgot me.”
“People visit our station all the time. We’re always open to the public, so sometimes it’s hard to remember everyone.”
“You won’t forget me this time.” Fang Zhixu flashed a brilliant smile. “You know, I guessed you would come, but I didn’t expect it to happen so soon. Looks like you really did come here specifically for me today.”
“I often come to the sub-bureau to assist with various investigations. Today, Captain Qiu told me that you’ve shared quite a few posts on social media about me and my station, so she asked me to come in and talk to you.”
Fang Zhixu smiled without saying anything.
Gong Yingxian’s voice came through Ren Yi’s earpiece. “Ask him about fire.”
Ren Yi said, “Why are you interested in firefighters? Surely it’s not just because you think we’re cool. Police officers are cool too, and so are soldiers. What is it about firefighters that particularly attracts you?”
Fang Zhixu smiled. “You must want to ask me whether I have pyromania.”
Ren Yi calmly asked in return, “Do you?”
Fang Zhixu didn’t answer directly. “I think there’s something fundamentally wrong with the term pyromania itself. Humanity has worshipped fire, relied on it, and used it since ancient times. In exploring fire, people have always gone through a process of moving from the unknown to the known, from misuse to proper use. Who gets to decide how fire must be used?”
“The law does,” Ren Yi replied, staring straight at him. “The law might not dictate exactly how you must use fire, but it does stipulate how you’re not allowed to use it.”
Fang Zhixu said earnestly, “But if we don’t explore it, how will we discover more of its uses? For example, Captain Ren, did you know…” He suddenly lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Fire can warm not only the human body, but also the human soul.”
Deep in those seemingly youthful, innocent eyes lurked a chilling undertone. Ren Yi immediately felt goosebumps rise across his skin.
He could no longer regard Fang Zhixu as an ordinary teenager. When Ren Yi had been seventeen or eighteen, he might have thought he knew everything, but if the police had brought him in for questioning, he would certainly have been frightened. Yet the person before him was astonishingly relaxed, clearheaded, and articulate—far beyond what one would expect of an adult, let alone a teenager.
Ren Yi straightened in his seat and began to proceed more cautiously.
“So, you like arson?”
Fang Zhixu burst out laughing. “Of course not! I was just explaining my theory. I’m afraid of dying. I wouldn’t dare commit arson.”
“I didn’t ask whether you dared to do it. I asked whether you liked it.”
Fang Zhixu smiled and said nothing.
Ren Yi stared at him coldly.
“How should I put it? I am curious about it, certainly.”
“You’re curious about arson and interested in firefighters. Don’t you think that’s contradictory?”
“Not at all.” Fang Zhixu rested his chin on his hand and looked at Ren Yi. “I think fire is invincible, one of the most powerful things in the world. It can never truly be extinguished. All it takes is the tiniest spark of an opportunity for it to rise again. And yet you people are specifically dedicated to fighting it. You use the insignificant strength of human beings to oppose the overwhelming forces of nature. You’ve never truly won your battles against fire. All you can do is try to lose a little less. But even so, you never give up. You’re like a group of tragic heroes—so courageous, so magnificent.”
Ren Yi clenched his fist beneath the table. Fang Zhixu’s words sounded like praise, but the more he listened, the angrier he became. In Fang Zhixu’s description, they were nothing more than ants struggling desperately against a force far greater than themselves. Ren Yi could clearly sense the contempt hidden beneath the boy’s reverent tone.
“That’s why my love of fire and my admiration for firefighters aren’t contradictory at all.” Fang Zhixu spoke earnestly. “I believe all firefighters are heroes, and heroes deserve heroic endings. For example, they should meet their end heroically, just like Squad Leader Sun…”
Ren Yi slammed his hand against the table, his gaze instantly turning razor-sharp.
Fang Zhixu shrank back a little and looked at him innocently.
Gong Yingxian’s voice immediately sounded in his ear. “Stay calm. Don’t let him provoke you. He’s good at this.”
Ren Yi drew in a sharp breath, suddenly realizing that the teenager really had managed to manipulate his emotions.
Fang Zhixu lowered his head and began fiddling with the zipper of his clothes.
After regaining his composure, Ren Yi said, “You don’t seem frightened at all.”
Fang Zhixu asked in confusion, “Why should I be frightened?”
“You’ve been brought to a police station for questioning. You’re not afraid?”
“I haven’t broken the law.” Fang Zhixu shrugged.
“Then you at least know why you’re here, don’t you?”
“I do. Because I went to Wenhui Mall. I was just curious and wanted to have an adventure. I shouldn’t have entered a scene that the police had cordoned off, but that doesn’t exactly count as a crime, does it? At most, I’d get detained for disturbing public order?” Fang Zhixu thought for a moment. “But I’m a minor. Surely all I’d get is a warning and some education.”
Ren Yi took a deep breath. “I’m going to use the bathroom.”
Fang Zhixu nodded obediently. “Captain Ren, when you come back, could you tell me some stories about your emergency responses? I’ve collected so many news reports about you, but hearing the stories straight from you would be much more exciting.”
Ren Yi turned and walked straight out.
As soon as he left the interrogation room, Gong Yingxian and Qiu Yan hurried over.
Ren Yi swung a furious punch at the empty air and cursed. “That little bastard! He’s definitely connected to the organization.”
Qiu Yan said helplessly, “We suspect that too, but we have no evidence. And his family has considerable influence. We can’t take measures that require his guardian’s consent without it.”
“He went into Wenhui Mall!”
“That’s true, but it doesn’t prove anything.” Qiu Yan continued, “Do you remember Zhou Chuan? You caught him red-handed at the Fourth Perspective Bar, took photographs and recorded video. In the end, all we could do was impose an administrative penalty and hold him for forty-eight hours. He was a minor too. We couldn’t even formally detain him.”
“He spouts the same twisted arguments as Ziyan!” Ren Yi said grimly. “He’s definitely been brainwashed.”
“I don’t think he’s been brainwashed,” Gong Yingxian said. “Before you went in, our psychological expert conducted a brief assessment. He may well have an antisocial personality.”
“Aren’t many people with pyromania antisocial?”
“Not the same thing. Most develop hostility toward people and society because they’ve suffered discrimination or abuse. He seems to have been born this way.” Gong Yingxian frowned. “But so far, he has no criminal record whatsoever. He hasn’t even broken school rules.”
“Get Xiao Tan to hack into his social media accounts and computer. See if we can find—”
“No.” Qiu Yan shook her head. “The higher-ups won’t approve it. If we violate procedure, not only will we be punished, but any useful evidence we find will also become inadmissible.”
“Then there’s no other way?”
“For now, we can only rely on you to lower his psychological defenses and get him to reveal something useful. If you can’t get anything out of him either, we’ll temporarily have no other options. But I’ll assign people to follow him.”
Ren Yi slapped his cheeks a couple of times. “I’ll give it another try.”