The stuff looked a lot like mercury—a silvery-white, viscous liquid metal. Ren Yi had no idea why anyone would pour mercury onto a gas pipe, but they obviously had malicious intentions and were up to no good. He grabbed a rag from the counter and shouted, “Check whether all the gas valves are closed. Put out every open flame. Call 119. Hurry!”
They could already smell a faint trace of gas in the air. They didn’t know whether that was simply the normal smell in the back kitchen or whether there was already a leak. Either way, everyone’s nerves were stretched taut. Even with the valves shut, a lot of gas remained inside the pipes, and there was still a risk of an explosion if it came into contact with an open flame.
Several chefs immediately sprang into action.
Yan Jue put on a pair of kitchen gloves and carefully wiped away some of the mercury. He saw that the section of pipe beneath it was noticeably different in color from the surrounding area and had developed a network of cracks. He said grimly, “It’s probably been corroded. Thank God we discovered it early.”
The two of them felt a chill run through their entire bodies. A tremendous fear, like an invisible hand, instantly gripped everyone’s hearts.
If Gong Yingxian hadn’t come.
If they hadn’t noticed that suspicious man.
If the gas had leaked here, while several open flames were burning in the kitchen every second.
If…
If none of those things had happened, the consequences were so horrifying that they could barely bear to imagine them.
Ren Yi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and gritted his teeth. “There definitely aren’t only these few spots. Hurry and check everything.”
Several more station captains rushed into the kitchen. Ren Yi briefly explained the situation and had them inspect the gas pipes section by section.
In the end, they found four places where mercury had been poured over the pipes. At another two or three spots, the liquid had spilled onto the floor because the person had been in too much of a hurry.
Two sections of pipe had already developed cracks. Yan Jue didn’t even dare touch them with his bare hands. He carefully wrapped the pipes layer by layer with rags. When they ran out of rags, they wrapped several layers of damp toilet paper around them instead.
Several station captains thoroughly inspected the entire kitchen.
Before long, sirens and ambulance sounds rang out one after another from outside.
Once they confirmed that there was no immediate danger in the kitchen, Ren Yi and Yan Jue exchanged a glance, still shaken.
Yan Jue kept a grim expression as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Could this be… the people from that cult you mentioned?”
“Judging from their method and their target, very likely.”
“Fuck.” Yan Jue swore. “If it had really exploded just now… Fuck, that would’ve been…”
For the sake of confidentiality, Ren Yi couldn’t tell Yan Jue about what had happened at the concert. Because he had already experienced what happened at the concert, he wasn’t surprised by how utterly insane these people were.
He was simply afraid.
What frightened him even more was that these people had the ability, the intention, and the target to carry out something even more terrifying.
And they were still at large.
As long as they remained uncaught for even one more day, no one could sleep peacefully.
“I understand now why you’re not allowed to act alone.” Yan Jue spoke solemnly. “This is much more serious than I imagined.”
“I shouldn’t have come to this dinner. I almost dragged everyone into this.” Ren Yi wiped his face, his complexion ashen and his eyes dim.
Before this, although he knew he might become Zi Yan’s target, it had only been a speculation based on Zi Yan’s threats. They had done everything they could to take precautions, but his life had not changed very much.
But this was the first time.
The first time the threat had become reality.
He really was Zi Yan’s target.
The realization that “someone wants to kill me and has already taken action” would be an enormous shock to anyone. The psychological pressure it created was overwhelming. And Ren Yi already worked in a high-risk profession, which undoubtedly gave the criminals many opportunities to target him.
Yan Jue said seriously, “You’re not allowed to think like that. This is the criminals’ fault, not yours. If you hadn’t been helping the police all this time, they might not have targeted you. You’re just doing what a firefighter is supposed to do.”
Ren Yi forced a smile. “Trust the police. Sooner or later, they’ll catch them. And I won’t be scared off either.”
Yan Jue patted Ren Yi on the shoulder. “I wonder if that police officer caught the guy. Let’s go take a look.”
“He definitely did.”
“You have that much confidence in him?” Yan Jue raised an eyebrow. “So, he came specifically to protect you?”
“Sort of. At the beginning, I was the one who responded to the incidents related to the case. He came to investigate, and we worked together many times. Later, I started assisting them with the investigation and solving the case full-time.”
Everyone along the entire street had been drawn outside by the commotion at the barbecue restaurant and the police cars and ambulances outside. Passersby were asking one another what had happened, but no one could give them an answer.
The two of them walked out onto the street.
Private cars were jammed up along the entire road, while the police cars and ambulances cast intensely alarming red lights into the night.
Ren Yi immediately became worried. He followed the police cars and ran over.
From far away, he spotted Gong Yingxian, conspicuous among the crowd.
Only after seeing that he was completely unharmed did Ren Yi finally relax.
Gong Yingxian also saw Ren Yi. He quickly walked over and looked him up and down.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” Ren Yi immediately asked, “Did you catch him?”
Gong Yingxian’s eyes were bloodshot. He gritted his teeth and said, “He ran into the road and was hit by a car. He died on the spot.”
Ren Yi sucked in a sharp breath.
“What was going on in the barbecue restaurant? Was it explosives again?”
Ren Yi said, “Come take a look.”
Gong Yingxian brought several officers back into the restaurant to collect evidence. He, Ren Yi, and Yan Jue went to the back kitchen.
When Gong Yingxian saw the marks on the gas pipes and the metallic liquid smeared onto the rags, his expression became increasingly grim.
“Mercury can corrode metal?”
“This isn’t mercury,” Gong Yingxian said. “Mercury can corrode metals with relatively low hardness, such as aluminum, copper, and gold, but it doesn’t have much effect on steel. This is liquid gallium. It looks very similar to mercury.”
“Gallium…”
“Gallium can alloy with metals.”
Gong Yingxian reached out and pressed down on the corroded section of the pipe.
The supposedly hard steel crumbled under his fingers as easily as rotten tofu.
Everyone stared in horror.
Gong Yingxian turned his head toward Ren Yi, and there was a faint trace of fear in his eyes.
“Was this dinner decided on at the last minute?”
“Yes.”
“Then that means someone was following you. How long were you eating?”
Yan Jue checked his watch. “Almost three hours.”
“That wasn’t enough time for adequate preparation. Their preparations were rushed, and the person they sent was probably doing something like this for the first time. I spotted the flaw immediately.”
“This is very inconsistent with Zi Yan and Bai Yan’s usual methods. At the concert, they made extremely thorough preparations. They even conducted extensive research into the design of the venue. That proves they’re careful, methodical, and patient criminals.”
“But this time, their method was extremely crude. First, entering the kitchen without permission would immediately arouse suspicion. They couldn’t conduct any advance surveillance of the place. Even if they successfully took advantage of the chaos and poured gallium onto the gas pipes, the fact that they were behaving suspiciously could still get them noticed.”
“All of this proves that they’re desperate.”
“Because you discovered the amusement park and Bai Yan’s identity?”
“Not just that. Before I came here, we froze Bai Yan’s funds, issued a wanted notice, and found his residence. Cameras at several locations have captured him. He’s still in the city, and because we’ve blocked off the roads, he has almost no chance of escaping. It’s only a matter of time before we catch him.”
“That’s great!” Yan Jue said.
Gong Yingxian remained worried. “I’m concerned that once Bai Yan realizes he can’t escape, he’ll resort to even more extreme retaliation. What happened tonight is an example. This man is too dangerous.”
He looked at Ren Yi.
“I’m going to apply for a personal protection order for you.”
“This…” Ren Yi hesitated for a moment. “All right.”
Gong Yingxian gave a few instructions to the colleagues beside him.
“Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”
“I need to explain things to the fire department.”
Yan Jue said, “You go. I’ll handle it.”
Gong Yingxian didn’t even look at Yan Jue. He grabbed Ren Yi.
“Let’s go.”
Ren Yi waved at Yan Jue. “Thanks for your help.”
Gong Yingxian quickly pulled Ren Yi away.
Back in the car, the two of them remained silent for a long time.
Gong Yingxian wearily leaned forward onto the steering wheel. His jaw was tense, and his long fingers gripped the wheel tightly.
Ren Yi touched Gong Yingxian’s head and said gently, “I know you’re really frustrated, but you saved a lot of people tonight.”
“He deliberately ran into the traffic.” Gong Yingxian’s voice was hoarse. “What kind of brainwashing power could make someone do these things?”
“You’ll know once you catch Zi Yan.”
Gong Yingxian turned his head. In the dim light, he stared unblinkingly at Ren Yi, his voice trembling.
“They want to kill you. If I hadn’t been here today, they might have succeeded.”
Ren Yi was just as shaken inside, but he still pretended to be calm as he comforted Gong Yingxian.
“So Heaven sent you here. We both made it out safely. Whether it was the concert or this time, it proves that evil cannot triumph over good.”
“I don’t believe in that kind of thing.”
“Then believe in yourself.” Ren Yi spoke solemnly. “I’ve always believed in you too. I believe that you’ll definitely bring them to justice before they can cause even greater harm. You’ll save everyone, including yourself.”
Gong Yingxian froze.
Ren Yi said each word clearly.
“You will walk out of that fire.”
Gong Yingxian suddenly leaned over and hugged Ren Yi tightly.
His tall body was actually trembling like a child’s.
Ren Yi’s nose stung. He hugged him back tightly as well, gently stroking his back.
It was an embrace filled with boundless tenderness. Through their hearts pressed tightly against each other, they exchanged their concern and comfort for one another.
After a long while, Gong Yingxian finally calmed down. He released Ren Yi somewhat awkwardly and said quietly, “You must have been scared today too.”
Ren Yi rubbed his nose. “I’m shaken thinking about it afterward. If it had only been me, that would’ve been one thing. But there were so many station captains in that restaurant. If it had really exploded, it would’ve been international news.”
“If Honglin Stadium had exploded, that would’ve been international news too.”
Ren Yi gave a bitter laugh. “True.”
“From now on, police officers will protect you twenty-four hours a day and patrol around your station. During this period, don’t leave the station. I’ll do everything I can to catch Bai Yan as soon as possible.”
“But I have to respond to calls.”
Gong Yingxian snapped angrily, “And you’re still thinking about responding to calls at a time like this?”
“You’re still responding to calls too.”
Gong Yingxian was rendered speechless.
“I’m worried about you too. Actually, Bai Yan probably hates you the most right now. It’s just that you’re too alert, and you have a gun, so you’re difficult to target.”
Ren Yi looked at Gong Yingxian.
“I’d also love for you to stay inside that heavily secured castle of yours and never come out, but you definitely wouldn’t agree. I’m the same. I can’t hide by myself and let my brothers risk their lives.”
Gong Yingxian glared at Ren Yi.
“Can’t you just listen to me?”
Ren Yi smiled. “I can listen to you about other things. Not this. This is my duty.”
Gong Yingxian’s chest rose and fell heavily.
“Come on. Take me back to the station.”
Gong Yingxian didn’t move. He was clearly angry.
Ren Yi suddenly slumped limply onto Gong Yingxian’s shoulder and said coquettishly, “With the handsome and mighty Officer Gong protecting me, I feel completely safe now.”
Gong Yingxian couldn’t help it.
He burst out laughing.