When someone else says it, it's just wild speculation, pure slander. But when Yin Bingsong says it, it becomes reasonable suspicion. After all, he once worked in the shipyard's security department and could be considered an insider in the system.

This Christmas Eve was destined to be anything but peaceful. At No. 178, Meigang Road, a fire broke out. Due to traffic congestion, the fire brigade took fifteen minutes to arrive at the scene. After controlling the flames, they began search and rescue efforts, saving 25 injured individuals. Most injuries were not burns but were caused by a stampede. Within an hour of the incident, city officials and leaders of the associated group arrived at the scene to direct the response.

The highest-ranking leader on-site was Qin Dechang, the top executive of the Jiangwei Shipyard Group. The group is directly under the provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC), and Qin, a department-level cadre, holds a rank equivalent to the mayor of Jiangwei. The building that caught fire was part of the group's property, so Qin was in charge of the firefighting and rescue efforts.

In the biting cold, 62-year-old Qin Dechang, the group’s chairman and secretary, stood in front of a fire truck, frowning deeply. Department-level cadres are supposed to retire at 60, but since his term wasn't over, he had another year before retirement. Now, this man-made disaster, even though it didn't occur within the plant, was bound to tarnish his record—a potential blemish on his legacy.

"This must be thoroughly investigated without delay!" Qin commanded. "No matter who is involved, we will investigate to the end. Neglecting the safety of the people’s property is an unforgivable crime!"

The leaders of the related departments standing nearby nodded solemnly.

Switching to a gentler tone, Qin instructed that the injured should receive the best possible medical treatment. If district hospitals weren’t sufficient, they were to be sent to top-tier city hospitals. Additionally, he emphasized the need to console the families of the injured.

Eager to impress, one cadre chimed in, "The families of the injured are relatively calm."

This was because most of the people in the internet café lived nearby. Their families, having received the news, had rushed over. They weren't crying—not because they were calm, but because they were still in shock.

Qin shot a sharp glare at the cadre, turned around, and boarded his black Audi A6. The wind swept the hem of his coat, making his retreating figure seem somewhat forlorn.

"To the hospital," Qin instructed before closing his eyes for a moment of rest. A night of meetings awaited, and his aging body would have to endure.

At the shipyard's affiliated hospital, Qin Dechang visited the injured. Most of them had external injuries, though some burn victims, bandaged up, were a shocking sight. Reporters from the plant's TV station had also arrived. Qin Dechang, familiar with facing cameras, spoke confidently when the lens turned toward him. Just then, he noticed a young girl, with delicate features and a pair of almond-shaped eyes, lying in one of the beds. He approached her to offer his condolences, and the camera followed.

The girl was Yin Weiran, who had never been camera-shy. She had appeared on the plant's television programs a few times. Facing the attention of the high-ranking official, Yin Weiran replied in fluent, broadcast-style Mandarin, thanking Qin Dechang, "Thank you, Grandpa Qin. I will take care of my injuries and return to my desk as soon as I can."

Qin Dechang reminded the girl to rest well and recover, but just as Yin Bingsong stretched his hand out to shake, Qin’s brow furrowed slightly. He recognized Yin Bingsong as someone who seemed to be aligned with his political opponents, but still, he gave a brief handshake.

After leaving the ward, the division’s leaders approached Qin Dechang to report the latest developments. A public tip-off suggested the possibility of arson.

The division leader was too eager. In fact, this so-called tip was nothing more than Yin Bingsong's baseless gossip, but after a few rounds of circulation, it had turned into a significant lead. Arson was a different matter from an accidental fire. Qin Dechang ordered that the case must be solved tonight and the suspect apprehended.

The most anxious person right now was Sun Bin, the owner of the Ju You Internet Café. The escape route was locked, the smoke alarm had malfunctioned, and the automatic fire suppression system was nothing more than a decoration. All the money he saved on safety measures had now cost him ten times over—paying for the victims' compensation, hefty fines, and the damage to many people's lives. Worst of all, he’d probably end up in jail himself.

By now, Sun Bin had fled. Sitting in his car, he made endless phone calls trying to use his connections, but no one dared to answer. Just as he was about to turn off his phone and disappear, a friend’s call came through. “It’s all good. Your rival is the one who set the fire, and he’s been caught.”

“My rival?” Sun Bin was confused. There were a few people who had grudges against him, but it hardly seemed worth going to the extremes of setting a fire. However, since it was a criminal case, it could at least reduce his own liability. He decided to return and observe the situation.

The person who had been arrested was Yi Leng. The division acted swiftly, sending two plainclothes officers to his place. They didn’t make a big show of it because there were still smart individuals within the department who knew that a public tip-off wasn't always reliable—it might be true, or it might be false. Regardless, they couldn’t overlook any suspect.

Meanwhile, the Yumei Restaurant was still operating. Their specialty was late-night dining, catering to workers finishing late shifts. Ma Ge, a regular who came for lunch, was also back to support the restaurant. The topic on everyone’s lips was the fire.

From across the street, thick smoke and flames billowed, resembling a warzone.

Wu Yumei, the restaurant owner, turned around after placing an order, only to find Huang Pihu, an employee known as "Old Huang," fiddling with the computer at the counter. Glancing at the footage from the restaurant’s security cameras, she saw the two girls, one big and one small, who had come to eat.

"That Old Huang…" Wu Yumei muttered, shaking her head.

At that moment, a Passat drove up. Two well-built men got out. They were plainclothes officers from the division’s criminal investigation unit. They entered the restaurant, sat down, and Wu Yumei greeted them. Wu Bin, one of the officers, flashed his police badge and asked, “Did you hire someone new recently?”

Wu Yumei turned and called out, “Old Huang, they’ve come for you. Looks like you’re about to become a hero.”

Yi Leng, who had been watching, quickly realized that these two weren’t just ordinary customers. People with this kind of demeanor couldn’t hide their intentions. He hadn’t planned on going into hiding, so he calmly walked over but didn’t speak.

"Let me see your ID," Wu Bin said.

Yi Leng shook his head.

“Then tell me your name and ID number,” Wu Bin pressed. He was studying Yi Leng, sensing that something was off. Yi Leng didn’t appear to be hiding anything, but something about him didn’t sit right.

“You’re not talking? Alright, then you’ll have to come with us for further investigation,” Wu Bin said, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.

Yi Leng extended his hand, ready to be cuffed.

Wu Bin twisted his arm and cuffed his hands behind his back. He could tell from the way Yi Leng had extended his hand that the man had planned to resist, even trying to make it easy for himself to escape.

“He’s a hero who saved people!” Wu Yumei cried, flustered. "Why are you arresting a good person?"

The police ignored her, dragging the man away. They also told Wu Yumei to stay put and cooperate with the investigation.

The chef was arrested. Wu Yumei sat down, despondent, and told the customers to leave. It was time to close for the night.

Yi Leng was taken to the shipyard division's headquarters. They entered through the back door, and the face recognition system between the A and B gates failed to register Yi Leng’s face. As a result, they had to take him in for questioning directly.

Once inside, they tried to confirm his identity again. Yi Leng remained silent. He refused to speak about who he was, making it difficult for the next steps in the investigation to proceed.

“‘Huang Pihu’ is a fake name, right?” Wu Bin said, his voice sharp. “If you don’t talk, we’ll just drag this out. The detention center can hold you for up to 37 days, and in there, you'll meet all sorts of people. Life in there is nothing like the comfort outside.”

Yi Leng showed no emotion. Though he had never been to a detention center in China, he had spent some time in the notorious Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. There, the U.S. military held prisoners from various conflicts, including Middle Eastern combatants. In that hellish place, prisoners were forced to wear poorly ventilated face masks and goggles that made it difficult to breathe and see clearly. Long-term use of this gear damaged their respiratory systems and eyesight. They also wore one-piece prisoner suits with handcuffs and shackles in a tropical heat of about 35°C. It was truly a torturous experience, worse than anything Yi Leng had faced so far.

Wu Bin continued to apply pressure, trying to get Yi Leng to crack. He had his own suspicions about Yi Leng's background, but Yi Leng wasn’t giving him anything to work with. The longer Yi Leng stayed silent, the more frustrated Wu Bin became.

As Yi Leng stood there without speaking, the atmosphere grew tenser. Wu Bin was well aware that silence could sometimes be a tactic—one that Yi Leng was likely using to protect himself. The officer’s job was to break that silence, but no matter how he pushed, Yi Leng's expression remained impassive.

Back at the restaurant, Wu Yumei remained unsettled. She knew something wasn’t right about the whole situation. Why would Yi Leng, someone who had seemed to be an upstanding person, suddenly be dragged into this mess? The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. She knew that the people behind the scenes—the ones who had orchestrated the fire—had far more to do with it than anyone was letting on.

Her thoughts were interrupted when another officer walked in, giving her a stern warning not to discuss the case with anyone.

As the night wore on, she couldn’t help but wonder just how deep the conspiracy surrounding the fire ran and whether Yi Leng was truly the person they had arrested or if he was merely a pawn in a much larger game.

Apologies for the incomplete translation earlier. I'll continue translating the remaining parts for you.

Wu Yumei’s concern for Yi Leng continued to grow. Despite the arrest, she knew that Yi Leng wasn't a criminal. He was a hero, someone who had helped people during the fire, and yet now he was being treated as a suspect. She couldn’t understand why things had turned out this way.

The atmosphere in the restaurant had shifted too. With the arrest of Yi Leng, everything felt off, and Wu Yumei could sense that something more sinister was at play. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that the truth behind the fire was far from simple. There were people involved who would do anything to cover their tracks, and she feared that Yi Leng might have been dragged into something much larger than he could have imagined.

As Yi Leng sat quietly in the interrogation room, the officers had little to go on. The authorities weren’t sure whether he was involved in the fire or not, and his silence was making things difficult. But Wu Bin’s suspicion only grew stronger. His experience told him that the truth was hidden behind layers of deceit, and it was his job to uncover it.

At this point, Yi Leng remained unyielding. The investigation had barely begun, and he refused to speak. What he had endured at Guantanamo was far worse than anything they could throw at him here. He had no intention of revealing anything, not until he understood the bigger picture of what was truly happening.

Wu Bin grew frustrated, knowing that time was running out. But Yi Leng remained calm, unwavering, despite the pressure. He had been through far worse and wasn’t about to break now. His silence spoke volumes, and Wu Bin couldn’t help but feel that Yi Leng knew something important, something that could change the course of the investigation. But for now, it remained locked away behind his stoic exterior.

Yi Leng was taken to the shipyard division's headquarters. He entered through the back door, and the face recognition system between the A and B gates failed to register Yi Leng’s face. As a result, they had to take him in for questioning directly.

Once inside, they tried to confirm his identity again. Yi Leng remained silent. He refused to speak about who he was, making it difficult for the next steps in the investigation to proceed.

“‘Huang Pihu’ is a fake name, right?” Wu Bin said, his voice sharp. “If you don’t talk, we’ll just drag this out. The detention center can hold you for up to 37 days, and in there, you'll meet all sorts of people. Life in there is nothing like the comfort outside.”

Yi Leng showed no emotion. Though he had never been to a detention center in China, he had spent some time in the notorious Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba. There, the U.S. military held prisoners from various conflicts, including Middle Eastern combatants. In that hellish place, prisoners were forced to wear poorly ventilated face masks and goggles that made it difficult to breathe and see clearly. Long-term use of this gear damaged their respiratory systems and eyesight. They also wore one-piece prisoner suits with handcuffs and shackles in a tropical heat of about 35°C. It was truly a torturous experience, worse than anything Yi Leng had faced so far.

Back at the restaurant, Wu Yumei remained unsettled. She knew something wasn’t right about the whole situation. Why would Yi Leng, someone who had seemed to be an upstanding person, suddenly be dragged into this mess? The more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. She knew that the people behind the scenes—the ones who had orchestrated the fire—had far more to do with it than anyone was letting on.

Her thoughts were interrupted when another officer walked in, giving her a stern warning not to discuss the case with anyone.

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