Special Forces Medic-Chapter 772 - 739: The Second Fire

"The first fire started from the inside." Lian pulled Xiao Lin's attention back to the North Palace, still suspecting he was hiding something from her. Comparing the photos, Lian walked to a warehouse-like area. "After crossing that bridge, it's about three or four meters. According to the blueprint, this should be an open space, possibly meant as a green belt opposite Xuefu Road. If the fire started inside the North Palace, then based on the wind and airflow, this open space beneath us should've been affected first. But the burn area isn't large; only about two meters are stripped of plants, as if the fire just jumped up. If it were a gas explosion, the impact would be different, meaning there was no flammable gas here at that time. Yao Zheng is lying."

The North Palace was burned, not exploded. This is the first issue Lian wanted to address. Explosions have impact and destructiveness, but now, the building doesn't show signs of destruction.

Xiao Lin was the first person to enter the building after the fire. He stepped over the charred wood, feeling beneath his feet what turned to mere particles from the gravity. Half of the dragon's tail at the entrance of the North Palace fell to the ground, revealing concrete. Everything flammable had been burned to ashes, and even after so long, the air was filled with a strong odor.

"The fire moved from the inside out, with a methanol smell in the air. The other side used a fire retardant, but how did they control it?" Xiao Lin hadn't figured this out yet. Apparently, the other party only wanted to burn down the North Palace but didn't want to cause massive casualties. As accelerants were used, the fire should've ignited instantly, and since it's not a closed space, controlling the wind direction is a big problem.

"This question isn't hard." Lian pulled Xiao Lin out, standing where they had just entered, showing him the entire layout to address the bias in the fire scene analysis. "That's why the fire didn't burn this side, staying within two meters."

Xiao Lin nodded in understanding. Lian's attention to detail was genuine. From this angle, there was a long channel ahead, albeit filled now, but you could still see traces from afar, suggesting there wasn't just one arsonist.

"There must be something we want in the North Palace." Xiao Lin remarked casually. "Yan Juanjuan once said Yao Zheng had something on her."

"You mean contraband? But why is it here?"

"The second fire was in the ravine, right?"

If it were a single fire, there wouldn't be a break between the front and back, and the back of the front buildings wouldn't have excessive burn marks. Where they entered had severe charcoal traces, or it burned in the middle, affecting nearby outer houses, before being extinguished. This might be thanks to the firefighters, which clearly indicates the perpetrator's intent.

"The purpose!" Xiao Lin suddenly shouted, sprinting outside.

"Xiao Lin!" Lian inexplicably followed him.

Xiao Lin ignored the person behind him, desperately running toward the district government building, dialing Xia Xue's number, his anxious expression growing more intense.

"Isn't that the boss?" Shi Shuai pointed to the running man on the street from inside the car. "I saw him with the sister-in-law this morning. What's he doing now?"

"What's going on? There's a woman following behind him!"

"Yeah, really!" Shi Shuai also noticed the woman behind Xiao Lin. "Wow, all of the boss's women are so beautiful. He's really lucky."

"Not the one from this morning?" Li Wei watched the two running people from the side, having listened to Shi Shuai talk about woman after woman all morning, now finally seeing them in person wasn't easy.

"No, the one from the morning is more fashionable. This one is more mature." Shi Shuai felt strange. "But why is that woman chasing the boss? Has a love triangle come to light?"

"Come on, she isn't chasing him, obviously just following," Li Wei rolled his eyes at Shi Shuai.

"Is that so?" Shi Shuai chuckled lightly. "It seems they're heading to the district government. Let's drive there." He turned the steering wheel and sounded the siren, as cars in the adjacent lanes naturally gave way.

Xiao Lin heard the siren and looked to his left. "Boss, get in!" Li Wei yelled at Xiao Lin from inside the car.

Xiao Lin used one hand to vault over the railing, landing on the road and getting into the car.

"To the district government, quickly." Xiao Lin ordered Shi Shuai as soon as he got in.

"Not waiting for the lady behind?" Xiao Lin looked in Lian's direction.

"No need!" He took out his phone. "You don't need to follow. If you know where the North District Police Station is, go find Qing Yi."

Lian stopped in her tracks, phone in hand, watching the police car wind away. She gasped for air, the pain from breathlessness rising in her abdomen, making her lean against the side painfully.

"Miss, are you okay?" A passing lady saw her eyes tightly closed, dripping with sweat, and pale face, pausing in concern.

"I-I'm fine." Lian took deep breaths, suspecting she'd inhaled too much methanol in the North Palace, causing mild poisoning. "Auntie, do you know how to get to the North District Police Station?"

"What are you going there for?" Seeing Lian's condition, the lady's imagination ran wild.

"It's nothing, can you just tell me the way?"

"Oh, it's a bit far from here. You can take the number 5 bus, then switch to the 217, and after getting off, cross a road and turn left to get there."

It sounded complicated, much more so than the address she ultimately gave to Xia Xue. "Could you help me hail a taxi, please?"

"Miss, are you really okay? I think we should go to the hospital first!"

"I'm fine!" The aunt saw how insistent she was and didn't persuade her anymore. After hailing a taxi and helping Lotus into it, she walked away.

The driver navigated through the street. Since getting into the car, Xiao Lin hadn't spoken a word and kept making phone calls. He didn't dare to speak up and drove as if he were flying. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Park the car behind that red one." At a glance, he spotted Xia Xue's car. It wasn't parked in the underground garage, and Consort Ling's phone was similarly unreachable.

"Boss!"

"Don't follow me, just follow the usual routine." Xiao Lin quickly headed up to the red car. There was no one inside. Did Consort Ling go in with Xia Xue?

"Are we really just going back like this?" the driver suddenly asked Li Wei. What's the boss worried about?

"What do you want to do? The boss told you not to interfere, didn't you hear?"

"Can't I be curious?" There's not much to do lately. Problems that needed handling are taken care of, and the rest are things the boss doesn't want us to meddle in. Busy days have satiated hunger. Suddenly stopping makes one feel uneasy. "Let's follow and check it out!"

"Are you crazy? This is the district government building. Can you just go in there?" Li Wei couldn't stand the driver's sudden impulsive thought.

"Aren't you curious? I've never seen the boss so tense before!"

"Curious, yes, but there needs to be a limit. We wait here; going inside is definitely not an option."

"If you're not going, I will!" Saying so, the driver started changing out of his uniform. If he entered like that, he'd be recognized at a glance.

"You can't be serious. You brought another set of clothes to work?"

"Of course, in case of emergencies." The driver was prepared because of following Ye Zi last time. Wearing a police uniform can be inconvenient sometimes.

"I think you've really lost it." Li Wei turned away as the driver started changing his pants. "Ah, the boss went in."

"Ah, how did he get in so quickly?" The driver was still fastening his pants.

"How do you plan to get in?"

"From the back entrance!" He didn't have the guts to enter directly, but he had the skill to get in from the back door.

"Are you sure there's a back door?" Li Wei looked at the driver uneasily, his reckless nature was truly nerve-wracking.

"Trust me, government buildings definitely have alternate entrances, and more than one." The driver finished dressing and handed the car keys to Li Wei. "Drive back yourself. I'll go back later. Don't rat me out!" He gave Li Wei a glare before leaving; if Lao Xu found out, he wouldn't have peace.

"Do you have extra clothes?" Li Wei thought for a moment and still felt uneasy. If he didn't follow this guy, who knows what trouble might arise.

"I do, but won't it be a bit tight for you?" The driver laughed as he looked at Li Wei, whose physique was sturdier than his slender frame.

"I can't trust leaving you alone, squeezing will be fine." Li Wei rummaged through the driver's clothes and started putting them on. Luckily, his body was muscular, honed through fitness, making it fit quite well compared to the driver's lean frame.

"Your muscles still aren't as good as the boss's, even after working out." The driver envied but was also candid.

"Don't mess around when we're inside. If nothing's happening, let's just leave, okay?" Li Wei ignored the driver's ramblings as he slid his gun into his pocket.

"It's nothing, why take that?" The driver chuckled. "Let's go!"

Circling past the main entrance, the driver reached a guard room. "This is a side entrance, see, I wasn't lying. We just need to wait for the duty officer's shift change to go in."

Xia Xue sat in Yao Zheng's office. It wasn't her first time there, but today it felt quite peculiar. Was it because of the additional person's presence?

There was someone sitting in front of Yao Zheng, and the two seemed to be discussing something. Xia Xue wanted to leave but was called back by Yao Zheng.

"President Xia, sorry, I'll be done soon. Please sit here for a while." (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)