Reborn in 2000: I'm the Boss's Driver

It was 7 a.m. on the 20th day of the first lunar month.

A light rain was falling in Yong'an city.

Zheng, the leader of the third working group and a division-level discipline inspection and supervision officer of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, stood at the entrance of Yong'an First People's Hospital, watching the crowds coming and going.

His team members have already dispersed into various departments of the hospital—outpatient department, pharmacy, laboratory, medical equipment department, finance department…

According to the plan, this morning's "open investigation" will involve publicly accessing the hospital's financial accounts, drug and equipment procurement records, and medical insurance settlement data for the past three years.

The afternoons and evenings are for "undercover investigations," where team members pose as patients or family members to experience the medical process firsthand and gather clues about potential problems.

Old Zheng is fifty-two years old this year and has been a law enforcement inspector for thirty years. He has seen all kinds of situations. But he still felt the pressure of this mission.

Yong'an City First People's Hospital was one of the hardest-hit areas in this organ trafficking case. Former Vice President Li Zhenhua was arrested at the airport. This suggests that there are definitely problems within the hospital, and that those involved are extremely vigilant.

"Team Leader Zheng, Hospital Director Zhang is here," Xiao Li from the team whispered.

Old Zheng turned his head and saw a group of people walking quickly out of the hospital building.

The leader was a man in his fifties with neatly combed hair, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and a spotless white coat.

"Team Leader Zheng, welcome, welcome!" Dean Zhang warmly extended his hand. "I am Zhang Mingyuan, the hospital's director. We received a notice from the Municipal Health Bureau saying that the province is coming to conduct a 'work inspection,' and we are fully cooperating."

When they shook hands, Lao Zheng could feel that Dean Zhang's palms were sweaty.

"Dean Zhang, you're too kind." Old Zheng said calmly. "We're here mainly to understand the hospital's operations. Please arrange for us to review the financial and procurement accounts first."

"No problem, no problem," Dean Zhang said repeatedly. "I've already arranged for the heads of the finance, pharmacy, and medical equipment departments to be waiting in the conference room. All the materials are ready."

The group arrived at the conference room on the third floor of the administration building.

On the long table, ledgers, vouchers, and contracts were piled up, reaching a height of more than a meter.

"Team Leader Zheng, these are all the accounts for the past three years." The finance manager was a woman in her forties who looked very capable. "Just tell us what you need, and we'll do our best to cooperate."

Old Zheng nodded, signaling his team members to begin their work.

The auditing team members opened their laptops and began sampling and verifying the data. Meanwhile, the disciplinary inspection team members retrieved the drug and medical equipment procurement contracts and reviewed them page by page.

Dean Zhang sat beside him, personally brewing tea and offering cigarettes.

The meeting room was quiet, with only the sounds of turning pages and typing on keyboards.

An hour later, Xiao Wang from the audit team looked up: "Team Leader Zheng, there's something I need to report."

"explain."

"I checked the drug procurement data for the fourth quarter of last year," Xiao Wang said, pointing to the computer screen. "There's a blood pressure medication called 'Shuya Ning' that was purchased for 85 yuan per box. However, I found on the provincial drug centralized procurement platform that the winning bid for the same manufacturer and specifications of 'Shuya Ning' was 42 yuan. The purchase price was more than double."

All eyes turned to the head of the pharmacy department.

He was an old man around sixty years old, wearing reading glasses, and constantly wiping his sweat.

"This...this..." he stammered, "It might be due to different batches being purchased, causing price fluctuations..."

"In the fourth quarter of last year, you purchased a total of 5,000 boxes of 'Shuya Ning,' amounting to 425,000 yuan." Xiao Wang didn't give him a chance to catch his breath. "According to the centralized procurement price, it should have been 210,000 yuan. What happened to the extra 215,000 yuan?"

The head of the pharmacy department was sweating even more.

Dean Zhang quickly tried to smooth things over: "Old Liu, what's going on? Is there a mistake?"

"Maybe...maybe..." Director Liu stammered incoherently.

Old Zheng waved his hand: "No rush, think about it slowly. Xiao Wang, continue checking the other drugs."

Another half hour later, problems were also discovered in the equipment department's accounts.

A set of surgical instruments cost 380,000 yuan to purchase. However, the same brand and model of the same product only costs around 250,000 yuan on the market.

The head of the medical equipment department explained, "We bought imported ones; they're high quality..."

"The purchase contract states it's made in China," said Xiao Li from the team, holding up the contract. "Moreover, the supplier, 'Kangjian Medical Equipment Company,' has only one million yuan in registered capital according to our business registration information, and it was only established last year. How could such a small company obtain the agency rights for imported medical equipment?"

One problem after another.

By noon, a preliminary inspection had uncovered seven suspicious points.

Dean Zhang's expression grew increasingly grim.

Lunch was served in a small private room in the hospital cafeteria. The food was plentiful, but the atmosphere was very somber.

"Team Leader Zheng, distinguished leaders," Dean Zhang raised his glass, "we'll continue with work this afternoon. Let's eat first, let's eat first."

Old Zheng didn't touch his glass: "Dean Zhang, we have regulations that prohibit drinking alcohol during working hours. Just have something simple to eat."

"Yes, yes, the rules must be followed." Dean Zhang awkwardly put down his wine glass.

During the meal, Dean Zhang kept talking, introducing the hospital's development, the hard work of the medical staff, and the tense doctor-patient relationship...

Old Zheng just listened, nodding occasionally.

He knew that the other party was testing him, probing his strength, and devising a countermeasure.

After finishing our meal, we returned to the conference room to continue working.

At 2 PM, an unexpected situation occurred.

The deputy head of the hospital's finance department, a woman in her thirties, suddenly approached Lao Zheng: "Team Leader Zheng, I...I would like to report some information to you privately."

Old Zheng glanced at her: "Okay. Xiao Li, you come along."

The three of them went to the small conference room next door.

The female deputy section chief cried as soon as the door was closed.

"Team Leader Zheng, I know the hospital has problems, and I bear some responsibility... but I can't help it, I really can't..."

Old Zheng gestured for her to sit down and speak slowly.

"My name is Wang Hui, and I've worked in the finance department for ten years." Wang Hui wiped away her tears. "Starting three years ago, I noticed problems with the hospital's accounts. The prices of medicines and medical equipment were inflated, and there were also some inexplicable 'consulting fees' and 'service fees,' which often amounted to hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan."

"I mentioned it to Dean Zhang, but he said it was 'industry practice' and told me not to meddle. Later, when my husband's company wanted to be included in the hospital's supplier list, Dean Zhang put in a good word for them. Since then, I haven't dared to say anything..."

Old Zheng asked, "Which companies were paid the 'consulting fees' and 'service fees' you mentioned?"

Wang Hui took out a small notebook from her bag: "I've written it all down. In three years, a total of more than eight million yuan was paid. There are six receiving companies, and I've checked three of them; their legal representatives are all relatives of hospital leaders."

She opened her notebook and pointed to a name: "This 'Yongan Health Management Consulting Company' is owned by Director Zhang's brother-in-law. Last year, the hospital paid them three million in 'management consulting fees.' But in reality, the company only has two people, and their office is located in a residential building. It's impossible for them to provide any consulting services at all."

Old Zheng took the notebook and looked at it carefully.

The record is very detailed, clearly showing the time, amount, payee, and reason for payment.

"Why are you memorizing all this?" Old Zheng asked.

"I'm scared." Wang Hui's voice trembled. "I know this money came from illegitimate sources. If something goes wrong, I'll be the one who handled it, and I won't be able to escape. So I wrote down every single transaction, thinking that if... if something happens, I can explain myself clearly."

"Besides these, what else do you know?" Old Zheng asked. "For example, anything about organ transplantation?"

Wang Hui's face turned pale instantly.

"I...I don't know..."

"Comrade Wang Hui," Old Zheng said sternly, "your voluntary confession now is considered a meritorious act. If we wait until we find out, the nature of the matter will be different."

After struggling for a long time, Wang Hui finally spoke: "The accounts for organ transplants... are not in the hospital's main accounts. There are separate ledgers, personally managed by Vice President Li Zhenhua. All I know is that for each transplant surgery, the hospital receives 'donations' ranging from 500,000 to 1 million yuan. This money doesn't go through the hospital's account; it goes directly into a private foundation."

"What is the foundation's name?"

"It's called... 'Light of Life Charity Foundation'. The legal representative is Chen Zhiqiang."

Chen Zhiqiang!

Old Zheng was shocked.

"What is the relationship between this foundation and the hospital?"

"Nominally it's a collaboration," Wang Hui said. "The foundation 'donates' to hospitals to conduct organ transplant technology research, and the hospitals 'recommend' patients who need transplants to the foundation. But in reality... the patients are all found by the foundation, and the surgery fees are also paid by the foundation. The hospitals only provide the venue and doctors."

"How should the money be divided?"

"I don't know the specifics. But I heard Li Zhenhua say that the surgeon receives 100,000 yuan, while the anesthesiologist, nurses, and ICU staff each receive between 20,000 and 50,000 yuan. The rest goes to the foundation and hospital leaders."

Old Zheng quickly took notes.

This information is crucial.

"Where are the ledgers?" he asked.

"There was a copy in the safe in Li Zhenhua's office. He probably had a backup at home," Wang Hui said. "But after Li Zhenhua was arrested, Dean Zhang personally led a team to clean up his office. The contents of the safe may have been moved or destroyed."

Old Zheng pondered for a moment: "Comrade Wang Hui, thank you for your cooperation. The content of our conversation today must be kept strictly confidential. Go back to work now, and pretend nothing happened."

"Team Leader Zheng," Wang Hui said anxiously, "Will...will I be alright?"

"If what you say is true and you actively cooperate with the investigation, we will consider your meritorious service," Lao Zheng said. "But the premise is that you must continue to keep it a secret and not alert the enemy."

"I understand, I understand."

After seeing Wang Hui off, Lao Zheng immediately reported the situation to Lin Fan.

On the other end of the phone, Lin Fan said seriously, "Team Leader Zheng, you've made a major breakthrough. The 'Light of Life Foundation' that Wang Hui mentioned and Chen Zhiqiang's Kangjian Company are very likely connected. Continue your investigation at the hospital, focusing on finding the foundation's accounts and the flow of funds. I'll coordinate with the police to search the homes of Dean Zhang and Li Zhenhua."

"clear."

After hanging up the phone, Lao Zheng returned to the large conference room.

Dean Zhang was still with them, but his eyes clearly showed some panic.

"Dean Zhang," Old Zheng sat down, "we'd like to see the hospital's organ transplant surgery records for the past three years."

Dean Zhang's hand trembled slightly: "Organ transplantation? Um... the archives were damaged in a fire, and a lot of documents were destroyed..."

"We'll see how many we can save," Old Zheng said calmly. "Also, we'd like to know about the cooperation between the hospital and the 'Light of Life Charity Foundation'."

Dean Zhang's face instantly turned pale.

"The Light of Life? Well... that's under the responsibility of Vice Dean Li Zhenhua, I'm not too familiar with it..."

"You're the dean, how could you not know about such a large collaborative project?" Old Zheng stared at him.

"I...I really don't know." Dean Zhang's voice began to tremble. "My main responsibility at the hospital is overseeing the overall operations. Specific tasks are handled by the vice presidents in charge..."

"Alright then." Old Zheng stood up. "Please cooperate, Dean Zhang, and take us to the archives. We'll see how much data we can salvage."

Dean Zhang had no choice but to lead the way.

The archives were on the third floor, and the door was locked. Upon opening the door, there were indeed signs of fire inside; two filing cabinets were charred black, and there was ashes on the floor.

However, Lao Zheng noticed that the fire mainly destroyed a few cabinets on the edges and corners, while most of the filing cabinets remained intact.

"When did the fire happen?" Old Zheng asked.

"On the evening of January 28th," Director Zhang said, "the on-duty personnel discovered it in time, and the fire brigade arrived quickly, so the damage was not significant."

"What about the surveillance footage?"

"The surveillance cameras... the surveillance cameras just happened to be broken that day."

What a coincidence?

Old Zheng sneered inwardly.

"Xiao Li, take some people and retrieve all the organ transplant-related files," he instructed. "Dean Zhang, could you please arrange a place for us to examine them carefully?"

"Okay...okay."

The files were moved to an empty office and piled up on a whole table.

Old Zheng and his team members began to peruse the documents.

Sure enough, most of the organ transplant records from the past three years were available. The surgery time, patient's name, surgeon, anesthesiologist, nursing staff... were all recorded in great detail.

However, crucial information is missing—the source of the organs is listed as "voluntary donation"; the recipient information often only includes age and gender, without detailed address and contact information.

"Team Leader Zheng, look at this." Xiao Li pointed to a record.

This was a kidney transplant surgery performed last June. The surgeon was Li Zhenhua, and the anesthesiologist was Wang Jianguo—the same doctor who broke down during interrogation.

The recipient information section only stated "Male, 45 years old".

However, in the notes, there is a small line of text: "Recommended by the foundation, VIP client, fees have been settled."

The words "Recommended by the Foundation" were circled in red.

"Pick out all the records that have the words 'recommended by the foundation' on them," Lao Zheng said.

An hour later, twenty-three records were selected.

The period spanned two years, with one or two cases each month.

The types of surgery include kidney transplant, liver transplant, and corneal transplant.

All the records share common characteristics: the organ source is listed as "voluntary donation," the recipient information is simple, and the remarks include "recommended by the foundation."

"These twenty-three cases are the breakthrough," Lao Zheng said. "Xiao Li, copy down the detailed information from these records, especially the names of the surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses. We need to talk to them one by one."

The conversation began at four o'clock in the afternoon.

The first person summoned was the head of the anesthesiology department, who was also Wang Jianguo's superior.

This is a female doctor in her fifties who looks very capable.

"Team Leader Zheng, I swear on my Party spirit that all the work done in our anesthesiology department is compliant and legal," she said as soon as she sat down.

Old Zheng didn't answer, but instead produced a record: "On June 15th last year, were you the one who administered anesthesia for this kidney transplant surgery?"

The female doctor glanced at me and said, "It's me. What's wrong?"

What is the patient's condition?

"He has end-stage renal disease and needs a kidney transplant."

"Where did the kidneys come from?"

"Voluntary donation".

Who donated it?

"This... I don't know. Donor information is confidential."

How much will the surgery cost?

"You should ask the finance department about that."

Old Zheng then produced several more records: "Last March, August, and November, and this January, you performed the anesthesia for all these transplant surgeries. The recipients were all VIP clients 'recommended by the foundation.' Can you explain what 'recommended by the foundation' means?"

The female doctor's forehead began to sweat.

"It's...it's the patients the foundation helps."

Which foundation?

"The Light of Life".

What is the relationship between the foundation and the hospital?

"Cooperative relationship".

"How do we cooperate?"

"They donate to the hospital, and the hospital performs surgery on patients they recommend."

Who will pay for the surgery?

"The foundation will pay."

"How much?"

"I...I don't know."

Old Zheng stared at her: "How much do you get paid for each transplant surgery you perform anesthesia for?"

The female doctor's face turned pale instantly.

"Team Leader Zheng, what...what do you mean by this?"

"Wang Hui has confessed everything," Old Zheng deliberately tricked her. "For each transplant surgery, the anesthesiologist receives 20,000 to 50,000 yuan. How long are you planning to keep this a secret?"

Their psychological defenses crumbled instantly.

The female doctor slumped into her chair and cried.

"I was forced into this... Li Zhenhua said it was a rule set by the hospital leadership, and if I didn't comply, I'd be laid off... My son is studying abroad and needs money... I had no choice..."

"Tell me everything you know," Old Zheng's tone softened slightly. "When did it start? How did it work? How was the money divided?"

The female doctor sobbed as she spoke haltingly.

The hospital began collaborating with the Light of Life Foundation three years ago. The foundation is responsible for finding organs and recipients, while the hospital performs the surgeries. The foundation pays between 500,000 and 1 million for each surgery.

How will the money be divided? The surgeon will receive 100,000, the anesthesiologist 50,000, each member of the nursing team 10,000 to 20,000, and the ICU doctor 30,000. Of the remaining amount, the hospital will keep 300,000 as "management fees," and the rest will go to the foundation.

Over the course of three years, she personally earned more than 600,000 yuan.

"How did you receive all this money?" Old Zheng asked.

"Cash. Li Zhenhua would give me an envelope after each surgery."

"Were there any other doctors involved?"

"There are... Director Wang and Director Zhang from the Department of Surgery, Director Li from the ICU, Director Liu from the Department of Nursing... many people have participated."

"Does Dean Zhang know?"

"I know. He would come to the operating room to 'inspect' every time there was a major surgery. But Li Zhenhua was in charge of the actual distribution of the money."

Old Zheng quickly took notes.

This is irrefutable evidence.

"Are you willing to write a statement?" he asked.

The female doctor hesitated for a long time before finally nodding: "I'm willing... but Team Leader Zheng, could you... could you please not let my son know? He's abroad, what if he finds out his mother is a criminal..."

"We will consider it on a case-by-case basis," Lao Zheng said, "but the prerequisite is that you fully cooperate."

After seeing the female doctor off, Lao Zheng immediately reported the progress to Lin Fan.

Meanwhile, news also came from other groups.

The fifth working group discovered a similar situation in Pyeongju. Pyeongju Hospital also collaborates with the "Light of Life Foundation," performing more than 30 transplant surgeries over three years.

The eighth task force uncovered a lead on drug kickbacks at a top-tier hospital in the provincial capital—a doctor received an 800 yuan kickback for each box of an anticancer drug prescribed. One oncology department head reportedly received over 600,000 yuan in kickbacks alone in a single year.

The 12th working group discovered in a mountainous city that hospitals were relabeling expired medicines and continuing to sell them to patients.

The more they investigated, the more alarming the problems became.

At 10 p.m., Lin Fan was at the command post summarizing the reports from each group.

The twenty working groups discovered hundreds of clues on the first day alone.

Among them, three hospitals were involved in organ trafficking.

Almost every hospital engages in kickbacks related to pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Cases involving insurance fraud, excessive medical treatment, and arbitrary charges are countless.

"Director Lin," the secretary came in to report, "We've received news from the Public Security Bureau that the search of Director Zhang's home has yielded significant findings."

"explain."

"A hidden safe was found in his basement. Inside, besides cash and gold bars, were several ledgers. One of them recorded the financial transactions between the 'Light of Life Foundation' and the hospital. Over three years, the foundation paid the hospital a total of 23 million. The hospital returned 14 million to the foundation, and the remaining 9 million was divided among six hospital leaders, including Dean Zhang and Li Zhenhua."

"Is Chen Zhiqiang's signature on the ledger?"

"Yes. Every large expenditure bears Chen Zhiqiang's handwritten signature."

Lin Fan took a deep breath.

Ironclad evidence.

"Furthermore," the secretary continued, "encrypted files were also found on Dean Zhang's computer. After the technical department cracked them, they contained complete records of organ transplants—including donor sources, recipient information, and surgical videos. The donor source section clearly stated: some were 'unidentified individuals from traffic accidents,' some were 'homeless individuals,' and some were 'indebted individuals.'"

Lin Fan closed his eyes.

Although I was mentally prepared, hearing these words still made me feel nauseous.

Where is Dean Zhang?

"He's been apprehended. He's currently being interrogated."

"Okay." Lin Fan stood up. "Compile all the findings from today into a briefing, and I will report to Governor Zhou immediately."

At one o'clock in the morning, the light in Zhou Wenyuan's office was still on.

After reading the briefing brought by Lin Fan, he remained silent for a long time.

"Xiao Fan, do you know what I'm thinking right now?"

Lin Fan shook his head.

"I remembered my uncle," Zhou Wenyuan said in a slightly hoarse voice. "He was an old traditional Chinese medicine doctor who ran a small clinic in the village. He didn't make much money in his life, but people from all around respected him. He often told me: 'A doctor must have a benevolent heart. To be a doctor, you must first have a benevolent heart. Without a benevolent heart, no matter how skilled you are, you'll only cause harm.'"

He lit a cigarette: "But look at them now, what are these people in white coats doing? They don't deserve to be called doctors, they're butchers in white coats, beasts in human skin!"

Lin Fan rarely saw Zhou Wenyuan so excited.

"Governor Zhou, the evidence is now basically conclusive. What's the next step?"

Zhou Wenyuan stubbed out his cigarette: "Tomorrow morning, we will hold the second meeting of the leading group. We will report on the situation and plan the next steps. At the same time, we will transfer the criminal evidence against Director Zhang and others to the procuratorate and recommend their immediate arrest."

"What about Chen Zhiqiang...?"

"A red notice has been issued," Zhou Wenyuan said. "Interpol is assisting in the investigation. As long as he's still in this world, he can't escape."

He paused, then continued, "But I think Chen Zhiqiang isn't the end. There must be someone behind him. Think about it, how much power does a foundation need to operate organ trafficking operations in multiple hospitals across the province? How many connections do they need to make? Could Chen Zhiqiang, just a businessman and a leader's nephew, have done it?"

Lin Fan understood what he meant.

This case may only be the tip of the iceberg.

"Governor Zhou, then we..."

"Continue the investigation." Zhou Wenyuan's gaze was firm. "No matter who is involved, no matter how far the investigation goes, we must get to the bottom of it. This is my promise to the victims, and it is also my responsibility to myself."

Outside the window, the night was deep.

But Lin Fan knew that dawn was just around the corner.

This storm that is sweeping through the entire province's healthcare system has only just begun.

Those evils hidden in the darkness will eventually be exposed by the sun and have nowhere to hide.