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

It was 8:00 AM on the 30th day of the first lunar month.

Office of the Provincial Party Secretary.

Chen Jianguo stood by the window, watching the cadres going to work downstairs one after another, and remained silent for a long time.

Zhou Wenyuan sat on the sofa, waiting for him to speak.

Last night, Zhou Wenyuan reported to Chen Jianguo on the interrogation of Chen Zhiqiang and the preliminary evidence extracted from the USB drive.

After hearing this, Chen Jianguo only said three words: "I understand."

Then they told Zhou Wenyuan to go back and wait for news.

They waited all night.

"Wen Yuan," Chen Jianguo finally turned around, his face showing obvious fatigue, "Have you verified what you said last night?"

"Partially verified," Zhou Wenyuan said. "Liu Zhentao and Wang Jianjun have been detained. During the initial interrogation, they confessed to their involvement in organ trafficking and accepting bribes. As for Yang Zhiyuan, we are still verifying his information."

Chen Jianguo walked to his desk and sat down, tapping his fingers on the surface.

This habit indicates that he is making important decisions.

"Yang Zhi has been with me for eighteen years," Chen Jianguo began slowly. "He's been my secretary since I was mayor. He's a very capable and meticulous person. I never expected..."

He sighed: "But since there's evidence pointing to him, let's investigate. However, we need to be careful about how we do it."

"I understand," Zhou Wenyuan said. "We can first ask him to come to the Discipline Inspection Commission for a talk under the pretext of 'cooperating with the investigation.' If the evidence is conclusive, we can take further measures."

"That's a safer approach." Chen Jianguo nodded. "But Wenyuan, I need to remind you—this case is getting bigger and bigger as the investigation goes on, involving more and more people. You need to be careful not to escalate it or affect the overall work of the province."

It's about the "big picture" again.

Zhou Wenyuan smiled bitterly to himself, but remained outwardly calm: "Secretary Chen, rest assured, we will definitely act in accordance with the law and regulations."

"Okay." Chen Jianguo waved his hand. "Go and do it. Report back to me as soon as there's progress."

After leaving the secretary's office, Zhou Wenyuan immediately called Sun Zhentao.

"Comrade Zhentao, Secretary Chen has agreed. You can talk to Yang Zhi now."

"Understood. I'll arrange it right away."

10:00 AM, General Office of the Provincial Party Committee.

Yang Zhi was organizing the materials from Chen Jianguo's afternoon research when there was a knock on his office door.

"Please come in."

The door opened, and in came Zhang, the deputy secretary of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection, followed by two discipline inspection cadres.

Yang Zhiyuan's heart tightened, but he still smiled and said, "Secretary Zhang, what brings you here? Please have a seat."

"I won't sit down." Old Zhang said seriously, "Director Yang, there's a case that requires your cooperation in the investigation. Please come with us."

"What case?" Yang Zhiqiang asked calmly.

"You'll see when we get there," Old Zhang said. "Please cooperate."

Yang Zhi knew that this day had finally come.

He put down the documents in his hand and stood up: "Okay, I'll go with you. However, Secretary Chen has a research trip this afternoon, so I need to make some arrangements first."

"No need," Old Zhang said. "The General Office has already arranged for someone else to take over your work."

These words made Yang Zhi realize completely—he had been abandoned.

He silently picked up his coat and followed the discipline inspection cadre out of the office.

In the corridor, many colleagues peeked out, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

Yang Zhi lowered his head, not daring to look at anyone.

He knew that from this day forward, his political life was over.

All of this was simply because of greed, because of that 5% referral fee.

Looking back now, it was really foolish.

At the same time, in the interview room of the Provincial Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Yang Zhi sat in a chair with a glass of water in front of him.

"Director Yang," Old Zhang said, sitting opposite him, "do you know why we invited you here?"

"have no idea."

"Let me remind you," Old Zhang said, taking out a document. "Chen Zhiqiang, do you know him?"

Yang Zhiyuan's hand trembled slightly: "I know him... He's Secretary Chen's nephew."

Do you have any financial dealings with them?

"no."

"Really not?" Old Zhang pulled out another bank statement. "This card is yours, right? There were three transfers of 50,000 each in March, June, and September of last year, totaling 150,000. The remittance was from the 'Light of Life Charity Foundation.' How do you explain this?"

Yang Zhi's forehead began to sweat.

"This...this is the money Chen Zhiqiang is paying me back. I lent it to him before..."

"Where's the IOU?"

"No...no IOU was written."

"150,000 yuan, and no IOU?" Old Zhang sneered. "Also, according to Chen Zhiqiang's confession, these three sums of money are 'referral fees' for introducing clients to him. He made it very clear that you get a 5% commission for each client who needs an organ transplant. Three sums of money for three clients. Do you want me to read you the client list?"

Their psychological defenses crumbled instantly.

Yang Zhi slumped in his chair: "I...I confess...I confess everything..."

He spoke haltingly.

The first time was when a real estate tycoon's father needed a kidney transplant. He acted as the matchmaker and charged 50,000 yuan.

The second time, it was a family member of a leader from another province who needed a liver transplant. He acted as the matchmaker and charged 50,000 yuan.

The third time, it was the son of a wealthy businessman who needed a corneal transplant. He acted as a go-between and charged 50,000 yuan.

"Is that all?" Old Zhang asked.

"That's all...that's really all," Yang Zhi said, crying. "Secretary Zhang, I was confused for a moment...Chen Zhiqiang said it was just helping a friend out and getting a little extra money...I didn't know it was organ trafficking, I really didn't know..."

"You didn't know?" Old Zhang slammed his fist on the table. "You're the secretary to the provincial party secretary, how could you not know? When you accepted the money, didn't you ever consider whether it was clean or not?"

Yang Zhi was speechless.

"Besides these, what else have you done for Chen Zhiqiang?"

"I...I even helped him submit some materials a few times. They were all applications for hospital research funding and equipment procurement. He asked me to say a few good words for him to Secretary Chen...But I swear, I didn't take any money, I really didn't take any money!"

"What about the materials? Which hospital? What procedure?"

Yang Zhi tried hard to recall and mentioned the names of several hospitals and projects.

Old Zhang wrote them down one by one.

"Is there anything else?"

"No...that's all."

"Yang Zhi, let me remind you," Old Zhang said sternly, "Your confession now is still considered proactive. If we find out you're hiding something, the situation will be different."

"I've really confessed everything... Secretary Zhang, could you... could you please give me a chance for Secretary Chen's sake?"

"You have to earn your own opportunities," Old Zhang said. "Write down what you just said, sign it, and put your fingerprint on it. Also, think carefully about what you might have forgotten."

The conversation lasted three hours.

Yang Zhi finished writing the report and pressed his fingerprint on it.

Old Zhang took the materials and went to report to Sun Zhentao.

"Secretary Sun, Yang Zhi confessed that he received three payments totaling 150,000 yuan. In addition, he helped Chen Zhiqiang submit documents several times. Judging from his confession, he probably really didn't know the inside story of organ trafficking and was just doing things for money."

After reviewing the materials, Sun Zhentao nodded: "The amount isn't large, and the circumstances aren't particularly serious. But the nature of it is egregious—the provincial party secretary's secretary being involved in this kind of thing has a very negative impact."

"What should we do?"

"Detain him for now and continue the investigation. See if he has any other problems," Sun Zhentao said. "In addition, we need to focus on investigating the hospitals and projects he mentioned. Chen Zhi wouldn't have helped him submit materials for no reason; there must have been an exchange of benefits involved."

"clear."

That afternoon, news of Yang Zhi's detention quietly spread throughout the provincial party committee compound.

Although there has been no official announcement, this kind of thing cannot be kept secret.

For a time, people panic.

Those who had dealings with Chen Zhiqiang and Yang Zhi were particularly worried about whether they would be implicated.

Meanwhile, Zhou Wenyuan is under increasing pressure.

People kept calling to "show their concern" about the case, their words implying that "the overall situation should be considered" and "stability should be maintained."

Some even suggested that further investigation might "affect the province's economic development."

Zhou Wenyuan replied invariably: "We will handle the case according to the law, with no room for leniency."

But he knew that the real test was yet to come.

February 1st, morning.

Zhou Wenyuan received a phone call from Beijing.

He is the son of that retired senior leader, surnamed Xu.

"Comrade Wenyuan, I heard you're investigating my father's matter?" President Xu's voice was polite, but it carried an air of authority.

"Mr. Xu, we are conducting an investigation in accordance with the law," Zhou Wenyuan replied cautiously.

"I understand," Mr. Xu said. "I only found out about my father's surgery later. He was seriously ill at the time, and our whole family was very worried. Chen Zhiqiang said he could find a liver donor, so we gave it a try. As for where it came from, we really didn't know."

This statement was perfectly airtight—she claimed to be unaware of the situation, but was simply desperate to save her father.

"Mr. Xu, the focus of our investigation is whether the organ source was legal. As for the patient's family, we will not pursue them unless they were involved in any illegal or criminal activities."

"That's good." General Manager Xu paused for a moment, "However, Comrade Wenyuan, my father is old and in poor health. If this gets out, it will be a huge blow to him. Do you think it's possible to... handle this discreetly?"

This is a plea for mercy.

Zhou Wenyuan was silent for a few seconds: "President Xu, this case has had too much impact; it has already alarmed the central government. How to handle it is not something I can decide."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Wenyuan fell into deep thought.

"Governor Zhou, the technical department has recovered the names that were blacked out on the USB drive."

"Who is it?"

Lin Fan placed a printed sheet of paper on the table.

The above is a name.

Upon seeing this name, Zhou Wenyuan's hand trembled violently.

The paper read: Money before money.

He is an active-duty general, and more importantly, this General Qian is the son-in-law of a core leader in Beijing.

This is a big problem.

"Has it been verified?" Zhou Wenyuan asked.

"It's been verified." Lin Fan's voice was low. "General Qian did indeed have an organ transplant last year, done in Beijing. But the hospital records state that the donor was 'voluntary donation.' We checked the donor's information; he was a 29-year-old male who died in a traffic accident."

"Time of death?"

"November 3rd last year."

"Zhang Hao's incident happened on November 20th," Zhou Wenyuan murmured. "The timing doesn't match... Could it not be him?"

"The technical department also recovered another document." Lin Fan took out another piece of paper. "This is a chat log between Chen Zhiqiang and Liu Zhentao. Liu Zhentao said, 'The organs Boss Qian wanted have been found, but the price is too high.' Chen Zhiqiang asked, 'How much?' Liu Zhentao said, 'Five million, not a penny less.' Chen Zhiqiang said, 'Give it to me. But safety must be guaranteed.'"

The chat log was dated November 18th of last year.

Two days later, Zhang Hao died "accidentally".

"In other words," Zhou Wenyuan's face turned ashen, "the donor they initially sought was probably the traffic accident victim. But the deal fell through, or something went wrong. So, they turned their attention to Zhang Hao. Because of the blood type match, and because Zhang Hao was a minor, his organs were considered 'higher quality'."

This speculation is reasonable.

But it was even more cruel—they murdered a fifteen-year-old child for the organs of a general.

"Where's the evidence?" Zhou Wenyuan asked. "Chat logs alone aren't enough."

"The technical department is still recovering other data," Lin Fan said. "In addition, we checked the admission records of Yong'an City First People's Hospital on the day Zhang Hao died. The ambulance that brought Zhang Hao was driven by temporary workers, and they both resigned afterward and are now missing."

"Find them."

"We're already looking for it."

Zhou Wenyuan stood up and walked to the window.

The sun shone brightly outside the window, but his heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave.

If General Qian is indeed involved in the case, then this case has caused a huge uproar.

An active-duty lieutenant general, the son-in-law of a key leader, is involved in organ trafficking and may even be implicated in murder...

This is no longer something that can be handled at the provincial level.

"Xiao Fan," Zhou Wenyuan turned around, "you immediately put together a detailed report, clarifying all the evidence. Remember, it must be objective and accurate, without exaggeration or concealment."

"Should we report this to Secretary Chen?"

"Yes," Zhou Wenyuan said, "but not just to Secretary Chen. I need to go to Beijing to report directly to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection."

Lin Fan was taken aback: "Going directly to Beijing? What about Secretary Chen's side...?"

"We can't worry about that now." Zhou Wenyuan's gaze was firm. "This case has now exceeded our authority. We must ask the central government to intervene."

"When do we depart?"

"We're leaving tonight," Zhou Wenyuan said. "You're coming with me. Prepare the report; I'll review it on the way."

"Yes."

At 8 p.m. that evening, Zhou Wenyuan and Lin Fan boarded the train to Beijing.

To maintain secrecy, they did not travel by plane or bring any entourage.

The carriage was quiet. Zhou Wenyuan was reading a report, and Lin Fan was organizing supplementary materials.

"Xiao Fan," Zhou Wenyuan suddenly spoke, "Are you scared?"

Lin Fan thought for a moment: "A little. But more than that, it's... anger."

"Yes, I'm furious." Zhou Wenyuan closed the report. "In all my years as an official, I've seen a lot of corruption, but this is the first time I've seen something so utterly depraved. For money and power, they've lost all sense of basic human decency."

"Governor Zhou, do you think this trip to Beijing... will resolve the issue?"

"I don't know," Zhou Wenyuan said honestly. "General Qian's identity is too special. Moving against him would have far-reaching consequences. I can't guess how the higher-ups will weigh the options."

"What if...the higher-ups decide to suppress it?"

Zhou Wenyuan remained silent for a long time.

"If this is suppressed," he said slowly, "I will resign. I will quit this official position. But I will continue to pursue this matter until the truth comes out."

These words were spoken with absolute certainty.

Lin Fan looked at Zhou Wenyuan, a man who was not yet fifty years old, whose hair had turned white and whose face was wrinkled.

But his eyes remained firm and clear.

"Governor Zhou, I'll follow you," Lin Fan said. "No matter the outcome, I'll stay with you."

Zhou Wenyuan laughed and patted Lin Fan on the shoulder: "Good lad, I didn't misjudge you."

The train sped through the night.

Outside the window, the lights stretched endlessly, like a river of light.

And they are heading towards the eye of the storm.

Beijing.

What awaits them is both unknown challenges and a just trial.