The case occurred a year ago.
It seemingly had nothing to do with Tan Yandong's suicide now.
But after Tan Yandong died,
this case was bound to be dug up again.
Because the victim of the case was named Gao Chuan, who had been a driver in the Changming county government and was also Tan Yandong's personal driver.
Was Gao Chuan murdered?
No!
He died in a car accident.
At eleven o'clock in the evening on the day of the incident, Gao Chuan, driving the municipal government's car, stopped on a secluded country lane.
A dump truck hit him directly from behind.
It goes without saying,
under such impact, Gao Chuan died on the spot.
After the accident, the dump truck driver claimed that there were no street lights at the time and that he had been distracted while driving, which led to the accident.
Following the incident,
he was sentenced to two years in prison for traffic manslaughter.
He is still serving time in prison today.
Moreover, an autopsy later found that Gao Chuan had a high amount of alcohol in his body, already being in a state of drunken driving.
At that time, he was likely resting by the roadside.
The police later also verified with the driver's team that Gao Chuan had no tasks that evening, meaning he used the official vehicle for personal needs after drinking, which led to the accident. It was unrelated to the government.
The case,
was eventually settled as a traffic manslaughter case.
But why did this case make Chen Fang feel a sense of crisis after Tan Yandong's death?
Because on the night of the incident,
Chen Fang had seen Gao Chuan, and it was at Tan Yandong's house.
One was Tan Yandong's foster son, and the other was Tan Yandong's personal driver; they definitely knew each other well.
Since starting work,
Chen Fang had rented a place and moved out, seldom visiting Tan Yandong's home.
It happened that the temperature dropped suddenly that night.
Chen Fang thought about going back to Tan Yandong's house to get some clothes to keep warm.
As usual, after opening the door of the house, he was surprised to find Tan Yandong drinking with Gao Chuan.
A county head drinking with his driver, even Chen Fang found this scene strange, but he didn't ask more since Tan Yandong was just his foster father.
Now thinking back,
Tan Yandong's mood seemed abnormal at that time.
He seemed very angry that Chen Fang came back to get clothes without notifying him in advance.
Not only did he refuse to let him enter, but he also confiscated his keys on the spot and told him never to come back to this home.
Just like that,
Chen Fang was driven out.
The next morning,
he heard about Gao Chuan's accident at his workplace.
Although he felt there were issues, upon reflection, it seemed to be merely a car accident. After all, it seemed illogical for a county head to go to great lengths to get rid of a driver.
After the incident,
Gao Chuan's parents approached the county public security bureau seeking an explanation.
They claimed their son never drank and was diligent and would never use the official car for personal use.
They even insisted that Tan Yandong had killed Gao Chuan because Gao Chuan had revealed at home that he knew a major secret of County Head Tan.
Because they couldn't produce any evidence,
the public security bureau did not accept the case.
Unsatisfied, Gao Chuan's parents petitioned at the city committee.
The result was the same, dismissed without further action.
Later, due to their higher-level petitioning, they were even detained for fifteen days.
Now with Tan Yandong's sudden suicide,
Gao Chuan's parents are bound to raise this matter again.
While Tan Yandong was in office, no one would have believed that he could have harmed Gao Chuan, but now with Tan Yandong's demise, all suspicions could potentially be substantiated.
If this case were to be dug into further,
the fact that Chen Fang had met Gao Chuan that very night could not be concealed.
After all, he had taken a taxi there, and acquaintances from the neighborhood had greeted him.
Even if this case had nothing to do with him, with no one left to testify, jumping into the Yellow River couldn't clear his name.
The law adheres to the principle that the accused is innocent until proven guilty, but in the political arena, even a baseless smear can ruin someone's career. If he couldn't keep his job at the health bureau, his years of hard work would truly be in vain.
Thinking of this,
Chen Fang couldn't help but feel agitated.
The previous heat had now completely dissipated.
After returning home and thinking over the matter from beginning to end, he still felt there was a major problem.
In this matter, Tan Yandong indeed had a suspicion, as he had met Gao Chuan that night; however, this point wasn't reflected at all when the case details were later announced.
Either the police had actively excluded this piece of information,
or Tan Yandong had lied.
Having lived with Tan Yandong for many years, though mostly during school, Chen Fang was certain that he wasn't someone who would commit murder.
What he feared came to be.
The next afternoon, barely making it to the end of the workday in trepidation, he still received a call from Luo Lan, asking him to come to the special investigation team.
Just as he got out of the car at the entrance of the Anti-Corruption Bureau,
Chen Fang saw Luo Lan sending an elderly couple off in a car, and before they left, she earnestly said, "Rest assured, elders, we will clarify everything about your son's case."
Although Chen Fang didn't recognize these two,
he could almost be certain they were Gao Chuan's parents, which meant this case was indeed being brought up again.
His greatest crisis had arrived.
"You, come with me inside!"
After seeing off the couple, Luo Lan said to Chen Fang.
"Sister, what does the special investigation team want with me?"
Chen Fang deliberately asked with a cheeky grin.
Luo Lan looked around and seeing no one else, whispered, "I'm not sure exactly, but a public security officer from the city wants to meet you, who is also one of our deputy team leaders here."
"The city public security bureau is involved too?"
Chen Fang asked with a shiver in his voice.
Luo Lan nodded. "Things have gotten a bit complicated. Tan Yandong might also be involved in a murder case."
Exactly as he had anticipated.
Although very nervous inside, Chen Fang maintained a calm exterior. These people from the Anti-Corruption Bureau were all extremely sharp, and any slip-up could likely make him a subject of elaborate investigation.
Following Luo Lan,
Chen Fang came to an office door.
"Go inside by yourself, and remember, absolutely do not speak carelessly."
Now, for Luo Lan, Chen Fang was still like a ticking time bomb.
She had to warn him.
"Don't worry, sister, would your brother bring harm to you?"
With that response,
Luo Lan felt much more at ease.
With a nervous heart, he knocked on the door.
A voice from inside said, "Come in!"
A woman's voice?
The deputy team leader was also a woman?
Chen Fang didn't ponder too much and walked straight in.
A very clean office.
It had a desk and a sofa set.
A woman in a police uniform was sitting behind the desk, deeply engrossed in writing something.
"Have a seat,"
the woman said without looking up, straightforwardly.
Chen Fang sat down on the sofa.
At that moment, the policewoman also put down her pen, stood up, and asked, "Would you like something to drink? Tea or coffee?"
"Is it you?"
After clearly seeing the woman's face, Chen Fang was so shocked that his jaw could have dropped to the floor.