"Secretary Hou, good day," Cao Zhongyi said respectfully.

According to administrative ranks, Cao Zhongyi was a deputy department-level official, while the top position at Jianning Forestry University was at full department level. It made sense that Cao Zhongyi was showing respect.

More importantly, it wasn't Hou Yuanshu's rank that mattered, but the Hou Family backing him.

"Just brewed some Zhengshan Xiaozhong; come, try some," Hou Yuanshu offered, pushing a cup of tea toward Cao Zhongyi.

After sitting down, Cao Zhongyi took a sip of the tea and said, "Indeed, it's exquisite tea, only the best when served by Secretary Hou."

"Ah Zhan, if your Uncle Cao likes it, later when he goes downstairs, you go and put two boxes in his car," Hou Yuanshu gestured with his hand.

Hou Zhan, who was standing by, nodded and said, "Dad, I understand."

"How could I possibly accept this? Having the chance to drink tea personally made by Secretary Hou has already greatly honored me," Cao Zhongyi replied courteously.

"What are you talking about?" Hou Yuanshu said, "If Director Cao can do me this favor, I still feel it's not enough. My son has a good relationship with Sun Jiye; they're like brothers, and now that his family has suddenly encountered trouble, it's only right for me to ask about the matter, both emotionally and in principle."

Cao Zhongyi nodded and said, "Secretary Hou really is a man of integrity. I've already sent Deputy Captain Li Li to investigate this matter. You can rest assured, Secretary Hou; there's no way Chen Fang can escape this time."

"With those words from Director Cao, I can be at ease," Hou Yuanshu said with a big laugh.

From this scene, one could start to see some clues.

This turn of events had been aided and abetted by someone behind the scenes—and that someone was the father and son of the Hou Family.

It wasn't surprising.

Firstly, the sweeping arrests within the Fenglin Party, which had been operated for many years, placed Hou Yuanshu in an exceedingly unflattering position. He hadn't intended to provoke Chen Fang, yet at this critical juncture, such an incident had occurred.

Of course, he wouldn't miss this opportunity.

Even if he couldn't smash Chen Fang to death with one blow, he wanted him to witness the might of the Hou Family.

He chose to make his move through Cao Zhongyi for another reason.

Cao Zhongyi was previously a key supporter of Wu Ming, the former Secretary of the Political and Legal Committee and Director of the Public Security Department. With Wu Ming's downfall, Cao Zhongyi had lost his patron.

Naturally, he despised Chen Fang to the bone.

The two struck a chord and pressured Chen Fang. It seemed only natural.

Hou Zhan was perhaps the proudest.

He certainly wouldn't reveal how he had bullied Sun Jiye.

But being able to use this incident to press down on Chen Fang made him extremely pleased.

He was quite pleased with himself.

The focus returned to the Public Security Bureau of Wulan City.

Li Li was here on a mission.

So, whether Chen Fang was getting married tomorrow or not, she had to take compulsory measures against Chen Fang, which greatly troubled him.

After nearly half an hour of back and forth, Li Li remained unmoved.

With no choice left, Chen Fang had to call for help.

He had just taken out his cell phone, not yet making the call, when the interrogation room door was suddenly flung open.

Wan Tao said breathlessly, "Captain Li, the situation has been clarified."

"What's been clarified?" Li Li asked.

Wan Tao swallowed hard, glanced at Chen Fang, and said, "Someone's come from outside, claiming they know how Sun Jiye died."

Li Li was startled.

Even Chen Fang stood up immediately.

Without saying another word, they all rushed out.

Under Wan Tao's lead.

The three of them arrived at the entrance to a reception room at the police station.

At that moment, Guo Pingsheng, the standing deputy director of the city bureau, was already waiting at the door.

"It's the catering manager of the Shiyie Hotel, named Tao Lilan, she claims she knows the cause of Sun Jiye's death," Guo Pingsheng said.

Chen Fang was taken aback and asked, "Tao Lilan?"

"You know her?"

Li Li asked.

Chen Fang nodded and said, "The reason I had a conflict with Sun Jiye was precisely because Tao Lilan wanted to give the Shuangxi Hall to someone else. It's possible she knew something."

"Let's go in and see," Li Li nodded and said.

After the door was pushed open,

they saw Tao Lilan shrinking on the sofa.

A female officer was comforting her emotions.

When I saw her yesterday, she was still full of arrogance, but today, she looked very haggard and somewhat sickly.

Upon hearing the door open,

she subconsciously looked up.

It was clear that she was reeling from severe shock.

Especially after seeing Chen Fang, her gaze became even more complicated.

"Miss Tao Lilan, hello, let me introduce myself first, I'm the vice captain of the provincial public security criminal investigation team, my name is Li Li," Li Li said after introducing herself.

Li Li then looked towards Chen Fang.

Chen Fang said, "No need for introductions, we know each other."

"Miss Tao, you said you know the reason for the violent death of Sun Jiye's family, right? I'm here today specifically to investigate this matter," Li Li had just finished speaking,

when Tao Lilan suddenly stood up.

Her lips trembled,

and she spoke in a stammering voice, "It was Hou Zhan, it must have been Hou Zhan."

Hou Zhan?

Upon hearing this name,

both Chen Fang and Li Li shuddered.

The two exchanged a glance.

Just now in the interrogation room, Chen Fang had also mentioned the possibility of Hou Zhan being involved, but he felt that with the conflict between Hou Zhan and Sun Jiye, it wouldn't reach the point of committing such an act.

After all, it hadn't gone that far.

"Miss Tao, you say it was Hou Zhan, do you have evidence?" Li Li asked.

Tao Lilan's gaze was empty as she shook her head, saying, "No... no evidence..."

Both were bitterly disappointed.

Especially Li Li, who said, "Miss Tao, these kinds of accusations can't be made blindly. Since you have no evidence, you can't just say it was Hou Zhan; there are legal responsibilities for this."

"I'm not speaking blindly. I don't have evidence that he killed President Sun, but I have evidence that he hurt me."

"Hurt you? How did he hurt you?" Li Li asked.

Tao Lilan's hand suddenly went to the zipper of her coat.

With a zip,

the zipper was pulled open straight away.

Everyone present was stunned.

Because apart from the coat, Tao Lilan wasn't wearing anything underneath, not even a bra.

But that wasn't the most shocking part.

The most shocking was the various scars on her fair skin, some from fingernails, others from teeth.

Through clenched teeth, Tao Lilan said, "These are the evidence. That day he... he took me to a construction site... assaulted... assaulted me... and, and that day he... he also warned President Sun to be careful, saying he was a man of small-mindedness..."

It struck them like a bolt from the blue.

Li Li and Chen Fang were both stunned.

Hou Zhan, although he had lost face that day,

had a clear target for his grievance.

If he wanted revenge, it should have been directed at Chen Fang.

Why would he lay hands on Tao Lilan?

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