Reborn in 97, I solved a cold case at the Municipal Bureau

Chapter 442 I Have an Alibi (Case Closure Countdown)
Chen Gengyun's sigh made Zhou Yi somewhat suspicious.

They surrendered so easily?

Something feels off.

“Tell me in detail how this day came to be,” Zhou Yi said.

Chen Gengyun shook his head with a helpless expression, as if he had made a huge decision.

"I admit, I made a mistake."

“I did not see him at Xishan Cemetery on the night of April 28th.”

Zhou Yi and Wu Yongcheng immediately took a deep breath, and Chen Gengyun admitted that he had given false testimony for Fan Tianyou!
"Then why did you create an alibi for him?" Zhou Yi asked sharply.

"Because he came to me, begging me to help him, to testify that he and I were together on the night of April 28th." Chen Gengyun sighed deeply, "Alas, I softened, so I..."

"Chen Gengyun, tell me everything clearly: when did Fan Tianyou contact you, where did he contact you, what did he say to you, how did he beg you for help, what did he say and do, and so on!"

Chen Gengyun nodded: "Alright, now that things have come to this, I have no choice but to say it. It seems he has deceived me."

Zhou Yi crossed her arms and looked at him coldly.

"As for the time, it should be the evening of May 4th. I don't remember the exact time, but it was quite late. I was reading a book when he suddenly knocked on my dorm room door and said he had something to discuss with me, so I let him in."

“I thought he was having some difficulties at work or in his studies, because he would come to me for advice when he was confused before. After all, I’ve seen more of the world and met more people than he has. Although I haven’t taught him, I’ve been his mentor for many years,” Chen Gengyun said with emotion.

"After we went inside, I asked him to sit down, but he wouldn't. He just kept pacing back and forth, looking very preoccupied. So I asked him what was wrong, if he had run into some trouble. I do know some friends, and while I can't say I can solve everything, I can at least help out."

"Then he suddenly knelt down on the ground with a thud and said, 'Teacher Chen, you have to save me!' Oh, that's what he called me back when he was an undergraduate, after all, he and my Linlin..."

Zhou Yi tapped the table: "Stop talking about irrelevant details."

“Okay, then let’s do it your way.” Chen Gengyun said, trying to sound casual. “I just asked him, ‘What’s wrong?’”

"He said that one of his students had an accident, that little girl named... Xu Liu. He heard from others that the police had entered the school and were going to investigate the deceased's social connections."

The task force officially moved into Hongda on May 3rd to begin its work, so logically speaking, it's normal for Fan Tianyou to know this.

"I said yes, the school specifically asked me and Vice Principal Liu to cooperate with the police in this matter. What's wrong?"

"To be honest, I didn't think too much about it at first. He's a pretty honest kid..." Chen Gengyun quickly waved his hand and said, "I'm sorry, I forgot Comrade Zhou Yi's reminder to stop talking about irrelevant details. I'm getting old, and I just like to ramble on. I can't help it."

Zhou Yi looked at him coldly, feeling that there was a strange sense of incongruity in Chen Gengyun's words and actions.

Logically, he should be very nervous now that he has admitted to perjury.

Because admitting to giving false testimony for Fan Tianyou means that one's alibi is also invalid.

Even if he wanted to pin all the blame on Fan Tianyou, he shouldn't be so nonchalant. How is he supposed to explain his own problems?

Chen Gengyun said that after repeated questioning, Fan Tianyou finally revealed the purpose of his visit.

Fan Tianyou told him that he hoped Teacher Chen could testify on his behalf, saying that the two of them had dinner together on the night of April 18th.

Chen Gengyun said that it was only at this moment that he realized what was happening and sternly questioned him about why he had asked him to give false testimony, and whether the case of the female student's murder was related to him!

However, Fan Tianyou immediately denied it, swearing that he had absolutely nothing to do with the matter.

The reason he asked Chen Gengyun to give false testimony was because he heard that Xu Liu disappeared after leaving school on the afternoon of April 28th.

Therefore, the police will definitely investigate the alibis of the relevant personnel. As Xu Liu's professional course teacher, he will definitely be the first to be investigated.

However, he could not provide an alibi for the night of April 28th.

Because he went to a brothel that night.

"Prostitution?" Zhou Yi and Wu Yongcheng were both shocked and immediately asked, "What prostitution? Where, and with whom?"

Chen Gengyun looked embarrassed and said, "How can I ask that? You'll have to ask Fan Tianyou himself. He told me that he went to see a prostitute that night. If this gets out, his future and reputation will be completely ruined."

“But if I don’t say anything, I’ll definitely be suspected of being involved in the case and treated as a suspect. So he said he was in a dilemma and finally had no choice but to resort to this drastic measure.”

"Well, we're all men, so I can understand. He's his age, unmarried, and doesn't have a partner. Plus, he studied abroad, so it's understandable that he's a bit more open-minded. Don't you two agree?"

Wu Yongcheng chuckled and reached out his hand, saying, "No, don't speak for all men. Not every man is like some people who can't control their crotch. Dean Chen, don't try to disgust people."

Chen Gengyun gave an awkward smile.

Zhou Yi asked coldly, "Didn't you ever doubt the truthfulness of what he said?"

Zhou Yi knew he was lying; he was shifting the blame to Fan Tianyou and trying to extricate himself from the situation.

So he followed up on his lie, asking questions to see how he was trying to cover it up.

Another question remains: isn't he afraid that Fan Tianyou will turn around and accuse him? Or has he already guessed that Fan Tianyou might not be able to speak up?

Chen Gengyun said with some annoyance, "This... how could I have imagined it? Who would think of a normal person as someone who would commit murder and dismemberment? Besides, he swore an oath, so of course I believed him."

A clumsy lie.

"Chen Gengyun, tell me about your relationship with Fan Tianyou."

“I mentioned this when I gave my statement before. He was my daughter Chen Lin’s boyfriend in college. When I found out, I asked Lin Lin to bring him home to meet me and her mother. I thought he was a good kid, honest, hardworking, and upright, so I didn’t object to their relationship.”

“His home is far away, and he rarely goes back home, so I would ask Linlin to invite him to my house for meals during holidays. Later, Linlin and her mother unfortunately passed away…” Chen Gengyun said, and when he got to the sad part, he couldn’t help but raise his hand to wipe away his tears, but he found that his hands were handcuffed and he couldn’t raise them, which made him feel a little embarrassed.

"Did you know about Fan Tianyou studying abroad?"

“I know a little. He was also very sad after Linlin passed away. For a while, he was afraid that I would overthink things, so he would often come to visit me and talk to me. Then one day he suddenly told me that he was going to study abroad, to Europe. I was quite surprised at the time. Back in 1989, studying abroad on your own would cost a lot of money. I asked him, where did you get so much money? He told me that someone was sponsoring him and that I didn’t need to worry about the money.”

Funding?

It's not uncommon for financial aid to help impoverished students attend university and complete their studies.

But sponsoring someone to study abroad is still rare, especially back in 1989.

"Who sponsored him?" Zhou Yi asked.

"Oh, I really don't know. I only heard him say that he was the boss of some company. I didn't ask for details, but I just reminded him not to be scammed. After he finished the formalities, he left. During the years he studied in Europe, we would exchange a few letters every year."

Company boss? In 1989, the market economy was just beginning to emerge and develop, and it was mostly concentrated in coastal areas. What kind of company or boss could Hongcheng do such a thing?
Moreover, even if someone were to offer a large sum of money to fund his studies abroad, it would certainly be for the purpose of talent cultivation. Therefore, Fan Tianyou should not have worked at Hongda after returning to China, but rather at some other company to "repay" his boss for his support.

Therefore, it doesn't make logical sense, but it's impossible to prove that it didn't happen.

Zhou Yi discovered that Chen Gengyun's answers contained increasingly uncertain information, which was a clear form of misleading information. He provided vague information but logically distanced himself from the truth. If the police were to verify the authenticity of this information, they would be exhausted.

This is fundamentally a form of counter-surveillance.

Zhou Yi decided not to let the other party lead her around on this issue.

He asked, "Chen Gengyun, I'm asking you now, did you provide any conveniences for Fan Tianyou in his study abroad matter, and did you use your power and connections?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Gengyun immediately retorted with a serious expression, "Comrade Zhou Yi, are you accusing me of abusing my power for personal gain and committing job-related crimes?"

"Answer me, yes or no!" Zhou Yi demanded sharply.

"Let me tell you, this is a very serious accusation against a state official, do you understand? Do you have any evidence? If you don't have any evidence, this constitutes framing and you will be held legally responsible!"

At this point, Wu Yongcheng spoke up: "Dean Chen, don't make such a big deal out of it."

Chen Gengyun said excitedly, "Captain Wu, I'm not trying to make a mountain out of a molehill, but he's tarnishing the reputation of a public servant. If he has evidence, he can present it and let the Discipline Inspection Commission investigate me. Whatever they find, I'll accept it!"

Wu Yongcheng couldn't help but laugh. The old man was cunning; every word he said was calculated. He kept referring to "him" instead of "you," which was a subconscious attempt to sow discord between himself and Zhou Yi and create conflict.

Just as Zhou Yi was about to speak, Wu Yongcheng patted his arm, telling him not to rush.

Then he said, "Dean Chen, let me tell you two things first."

"First, the Discipline Inspection Commission is right at the door. If you wish, we can invite the comrades from the Discipline Inspection Commission in now."

"Secondly, let me emphasize again: once you've entered this door, there's no such thing as being a cadre or not; everyone is equal before the law!"

Chen Gengyun paused for a moment, then turned his face away and said irritably, "No! All government-sponsored students studying abroad have files and records, you can check them. My own monthly salary, bonuses and allowances are also recorded, you can check them all."

"Oh, before Fan Tianyou went abroad, I did give him a sum of money, two thousand yuan, which came from my savings. It was just a small token of my appreciation."

Zhou Yi looked at Wu Yongcheng, who nodded, signaling him to continue asking questions.

If Chen Gengyun dared to say this, then it seems that Fan Tianyou's study abroad was indeed unrelated to the school and was not funded by the government.

As for whether he has anything to do with it, that needs to be investigated. It's unlikely he'll come forward to explain.

"Chen Gengyun, let me ask you, you said Fan Tianyou wanted to give false testimony about having dinner with you on the night of the 28th, so why did you change it to meeting at Xishan Cemetery?" Zhou Yi asked. "Who decided to change his story?"

"it's me."

"why?"

“Here’s what I’m thinking: if he says he wants to eat out, then there has to be a place to eat, and there have to be witnesses. It can’t be eating at home, can it? I live in a dormitory, and he lives in a talent apartment. We don’t usually cook. If he eats out, then it will be exposed when they investigate.”

"Moreover, it's quite strange that he would suddenly have a meal out of the blue. Although I introduced him to the school after he returned to China, we are not in the same college, we don't have much interaction at work, and we don't usually keep in touch. It's hard to believe that he would suddenly say that he had a meal out of the blue."

"So I felt that the excuse of eating was inappropriate. After thinking it over, my only connection with him was my daughter Linlin, so I told him that it would be more reasonable to meet him at the cemetery."

As expected, the content of this false evidence was proposed by Chen Gengyun, and his previous remarks had already confirmed that he was very meticulous in his thinking and had a strong sense of counter-surveillance.

"Then what about the dream that Fan Tianyou mentioned? Was that also your idea for him?"

Chen Gengyun nodded: "I was thinking that since we're lying, the details need to be more elaborate to make it seem real. If we both said we went to the cemetery on a whim, it would seem a bit fake."

The reason for encountering him at the cemetery was Chen Gengyun's idea, and the story of the dream was also proposed by Chen Gengyun. This means that he also provided the alibi for his previous life.

But surely the plot couldn't have been exactly the same in the previous life? Fan Tianyou went to spend the night with a prostitute again, and then, for the sake of his reputation and future, he cried and begged Chen Gengyun to give him false testimony.

If time changes but things remain the same, then there's a problem.

However, in his previous life, Chen Gengyun did not appear in his alibi for May 3rd; instead, he used a receipt from a candle shop. This suggests that Chen Gengyun may have actually gone to Xishan Cemetery on May 3rd for some reason, which would explain the receipt.

However, due to certain changes, this event did not occur in this lifetime, so there is no way to prove it.

But now that he's admitted it, he can't escape it.

The fact that he gave false testimony for Fan Tianyou and had no alibi is enough to identify him as a criminal suspect.

"Okay, since you admit to giving false testimony for Fan Tianyou on the night of April 28th, that means you didn't have an alibi on the day of the incident, right?"

As soon as Zhou Yi uttered those words, Wu Yongcheng instantly sensed a subtle change. Chen Gengyun's aura shifted, as if he had been waiting for this question all along.

Zhou Yi also noticed something was off, because the other party was too calm.

Chen Gengyun looked directly at the two men and said, "No, I actually had an alibi that night."

"I was confused for a moment. In order to help Fan Tianyou cover up this lie, I deliberately concealed my alibi."

"Tell me, what kind of alibi?" Zhou Yi asked with a grim expression.

"On the evening of April 28th, I met up with some old friends for dinner..."

Chen Gengyun said that on the evening of April 28th, he met up with three old friends for dinner. They were all his neighbors from when he was young, and they reminisced about the past.

The original plan was to eat at a restaurant, but one of them was his childhood friend, who was a chef and had been living alone since his wife passed away a couple of years ago. So he suggested eating at his house, saying that his cooking was better than what you get outside.

So in the end, we went to this chef friend's house for dinner.

Chen Gengyun arrived at his friend's house at five o'clock, and even brought two bottles of Moutai.

Two more friends arrived one after another, and the chef cooked a large table of dishes. The four of them ate, drank, and chatted until almost ten o'clock.

Originally, Chen Gengyun and two other friends were going to leave, but they were all drunk and could not walk in a straight line. Moreover, they were all in their fifties or sixties, and they were afraid that if they fell or bumped into something, they would die on the way back. So in the end, the three of them stayed at the cook's house.

They left gradually after sobering up the next morning.

He left around six in the morning, having been woken up by the urge to urinate. Just then, another friend woke up as well. The friend realized he hadn't returned home all night and, fearing his wife's scolding, told him to hurry up and leave.

But the bus he took yesterday wasn't running this early. Chen Gengyun said he'd leave too, and would drive his friend home on the way. After dropping his friend off, he went back to his dorm, feeling a bit hungover, so he rested for a while until around 9 a.m. when he went to his office to start working.

These words left Zhou Yi and Wu Yongcheng dumbfounded.

If these words are true, then Chen Gengyun would have an irrefutable alibi for the night of the 28th.

With three people testifying, the possibility of perjury is almost zero.

If the perpetrator was bribed to give false testimony, the police will immediately expose the deception when they question them separately and compare the details.

Chen Gengyun wouldn't be foolish enough to fabricate such a flawed lie.

Moreover, the composure and confidence he displayed when answering the question did not seem like bluffing at all.

In other words, he should have had a valid alibi for the night of April 28th.

This caught Zhou Yi and Wu Yongcheng completely off guard, because no one expected that he would hide his real alibi and then cooperate with Fan Tianyou to give false testimony.

Although the fact that he committed perjury is undeniable, he has been emphasizing that Fan Tianyou swore to him that he had nothing to do with the murder, but that he did it because he didn't want to be found out about soliciting prostitutes.

If Fan Tianyou wakes up, the police will interrogate him to confirm the truth of the matter.

The problem is, even if Fan Tianyou does wake up, he denies Chen Gengyun's claims. But he needs to provide evidence to prove his point, because Chen Gengyun has a clear alibi for April 28th.

It is clear that Fan Tianyou cannot produce any evidence.

Therefore, Chen Gengyun has at most committed perjury and obstruction of justice. If he hires a good lawyer at a high price and uses his connections, his sentence may be very short.

Even probation, or getting medical parole midway through the sentence.

For him, that was practically tantamount to getting away with it.

"Give me the names and contact information of your three friends. We need to verify what you're saying," Zhou Yi said with a dark face.

Chen Gengyun immediately counted on his fingers the names and phone numbers of three friends, especially the cook friend, who knew exactly where he lived and his house number.

“I admit that I made a mistake in this matter. Ultimately, it was because my awareness was not high enough. I need to seriously reflect on it and conduct a thorough self-examination. I accept all the legal responsibilities I should bear for the impact of my actions. I hope that the police will deal with this matter severely as a warning to others.”

Looking at Chen Gengyun's face, Zhou Yi knew that he was sacrificing a pawn to save the king.

However, he couldn't understand why Chen Gengyun had such a solid alibi.

Was it something he planned in advance?

Theoretically, it's unlikely, because in a joint crime, the biggest fear is that someone will have a backup plan.

Did Fan Tianyou kidnap Xu Liu on the night of the 28th? And then keep her there until the 29th, simultaneously and in a staggered manner, to kill, dismember, and cook the body?

That doesn't make sense either. Wouldn't it be redundant to meet in the cemetery later? Why not just make up a lower-risk alibi from the beginning?

"Chen Gengyun, where were you on the night of May 10th?"

"The night of the 10th... at the hospital."

Which hospital?

"It's the Pinghe Road Hospital, which is close to the school and convenient."

"Why did you go to the hospital? What time did you arrive and what time did you leave?"

“My liver isn’t very good, it’s an old problem. Recently, I’ve probably been under a lot of work pressure and I’ve been feeling unwell, so I went to see a doctor. The doctor suggested I stay in the hospital for two days for treatment. But I have so much going on at school, and I can’t just leave it all behind, so I can only go to work at school during the day and go to the hospital for an IV drip at night.” Chen Gengyun said with a helpless smile, “I basically treated the hospital like a hotel for two days. If their director wasn’t a friend of mine, I wouldn’t have been able to do this, because hospital beds are so scarce.”

A normal person wouldn't be so calm, let alone be able to joke around so easily, when they know they're about to go to jail for perjury.

Unless imprisonment for perjury is the least costly thing for him, he can be so nonchalant.

"Time!" Zhou Yi tapped the table to remind him.

“I went for the check-up on the afternoon of the 9th, and then I was admitted to the hospital that night. I was in the hospital on the 9th and 10th. My medical records, the patients in the same ward, and the doctors and nurses can all testify to this. The medical record is in the second drawer on the right side of my desk. You can go and verify it.”

Wu Yongcheng gently patted Zhou Yi's shoulder, then whispered in his ear, "Let's hold off on the interrogation for now. The old guy is clearly prepared."

Zhou Yi nodded; it was indeed necessary to pause for a while.

Chen Gengyun's alibi caught them off guard, because it was originally the biggest gap, just like in a war, the key to tearing open the enemy's defenses and causing them to collapse.

But when they rushed in, they found that the enemy's camp had not collapsed; instead, they had blocked the original breach.

Therefore, the interrogation should be put on hold for now, because further questioning would be futile.

Moreover, judging from the old fox's composure, he certainly came prepared.

We must find a breakthrough from other investigations to get back on track.

"Dean Chen, how did you sleep last night?" Wu Yongcheng asked with a smile.

Chen Gengyun was taken aback by the question, unsure of his intentions, so he cautiously replied, "It's alright..."

"Come on, I'll take Dean Chen to see the rooms in our municipal bureau. I guarantee he'll sleep more comfortably than yesterday," Wu Yongcheng said with a smile as he stood up.

"So...that's all you've asked?"

"Hey, there's plenty of time, why rush it? You can ask anytime."

Wu Yongcheng smiled and came over to unlock the lock for him, but this action made Chen Gengyun's heart pound.

"Dean Chen, you yourself just admitted that you made a mistake and are willing to take legal responsibility, hoping that we will deal with it severely. Then we will have plenty of time to talk about it later, so why rush it now?"

"By the way, Zhou Yi, quickly change Dean Chen's summons to criminal detention. I'll show Dean Chen the environment he'll be staying in next."

Wu Yongcheng's tone, coupled with the content he said, was extremely sarcastic and unfriendly.

Zhou Yi knew that Wu Yongcheng was deliberately putting psychological pressure on him, making him unsure of the police's attitude, which would make him more nervous and uneasy.

So he quickly nodded: "Okay, I'll go right away. By the way, Captain Wu, Dean Chen doesn't have any family members, right? So who should we send the criminal detention notice to? The school?"

“That’s right, notify the unit. Come on, Dean Chen, this way please.”

Chen Gengyun's expression was noticeably worse than before.

This shows that Wu Yongcheng's tactics worked; he wasn't actually as calm as he appeared.

……

After the interrogation was temporarily suspended, Zhou Yi and Wu Yongcheng immediately drove to find the three friends that Chen Gengyun had mentioned.

The sole purpose is to confirm whether Chen Gengyun's alibi for the 28th is genuine.

The three friends Chen Gengyun mentioned are all around his age. They all lived on the same street when they were young and were childhood playmates.

The cook was two years younger than him. Before liberation, their families lived next door to each other. He had followed Chen Gengyun around naked since he was a child.

The first person Zhou Yi and his team looked for was the cook.

The old man was fifty-five years old this year. He was pot-bellied, bald, and had a shiny, oily forehead. He looked like a cook.

"Yes, that's right, it was the night of the 28th. We ate at my house, and I cooked the dishes myself." The cook started counting on his fingers what he had cooked.

Zhou Yi told him not to recite the names of the dishes, as they didn't care what the children ate.

"Did you spend the night at your place?"

The cook's house is a small courtyard on the edge of the city. The conditions don't look great, but it's bright and spacious. They raise chickens and grow some vegetables in the yard.

The cook pointed to the inner room and said, "That's right, Yimin and Da Hu slept on the kang (heated brick bed), while Lao Si and I slept on the floor. Da Hu even threw up a lot, and the next day my room smelled sour and stinky."

Zhou Yi was taken aback: "Brother Yimin? Who is Brother Yimin?"

The cook mentioned Da Hu and Lao Si, who were the other two friends Chen Gengyun mentioned. How did Yi Min suddenly appear?
Could it be that Chen Gengyun wasn't among this group?
The cook replied, "Brother Yimin is Chen Gengyun."

Wu Yongcheng, who had been wandering around looking around, quickly came over upon hearing this. "What do you mean? Is this Chen Gengyun's nickname?"

"No, that's his name since he was a child. His father named him Chen Yimin. I'm the youngest, so I've always called him Brother Yimin. Everyone else calls him Minzi."

"When did he change his name to Chen Gengyun?" Zhou Yi asked hurriedly, because the former name column was blank in Chen Gengyun's household registration information and employee file.

The cook touched his shiny bald head and frowned, saying, "When was it changed? I don't remember, but it was a long time ago, at least thirty years ago. I think he started using this name after he came back from the far north. Almost all the older generation has passed away, and I'm the only one who still remembers his old name."

"The northernmost point? Which northernmost point?"

The cook shook his head and said, "I don't know. It's the place he went to during the Down to the Countryside Movement. He never said what it was called, but I think it was a farm that was being reclaimed. It was in the old forest, and the conditions were incredibly harsh. Every time Yimin thinks about it, he wipes away his tears."

In the far north, in the old forest, was it the area where people were sent to the countryside?

Wu Yongcheng and Zhou Yi's eyes lit up instantly. Zhou Yi's previous idea of ​​checking Chen Gengyun and Fan Tianyou's DNA for comparison had finally come to fruition.

"In which year did he go to the countryside during the Down to the Countryside Movement?"

The cook shook his head: "I don't know. I was an apprentice at a restaurant back then. I lived at the restaurant and didn't go home. My master even had to empty his chamber pot."

Zhou Yi immediately interrupted him and asked, "Do you know anyone else who might know about his time as a sent-down youth?"

"I don't know... I guess we can't get in touch with the old neighbors. Why don't you ask his family? He has an older sister who should be sixty-four this year."

"Okay, do you know his sister's address?"

"Let me think... I heard Brother Yimin mention it once." The cook thought for a long time before giving a general location, but he didn't know the specific house number.

Wu Yongcheng immediately contacted the local police station and asked them to check the specific address.

After asking the cook, they went to find two other people, one of whom was called the fourth brother, the one who had taken Chen Gengyun's car home on the morning of the 29th.

He confirmed that Chen Gengyun was driving a black car.

The testimonies of these three people do indeed prove that Chen Gengyun spent the night of April 28th eating and drinking at the cook's house, and did not leave until the next morning.

In other words, Chen Gengyun's alibi is entirely valid.

According to the principle of "presumption of innocence," a conviction requires that the facts be clear and the evidence be conclusive and sufficient. If there is a sufficient alibi proving that the suspect was not present at the time of the crime, it means that they had no possibility of committing the crime, and therefore the standard of proof is not met, and the suspect cannot be convicted.

Therefore, the possibility that Chen Gengyun was directly involved in the crime is relatively low. Although there are flaws in the alibi of No. 29, the problem is that the task force is currently unable to confirm the specific time when Xu Liu was abducted and murdered.

Therefore, the only starting point for the timeline of the case is Xu Liu's disappearance.

Unless new evidence is found later to confirm that Xu Liu disappeared and was murdered on the 29th, such as finding that she was still alive on the night of the 28th and having eyewitnesses.

But it's unlikely.

Moreover, Chen Gengyun's previous attitude also shows that he subconsciously knew that Xu Liu died on the night of the 28th, otherwise he would not have dared to be so fearless.

I know when the things were lost, but at that time I was thousands of miles away, so no matter how much you suspect it, it couldn't have been me.

One reason.

Could it be that Fan Tianyou was really willing to be used by Chen Gengyun?

The cook and the other two also confirmed how the meal on the night of the 28th came about.

The initiator was Chen Gengyun. The cook received the first call from Chen Gengyun on the evening of the 26th, who said he wanted to invite a few old friends to have a meal together and catch up.

The man surnamed Hu also received a call on the evening of the 26th, but the fourth brother received it on the morning of the 27th. Because his family didn't have a phone, Chen Gengyun came to his door and insisted that he had to come, since everyone was getting on in years and every gathering was one less opportunity.

In other words, Chen Gengyun was the one who initiated this meal.

Was it a coincidence, or was it deliberately designed?
Wu Yongcheng and Zhou Yi drove to the home of Chen Gengyun's sister provided by the police station, only to discover that his sister had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease for two or three years.

Her children, Chen Gengyun's two nephews, did not know what their uncle's name used to be; in their memory, Chen Gengyun had always been called by this name.

However, the two nephews seemed to have a lot of opinions about their uncle.

Firstly, they felt that their uncle, despite his high position, hadn't really helped his two nephews much.

Secondly, there's the issue of inheritance. Since the uncle has no descendants, logically, there's no one closer to him than his two nephews. According to traditional custom, the nephews should be responsible for caring for their uncle in his old age and seeing him off at the end, and incidentally, inherit his uncle's estate.

But his two nephews said that Chen Gengyun had absolutely no intention of doing so.

Their mother, Chen Gengyun's only older sister, mentioned to her brother a couple of years ago, before she developed Alzheimer's and when she was still mentally sharp, that she wanted her two nephews to take care of her in her old age and see her off when she died.

However, Chen Gengyun directly refused, saying that they didn't need to worry about her affairs and that her two nephews could take good care of her.

Wu Yongcheng asked the two men if they had any old photos of Chen Gengyun when he was young.

Zhou Yi knew what he was thinking, because he had the same suspicions.

The two nephews thought for a moment and said that there really was one, which was in a photo frame in the old lady's room.

Wu Yongcheng asked them to take it out for a look.

When the photo frame was handed to the two of them, Wu Yongcheng and Zhou Yi gasped.

This photo is black and white, very blurry, and has yellowed and become moldy over time.

But Chen Gengyun's young face can still be vaguely seen in the photo.

He was wearing a cotton-padded jacket covered in patches, a liberation cap, and dirty, patched trousers.

The background of the photo appears to be a deep mountain forest, with few buildings around, but many felled trees.

In the photo, Chen Gengyun has a blank expression, like a soulless puppet, and he is holding an axe in his hand.

"Captain Wu, is it correct?" Zhou Yi asked.

Wu Yongcheng nodded: "Yes, that's right."

The young Chen Gengyun in the photo bears a striking resemblance to Fan Tianyou in his features.

"Can we take this photo first?" Wu Yongcheng asked.

Chen Gengyun's two nephews nodded in agreement.

Zhou Yi turned the photo frame over and opened it, and then he saw a line of faded text on the back of the photo.

"Taken on October 14, 1963, at Changfeng Forest Farm, by Chen Yimin."

(End of this chapter)