Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 100 - 90: You are cultivated by the state

Chapter 100: Chapter 90: You are cultivated by the state

The trial voyage was just a minor interlude; the major shoreline patrol and aquatic security check before the Spring Festival were still ongoing.

Han Yu had thought that running five to six kilometers every morning was just for physical training, but now he felt it was truly necessary.

From the river looking toward the shore, all one can see is a stretch of reeds with occasional shadows of people vaguely visible, so people who navigate on the river often feel lonely.

Standing on the shore looking towards the river, the boats coming and going are just tiny specks. Although they are right in front of your eyes, it feels like the people on the boats live in a completely different world.

Moreover, walking along the coastline not only allows one to see different scenery, but also to meet different people.

For instance, fishermen from other regions, who usually fish in shallower waters as their small wooden boats cannot withstand the strong winds and waves in the middle of the river.

Or some hardworking people, who come here along the river embankment to plant crops and vegetables.

Then, there are areas close to the embankment but not designated anchorage sites where, because the water is deep, many boats choose to anchor.

When you see people, stop and have a conversation with them.

Urge those who haven’t processed their Seaman’s Certificate to rush back to their place of household registration to handle it, as they will face fines if they’re found without one after New Year’s Day, and also take this opportunity to gather any clues about potential water bandits.

A full-armed patrol can also enhance the sense of security among the local populace.

Today’s patrol is farther than usual, reaching the boundary between Linghai and Changzhou; beyond this sluice gate lies their jurisdiction.

This sluice gate controls water flow but not the passage of boats, a hydraulic engineering structure belonging to the City Water Resources Bureau, specifically for adjusting the water level of the inland rivers within the embankment for flood control, drainage, and drought resistance.

There are two tall pump houses on both sides, with a buzzing transformer on top of the pump house.

Han Yu and Xiao Yu followed Xu Sanye to the other side for a look. Confirming that there were no guards on duty and feeling a bit hungry, they decided to head back.

They had run too fast on the way here, so they had to walk slower back to the parking spot.

The river here is wide, and Xu Sanye habitually lifted his binoculars to look at the large ships on the river, asking curiously as he walked: "Salted Fish, why did that foreign ship conduct crew change in our China last time?"

"The crew’s service time on board was up."

"How long does a crew member usually work on a ship?"

"At least half a year."

"Work for half a year and rest for half a year?"

"More or less."

Xu Sanye put down the binoculars and thoughtfully asked again: "Why don’t they change the crew somewhere else?"

Han Yu couldn’t help but smile as he thought about his possible future life: "A cargo ship drifts on the sea for months, changing crew elsewhere might not coincide well. And a cargo ship won’t stop for major repairs; losing even a single day is a loss."

"Cargo ships don’t return to their own country?"

"They do, but it mainly depends on where the cargo is being delivered."

Han Yu laughed and added: "Our 001 burns so much fuel, the tens of thousands of tonnage cargo ships burn even more, consuming as much as a riverside gas station in a day. They can’t possibly bring the cargo ship back to their own country’s port just to let a few crew members disembark for a holiday.

Moreover, berthing incurs many costs. You have to apply for entry when entering another country’s port, pay pilotage fees, anchoring fees for anchoring in the anchorage area, pay for tugs, and even more to enter a port. By comparison, buying a few plane tickets for the crew members is nothing."

No wonder Port Supervision and the Port Authority are so wealthy...

Xu Sanye caught on and further inquired: "Are sailors’ salaries very high?"

"Very high, much higher than onshore. China Ocean Shipping Foreign Technical Service Company, East Sea Shipping Bureau, there are many domestic maritime enterprises that send sailors overseas. Some send complete crews, some send partial crews; it’s like labor export, which can earn foreign exchange for the country."

"Going overseas to work on cargo ships?"

"Yeah, some go to the United States, Japan, Greece, the United Kingdom, Norway, Switzerland, and also to Hong Kong."

"How much can one earn in a month if sent overseas?"

"It depends on whether you are a Senior Seaman or an ordinary seaman. Senior Seaman salaries are higher; although ordinary seaman salaries aren’t as high, they’re still much more than onshore, at least two thousand a month now."

"What does a Senior Seaman do?"

"Senior Seamans are the Captain, the Chief Officer, the Second Officer, the Third Officer, the Chief Engineer, equivalent to the officers on the ship. Ordinary seamen are like the workers."

"If you were to go, would you be a Senior Seaman or an ordinary seaman?"

"I graduated from a Shipping School, so if I were to go, certainly I’d be a Senior Seaman!"

Han Yu glanced instinctively at the large vessels sailing in the river, proudly smiling: "The combined annual graduates of national maritime and shipping schools are also less than five thousand, and at least half of them will go into governmental and corporate jobs and won’t go to ships. So, there’s a big shortage of sailors, someone like me would definitely be able to go as long as I meet the age requirement."

Xu Sanye nodded and asked nonchalantly: "So, do you want to go?"

Han Yu realized he had misspoken and hastily replied: "I...I used to want to, but now I don’t lack money, and I don’t really want to anymore."

This kid, actually harboring two different plans with one devoted heart!

Now that you’re here, it’s not so easy to leave.

Xu Sanye silently chuckled, paused for a moment and then asked: "Salted Fish, could Little Salted Fish become an ordinary sailor in the future?"

Xiao Yu was eager to earn big money, and on hearing the Director’s suggestion, instinctively looked towards Han Yu.

"If he studies well, he definitely can."

Fearing that the Director and Xiao Yu wouldn’t believe him, Han Yu explained: "There’s also a big shortage for ordinary seamen. Our school’s Master Wu said there’s a county that partnered with a shipping company from East Guang for international sailor training, then organizes labor service exports."

"Xiao Yu, did you hear that? You have to study well."

"Oh."

"How many characters do you recognize now?"

"Over two hundred."

"Can you write?"

"Yes."

The literacy campaign for Liang Xiaoyu had initially been entrusted to Han Yu, but Han Yu had too many duties and simply had no time to teach.

And when it came to teaching Chinese Pinyin, Liang Xiaoyu could not learn it no matter how hard he tried.

Seeing that this approach was going nowhere, Xu Sanye decided to have Old Qian take over the teaching.

Unexpectedly, Old Qian, who couldn’t even understand Pinyin himself, taught better than Han Yu, and Liang Xiaoyu learned more quickly with him than with Han Yu.

Thinking about the rapid progress in the literacy campaign, Xu Sanye couldn’t help but laugh and say, "Study hard. In a bit of time, I’ll send you to Binjiang for sailor training. Eventually, you will work on big ships as a seaman and make big money!"

Liang Xiaoyu cracked a smile and said, "Thank you, Director Xu."

Han Yu hadn’t expected the director to actually support Liang Xiaoyu’s future career as a seaman and couldn’t help but ask, "Director Xu, what about me?"

"Do you also want to make big money?"

"I’m just asking."

"Salted Fish, you’re different from Xiao Yu. You’ve been cultivated by the state! You didn’t have to pay tuition for the technical school, and the country even issued you food coupons for a living allowance. After graduation, you were assigned a job and made an officer. If you just slap your butt and leave after a few days of work, how would that be fair to the country’s cultivation?"

This is discrimination!

Han Yu felt slightly glum and muttered, "If I were to become a seaman, I could make money from foreigners and contribute to the country’s foreign exchange earnings."

Xu Sanye laughed and said, "But right now, the country needs you to work in the station."

This isn’t about the country needing me, this is clearly about you needing me...

But then again, he has been truly good to me, and staying in the station is quite nice too, Han Yu thought, cracking a smile, "Then let Xiao Yu go make the big bucks. I’ll stay in the station and sail boats."

"First, work steadily for a few years. If you really want to make big money in the future, I won’t stop you."

"Thank you, Director Xu."

Xu Sanye patted him on the shoulder, then lifted his arm to check his watch.

Seeing that he was in a good mood, Han Yu couldn’t help but ask, "Director Xu, do we get New Year’s Day off?"

"Do you have something planned?"

"I... I want to go to East Sea."

"What for?"

"To buy books."

"Miss Lin Xiaohui?"

"No, I want to buy books, and just happen to drop by to see her."

Afraid that the director might be worried, Han Yu added with an embarrassed face, "I’ll go in the morning and come back in the evening; I won’t stay overnight in East Sea."

This kid must have been provoked by that Port Supervision Bureau girl who visited yesterday.

Remembering it’s normal for someone his age to start feeling restless, better to guide than block, Xu Sanye laughed and said, "If you want to go, go, but take Xiao Yu with you."

Liang Xiaoyu was taken aback, puzzled, "Director Xu, why should I go to East Sea?"

"Having never ridden on a big ship or been to East Sea, tagging along to widen your horizons is good. Staying in Bailong Port all the time won’t lead to any future prospects."

"Salted Fish, can I go with you?"

Han Yu knew the director was worried about him going alone, and said with a smile, "Of course, we can go together and come back together."

Watching Salted Fish play house and seeing Liang Xiaoyu grow was quite amusing.

Xu Sanye felt younger Himself, joking and laughing all the way to where the car was parked, he put on the cotton overcoat that was in the truck bed, donned gloves, and drove back to the station.

It was already half-past eight when he arrived at the station, and Han Yu was just about to lock the firearms and ammunition in the cabinet before heading back to his dormitory to grab shorts, cotton undershirts, and long johns to take a shower in the water room, when he suddenly noticed Director Yu, who had visited yesterday at noon, was here again.

"Director Xu, you patrolled this morning as well?"

"Scholar Yu, what brings you here...?"

"A study visit. You made it into the Binjiang Daily and the City Bureau leadership takes this very seriously, so they had me come here for a good study."

"What are you studying exactly?"

"Researching your unit’s construction, your work."

Director Yu came running up, eagerly offering cigarettes.

Xu Sanye handed his gun to Liang Xiaoyu, loosened his ammo pouch and took off his helmet to hand them to Han Yu, and with a smile, took the cigarette and joked, "You’re here to research our station, does our Bureau know about this?"

Seeing Old Qian come out to meet him, Director Yu hurriedly offered him a cigarette too, then turned with a smile and said, "Brother, what kind of relationship do we have? Do I need to notify them about coming to your station to research? Besides, notifying back and forth is such a hassle."

"Does the City Bureau leadership really hold us in that high regard?"

"I reported straight back to Director Zhong yesterday, and Director Zhong takes it very seriously. I told him that Port Supervision Bureau and Binjiang Port Police Station leaders are going to come to your ribbon-cutting ceremony, and he said if nothing particularly important comes up, he’d come too!"

You’re always circling around the leadership, who knows what you’ve told the City Bureau leadership.

Xu Sanye realized Director Yu was quite determined to cherry-pick, and couldn’t help but say with a laugh, "Scholar Yu, didn’t I make myself clear yesterday? I said I need to think about it."

"No rush, take your time to think; I’m here to research today, not to press you for a decision."

"You are a City Bureau leader; such a significant visit for research requires me to report to our Bureau."

"What City Bureau leader, brother, don’t mock me. If you really want to report, feel free to do so, it’s no problem. Director Zhong should have already called Director Yang by now."