Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 221 - 170: A System of Its Own

Chapter 221: Chapter 170: A System of Its Own

Four Factory Police Station, the office for internal affairs.

Zhang Lan carefully checked the salary details of the police officers from last month, added them up with a calculator, then opened the file bag, took out a stack of cash, and counted them skillfully.

She was more than six months pregnant, with a slightly protruding belly, which made it difficult for her to move, so she had to be careful with everything she did. Going to the bureau to get salaries or financial reimbursements was done with the help of Niu Bin from the internal affairs team of the Criminal Investigation Fourth Squad.

Whenever it involved money, it had to be counted in person.

Niu Bin was not in a hurry to leave; as he browsed through the album she had organized in the morning, he curiously asked, "Sister, is Salted Fish back?"

"He came back, went to Binjiang to attend a self-study exam and then left again."

"When did he leave?"

"He left by boat the morning before yesterday."

"Did you see him?"

"I did, Director Xu invited me for dinner last night. He’s grown taller, now one meter sixty-seven, and taller than me. If you just look at his back, you might not even recognize him."

Although both working in Bailong Port, as newcomers, their familiarity and distance were completely different.

Salted Fish returned from East Sea to attend a self-study exam, treated like a child working out of town coming home, reportedly Yanjiang Police Station served extra meals every day, and even Bailong Port Police Station invited him for a meal.

Because Captain Xu and Commander Fang were his senior and second senior brothers respectively, they also managed to get meals with him, which others were not entitled to.

Niu Bin was quite envious, even a bit jealous, and could not help asking, "Sister, how many years did Salted Fish go to East Sea to study?"

"He said three years, but it might be four."

"That long, huh? Almost like getting a bachelor’s degree."

"He went there to learn how to pilot large ships, not something else. It can’t be learn in less than three or four years, nor can a certificate be obtained."

Zhang Lan counted the cash twice, made sure the amount was correct, then put down the money and started folding the salary slips and cutting them into wage strips with a small knife.

Niu Bin looked back, made sure no one was outside, and muttered, "He doesn’t have to work and still earns a salary. With the bureau’s pay, he goes to East Sea to study for three or four years."

"Envious?" Zhang Lan smiled as she asked.

"That’s the East Sea, who wouldn’t be envious?"

Niu Bin, thinking again, mumbled, "It’s really good to be Director Xu’s apprentice. Anyone else wouldn’t have such an opportunity to get paid without working. Even if the police station agrees, the bureau certainly wouldn’t."

There were many who envied and were jealous of Salted Fish, and this one wasn’t the first.

For others, Zhang Lan was too lazy to explain.

But he was Xu Mingyuan’s apprentice, not just anybody.

Zhang Lan felt it necessary to clarify things, put down the small knife, and smilingly said, "You can’t just see Salted Fish being paid to study and ignore the work he did before going out to study."

Niu Bin asked in a low voice, "Isn’t he just able to pilot 001? Besides piloting, what else has he done?"

"The previous 001 was an almost scrapped old tug, with its machinery all broken and electrical circuits all aged. It was him who fixed it in three months."

Zhang Lan picked up the teacup, took a small sip of water, and continued, "He was involved in the design and construction of the Dunship from the start to the end. Even the 002 was refurbished by him. The money for repairing 001 and building the Dunship came from cracking down on scalpers selling ship tickets, in which he was fully involved.

Not to exaggerate, without him, there would be no 001, 002, and Dunship today. He has made such a great contribution to the police station and even the bureau, awarded third-level merits twice; sending him to East Sea to learn piloting is justified, even sending him to university would be appropriate."

Niu Bin, somewhat skeptical, asked, "Wasn’t 001 repaired by Bailong Port Shipyard? Wasn’t the Dunship built by Bailong Port Shipyard?"

"Have you seen the promotional materials from Bailong Port Shipyard?"

"Yes, it says they refurbished and modified 001."

"They previously only welded hulls and built outboard boats; they didn’t know how to repair tugs. Now they claim they can repair them, but in reality, they have no mechanics skilled in repairing tugboat engines or electricians for tugboat circuits. Whenever they get a tugboat repair job, they have to ask Salted Fish’s brother-in-law from the Port Authority to help."

"They are boasting!"

"What do you think?"

Zhang Lan retorted and spoke very seriously and sternly, "Salted Fish going to East Sea to study is not only Director Xu’s decision, our bureau also supports it, even the Water Police Department supports it, otherwise Director Yu wouldn’t have personally sent him to East Sea."

Niu Bin did not expect that Salted Fish, despite his young age, had made significant contributions, but still mumbled, "But he’s a police officer, what’s the use of learning to pilot large ships?"

"He is a police officer, but also part of the Water Police, how can learning to pilot large ships be useless?"

"Does he plan to be a water policeman his whole life?"

"Is it bad to be a water policeman for life?"

"Sister, I’m not jealous of him, I just think if he only learns to pilot ships and only works as a water policeman, it will be difficult for him to come ashore later. Tell me, among so many departments and teams in the bureau, who will want him in the future."

Yanjiang Police Station is just one of the dozens of police stations within Linghai Police Bureau and is a very marginalized one, otherwise, it wouldn’t mainly consist of veteran colleagues. One could even imagine that after Li Weiguo and Old Zhang retire, the bureau would most likely deploy two more veteran colleagues there.

Xu Sanye is also promoting "professionalization construction," setting the "fence" so high that while keeping others from interfering, he’s also enclosing himself.

From the perspective of personal development, this is not a good thing for Salted Fish.

After all, the major focus of the bureau’s work is onshore, no matter how well you perform on the water, it’s in vain, but Zhang Lan is not worried about whether Salted Fish can progress in the future.

"If it’s just within our bureau, being in the Water Police doesn’t hold much of a future. But Yanjiang Police Station isn’t just a station under our bureau; it’s also the Linghai Team of the City Bureau’s Water Police Department. The boat number 001 has even changed from Linghai Police 001 to Binjiang Water Police 001. It’s a self-contained system with its own promotional track, no need to go through any other departments."

"Sister-in-law, are you saying Salted Fish could go to the Water Police Station in the future!"

"Without Salted Fish, there wouldn’t be the Yanjiang Police Station of today, nor would there be the current Water Police Station. If he wants to, Director Xu could get him transferred there with just a phone call."

Zhang Lan found the matter increasingly amusing and laughed, "There are three big teams within the Water Police Station, and each of them should have at least two squads. Right now, there’s only Zhao Hongxing as a Deputy Captain and Chen Zikun as a squad leader. There are plenty of positions over there, and for Salted Fish, not to mention becoming a squad leader, becoming a big commander is no big deal."

"Sister-in-law, are you saying Director Xu supports Director Yu in order to pave the way for Salted Fish!"

"Director Xu’s support for Director Yu is for work, but one thing is for sure, we don’t need to worry about Salted Fish’s future."

What a self-contained system indeed!

Niu Bin suddenly realized Xu Sanye had played a big game, by supporting Director Yu and Political Commissioner Wang, they created the "Binjiang Water Police" system, and then they closed the door and went it alone, making Salted Fish’s promotion within the water security system easier than on land.

For example, at Linghai Police Bureau, one would need to wait at least twenty years to become a big commander or a director, but in the Water Police Station, it might only take seven or eight years; otherwise, Zhao Hongxing would not have become a deputy captain as soon as he went there.

They could take a shortcut, and even more incredible is the fact that they laid the shortcut themselves...

Comparing oneself to others will only invite frustration.

Niu Bin, feeling envious, jealous, and bitter, suddenly noticed Han Xiangning in a photo he had just flipped to.

It was evident that it was taken on the day Captain Xu got married. Xu Sanye and his wife were sitting in the middle, and shockingly, Salted Fish and Han Xiangning were also standing behind Xu Sanye and his wife like a newly married couple together with Captain Xu and his master’s wife!

"Sister-in-law, what does this photo mean?"

"What photo."

"This one." Niu Bin raised the album.

Zhang Lan looked up and chuckled, "It’s just a group photo, nothing special."

"How can Salted Fish stand together with Xiang Ning!"

"What’s wrong with standing together for a photo? Salted Fish stayed at Ningning’s house when he came to Binjiang to take exams a few days ago."

"He’s not Xiang Ning’s real cousin, how could he stay at Xiang Ning’s house?"

Zhang Lan, not bearing to crush him but needing to clear things up to prevent this young man from holding onto false hopes, simply laughed and said, "Ningning considers him like a real brother, and Ningning’s parents like him a lot. It’s perfectly normal for him to stay at Ningning’s house."

Looking at the photo of a beaming Han Xiangning, Niu Bin asked with a bitter face, "Xiang Ning just treats him like a brother?"

"That I don’t know, but they are very close."

"How close?"

"Very, very close, whenever they go out, they even share a room at the hotel."

"But their surnames are both Han, and he’s two years younger than Xiang Ning."

"Niu Bin, what exactly are you trying to say."

"I now know why he was so anxious to have Master Qian move to the Dunship!"

"Why?"

Niu Bin put down the album and slapped himself on the cheek, passionately saying, "I’m so foolish, I was still treating him as Junior Master Uncle, asking him to speak well of me in front of Xiang Ning."

It’s not too late to realize now.

Zhang Lan, holding back laughter, reminded, "He is indeed your Junior Master Uncle."

Niu Bin, utterly embarrassed, covered his face in silence for a while before laconically asking with a wry smile, "Sister-in-law, should I call Xiang Ning ’Junior Mistress’ from here on?"

"I don’t know, but we can’t rule out the possibility."

Zhang Lan smiled, then added with deeper implication, "If it were any other girl, surely many would be helping to introduce suitors. But now, hardly anyone is introducing suitors for Ningning, not just here; I heard that the Port Supervision Bureau also has none."

Niu Bin couldn’t help but ask, "How do you know?"

"I ran into Sister Zhu last time, and she told me."

"What about the people at Xiang Ning’s place, did her family ask anyone to introduce suitors?"

"It doesn’t seem like it."

"I see, I’m so foolish, I should have thought of this earlier."

Zhang Lan pretended to ask ignorantly, "Thought of what?"

Niu Bin took a deep breath, irritably asserting, "Director Xu has definitely done his part. He not only treats Salted Fish as Prince Yanjiang, he also wants Xiang Ning to be the Crown Princess Consort!"

"Hahahahaha."

"Sister-in-law, I’m heartbroken, yet you can still laugh."

"You never even dated her; it’s just an unrequited love, there’s no heartbreak here."

Zhang Lan found it all the more amusing, unable to help laughing, "Don’t feel inferior or resentful towards others. Think about it from another angle. If Salted Fish is the Prince of Yanjiang, you’re still the ’prince’ of the Fourth Squad. Just work hard, and when there’s a suitable girl, your master and I will definitely help you find her."