Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 256 - 187 "Onboard Police Captain" _3

Chapter 256: Chapter 187 "Onboard Police Captain" _3

Regarding the history of the Grand Canal, it is well known as common knowledge.

He picked up the teacup and took a small sip, smiling and saying, "The older generation said, in the past, there were no locks on the Grand Canal; instead, a stone dam was built within to elevate the water level of the canal. The water overflowed from the dam to ensure that boats could sail."

"How could boats sail with a dam built?"

"At that time, there weren’t these large boats we have now, only small wooden boats weighing a few tons, at most tens of tons. When boats passed over the dam, if it was a downstream boat, wooden planks would be used to cover the cargo hold tightly secured, and the lock operator would steer, plunging from the dam into the water below, then resurfacing."

Han Yu smiled again and continued, "If it was an upstream boat, ropes would be used on board to tether to wooden stakes on the upstream bank, turning the windlass to pull the wooden boat over the dam. The transport along the canal used to be done this way, and although it’s called the Jinghang Grand Canal, the water routes didn’t really lead directly to the Capital."

"If it doesn’t lead directly to the Capital, why call it the Jinghang Grand Canal!"

"In fact, it never did pass through directly. Upon reaching Huaiyin, one had to switch to travelling by horse for a stretch before switching back to boats, hence the saying ’southern boats, northern horses’."

Dinner was still to be had, but it wouldn’t be nice not to wait for Reporter Wang.

Since there was nothing much else to do, Han Yu decided to educate them further about the canal locks, continuing, "The earliest modern canal locks on the canal were built around 1930, during that time in the Jiangbei Section, there were only Shaobo and Liu Laojian locks.

One was built by the Nationalist Government, the other by Japanese invaders. The construction of locks in these two strategic locations was mainly because these places were vital waterways, easy to defend but hard to attack.

It also contributed to the community, as the elders on the shore say that because of the Liu Laojian lock, Si Yang, Huaiyin, and Huai’an were spared from flooding for a hundred years."

Ma Jintao pondered and asked, "Now that there are locks, can boats directly reach the Capital?"

"It’s not possible, since after the Yellow River changed its course in 1855, there has been no navigation north of the Yellow River, and reaching the Capital could only be done via sea route."

Han Yu stood up, stretching, and chuckled, "However in my Jiangnan Section, from Xuzhou Weishan Lake, passing through Suqian Luoma Lake, Huai’an Huai River, Yangzhou Gaoyou Lake all the way down south to the Yangtze River, the shipping has always been very smooth."

Ma Jintao was about to inquire about whether the Grand Canal waterway south of the Yangtze River was navigable when suddenly a call from Lv Xiangping came through the walkie-talkie.

"Salted Fish, Salted Fish, there are several small skiffs approaching from the east."

"How many exactly?"

"Can’t tell clearly, looks like about five or six."

"Can you see how many people there are on the small skiffs?"

"Also can’t tell."

"Are they headed towards us?"

"They seem to be, their skiffs appear to have engines fitted, and they are moving very fast."

"How far away are they?"

"Seven to eight hundred meters."

"Keep an eye on them and absolutely do not expose our identity."

"Understood."

The so-called small skiffs are tiny iron boats fashioned by cutting and welding old diesel or gasoline barrels.

These tiny skiffs on the hundreds of kilometers of the Jiangbei Canal transportation line are really insignificant, but during critical moments, they indeed play a major role in solving urgent problems.

The crew uses them as utility boats, such as transporting a sick person ashore to a hospital for treatment or going ashore to buy everyday items.

If there’s an accident, they can even be used for rescuing people or escaping.

However, with the increasing busyness of north-to-south coal transportation in recent years, a string of these ’Iron Brothers,’ small skiffs emerged along the Jiangbei Canal over just a few years, rapidly resembling a wildfire, and a new wave of using small skiffs for coal theft surged.

Previously, the media had reported that in the past three to four years, the annual coal loss on the Jiangbei Section of the canal reached thousands of tons.

And these iron sheet skiffs are not only the main culprits of coal theft but also the preferred tool for some riverside villagers to ’live off the water’ and ’accumulate wealth.’

Like ants, they nibble away at the coal transported by passing fleets, bringing discordant notes to the smooth operation of water transportation and to the stability of public security.

But from previous understanding, the security around Shaobo Lake region is relatively good, and water bandits are not so rampant.

Han Yu was both surprised and dared not take it lightly; he exchanged glances with Ma Jintao and again raised the walkie-talkie: "Attention all boats, attention all boats, several small skiffs are heading our way, please have the duty crew members awaken those resting, and make preparation quickly according to the third contingency plan!"

"No. 1 boat received."

"No. 2 boat received!"

...

After confirming that the crew on the barges and the owner of the tugboat had received the message, Han Yu raised the walkie-talkie again: "Captain Wang, Captain Wang, if they are really water bandits, they will definitely head to the cockpit to find you first, Lv Xiangping is keeping watch, and once the skiffs arrive he will come to protect you in the cockpit."

"I’m okay, I have a stun baton."

"Even with a stun baton, be careful."

Xiao Yu wasn’t idling, from the moment Lv Xiangping reported, she took the keys from Han Yu, rushed to the crew’s cabin below deck to retrieve guns.

Han Yu took the Micro Machine Gun from her, reminding, "Do not open fire without my order."

"I know."

"Brother Ma, the same goes for you."

"Don’t worry, we know what’s important."

"Alright, quickly hide."

Right after Han Yu spoke, Ma Jintao took the 56 Assault Rifle and ran to the bow, lifting the tarpaulin, and hid under the firefighting water cannon.

In a blink of an eye, several members of the Cooperative Defense Team ran over from the towed barge, and under Xiao Yu’s help, also crawled under the tarpaulin covering the high-pressure water cannons.

Radios are expensive, and cannot be damaged by the water bandits.

Han Yu locked the command cabin’s door, quickly ran to the stern, lifted a piece of tarpaulin, and dived in.

Water bandits always taunt the crew with phrases like, "I only fear if you don’t touch me, I fear not being able to touch you, if you touch me, you have to pay."

Today, Han Yu gripped the Micro Machine Gun and thought to himself, here I am waiting for you to bump into me, waiting for you to come and extort!

...

PS: The update is late, but here’s a big Chapter of five-thousand words!