Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 272 - 197: Three Years in a Blink_2

Chapter 272: Chapter 197: Three Years in a Blink_2

In the past three years, every December, I went to the Yanjiang Police Station to help the younger brother fetch New Year’s goods.

Whenever the leaders and colleagues at the station faced any issues, I also helped the younger brother to return favors.

Han Xiangning no longer feared Xu Sanye as before, pouting and muttering, "Director Xu, you always speak well of Salted Fish."

"What I’m saying is the truth."

Xu Sanye laughed heartily and continued, "Moreover, if Salted Fish followed the previous plan, no matter how long he studied, he could only qualify as a Chief Officer for coastal shipping. It’s different with ocean-going vessels; he is now an Apprentice Chief Officer for unlimited navigation areas. Once he disembarks, attends further training, and takes the exams, he’ll become a Chief Officer with an unlimited navigation area certificate. You’re a Port Supervision officer; you understand this better than I do."

Somehow, Han Xiangning had started to regard the person in front of her as an elder—she felt an especially close kinship and couldn’t resist grumbling, "He’s not really going to pilot a large ship; even with a certificate, it’s useless."

"How is it useless? In my view, Salted Fish’s Certificate of Competence is worth more than a university bachelor’s degree."

Xu Sanye smiled and added, "Besides, the Marine Bureau won’t let him undertake these seventeen months for nothing. Director Zhang called to inquire, and they said that even participating in a dock repair on a coastal vessel earned a labor fee, and the same applies to being dispatched for seventeen months."

Han Xiangning knew better than anyone how hard the life of a seafarer is and had already felt that the younger brother should not work for nothing. She couldn’t help but ask, "Director Xu, do you know how much the labor fee is?"

"No less than thirty thousand."

"How is that so little?"

"He’s different from others; he’s essentially there to learn. And besides, thirty thousand is not a small sum; my spouse and I have only managed to save thirty to forty thousand after so many years of work."

As they were talking, Han Ning ran back, excitedly opening the car door and saying, "Director Xu, Ningning, San’er has arrived! He’s at this dock, but not at this berth."

"Get in the car. Let’s go take a look."

"Director Xu, they are handling the cables up front; it’s very dangerous, and we can’t go there. They told us to wait here."

"Okay, let’s wait for him to come ashore."

Xu Sanye pulled out the pager he had been equipped with last year, pressed it, and checked the time on the pager.

Waiting was truly torturous. Han Xiangning couldn’t sit still in the car, pulling Han Ning out to look towards the berth ahead.

They saw an ocean-going vessel, capable of carrying at least three thousand containers, slowly approaching the dock with the help of two tugs.

After anxiously waiting under the vast cranes for over an hour, they finally saw seven or eight crew members who had completed the immigration procedures, carrying big and small bags, ready to board the bus arranged by the Marine Bureau.

Han Xiangning was afraid that the younger brother wouldn’t know that she was there to pick him up and was about to call out when she saw a familiar yet somewhat strange figure, dragging a suitcase and carrying a backpack, striding towards them, guided by a dock officer.

"San’er?"

"Ningning, it’s really you!"

Han Yu couldn’t believe it was real, and Han Xiangning could no longer hold back her tears, crying out loud and then rushing up to him.

Han Yu regained his composure, put down his suitcase, and ran up to hug her tightly.

Han Ning, moved to tears, didn’t want to interrupt them and went to help with the luggage.

Xu Sanye saw everything clearly, leaning on the steering wheel with the smile of a proud father.

"You dead Salted Fish, why did you run so far? Do you know how worried I was!"

"I never planned to sail on ocean-going ships; it was arranged by the Marine Bureau on short notice. Who boards and who disembarks had already been decided by the superiors, and there was no choice."

"Why didn’t you call me!"

"I called twice, but you weren’t at your unit."

Han Yu explained in her ear, "Also, satellite calls are very expensive, as costly as international calls, and some ports don’t even have the means to make international calls to China."

The younger brother had grown taller; now he must be at least 1.78 meters.

Han Xiangning nestled in his embrace, rubbed her eyes dry against him, then lifted her head and touched his face, murmuring, "You’ve gotten darker."

"How could I not, with the sea breeze blowing every day?"

Han Yu saw his sister at the front of the station’s jeep, smiling at him, and quickly said, "Director Xu is here, too!"

"Yes, he is."

"Let’s go, I’ll go greet Director Xu."

...

Seeing his apprentice return skillfully made Xu Sanye the happiest.

Knowing that the apprentice had meat and fish but no vegetables at sea, he had already located a small restaurant near the dock to welcome him back with a meal.

After drifting at sea for nearly two years, Han Yu felt disconnected from the world. Looking at the station chief’s pager, he could not help but ask, "Director Xu, how’s everything at the station now?"

"The station is doing quite well."

While urging him to eat more, Xu Sanye sighed, "Old Li had planned to stay and help at the station after retirement, but his son disagreed, so he had to go back to take care of his grandchild. In the blink of an eye, Old Zhang is also about to retire. Now it’s just me, Old Zhang, and Old Ding left."

Old Ding was originally Chief Ding from the Four Factory Police Station. With his approaching retirement, considering his familiarity with Bailong Port, the bureau transferred him to the Yanjiang Police Station when Li Weiguo retired.

Han Yu was about to inquire about the Water Police Station when Han Ning said with a bitter smile, "San’er, there’s not much change in your station, and not much change in the bureau either, but within our bureau, there’s been quite a change."

"Sis, have you been incorporated into the City Bureau?"

"No."

"Then what’s the situation now?"

A lot had happened in the past year and a bit.

Han Ning was unsure how to explain when Xu Sanye looked up and said, "You hadn’t been aboard the ocean-going vessel for long before a murder occurred at the Sailor Club, causing a terrible impact. The city government demanded a quick resolution to the case, but the City Bureau, despite all their efforts, was unable to solve it.