Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 291 - 208: Xu Sanye’s Worries

Chapter 291: Chapter 208: Xu Sanye’s Worries

At 10:30 p.m., Lingda Car Ferry was still brightly lit.

As two large trucks passed through the toll gate and drove onto the ferry under the direction of the terminal staff, Zhang Mingyuan finally let out a sigh of relief.

During holidays and festivals, the number of vehicles crossing the river would surge.

An hour ago, the line of vehicles waiting to cross the river was nearly a kilometer long.

He had been checking vehicles with three auxiliary police since 8 a.m., busily working to the point of skipping dinner. Just as he was about to ask his equally exhausted colleagues to warm up dinner in the police office and then rest, Old Ding drove up in his jeep.

It’s often said that times change every thirty years. These past few years really have seen tremendous shifts.

He, once an office worker at Four Factory Police Station, was now an Instructor at Yanjiang Police Station, while Old Ding, the former chief of Four Factory Police Station, had stepped into a secondary role, assigned by the bureau to continue contributing at Yanjiang Police Station as an ordinary officer.

Superiors had become subordinates, and subordinates had become superiors.

However, Zhang Mingyuan was also about to step back soon; he neither dared nor found it necessary to treat Old Ding like a subordinate. He approached with a smile and asked, "Chief Ding, why are you not resting at this late hour? Why come all this way?"

"Came to see if you needed any help."

"Not many vehicles left now, I’m about to head back."

"We only have three officers, and yet we’re responsible for two car ferries and a water security checkpoint. I really don’t understand what the bureau is thinking," Old Ding complained, hopping out of his car and looking behind him with a cigarette in hand, his face expressing displeasure.

Zhang Mingyuan laughed, "Not three, it’s four."

"You mean Salted Fish. He’s on secondment at the Water Police Team, so he’s not counted as an officer from our station."

"How is he not? He’s just on secondment; his work relationship hasn’t been transferred."

"Old Zhang, you’re an Instructor, you should have a word with the bureau leaders when you have the chance. Look at the Yingchuan Port Squadron of the Water Police Team, they only have to manage a single water security checkpoint, but they have six officers and four auxiliary police. Now look at us, they’re really working us into our graves."

The manpower at Yanjiang Police Station was indeed seriously short, manned only by senior comrades.

Old Zhang had brought up the staffing issue to the bureau more than once, but other stations were even more short-handed. The bureau leadership asked them to persevere a little longer...

Faced with his former leader, he wasn’t sure how to explain, so he could only offer a smile and say, "The traffic in and out of the Yangtze River at Yingchuan Port is busier than us, plus the shore area is a development zone. The situation is more complex than ours."

Old Ding passed him a cigarette, smiling bitterly, "It seems I picked a bad time. I envy Old Li, who managed to retire before the terminal was put into use."

Two years ago, Yanjiang Police Station wasn’t exactly idle, but it wasn’t nearly as busy as it is now.

Zhang Mingyuan understood how he felt and quickly changed the subject, "Chief Ding, has Director Xu not called? How are things going with Haoran’s arrangements?"

"He called this afternoon, everything is settled with the girl’s family, they’re getting married tomorrow."

"Tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow is New Year’s Day. The girl’s parents and the military leaders all have time. Besides, Haoran isn’t getting any younger, we can’t delay his wedding any longer."

"That makes sense."

Zhang Mingyuan nodded, then thought for a moment before asking, "How’s Director Xu’s leg?"

Old Ding, walking towards the ferry police office, replied helplessly, "I asked. He says as long as he takes a few more painkillers, he doesn’t feel much pain, but the swelling hasn’t gone down."

"What’s the use of painkillers? It only treats the symptom, not the cause."

"Exactly. He’s only forty-seven and already suffering from so many ailments. He’s in so much pain now. Who knows what it’ll be like when we reach his age."

Old Ding heaved a sigh, feeling sorry for him, "That’s why they say you can’t be too competitive. When he was younger, he not only managed the river work but also organized Civilian Soldiers training. Always had to outdo others in carrying loads and insisted on being the best in training, he ran his good health into the ground."

Xu Sanye’s health worsened with each passing year.

Previously, an injection would relieve the arm and leg pains for six months.

But then the injections stopped working, and hospital treatments were necessary.

Now, injections and IVs were ineffective; he had to take so many painkillers every day as if they were candy.

Thinking of Xu Sanye immobilized and in agony during a flare-up of his rheumatism and arthritis, Zhang Mingyuan felt uneasy and switched topics again, "It’s almost 10:30, by my calculations, Salted Fish and Ningning should be boarding the ferry by now."

Salted Fish might be on secondment with the City Bureau’s Water Police Team, but he often called the station.

Old Ding also knew about Salted Fish and Han Xiangning going to Jiangcheng, and he thought about Xu Sanye’s unusual recent behavior, mumbling to himself:

"He took Old Wei to the military to help out with Haoran’s wedding arrangements, and then had Salted Fish and Ningning go to President Yu. He’s behaving as if he’s entrusting his legacy, as if even that tough guy has been defeated by his arthritis..."

All paths circled back to Xu Sanye.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Mingyuan looked at the two auxiliary police warming up food with an electric rice cooker, and said helplessly, "It’s possible, you’ve seen for yourself how painful his chronic condition gets. As for Salted Fish going to President Yu, it might be due to unfortunate timing and age."

"What timing, what age?"

"I’m about to retire, and his health is getting increasingly worse. Soon he might need a walking stick, and his days as Director probably aren’t long. Once we’ve both retired, what will happen to Salted Fish?"

Old Ding was taken aback, then quickly understood.

Xu Sanye was indeed grooming Salted Fish to be the police chief, but the Police Bureau isn’t just any organization; it’s all about seniority.

Salted Fish was competent but too young.

The Water Police Station had a relatively young average age and was established based on Yanjiang Police Station. Many officers had previously worked under Salted Fish. No one questioned Salted Fish’s appointment as the squadron leader.