Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 43 - 39: Good Intentions with Hard Efforts

Chapter 43: Chapter 39: Good Intentions with Hard Efforts

In the blink of an eye, four days have passed, and today is Saturday again.

With the arrival of Captain Wang, Han Yu has had a much easier time these past few days. After all, whether it’s piloting or repairing a ship, he’s the professional.

The construction at the station was minimal and was "completed" yesterday.

A transmission room was built at the main gate. Old Qian disliked climbing stairs and moved in before the freshly painted walls had even dried.

Next to the transmission room are two dormitories, a detention room, and a toilet.

The detention room is built with concrete, and steel bars were installed around the base of the walls to handcuff suspects.

Additionally, a row of welded steel bars was installed inside the room, topped with an iron door made of welded steel bars.

Walking inside, it feels like a cage.

Outside the bars, there’s an old desk and a chair positioned. If a suspect is detained inside, someone must be assigned to watch from outside the bars to prevent the suspects from colluding or from self-harm.

The canteen is built to the north, facing south, right across from the transmission and detention rooms.

The only difference from the buildings to the south is the alley left between the office building and the canteen leading to a small dock on the river, which is gated at the entrance.

The kitchen is located on the western side of the canteen, where a bricklayer built a wood-burning stove, fitted with a large water tank, a brick-built counter tiled with ceramics, and a cupboard for large bowls was specifically bought.

The kitchen has two doors: one leading to the dining area with two large round tables, and the other to the riverside.

The firewood for cooking and heating is stored by the river, and without a door there, it would be inconvenient to carry the firewood.

The easternmost room, right next to the courtyard wall, is a washroom, to make it convenient for those living on the ground floor to wash up and launder their clothes.

The newly built wall is taller than before and has many pieces of broken glass embedded at the top.

It wouldn’t be easy for outsiders to climb in, and once the main gate and the gate at the riverside alley are closed, it’s not easy for anyone inside the courtyard to run out either.

Overall, what was once a solitary two-story building at the Yanjiang Police Station has now become a well-secured courtyard complex.

It’s worth mentioning that the station recruited not only Captain Wang but also added two members to the Cooperative Defense Team from the only fisherman’s village along the river and from other nomadic fishermen who aren’t even village residents.

One of them is Zhu Baogen, forty-eight years old this year.

He is quite well-known by the riverside, and Han Yu has heard of him more than once.

To not have a son is the biggest of unfilial acts.

The traditional mentality of favoring boys over girls in Linghai has turned into a common saying: "Prefer enduring longevity over dwindling fortune, fear the curse of having no heirs in middle age."

He had three daughters, failed to get sons-in-law, and with his daughters married off, the family line ended with him, making him the "heirless issue."

However, his fame is not due to being "heirless" but because he is not afraid of corpses or bad luck.

Over the years, he has retrieved dozens of bodies from the river, to the extent that whenever a body is spotted in the river, he is called to help retrieve it.

Another one, Liang Xiaoyu, is also sixteen, born and raised on a small fishing boat.

It seems his ancestral home is somewhere in the Salt Sea, having moved here decades ago.

His grandfather doesn’t even remember where their old home was. Old Zhang only managed to register them with a waterborne residence permit, changing them from unregistered residents to Linghai people.

Water is their road, the boat their home.

His family of four crams into a small fishing boat, drifting aimlessly, living solely on fishing.

His grandfather is in poor health, and his mother has some mental issues. He never attended school, and the clothes on his back look like they were scavenged, tattered, resembling a beggar.

As Commander Li puts it, his family is like a broken boat with torn nets, three generations sharing one cabin. They barter caught fish and shrimp for rice and vegetables, enduring leaks above and below to pass the time.

Xu Sanye once visited his family’s boat and, seeing their dire conditions and considering that although he is uneducated he is a good swimmer and skilled with boats and obedient, decided to let him join the Cooperative Defense Team. It might provide a bit of income to alleviate some burden from his father.

Being a fellow boat-dweller, Han Yu feels he is many times more fortunate than him.

Initially planning to share a dorm with him, he wasn’t sure if Old Qian had said something to him or if he already knew Zhu Baogen, but he moved his bedding into the newly built dormitory with Zhu Baogen right after arriving.

Xu Sanye introduced them briefly, letting Old Qian take Zhu Baogen and Liang Xiaoyu around to familiarize themselves with the place, before summoning the instructor, Old Zhang, and Han Yu to start the meeting.

"Director Zhang has helped us secure boat tickets for the morning the day after tomorrow. The letter of introduction and the paperwork for cooperation with East Sea colleagues are also ready. Old Zhang and I will take Wu Youfu and leave early the day after tomorrow."

"Director Xu, what if there are more than two suspects?"

"With colleagues assisting, what’s there to worry about? Catch as many as we find, and after the arrest, call home. If there are many suspects, we’ll ask the department to send more police for the escort."

Xu Sanye lit a cigarette and continued, "Old Li, after Old Zhang and I leave, you’ll be responsible for everything at the station. Zhang Lan had something today and might come later. When Zhang Lan arrives, I’ll speak to her to assist you with the work."

Li Weiguo pondered for a moment, "With Xiao Han watching over the ship building and repairs, there really isn’t much else to handle at the station."

Xu Sanye flicked his cigarette ash and laughed, "I have other arrangements for Salted Fish."

"Director Xu, what arrangements?" Han Yu asked involuntarily.

"Minister Lei called me yesterday, saying the Civilian Soldiers training has been moved up. You’re now a public security police officer, and it’s not enough to just know how to repair and pilot ships; your military skills also need to be polished."

"Director Xu, are you planning for me to attend the Civilian Soldiers training?"

"Not only you, Liang Xiaoyu will also participate. I’ve already spoken with Minister Lei, and we will hold you to high standards and strict requirements during training."

"As for the shipyard side, you should hurry and hand over with Captain Wang. Make sure to discuss which parts need to be purchased with Zhang Lan as soon as she returns."

Public security police participating in Civilian Soldiers’ training...

Li Weiguo felt it wasn’t quite appropriate, not waiting for Han Yu to speak, he suggested while stroking his chin, "Director Xu, the department is currently recruiting contract police officers. How about waiting a few days and letting Xiao Han join the department’s training instead?"

"The training organized by Wang Xiazhi, what does he know, and what can he really teach? He’s also the political work director, yet he can’t even do ideological work properly. Over the years, we’ve recruited so many people and conducted so many trainings, yet they all leave after a few days."

"The main issue is the low salary."

"Salary is one aspect, but the main issue still lies in the failure of conducting proper ideological work. Besides, the training organized by Wang Xiazhi is for contract police officers, Salted Fish, being an official police officer, can participate, but Liang Xiaoyu, being a member of the Cooperative Defense Team, cannot."

Xu Sanye consistently looked down on Director Wang, with a look of disdain.

Old Zhang, long accustomed to this, looked up and asked, "Director Xu, is there any chance the department could arrange for us to have two contract police officers this time?"

"Don’t even think about it."

"But Director Wang promised Commander Li last time."

"Wang Xiazhi doesn’t have the final say, what he says doesn’t count. Besides, contract police officers tend to move on quickly, even if two were assigned to us, it’s not certain we could retain them. They’d just leave after a few days, better not to have them at all."

With a population of nearly a million in the entire county, there are only about ninety public security police officers; police strength is severely lacking.

When it comes to being short-staffed, each unit and team is short-staffed.

Even today, several rural areas still have no police station, only a police special envoy.

Moreover, for the department, although a lot has been invested in Yanjiang Police Station, compared to the criminal investigation team, the traffic police team, and other stations, the work at Yanjiang Police Station is really not that important.

Thinking of these, Old Zhang didn’t ask further.

Li Weiguo was well aware of the status of Yanjiang Police Station within the department and also didn’t mention the matter of contract police officers.

Xu Sanye, who neither wanted someone who might leave after a few days nor wanted to bother the department leaders over this trivial matter, looked up at Han Yu.

"Salted Fish, you’ve been busy with shipbuilding and recruiting members of the Cooperative Defense Team, you might not be aware of some situations. Considering the upcoming tasks, there are some things I need to tell you."

"Director Xu, what’s the situation?"

"The reason why Four Factory Police Station recruits a Cooperative Defense Team member from each village is that they need people who understand the local situations well; only by having such individuals can they be truly sharp and observant."

"We are responsible for the water security, which has many management points and long duty lines, and is a heavy task. Shipmen and fishermen drift unpredictably, so for us to be sharp and observant, we must recruit Cooperative Defense Team members along the riverbanks and on the waters."

"Also, enforcing law on water is different from on land, not only must they be familiar with the situations on the water, but the Cooperative Defense Team members assisting us must also be good swimmers, even if they can’t sail, they must at least be able to row."

Han Yu quickly responded, "I understand."

Xu Sanye nodded in satisfaction and continued, "As for why we are recruiting Liang Xiaoyu specifically instead of others, it is mainly because you are young, just sixteen."

Han Yu was confused, "What does that have to do with me?"

"Of course, it matters. I’m almost forty-three, the instructors and Old Zhang are even older. If we include Old Qian and Captain Wang, the average age in our station is over fifty-four.

Apart from work, life, and family, we hardly know what to talk about with you. I guess you might feel lonely, and such an environment is not conducive to your growth."

Xu Sanye chuckled, then added, "Although Liang Xiaoyu is not well-educated, he is a peer of yours, and he is also a child from the ships. You definitely have some common language."

So he recruited Liang Xiaoyu to provide a playmate for himself...

Han Yu found it both amusing and touching, and quickly said, "Thank you, Director Xu."

"Don’t thank me, this was Old Li’s idea."

"Thank you, instructor."

"What’s there to thank for, recruiting Liang Xiaoyu over is not just for you to have company, it’s also for work."

Li Weiguo, worrying about hurting his self-esteem, emphasized again, "Liang Xiaoyu’s swimming skills might be better than yours. Last summer, he saw someone swimming by the riverside getting cramps, and without hesitation, he jumped into the river and saved the person."

"He is truly a brave and righteous young man!"

"He is a good kid, just didn’t attend school much. Although the Cooperative Defense Team does not require a high educational level, they must at least be literate. We are handing him over to you, and you are responsible for teaching him literacy."

Xu Sanye felt that the instructor’s suggestion was good, slightly nodding, "You need to teach him both shipbuilding and sailing, as well as reading and writing."

The one in front of me is a Salted Fish, the one outside is a Xiao Yu...

Old Zhang, holding back a laugh, added, "You also need to take good care of him in life, let him feel the warmth of our big family."

Li Weiguo, afraid that Han Yu might find it troublesome, meaningfully said, "Xiao Han, police work on the water is different from that on land, it has strong specialization, the job you can do, others can’t.

In a few years, when I and Old Zhang retire, and if Director Xu is transferred away, Yanjiang Police Station will rely on you.

Therefore, you need to think long-term, now when we recruit one person, we need to keep one, otherwise, you will end up with no one available."

Xu Sanye felt that Li Weiguo’s words made a lot of sense, pointing at him seriously said:

"Salted Fish, the instructor isn’t joking with you. You are not only a future successor of communism but also the future director of our Yanjiang Police Station. So, start having a sense of ownership from now!"