Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 44 - 40 Old Salty Fish

Chapter 44: Chapter 40 Old Salty Fish

"I am going to work on a large ship in the future, to make big money..."

The leadership and the veterans are so caring, they truly treat me as their successor for training purposes, which gives Han Yu mixed feelings and makes it quite awkward. He feels that it will be difficult to resign with a good conscience if this continues.

And they are serious about the training, this is no joke.

Before Xu Sanye left, he had Zhang Lan bring over a pile of textbooks from his time at the Police Technical College, such as "Introduction to Public Security" and "Police Application Materials".

From the bureau, a pile of magazines like "Police Technology" and "People’s Public Security", along with internally distributed "enemy-capturing" technique materials were gathered.

They even plan to divide the tasks amongst the three of them when they are less busy.

Xu Sanye intends to personally teach security and detection, the instructor to teach laws and pre-trial regulations, and Old Zhang to teach household registration management and various ledger work.

As for engine technology, it has to be learned as well.

In Xu Sanye’s words, "one ace move can conquer the whole sky", only if you have solid professional skills will you be competitive in the future.

Considering that it would be very difficult to self-study courses like English and computer science in marine engine technology, the station will arrange for funding to attend night school in Binjiang, and you must get a diploma from a junior college!

All of this left Han Yu feeling very conflicted, looking at the salary and bonuses that the instructor helped bring back, he was in a daze.

Zhang Lan entered the office, picked up the salary slip, and suddenly exclaimed: "Little Salted Fish, you’ve struck it rich!"

"Struck what rich?"

"Your salary, four hundred and fifty-nine, to suddenly get so much."

Han Yu came to his senses, raised his head and said: "This is for three months - July, August, and September, with travel allowances, plus bonuses and rewards. It won’t be this much in the future, starting from next month it will only be fifty-three."

Zhang Lan sat opposite him, enviously saying: "The bonuses, rewards and travel allowances were all secured for you by Director Xu, he is partial, he favors you more than he did Xu Mingyuan back in the day!"

Han Yu stuffed the money into an envelope, grinning and said: "Brother Xu is Director Xu’s most senior disciple, I am the smallest disciple. Whether at home or at the unit, the youngest naturally gets the benefits."

"Look at how pleased you are, tell me, what do you plan to do with your first salary?"

"Save twenty yuan for pocket money, the rest will be saved for now."

"Aren’t you going to buy something?"

"Buy rice. I’m not like you; I have to pay for rice when I eat in the canteen."

"Stingy, you can’t bear to spend even with such a salary."

"I’m not lacking anything, I don’t know what to buy."

Thinking about it, it makes sense, he has food and accommodation all covered at the station, and he’s young, really with no place to spend money.

Zhang Lan no longer joked, curiously asking: "When are you and Liang Xiaoyu going to attend Civilian Militia training?"

"Training starts tomorrow, we need to register in the afternoon. We plan to go there after lunch."

Han Yu paused and said with a wry smile: "It was originally said that it would be just one week of training, but yesterday we were notified that the superiors requested to extend it to twelve days. We have to stay there for meals and lodgings, and can only come back after the training ends."

Training was already hard, and before Xu Sanye left, he made sure to greet everyone and asked them to have high standards and strict requirements for him and Liang Xiaoyu.

Zhang Lan expressed boundless sympathy for his experience, advising: "Although the training is a bit tough, there is a training subsidy."

"Is there money to be made?" Han Yu asked subconsciously.

"Of course, it’s just not a lot." Zhang Lan smiled and asked him: "Do you know where those two training spots came from?"

"Where from?"

"It seems that several units have paid for the training but couldn’t send anyone to attend. You could say you and Liang Xiaoyu are training on their behalf, so naturally the training subsidy should be given to you both."

Thinking of the child who was downstairs in the reception room learning to write, Zhang Lan teased again: "An Old Salty Fish, a Salted Fish, a Little Fish, plus a cook who knows how to catch and cook fish, your station is turning into a fishpond."

Undoubtedly, he himself is the Salted Fish, Xiao Yu is Liang Xiaoyu, Old Qian can catch and cook fish...

Han Yu thought about it, then curiously asked: "Sister Zhang, who is the Old Salty Fish?"

Zhang Lan subconsciously looked outside, then suddenly remembered that Xu Sanye and Old Zhang had taken Wu Youfu to East Sea, not needing to worry about being overheard by Xu Sanye, she spoke animatedly:

"Director Xu, of course. Because of you, the Little Salted Fish, he’s got a catchy nickname, now everyone in the bureau secretly calls him Old Salty Fish."

"How did Director Xu become the Old Salty Fish?"

"He’s been restricted from promotion, it’s documented from above. No matter how well he performs, don’t expect him to be promoted to Deputy Director. He can never turn his life around. If this isn’t the definition of an Old Salty Fish, what is?"

"A document?"

"You didn’t know?"

"I’ve heard rumors, but I didn’t expect them to be true."

"He doesn’t really care."

Zhang Lan smiled, opening her bag and taking out a stack of receipts and a notebook: "You’ve seen it yourself. Although he’s just a Director, he’s almost like a Deputy Director in the department. There are no words he’s afraid to say, and nothing he can’t get done."

Thinking of Xu Sanye being so unrestrained in the department, Han Yu pondered, "Lucky that Director Yang is so tolerant. If it were another director, even if they couldn’t do anything to Director Xu, they’d find a way to transfer him to another unit."

It seems Little Salted Fish doesn’t only lack an understanding of the internal workings of the department but also of the county at large.

Zhang Lan couldn’t help but laugh: "You’re thinking too simplistically. It’s not that Director Yang doesn’t want to get rid of him; it’s just that no unit dares to take him."

"No unit dares to take him?"

"The previous director tried. As soon as he went to the Organization Department, the heads of those bureaus and offices ran to the county leaders."

"What did they go to the county leaders for?"

"They were afraid that the Organization Department would transfer Director Xu to their units. Hahaha."

"Is it really that exaggerated?"

"It’s not an exaggeration at all. Lots of people are afraid of him. The Armed Forces Department actually wanted Director Xu, but he didn’t want to go there, thinking that managing Civilian Militia and Reserve forces was less interesting than police work. Besides, he had only been a Civilian Militia Camp Commander before, never served as a soldier, nor was he an active-duty officer, so even if he went there, he wouldn’t get a good position."

Han Yu gave it some thought and said, "He could go to a township and become a Military Minister."

"The position of a Military Minister in a township is a Deputy Director level, Director Xu is not eligible for Deputy Director. If it were possible to promote him to Deputy Director, the county would have arranged for him to go to a remote township as Military Minister long ago."

"Sister Zhang, are you saying that the county actually wants to promote Director Xu?"

"The county doesn’t want to promote Director Xu, they just want to give him an even colder bench to sit on."

Zhang Lan glanced outside again, making sure Li Weiguo wasn’t there, then continued: "Actually, both the county and the department had plans to establish a maritime police station, but considering that the maritime station, once established, would have to operate from within the county and oversee all the waterway security in the county, they felt it had too much authority and eventually turned it into the current Yanjiang Police Station."

"Too much authority? What does that mean?"

"It’s simple, they are worried Director Xu would have too much power."

Han Yu pressed on, "Why then did the county and the department want to establish a maritime police station?"

Zhang Lan explained, "There are two reasons. First, the superiors required us to strengthen waterway security management, including issuing Seaman household registers and Seaman’s Certificates to shipmen; second, the family planning enforcement on land is strict, but no one manages the shipmen and fishermen drifting on the water, and the people on land have complaints, even reporting to the province. Therefore, the county takes this very seriously, demanding our department to establish the Yanjiang Police Station, to first get a handle on the situation by issuing Seaman’s Certificates, and then to support the family planning department."

So the Yanjiang Police Station was established because of the family planning work...

Han Yu suddenly realized, "No wonder the instructor goes to family planning meetings so often; I used to find that odd, thinking we’re a police station, not a family planning office."

Zhang Lan said with a sympathetic face: "Commander Li’s work offends people even more than Director Xu’s. He doesn’t just go out for meetings."

"What else does he have to do?"

"Assist officials from towns and villages along the river, sending those women who are pregnant outside of the plan, from the boats to the hospitals."

Zhang Lan put down her teacup, adding: "There are also some women on land who want to have a second child or even a third child. Fearing being found by township and village officials, they hide on boats of acquaintances among the shipmen and fishermen. People on the boats are brave and fierce and would really dare to attack the officials who go there. If Commander Li doesn’t assist, the family planning department can’t do their job."

Han Yu asked in a low voice, "Does Director Xu care about these issues, does he get involved?"

Zhang Lan laughed: "He wouldn’t bother with that. It’s said that during a meeting at the county committee, he told the county leader in charge of family planning, not that he doesn’t care, but that he acts according to procedure. If a family planning official really got attacked, he would definitely dispatch police."

"Director Xu is unwilling to deal with it, so Commander Li can’t avoid it?"

"Commander Li has to go. It’s clearly written in his job responsibilities. If you don’t believe me, look at the last item when you get back."

Han Yu subconsciously turned his head back and saw hanging on the wall the last item of the job responsibilities, which read, "Complete any other tasks assigned by superiors."