Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 58 - 54: Expert Scout

Chapter 58: Chapter 54: Expert Scout

Yanjiang Police Station has few police officers, and at Bailong Port Police Station there aren’t many officers either.

Considering the insufficient investigative force upcoming, Zhang Junyan learned comprehensively from Xu Sanye, adopting a method akin to drawing a gourd from its model, and proactively collaborated with the Criminal Investigation Department at the Bureau.

At the station here, the Instructor was in charge.

He personally led the team, involving Old Liu in the operation.

The two packed their luggage, and early in the morning, they drove the new police car to Yanjiang Police Station, preparing to pick up Little Salted Fish and the security activist Huang Jiangsheng, who was familiar with the suspect.

Xu Sanye, who was on duty last night, was having breakfast. Holding his bowl, he came out and smiled, "Old Zhang, you guys came early."

"I just called to ask. That foreign ship entered the Yangtze River last night, and the pilot from the Port Authority departed by boat an hour ago. It’s estimated that it will dock by noon. We are going early to set things up in advance."

"Okay, I’ll have Little Salted Fish quickly call Huang Jiangsheng."

"Where is Salted Fish?"

"He’s organizing documents at the shipyard."

Xu Sanye walked into the office, put down his bowl and chopsticks, picked up the walkie-talkie to notify Han Yu, then put down the walkie-talkie, and while motioning for the two to sit, he said discontentedly,

"I didn’t expect it to be so troublesome to handle a ship’s procedure. I’ve compiled various documents into five large boxes, just the catalogue alone was bound into a thick book."

Li Weiguo entered the office, lamenting, "We can only manage this because of Salted Fish. Without him, it would have been impossible. These days since he returned from East Sea, he’s just been busy with documents, working overtime every day, staying up until eleven each night, too busy even to visit his nephew."

Only those who specialize can do specialized tasks; others can’t help even if they want to.

Zhang Junyan really appreciated the capable and obedient Little Salted Fish, he took out a cigarette and smiled, "Though organizing documents is bothersome, for Salted Fish it’s also a learning and familiarization process."

Xu Sanye took the cigarette and nodded, "That’s absolutely right. Before he just repaired, just watched Manager Wu and Master Zhou build. Now having organized all the drawings and data, no one knows Dunship 001 or even a dunship better than him. He even knows which manufacturer makes a certain electrical switch, and exactly what model it is."

Old Liu laughed, "Director Xu, if in the Port Authority, a kid like Salted Fish who’s willing to delve into things could be well trained to become an engineer!"

"Engineers are everywhere, even Boss Wu’s shipyard’s Master Zhou is an engineer."

Xu Sanye lit a cigarette, with a sweeping gesture said, "What we lack now is not engineers, but police officers who understand technology, at least that’s the case in our Yanjiang Police Station."

Now he was really flourishing, possessing law enforcement rescue boats, dunships, and motorboats.

Though there were not many police under him, in terms of equipment, within a hundred kilometers upstream among the water police, none were as well-equipped as him; the same was true downstream to the estuary, and for his peers across the river.

Thinking carefully, a police officer who understood marine technology was needed.

Thinking again about all this, exactly said, this enormous change, it all happened with the arrival of Little Salted Fish, Zhang Junyan couldn’t help but joke:

"Director Xu, you must find a way to keep such a talent as Salted Fish. He’s young now, without financial and family pressures, he doesn’t need to consider other things.

But in a few years when he grows up, he’ll start thinking about dating and housing, then various real pressures will come, and it’s hard to say if he might switch jobs."

Xu Sanye had never thought about these things, he knocked on the desk, "What are you thinking about? Salted Fish is a soldier I personally trained; Old Li and I have been training him as a future Director, he’s not going to switch jobs!"

"That’s a good point, he’s your apprentice, even if he wanted to switch jobs, he wouldn’t dare."

"If he dares, I’ll go fetch him back."

Xu Sanye laughed heartily and curiously asked, "Old Zhang, who’s the current head of the Criminal Investigation Department in Binjiang Port Police Bureau?"

Zhang Junyan suddenly remembered he had served several years as a head of a detective squad, might not be familiar with other departments in Binjiang City Bureau and Binjiang Port Police Bureau, but should be better acquainted with the criminal investigation system, he hurriedly said, "Now it’s Jiang Xiaojun."

"Jiang Xiaojun has become the head of Criminal Investigation Department!"

"Director Xu, you know Director Jiang?"

"I used to be a detective squad leader and often went to the City Bureau for meetings, saw him a few times, had a few drinks together. Back then he was just an investigator, but at that time your bureau didn’t have a Criminal Investigation Department, just like our bureau, it was a criminal investigation squad."

"Although it’s now upgraded to a Criminal Investigation Department, the personnel haven’t changed much."

"You ask him later if he remembers me."

"I asked him the day before yesterday, he couldn’t forget you. He asked me to send his regards to you, welcoming you to guide work at the Criminal Investigation Department."

All under Heaven Police are one family, this saying is somewhat exaggerated.

But certainly, the criminal investigation system is one family, all who engage in criminal investigations are brothers, whether it’s local police or corporate police.

Xu Sanye smiled, and with a self-deprecating tone, "He’s now a leader wearing ’Makuni,’ and here I am wearing ’Dique Liang’ to guide him, what a joke."

"Director Xu, you’re our respected elder and Big Brother, whether you wear Makuni or not, we merely share the glory of our unit’s administrative rank."

"Right, when we’re not busy, I’ll go to Binjiang to have a drink with him, and at that time, I’ll also call Old Wei, have a good gathering."

Zhang Junyan subconsciously asked, "Director Wei from the Port District Bureau?"

Xu Sanye grinned, "Who else but him. Old Wei was previously an investigator in the Criminal Investigation Department of Binjiang City Bureau, he’s cracked countless big and small cases. In terms of handling criminal investigations, both Jiang Feijun and I, who started in the middle, are far behind him."

"Specialization is essential, just like shipbuilding and sailing, together we wouldn’t match up to even one Little Salted Fish."

"That is true, hahaha."

While chatting, Han Yu came back with Huang Jiangsheng.

Huang Jiangsheng was well aware of what was waiting for him in Binjiang, worried that he might be recognized by those two who were involved in the illegal trade of Foreign Exchange Certificates from East Sea, he purposely wore a hat and sunglasses.

Xu Sanye found his getup both amusing and ridiculous, he walked up and removed his hat and sunglasses: "You look like a spy; they might not recognize you without these, but with them, they definitely will!"

Huang Jiangsheng quickly said, "Then I won’t wear them."

"Don’t worry, you won’t have to get too close to the suspects, we have binoculars."

Zhang Junyan patted Huang Jiangsheng’s arm and turned to ask, "Salted Fish, have you gathered all the documents needed for the ship inspection?"

"Mostly done, just the remaining few I’ve asked Master Zhou to help sort out, I’ve already spoken to him."

"Since it’s mostly sorted, hurry upstairs, pack and change your clothes, we’ll leave in five minutes."

"Yes!"

...

Zhang Lan not only had to manage the accounts for the project leadership group but also continue with the original duties of the logistics division; hence, she arrived rather late.

She had just parked her bicycle when she saw Salted Fish and Huang Jiangsheng carrying their luggage and getting into the new police car of the Bailong Port Police Station.

Xu Sanye and Li Weiguo stood at the office door, waving their hands until the police car was out of the yard.

Zhang Lan found it very curious and approached to ask, "Director Xu, Commander Li, where is Salted Fish going?"

Salted Fish was off to make some money for the station, and this time he wouldn’t let the bureau take half.

The person before him is his disciple’s fiancée, definitely one of their own. But she was also a bureau’s staff handling finances.

It wouldn’t benefit her to know.

Xu Sanye nonchalantly said, "Director Zhang and the others have a case, they need Salted Fish to help out for a few days."

"What help could Salted Fish possibly provide them!"

"Didn’t you notice that Salted Fish is quite the sleuth?"

"No, I really hadn’t noticed."

"He’s young and short, looks like a middle school student; even if he stands in front of the suspect declaring himself a public security police, the suspect won’t believe him."

Zhang Lan paused, then chuckled lightly: "If that’s the case, he sure is a good sleuth, at least he has a significant deceptive advantage when it comes to height and appearances."

"So being young has its advantages too."

Xu Sanye glanced at the mark last made on the door frame, turned back with a smile and inquired: "Have you set a date for your wedding yet? Your sister-in-law just asked me yesterday when we would enjoy your wedding sweets and drinks."

After dating for several years, visiting each other’s families, phone calls, engagement, and all the other rituals were already completed, friends and colleagues from the bureau were all aware.

It’s time for a man to marry and a woman to wed.

Zhang Lan, unembarrassed, straightforwardly said: "Yes, it’s set for the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth lunar month."

The wedding of his apprentice was significant; Xu Sanye further inquired: "How many tables are you planning to set up, and who are you inviting?"

"We’ll follow the traditional rule, inviting separately. My family will invite our side of relatives, his family will invite theirs, including bureau leaders and some close colleagues; my side won’t be inviting theirs."

"Did Ming Yuan mention who would go to your family to pick you up and who would help with warming the bed?"

"He and his few cousins will come to my house to pick me up. As for warming the bed... he’d like to ask Salted Fish."

Warming the bed is an important ritual in Linghai wedding customs.

On the night before the wedding, a little boy who excels in many areas sleeps in the newlyweds’ bed.

It symbolizes having children soon after marriage, and that the children would also be exceptional in many ways.

Usually, the chosen boys are between eight to nine years old, with the oldest no more than twelve or thirteen.

Li Weiguo, barely holding back his laughter, asked: "Choosing Salted Fish to warm the bed, isn’t he a bit old for that?"

Zhang Lan found it funny too, sounding helpless: "His family is superstitious and insists on someone with good grades. But even if those relatives’ kids have good grades, they can’t compare to Salted Fish’s grades."

With grades ranking sixth in the county in the middle school exams, that’s nothing to scoff at.

Xu Sanye understood the Xu Family’s good intentions and laughed heartily: "Since his family expects a top scholar, let Salted Fish help warm the bed then. Don’t forget to give Salted Fish a red envelope; it’s customary."

...

PS: As a child, I helped warm beds four times, and each of the four couples I helped had boys!