Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 81 - 74: Senior Apprentice Exchanged for Junior Apprentice

Chapter 81: Chapter 74: Senior Apprentice Exchanged for Junior Apprentice

Han Yu followed Captain Wang onto the ship and entered the command room on the first floor, picking up the trial sailing plan and discovering that there were quite a few items to inspect.

The main items included preparation work, main propulsion system test, speed test, maneuvering test, inertia test, heading stability test, anchor equipment test, tug test, system equipment inspection, and power station operation inspection. Several items required data recording.

Captain Wang pointed at the plan: "The shipyard dock has bollards, but Bailong River is too narrow, and there are many passing ships, so the tug test cannot be conducted in the river."

The so-called tug test involves tying the ship to a bollard, turning the main engine power to maximum, and observing how much pulling force it can generate.

If a bollard is uprooted, or if the cable breaks, it could easily cause casualties.

Therefore, no one should stand near the cable during the test, and also not while towing normally.

The area where the severed cable could whip around at the stern of the ship is even referred to as the "death fan"!

Moreover, during the tug test, if there is an issue with the bollard or cable, a boat at full power cannot be stopped and will shoot out at maximum speed.

If such a risky situation occurs in Bailong River, vessel 001 could either collide with passing ships or rush towards the opposite riverbank, causing a water traffic accident.

Han Yu did not dare to take safety lightly, and looking up, said: "We can only conduct it in the river."

Captain Wang, stroking his chin, said, "Bailong Port Passenger Pier does have bollards, and they are solid. But they also prioritize safety and wouldn’t allow us to conduct it there."

"How large of a water area is needed?"

"At least a hundred meters east to west, and also at least a hundred meters north to south."

"Captain Wang, can the tug test be completed in two hours?"

"Two hours should be enough."

"Not all the time there are ferries and passenger ships at the passenger pier. I will report to Director Xu and ask him to see if we can use their bollards during a window when no ferries and passenger ships are docking, to quickly complete the tug test."

"It has to be during the day; definitely not at night."

"It seems there are no ferries around two or three in the afternoon."

Han Yu put down the plan and thought for a moment, then said: "According to the regulations, there should be a ship on site for guard duty; we can use 002, to avoid having to look for another ship externally."

Captain Wang said with a smile: "This makes it a big deal; they definitely have to report to Navigation Administration and Waterway. They might even make announcements over the radio throughout the Yangtze River."

"If we need to report, we report. We can’t find another dock that can conduct the tug test anyway."

"You go ask first if they let us conduct it there."

Not wanting to waste a moment, Han Yu hurriedly went back to report to the director.

Xu Sanye did not expect that conducting a test would be so troublesome, and immediately called Zhang Junyan, who was in Binjiang.

The safety of the passenger pier was paramount; they were striving for a record of a hundred days of safe operations. Zhang Junyan didn’t dare guarantee success and went to seek help from Director Chen...

With the help of leaders from port and shipping enterprises, a task that seemed difficult to others was accomplished by 5:30 PM!

In a few days, it would be New Year’s Day. Old Liu, no longer involved in case investigations, rushed back from Binjiang, bringing back a document sealed with the stamp of Binjiang Port and Navigation Supervision Bureau.

The headline read "Yangtze North Branch Channel Bailong Port Area Tug Test," with the document number "Binhangtong [1988] No. 0669".

Operation time: December 24, 1988, limited to daylight hours.

Operation location: In the waters in front of mooring 3’s bollard at Bailong Port Passenger Pier, within a water area range of 100 meters east to west, and 100 meters north to south.

Operation method: Trial tow of the "Linghai Tuo 012" tug (length 24.12 meters, width 5.60 meters), using the mooring bollard at the pier for the tug test, with "Linghai Public Security Patrol 002" vessel on guard.

Then, the operation vessels should hang operation signals according to regulations, appoint specific individuals to enhance watch duty, strengthen listening on radio channels, and ensure smooth communication, among other cautionary measures.

Finally, it reminded the passing vessels to slow down outside the safe distance from the work area, drive cautiously, and watch out for avoidance.

Operations should be suspended if wind force exceeded level 6 or visibility was less than 1000 meters.

In short, this was a document that had undergone approvals.

Just as Han Yu was appreciating the help from Director Chen, Xu Sanye frowned slightly.

"Old Zhang called at noon to ask for the boat number, and I told him very clearly, it’s Linghai Public Security 001 boat; how did it become Linghai Tuo 012!"

"Director Xu, we processed the paperwork for a civilian vessel, at the Port Supervision it’s Linghai Tuo 012, and the certificate is issued as Linghai Tuo 012."

"So after the inspection, should we also paint Linghai Tuo 012 on the boat?"

"According to the regulations, we should paint the boat name and number."

"It’s absurd, a fine public law enforcement vessel being painted with a civilian vessel number, where’s the deterrent force? How would I enforce law on the river."

It turned out that this was what he was unhappy about.

Realizing this, Han Yu couldn’t help but laugh: "Then we won’t paint Linghai Tuo 012, as Navigation Administration won’t check on us anyway."

Xu Sanye tapped on the table, speaking very seriously and sternly, "001 cannot be painted with a civilian vessel number, nor can the dunship after inspection!"

"I know, we won’t paint it."

"Director Yang and the wall grass really, my law enforcement rescue boat and dunship aren’t even repaired yet, and they’re thinking of selling them. Who works like that?"

"..."

When it comes to the leadership of the bureau, Han Yu dared not continue.

Xu Sanye was complaining when suddenly the phone rang.

"I’m from Yanjiang Police Station, may I ask who you are looking for?"

"Director Xu, it’s Wu Ren Guang."

"What’s the matter?"

Criminal Investigation Team leader Wu Ren Guang looked at the telephone log book and smiled, "Two things, should be one piece of good news and one matter."

Xu Sanye, upset about his "fleet" almost becoming a civilian fleet, asked unhappily, "What good news?"

"You should remember Xue Zhongwei, the guy who was taken in for questioning during the crackdown on scalping boat tickets because he couldn’t clearly state where he was from."

"Does he have a problem?"

"He does have a problem, a big one. The detention center sent us a notice half an hour ago, they’ve clarified his real identity. His actual surname is Lv, named Lv Weizhong, from Dongshan, fifty-five years old this year."

"What has he done?"

Even though the suspect’s real identity was discovered by the city bureau’s detention center, the suspect was taken in for questioning by Linghai Police Bureau, it can be considered an achievement for the 9.17 Special Task Force as well.

Wu Ren Guang said excitedly, "He was originally a mechanic in the brigade; when they were distributing land to households, several villagers in their production team, like him, wanted to contract the machinery and irrigation facilities.

Because of this, he got into a conflict with someone, fought, and killed one person and injured two. Then, he fled out of fear of punishment, hiding his identity, until we took him in."

"A murderer!"

"The police from his hometown came over as soon as they received the news and confirmed his identity."

"Is it related to us?"

"We took him in, how can it not be related to us. However, this might not be good news for Old Ding, a murderer hiding under his watch for so many years, how has he been managing arrivals from outside?"

Han Yu recalled the old man who seemed to be honestly living with the old widow...

He couldn’t believe that the old man was only fifty-five years old, and even more so couldn’t believe that the old guy was a murderer.

Inadvertently taking a murderer into custody, Xu Sanye was neither very excited nor wanted to kick the Four Factory Police Station while it was down, he asked nonchalantly, "What else is there?"

"Master Ding said you guys have found a significant lead and are jointly investigating with Binjiang Port Police Station."

"What’s that got to do with you?"

"It’s related, of course. If Little Salted Fish returns, then our Linghai Police Bureau wouldn’t be involved in the follow-up investigation. Director Yang and Master Ding asked me to inquire if you want to send two officers over."

"Your Criminal Investigation Team only has those few investigators, can you spare anyone?"

"Director Yang says we need to see things through from start to finish, we have to find someone even if we can’t spare any. I plan to have Xu Mingyuan over, let your senior apprentice replace your junior apprentice, let the apprentices rotate to achieve results, and make you as the master proud."

Xu Sanye was actually planning to tell him to stay far away but hearing that he intended for Xu Mingyuan to join the investigation, he couldn’t refuse.

"Alright, I’ll call and help you guys communicate with them first."

Participating in investigating a foreign-related case that alarmed the Ministry of Police isn’t an opportunity every unit gets.

Wu Ren Guang, afraid that Xu Sanye wouldn’t help, rambled on, "Director Xu, I also have a small tip, not sure if it’s true."

Xu Sanye subconsciously asked, "What’s the tip?"

"I heard that the traffic police team is going to be promoted to a brigade, our Criminal Investigation Team too."

"Promotion is good, congratulations on your potential promotion."

"Don’t joke about it. I meant if the Criminal Investigation Team really turns into a Criminal Investigation Brigade, surely several squadrons will need to be set up. Mingyuan has been working in criminal investigation since he started working; he’s your apprentice and both has the chance and the qualifications to be a squadron leader."

The traffic police team and criminal investigation team turning into brigades isn’t anything rare; several district county police departments across the river have their traffic and criminal investigation teams as brigades.

Thinking of the other units’ organizational structure and personnel distribution, Xu Sanye asked teasingly, "If you guys get promoted to a brigade, not only would there need to be a Big Commander but also instructors. But wall grass is already an instructor, when everyone becomes an instructor, who will instruct whom then?"

"If our team and the traffic police team become brigades, Master Ding will certainly be promoted too, he won’t be an instructor anymore but a Political Commissioner."

"Wall grass can also be a Political Commissioner?"

"The unit’s level won’t rise with the promotion, Master Ding is currently at the Full Department Level, even if he becomes a Political Commissioner, it would still be at the Full Department Level. Anyway whether it’s Political Commissioner or future Big Commander instructor, it just sounds good."

"What kind of Political Commissioner is a Full Department Level? Can’t you do some real work instead of just these superficial things?"

Xu Sanye muttered and then hung up the phone.

......

PS: When the Port Supervision (Port and Navigation Supervision) was just established, because of the odd name, many people still used the old name Navigation Administration, referring to the newly established Port Supervision Bureau and Port Supervision Station as the Navigation Administration Office and Navigation Administration Station.

As for "waterway", it’s a department responsible for dredging waterways and setting up navigational aids, the Waterway Department has several waterway sections, each managing different segments.