Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 90 - 82: Have Guns and Boats

Chapter 90: Chapter 82: Have Guns and Boats

Leaving takes priority for passing through the lock, and there’s no rush coming back.

While waiting in line for the ferry lock, Han Yu and Xu Sanye took 002 onshore first and rode the car from the ship lock management office back to the station.

Old Qian had earlier received notice from the instructor and had boiled a large pot of water and prepared a small pot of ginger soup.

Having consumed a large bowl of ginger soup, Han Yu felt much warmer and hurried to the upper floor to get clothes for taking a bath in the washroom to the west of the canteen.

Xu Sanye thought ginger soup was for women to drink and ran into the kitchen, opened the cupboard, and found half a bottle of 53-degree liquor, downing several gulps before going back to the dorm to get clothes for a bath.

Old Qian, worried that Director Xu and Little Salted Fish would catch a cold, helped set up two bathing tents made of thin plastic film.

The insulation was good, but with the air full of steam and no ventilation, Han Yu found it hard to breathe, so after a quick wash, he popped out to dry off.

Xu Sanye found the bathing tent cumbersome and thus washed in the big wooden tub. Seeing Han Yu come out, he wanted to hide but instead teased, "Oh, look at all the hair!"

"Director Xu..."

Han Yu quickly turned around, clumsily dressing.

Xu Sanye laughed heartily, "What’s the hurry? Dry off properly before putting on clothes. There are no girls here, nothing to be embarrassed about."

Confronted with such a leader, Han Yu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Knowing he felt embarrassed, Xu Sanye changed the subject, "Salted Fish, Port Supervision is coming soon, do you have any classmates there?"

"No classmates from my year, but several from the same school."

"Do you know any of them?"

"I know one, also surname Han, named Han Xiangning."

"A guy or a girl?"

"A girl, she’s a year above me."

Han Yu put on the long johns and turned back, "It’s just that I know her, she might not know me."

Xu Sanye asked puzzled, "You know her, but she doesn’t know you, how do you know her then?"

While continuing to dress, Han Yu explained, "The school organized a visit to the Port Supervision Bureau for study, and she was the one in charge of receiving us then."

"You just know an elder schoolmate sister?"

"That time we also met the Port Supervision Director Feng, our teacher mentioned that Director Feng was a military transfer official, served in the South Sea Fleet for twenty-four years, and was once the youngest ship captain and the youngest Commander Chief of Staff in the Chinese Navy."

"Commander level leader becoming a Standard Department Level Port Supervision Director, that’s quite a placement!"

"I don’t know about that, all I know is Director Feng is a Binjiang person; he spoke to us during our visit."

After entering the Yangtze River, it’s inevitable to deal with Port Supervision. You can’t be clueless about them.

Xu Sanye thought for a bit then asked, "Other than maritime traffic safety, what else does Port Supervision handle?"

Han Yu might not know much else, but he was professionally well-versed in this, saying without hesitation, "Supervising crew composition, issuing international seaman’s documents. Organizing exams, issuing crew licenses.

Approving applications for foreign ships entering the Yangtze River and ports, conducting inspections and mandatory pilotage. Supervising the technical condition of ships — ship inspection and them are virtually the same team with two sets of plaques.

They also approve no-sail zones, enforce traffic control in critical waters, issue navigational notices and warnings, manage the salvage of sunken ships and objects, and forcibly remove obstacles."

Xu Sanye, wiping his neck with a damp towel, mumbled, "They do have quite some power, seems like they handle anything to do with water."

"Pretty much, they are equivalent to maritime traffic police."

"Do they carry guns?"

"They are only akin to maritime traffic police, not actual police, how could they have guns."

"What if someone violently resists the law?"

Han Yu chuckled, "Report to the police, and the police will help to catch them."

Xu Sanye felt much more reassured, cracking a smile, "Seems like they still have to ask for help from us police, the big brothers."

He wanted to be the boss on the river, but he didn’t have the corresponding power.

Han Yu could understand his sentiment, couldn’t help but laugh, "Director Xu, Customs has no guns either, they also ask for help from the police and the Border Guards." (At that time, Customs did not have anti-smuggling police)

"What’s this police and Border Guards you’re mentioning? Border Guards are part of the police, our active duty force within the police!"

"I thought Border Guards were the Armed Police."

"Border Guards yes, but Border Guards are also part of our police!"

"Oh."

Xu Sanye cleared his ears, pressing on, "Does Binjiang’s Border Guards and Border Inspection have any law enforcement vessels?"

Han Yu pondered, then shook his head, "It seems not, at least I haven’t seen any in Binjiang."

"Port Supervision and Customs have authority without guns, Border Guards and brother police departments have guns without ships. Although we don’t have much authority on the river, we have both guns and ships. Quite interesting, I have to really think about this."

"Director Xu, what are you thinking about?"

"Port Supervision’s ships should be docked at the Bailong Port Passenger Pier. They will probably soon go to the shipyard to check that concrete ship; we should hurry to wait for 001."

"And then?"

"The guns are on 001, once it returns, we’ll be fully armed and show them our strength!"

Xu Sanye decided to give Port Supervision a "show of force," and Han Yu had no choice but to follow his lead, dressing in uniform and rushing to the shipyard together.

After waiting about five to six minutes at the small pier, 001 finally towed the cement ship back.

The Bailong River waterway is narrow, and 002 continued to stand guard.

Captain Wang announced over the radio, asking the shipyard workers for help to moor the cement ship at the shipyard’s small pier, then drove 001 to Cha Port ahead to turn around.

Master Zhou saw that the mooring spot was taken by the cement ship, and under Li Weiguo’s direction, steered 002 to the small pier behind the Yanjiang Police Station.

Han Yu couldn’t bother with the small talk of Master Ding and Reporter Wang, called Xiao Yu to follow Xu Sanye into the crew cabin, strapped on a helmet, secured an armed belt, tied on an ammo pouch, and carried a 56 Assault Rifle on his back.

Just as they finished preparing, three law enforcement officers from the Binjiang Port Supervision Bureau arrived at Bailong Port Pier in a jeep, accompanied by Director Wu from the dispatch room.

They were here to investigate a marine traffic accident, and yet they were getting ready as if for a battle...

Reporter Wang looked puzzled.

Master Ding was unsure how to explain when Li Weiguo hurried over and opened a folder, pointing to the ships waiting to pass the lock on the river:

"Reporter Wang, these days we are conducting a pre-Spring Festival extensive shoreline patrol and a comprehensive check on water security. No one knows if we’ll find any criminals, so we’re preparing quite thoroughly."

Reporter Wang glanced down at the inspection records and suddenly understood.

The port supervision personnel might be important, but not as important as a reporter. After all, they’re not from the same system.

Worried that Reporter Wang might feel neglected by Xu Sanye, Master Ding asked in a low voice, "Old Li, how will this cement ship be handled?"

"I have no idea; this is the first time we’ve encountered such a situation."

"Reporter Wang, they don’t know how long it will take; how about we head back to the station to listen to Old Li’s report, or I could accompany you to take a tour around Bailong Port?"

Today, they were here to follow up on the investigation of scalpers reselling boat tickets, not to watch the commotion.

Besides, they had already seen enough excitement and had made a substantial discovery.

Reporter Wang did not want to delay his work or interfere with their job, looked up at Linghai Police’s youngest police station chief, the youngest police officers, and the youngest Cooperative Defense Team members leaving the shipyard with Master Ding and Li Weiguo.

...

As Director Wu from the dispatch room finished the introduction, Xu Sanye released Chief Zhu’s hand from Binjiang Port Supervision Bureau and turned around with a smile, "Water Transport Supervision Department, is it? Our station’s Officer Xiao Yu studied Water Transport Management."

There are quite a few police under the jurisdiction of Binjiang Port Supervision Bureau in the Yangtze River area, mainly onboard police and dock officers, all part of the Transportation Port and Navigation System police.

It’s rare to see local police with a force as strong as the Yanjiang Police Station.

Chief Zhu couldn’t help but take another look at 001, and then at the fully armed Xu Sanye, Han Yu, and Liang Xiaoyu, and couldn’t help but smile, "Really?"

"Xiao Yu graduated from Binjiang Shipping School and even has classmates in your Port Supervision Bureau."

"Chief Zhu, good day." Han Yu tightened his gun strap and stood at attention to salute.

Even kids are equipped with assault rifles; Chief Zhu felt a bit envious, returned the salute, and curiously asked, "Comrade Xiao Yu, we have several alumni from your school in our bureau; who is your classmate?"

Before Han Yu could speak, a staff member accompanying them laughed and said, "Chief Zhu, it must be Han Xiangning. Although Mao Ke and Old Peng also graduated from the Shipping School, their ages don’t match up."

Claiming to know a classmate when you don’t could be problematic; Han Yu was about to clarify when Xu Sanye started bragging animatedly about a dunship being outfitted.

Chief Zhu and others were surprised and couldn’t believe that a police station not only had to be stationed along the Yangtze River but also had such impressive facilities.

Especially the dunship with two stories of buildings on its deck, which looked much more impressive than the bureau’s storage ships.

"By regulation, police ships do not need to register and inspect with you, but out of respect for your Port Supervision, we have decided to still do the registration and inspection. Since we haven’t dealt with you before and are not acquainted, we could only submit an application through our county Transportation Bureau."

"Director Xu, have you already applied?"

"We applied a long time ago; your personnel are coming the day after tomorrow for an on-site inspection, and then we need to go to Bailong Port Passenger Pier to do a towing test."

Chief Zhu didn’t know about these arrangements and looked back at 001: "Does that tugboat also need inspection?"

"The tugboat was modified; it’s now a law enforcement rescue vessel and will be inspected along with the newly built dunship."

"Director Xu, you have made a significant investment in maintaining water security."

"We built a dunship and retrofitted a law enforcement rescue boat, and with the addition of pontoons and other ancillary facilities, the total investment was around three to four hundred thousand."

"You guys have the guts. We’ve wanted to set up a VTS system since last year, but we’re still pondering it."

"What’s VTS?"

Xu Sanye asked since he didn’t understand, feeling no shame in his lack of knowledge.

Han Yu felt a bit embarrassed and spoke softly, "VTS is a modern radar traffic management system; I heard it can monitor, control, navigate, video record, and do data processing."

Xu Sanye asked astonished, "That advanced, must cost a lot of money, right?"

Chief Zhu smiled, "That’s why because the investment is high, the leaders are still considering it. Comrade Xiao Yu, how did you know about VTS?"

"Report to Chief Zhu, I have a classmate who was assigned to Zhenjiang Port Supervision Bureau. They are setting up a VTS system there. As soon as he arrived, the leaders arranged for him to learn how to operate and use the VTS system."

"Comrade Xiao Yu, the information you provided is essential. After going back, I’ll have to report to the leaders; we can’t let others get ahead of us."

Chief Zhu joked, but deep down, he was wondering how a graduate from a Shipping School ended up working in the police here.

...

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