Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 92 - 84: No Need to Feel Guilty

Chapter 92: Chapter 84: No Need to Feel Guilty

Incidents like this are common on the river in the morning.

Xu Sanye didn’t think there was much to say about it, so he changed the subject and started showing off the hardware facilities of Yanjiang Police Station with great enthusiasm, looking forward to the future of the station after entering the Yangtze River.

"In the eyes of some short-sighted people, the dunship is built for 001. Spending hundreds of thousands all at once seems like a big investment that isn’t necessary. But in fact, the dunship will play a much bigger role than 001 in the future!"

"Director Xu, the dunship is moored at the riverbank and can’t move, what kind of role can it play?"

"The dunship is not just a floating pier; it’s also a riverside police station and even a water police bureau!"

Xu Sanye gestured to Salted Fish to serve Reporter Wang more fish soup and continued with an inexhaustible explanation: "I don’t know about other places, but I am clear about the waters under Binjiang Port Supervision Bureau’s jurisdiction. Along the nearly hundred kilometers of coastline from Binjiang Port to the sea outlet, you can’t see a decent police station, let alone a water police bureau.

We tow the dunship to the riverside and moor it there; every passing big and small ship can see it. As long as the people on board see it, they will feel safe and know where to report an incident if something happens. At the same time, it is also a deterrent to criminals engaging in illegal activities on the river."

Li Weiguo took the words personally, knowing that the "short-sighted" people Xu Sanye mentioned were the leaders of the bureau. Thinking of Master Ding’s instructions before he left, Li Weiguo really didn’t know what to say about it.

Xu Sanye, however, didn’t care, and added: "If we get a small boat and set up a water police office, although it can also play some role, people engaged in transportation on the river will definitely think, ’Your unit looks so small and has so few people; can you actually handle our issues?’

It’s like doing business; since we’re moving into the Yangtze River, we have to let the public see our strength, feel our determination to combat illegal crimes.

We have to convince the public that we are capable and deter the criminals from operating in our jurisdiction, making them tremble in fear at the mention of Yanjiang Police Station!"

Han Yu thought the director’s words made a lot of sense, and seeing Reporter Wang deep in thought, he couldn’t help but say, "I grew up on a boat; my dad, mom, and brother are still boating. My family is involved in river transportation: first, we fear the winds and waves; second, we fear water bandits.

If I were a ship owner, and I navigated to Bailong Port Waters at night, seeing a brightly lit police barge would set my mind at ease, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about nearby water bandits."

Reporter Wang nodded his head and took out his notebook to jot down notes.

Seeing Director Xu looking over, Liang Xiaoyu quickly said: "Those in transportation fear water bandits, and so do the fishermen. Some water bandits once approached our boat at night, not only demanding money but also took away the rice and fish we had just caught."

Reporter Wang couldn’t believe the river was in such chaos and asked in astonishment, "When did this happen?"

"Two years ago."

"Were those water bandits caught?"

"I don’t know."

"Did you report it?"

"No, at that time we didn’t know where to report, and we were too scared to do so. We had to fish on the river every day, and the police can’t guard the river all the time. If those bandits knew we reported them, they would surely seek revenge, and they might even kill."

Reporter Wang was secretly alarmed and asked, "Director Xu, what measures do you plan to take against water bandits?"

Xu Sanye took a small sip of soup and said coldly, "We definitely have to crack down on them, but most water bandits are on the move. The Yangtze River is so long, and the entrance to the sea is so wide, it’s not easy to find them.

The current stage is mainly about gathering clues. The recent major shore patrol and the large-scale water security inspection were aimed at combatting water bandits."

...

Reporter Wang interviewed in the cafeteria for more than an hour and, at the earnest invitation of Xu Sanye, went to the director’s office to look at letters from the public.

Many letters from the public were touching, and Reporter Wang selected twenty-six, then was taken by Xu Sanye to visit the riverside base under construction.

He showed his face in front of the reporter today, but the instructor was not very pleased.

Li Weiguo felt it was necessary to have a heart-to-heart with Little Salted Fish, otherwise, the boy might easily be led astray by Xu Sanye.

"Xiao Han, I’ve told you before that whatever work we do, there are priorities. Specifically, for our police bureau, maintaining onshore security is the top priority. With nearly a million people in Linghai, if the security isn’t managed well, how can we develop the economy and pursue the Four Modernizations."

Li Weiguo lit a cigarette and continued, "The bureau’s budget is tight. No matter who becomes the bureau chief or instructor, they would use the precious funds where it’s most needed.

As the police station chief in charge of security along the Yanjiang, Director Xu is right to consider riverside security, but this has created a contradiction with the bureau’s work plan. However, it’s a contradiction that arises from work, and we should focus on the issue, not the person."

Easier said than done to focus on the issue, not the person.

Han Yu was worried and nervously asked, "Commander Li, did Master Ding say anything?"

Li Weiguo took a couple of drags on his cigarette and nodded slightly.

Han Yu asked with a pained expression, "Didn’t Director Xu agree with the bureau last time that we’ll ’be self-sufficient’ and not ask the bureau for money anymore?"

"It’s not about money that Master Ding spoke to me about."

"What’s the matter?"

"Personnel safety, firearms safety."

Li Weiguo stared at him intently and said very seriously and solemnly, "River rescue is too dangerous. Which leader wouldn’t worry? You can say that it’s Master Ding’s concern for you and Little Salted Fish. You must appreciate their good intentions. Moreover, river rescue is not within our jurisdiction; it’s not supposed to be our responsibility. Once we start, any future emergencies on the river will lead people to us. Not rescuing is like ignoring the death of others, yet going could easily result in thankless exertion."

Han Yu asked in confusion, "How would it be thankless exertion?"

"It’s the job of the Port Supervision. If we do their job for them, it’s hard to say whether they might resent it."

"So what should we do?"

"I don’t know either, but there’s one thing you need to always bear in mind."

"What’s that?"

"You are not only a public security officer from Yanjiang Police Station but also from the Linghai Police Bureau. You should respect the bureau leaders and understand their good intentions."

The instructor lectured him earnestly and patiently.

Han Yu knew he meant well and nodded in agreement.

Xu Sanye’s fight with the bureau leadership put those below them in a difficult position, not to mention Little Salted Fish was just a child; it wasn’t quite appropriate to burden a child with too much.

Li Weiguo changed the subject and looked at him with a smile, "Xiao Han, Fang Zhiqiang called me today. He said he and Xu Mingyuan are in the zone now. Tomorrow, they’ll join Chief Zhou from the Criminal Investigation Department of Binjiang Port Police Station and take Ye Xingguo to Jianfu Province to catch the suspects involved in the sale of Foreign Exchange Certificates."

Mentioning Ye Xingguo made Han Yu feel a bit uncomfortable. He asked softly, "Commander Li, you are an experienced interrogator, how many years do you think Ye Xingguo will be sentenced to?"

"For other cases, I would have an idea. But I’ve never dealt with such cases before, so I really can’t say what kind of punishment Ye Xingguo, Zhang Asheng, and Shen Rulan will ultimately face."

Li Weiguo pondered for a moment then continued, "However, punishments for these kinds of cases vary with the period. When you went to Binjiang to get involved in the investigation, I looked up the laws and regulations. According to the ’Decision on Severely Punishing Criminals Who Seriously Disrupt the Economy’ promulgated by the R Supreme P Congress in 1985, those with particularly serious circumstances shall be sentenced to more than ten years in prison, life imprisonment, or the death penalty, and may also have their properties confiscated."

Han Yu was shocked, "That serious!"

"In the strict crackdown of ’84, this ’Decision’ was formulated and promulgated against that backdrop. Later, the National Foreign Exchange Administration also issued ’Detailed Rules for the Implementation of Penalties for Violation of Foreign Exchange Management.’ Compared to that ’Decision’ and the provisions of the Criminal Law, the rules issued by the National Foreign Exchange Administration are much lighter."

Li Weiguo looked out the window and added, "Director Xu has a classmate working in a big bank. He called his classmate to find out that currency speculation cases are very rare in our Binjiang, but there are many in the Capital, East Sea, and East Guang areas. In places with concentrated foreign nationals and returning overseas Chinese, many are involved in currency speculation—it’s an open secret. It’s said that even some enterprises are involved. The amounts involved, hundreds of thousands, seem large to us, but it’s not significant in other places."

Han Yu asked as if he only half understood, "Commander Li, are you saying this could be a big deal or a small one?"

"When handing over the case to the prosecutor, Binjiang Port Police Station will take comprehensive considerations. The Procuratorate’s prosecution and the court’s judgment will do the same. But that’s not what I want to tell you."

"What do you mean? I don’t quite understand."

"Did those three treat you well? Does capturing them make you feel guilty, as if you have betrayed them, and now you even avoid seeing them?"

"..."

Han Yu indeed felt uneasy, but as a police officer, he couldn’t sympathize with the suspects and was at a loss for words.

Li Weiguo patted his shoulder and smiled, "Humans are emotional creatures. It’s normal to have such thoughts, but we cannot be fooled by the surface appearance of criminals."

"Yes."

"Don’t be in a hurry to agree, listen to me first."

Li Weiguo extinguished his cigarette, took a small sip of water, and said, "Have you ever thought about why they were so good to you and not to others? The reason is simple; they wanted to develop you and even your sister into gang members to help them speculate in foreign currency in Binjiang."

Han Yu nodded, "I... I figured it out. After all, my sister was working at the Sailor Club at that time and could meet foreign sailors who came ashore."

"It’s good you understand. In fact, to broaden the source of Foreign Exchange Certificates, they tried to tempt others into currency speculation wherever they went, whenever they had the chance. That’s why Huang Jiangsheng came across this clue; at that time, they were attempting to entice Huang Jiangsheng to help them acquire Foreign Exchange Certificates."

"They even considered making Huang Jiangsheng a gang member?"

"Not only Huang Jiangsheng. Xu Mingyuan and Fang Zhiqiang joined the interrogation yesterday, and according to the three suspects, they developed over thirty middlemen in the past two years."

Li Weiguo looked at him thoughtfully and said with profound meaning, "So their kindness to you was only superficial, it harbored ill intentions! You haven’t wronged them at all, and there’s absolutely no need for guilt."

Finally, Han Yu realized the instructor’s good intentions and quickly said, "I understand now, thank you, Commander Li."