Chapter 343 - 243

Words : 2332 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Chapter 343: Chapter 243 "Grinding StoneAfter the meeting at the sub-bureau, I rushed back to Yingchuan Port to hand over, preparing to return to Bailong Port overnight. Jia Yongqiang and Luo Wenjiang wanted to throw a farewell party at a restaurant in the development zone, but Han Yu declined. Compared to the Fourth Squad’s water police like Jia Yongqiang, Luo Wenjiang, and Ma Jintao, the rescuers from the Water Rescue Center and the Port Patrol Second Team were more reluctant to see Han Yu leave—precisely, they didn’t want to part with 001 and insisted on throwing a farewell banquet. Han Yu was grateful for their good intentions, exchanged pleasantries for a while, and then began packing up belongings with his senior sister to load onto the ship. Han Xiangning looked back at the jeep parked onshore and asked, "San’er, if you’re going back by boat, what will you do with the car?" "I’m not taking the boat; I’m driving back." Just as Han Yu finished stuffing things into the command cabin, Liang Xiaoyu came over to grumble, "We agreed on a two-year placement, and now they’re calling you back after just one year. What are the leaders thinking?" "It’s going to be a major crackdown soon, Director Zhang and Director Ding are going to be overwhelmed." Han Yu knew what he truly meant and put down his things, turning around with a smile, "You’re worried about Yu Zhen, aren’t you? If you’re really concerned, you could ask your dad to come over and let Yu Zhen go back." Liang Xiaoyu paused for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh, "Yeah, my family has two boats; my dad can just come over, there’s no need to bring the boats." Ever since this kid got engaged to Yu Zhen, he’s been inseparable from her. He never stays in the dormitory onshore at night; right after dinner, he’d head to the "store ship" to find Yu Zhen. Thankfully, his master had reminded him tactfully before it was too late, otherwise the kids might’ve been born by now. Han Yu was about to urge him to go onshore to help Captain Wang move when he muttered again, "Salted Fish, you’ve been working for so many years only to become a squad leader now, Uncle Jia is almost fifty and only became an instructor, why does Luo Wenjiang get to be an instructor just after his probation period?" Before Han Yu could respond, Han Xiangning laughed and said, "He’s both a college graduate and a selected transfer officer. There aren’t many college graduates in the entire Binjiang Police System, and he’s the only selected transfer officer. Your ’salted fish’ profile is in the Personnel Bureau, while his is in the Organization Department—he’s clearly someone the superiors are keenly developing." "So what if his profile is in the Organization Department, he can’t even drive a boat." "But he has a higher education degree, you wouldn’t understand even if I explained." "Forget it, I’m going to help Captain Wang move." If I came to the Water Police Station to gild my resume, Luo Wenjiang came here to experience grassroots life. Han Yu did not envy him, for he would not stay at the Water Police Station for many years. Han Xiangning didn’t know what her junior was thinking and hesitated before taking his hand, "San’er, Director Zhang talked to Director Tang, and Director Tang had Sister Zhu call and ask me if I want to go back to Bailong Port with you." "Do you want to go?" "Of course, I’d love to go, but after thinking it over, I guess it’s better not to." "Why?" "I’ve only been at the Water Rescue Center for a year, moving to the Port Patrol Third Team now would look half-hearted. Besides, if I really went with you, both of us living on a Dunship, wouldn’t that simply turn it into a couple’s store?" Deep down, Han Yu didn’t want to part with his senior sister, but considering she had her job and if she followed him wherever he went, people would definitely talk. He could only smile, "It’s okay not to go; after all, you have your light motorbike, and I have my jeep. If you finish work early, you can go to Bailong Port to find me, and I can come to Yingchuan Port to find you when I finish early." Searᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Han Xiangning stared at him intently, "You’re not angry?" "Why would I be angry with you? Besides, distance makes the heart grow fonder; it’s also good to work apart." "It’s not as nice when we’re not apart?" "It’s nice too." Han Yu grinned, hugged her, and said, "I misspoke just now. It should be, ’absence makes the heart grow fonder.’" Captain Wang was about to board the ship, and Zhu Baogen was making pre-sailing preparations in the engine room. Worried about being seen, Han Xiangning quickly pushed him away, "What absence makes the heart grow fonder? We’re not even married yet, acting like an old married couple." "I’m not good with words; I was wrong." "There’s another thing, after you go back, if the leaders at the Four Factory Police Station give you a hard time, just bear with it. It’s not possible for everything at work to go smoothly." "How could they give me a hard time?" "Sister Zhang Lan even called to tell me, the current Four Factory Police Station Chief used to be the Southern City Police Station Chief. He had hopes of being promoted to deputy director in the bureau, but it was because of your arrest of those four highway robbers that he ended up at the Four Factory Police Station." Han Xiangning looked back and continued, "The current deputy chief of the Four Factory Police Station used to be the deputy captain of the Security Team and was also transferred because of those four troublemakers." One was because of failing to maintain security in his district, the other for not keeping a proper lookout... It’s normal to be moved for not doing well at work, but why did they both end up at the Four Factory Police Station? Han Yu wasn’t worried that his future immediate superiors would give him trouble, but still felt this personnel shift was just too coincidental. Could it be that the bureau leaders deliberately transferred those two to the Four Factory to deal with him? Unsure of what to say, Captain Wang came aboard with bedding in hand, and Han Yu quickly went over to receive him. To his surprise, just after he put down the luggage, Captain Wang turned around and said with a smile, "Salted Fish, I spoke to Director Zhang over the phone, it’s my last time piloting the boat. Once I take 001 to Bailong Port, I’m heading home." "Why?" "I’m getting old, my eyesight is fading, and my energy isn’t what it used to be. I can’t keep driving boats." "Daytime driving is fine!" "I doze off even in the daytime. Besides, I’ll be seventy soon. According to the rules, I can’t do it anymore, and the kids won’t let me drive either." "Captain Wang, you’re doing this because of me, aren’t you?" "What does it have to do with you?" "It does. Once you resign, I’ll be the only one who can drive 001. The Four Factory Police Station won’t easily let me do anything else." Captain Wang indeed thought so, but the truth was, age was catching up to him and he could no longer handle steering a boat. He patted him on the arm and turned to look at Han Xiangning, sighing, "I really can’t drive the boat anymore. I’ll be seventy next year, and the kids insist on throwing a birthday party for me. I’ll call you all ahead of time; you must come." The old man had been the captain of the fleet for many years, a man whose word was law. Once he said he wouldn’t drive, that meant he truly wouldn’t drive boats for the Police Bureau anymore. Knowing he really had come to an age for a peaceful retirement, Han Yu could only nod in agreement. ... Meanwhile, Old Zhang, Chief Ding were drinking on the Dunship with Old Liu and Jiang Xiaojun from the Changhang Branch Bailong Port Police Station, as well as Jin Weiguo from the Port Supervision Bureau. "It’s getting worse every year. In the past, right after work, I’d change and head home. Now I have a car but no money for gas." As Binjiang Port Police Bureau turned into Changhang Bureau, life seemed to have become tougher than before, which made Old Liu grow increasingly frustrated. Chief Ding, puzzled, asked, "Director Liu, Director Jiang, the Port Authority’s finances are good, with so many ships docking each year. As long as they dock, they have to pay the Port Authority, and I hear even adding a bit of tap water costs a significant sum, and is sold at especially high prices." "The Port Authority having money doesn’t mean they’ll give it to us." "But isn’t your funding from the Port Authority?" "What funding? The Port Authority only takes care of our salaries," Old Liu said, picking up a peanut and then sighing, "Moreover, the Port Authority only looks rich. In fact, their funds are very tight." "Why would the Port Authority be tight on funds?" "They have to pay the city and also invest in dock construction, dredging for deep-water berths, and I hear they’re planning an enormous transshipment floating crane platform." "How enormous?" "Several times bigger than the ’antiques’ Salted Fish picked from the river. It’s going to have a large crane installed on it that can dock cargo ships of a hundred thousand tonnes." Chief Ding asked half-understandingly, "Is it going to be moored in the river after it’s built?" Old Liu put down his chopsticks with a smile, "If it’s not moored in the river, then it wouldn’t be called a transshipment floating crane platform. It mainly considers the insufficiency of the water depth in the port entrance waterway; even if the cargo ships can enter the port, the docks are not deep enough, so might as well load and unload goods directly on the river." Zhang Mingyuan asked curiously, "How much will this cost?" "A lot of money. If the crane is included, definitely tens of millions. Our Binjiang shipyards can’t build it; it has to be constructed at the major shipbuilding yards in East Sea. I heard in a meeting a few days ago that once it’s built, even getting it from East Sea here is going to be an issue." Compared to the infrastructural projects that the Port Authority needed to undertake, Old Liu was more concerned about the returning Salted Fish and swiftly changed the subject, "Gentlemen, do you think the recently transferred Shi Shengyong to Four Factory will give Salted Fish a hard time?" "Salted Fish hasn’t offended him, and his demotion to Four Factory Police Station was due to poor job performance. Anyone else can complain, except him." "But this matter is related to Salted Fish." "So what if it’s related? Besides, Chief Ding and I are only stepping back, not retiring altogether." "That’s true, with you two former chiefs around, he probably wouldn’t dare mess with Salted Fish." Old Ding lifted his glass and downed it in one gulp, nonchalantly commenting, "If I’m not mistaken, this is the bureau giving him a chance, or perhaps a test from the bureau. If he and Jianghai really start causing trouble for Salted Fish, it means they’re petty, lack vision and leadership skills, and can’t achieve greatness." Jiang Xiaojun couldn’t help but laugh, "So does that mean your bureau leaders are using Salted Fish as a grinding stone?" Old Ding reflected and said, "Eight or nine out of ten, it’s an idea from Sun Jiawen. After all, he’s been Southern City Police Station Chief for so many years, he’s attached to the station and doesn’t want to see Shi Shengyong’s career halted because of those four brats, or to put an end to the tradition that Southern City Police Station Chiefs can eventually join the Party committee of the bureau." "Sun Jiawen is just the Political Work Office Director, does he have a say in the appointment and removal of department heads?" "He was previously the Political Work Office Director, now he’s the Deputy Political Commissioner as well as the Political Work Office Director, just waiting for wall grass to retire and take their place." "He’s been the Political Work Office Director for just a few years, he hasn’t even been a deputy director..." "His time as the Political Work Office Director isn’t long, but he served as Southern City Police Station Chief for years. He knows every city leader." People who work under the eyes of city leaders every day have an easier time getting promoted. Jiang Xiaojun reacted, thought for a moment, then asked, "How are Sun Jiawen and Shi Shengyong’s relations with Xu Sanye?" Old Ding, holding his wine glass, said with a laughter, "Both of them worked in the bureau, and were often reprimanded by Xu Sanye, every time scolded till they were covered in ’blood.’ To put it this way, Xu Sanye wasn’t particularly well-liked in the bureau, from the director down to the police, not many liked him. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have just Xu Mingyuan and Salted Fish as his disciples." "What about you?" "I’ve always been at the grassroots, never worked in the bureau. Back then, he and I maintained our respective domains. It was only when he got transferred to Bailong Port that we truly started interacting." Old Ding smiled and added, "But I always respected him. Even though he’s younger than me, he has led the work, and no matter what, he’s a former leader."

Chapter 343 - 243

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