Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 1174 - 42: Senior Brother’s Standard of Living!
Binjiang Port Supervision Bureau has transformed into Binjiang Maritime Bureau.
And just as Huang Yuanchang mentioned before, Binjiang Maritime Bureau is under the newly established Jiangnan Maritime Bureau, and no longer managed by the former Yangtze Port Supervision Bureau, now Yangtze River Maritime Bureau.
Director Tang has been transferred to Jiangnan Maritime Bureau as the Deputy Director, now holding a deputy bureau-level leadership position.
Although Huang Yuanchang hasn’t been promoted to Deputy Director for now, he has joined the Jiangnan Maritime Bureau Party Committee, and currently serves as a Committee Member and Director of Jiangcheng Maritime Bureau.
Xu Guohui unsurprisingly replaced Director Tang as the Director of Binjiang Maritime Bureau, while Han Xiangning was transferred back from Linghai to serve as the Safety Inspection Department Director.
Her choice surprised many leaders and colleagues in the bureau, considering that the newly designated Linghai Maritime Bureau was the most crucial branch of Binjiang Maritime Bureau!
The bureau had intended to appoint her as the Acting Director; two years in the acting role would have certainly secured her formal promotion, but she voluntarily requested to transfer back at a critical time when Linghai Port was about to be built and put into operation.
Director Liu of the Seaman Examination Department seized the Deputy Director opportunity, becoming the Director of Linghai Maritime Bureau, deeply thankful for her voluntarily giving up the position.
Although a few other department heads couldn’t secure the Director role at Linghai Maritime Bureau, they held Han Xiangning in high regard, as she didn’t block their path to promotion; they just missed this opportunity due to bad luck.
As for the position of Safety Inspection Department Director, it had been vacant for nearly three months.
The previous director was hospitalized due to work-related injuries. Among the three colleagues in the department, one had recently been promoted to Deputy Director, and the other two were staff members, thus even if Han Xiangning didn’t return to take on this directorship, they still wouldn’t have had a chance.
Other department deputies were eager to be appointed Director, but the Safety Inspection Department is different from others, with high demands on professional expertise and educational qualifications.
Abroad, safety inspectors are called Port State Control Officers, abbreviated as PSC Officers!
They need to understand English, converse with foreign captains and crew, master various international conventions and domestic laws and regulations, understand ships, and even be knowledgeable about firefighting...
When assigned boarding inspection tasks, they have to carry heavy work bags, climb the tens-of-meters high gangways, and meticulously inspect equipment along the hundred-meter-long decks.
Then ascend to the tens-of-meters high bridge to inspect navigation and lifesaving equipment.
After descending from the bridge, they have to crawl into engine rooms where temperatures reach thirty to forty degrees, conduct detailed checks against international conventions and relevant standards, and inquire about ship safety management details from the crew.
This work is not only laborious, but also considerably dangerous.
The former director got hospitalized due to an accident during an engine room inspection; he accidentally slipped while climbing vertical ladders, resulting in a broken arm. Almost every safety inspector has had falls during inspections, and it’s not just once or twice.
During ship safety inspections, it’s not only about finding ship deficiencies but also knowing the convention basis for each defect, ensuring compliance from the ship side, never allowing any unfit ship vessel to sail.
PSC inspection could be considered a difficult and challenging task, with not many qualified to perform it, which explains why the safety inspection department has been without a director for nearly three months.
Han Xiangning as the Safety Inspection Department Director was praised by Director Xu, Director Zhu, and colleagues such as Wu Hai Li as Binjiang Maritime Bureau’s "Hua Mulan"!
However, this "Hua Mulan" role is not easy.
From the day she voluntarily requested to transfer back to the bureau, she put on headphones to cram English whenever time allowed. After work, when returning home, she didn’t have time to accompany Little Han Han, but shut herself in the bedroom to study various international conventions.
Whenever she encountered foreign captains or crew, she’d engage in small talk to practice her listening and speaking skills.
Han Yu was also affected, having to tutor her whenever possible, since he sailed for four years, visited many countries, and underwent several PSC inspections, making him somewhat more knowledgeable in this area.
He quickly rushed to the Maritime Bureau after sending off recruits.
Initially planning to grab a meal in the Maritime Bureau cafeteria, then head to Lang Mountain for a meeting with Sister Zhu and Maritime Bureau Deputy Director Qin Weiquan, he found out that his senior wasn’t in the office; a phone call revealed she had gone to have lunch at the master’s house.
The police system shows special consideration for female colleagues, with Director Wang transferring Zhang Lan to a sub-bureau four days ago.
Mainly because there was no one to pick Yuanyuan up from school, and considering Linghai Development Zone was too far away, where she’d previously commuted daily with Han Xiangning using the Port Supervision Bureau’s car, now that Han Xiangning has been transferred back, it would be inappropriate for her to continue hitching a ride.
Han Yu rushed non-stop to the master’s house, only to realize there was an activity, celebrating Sister Zhang Lan’s recent purchase of a Zhu Feng 125 scooter, just like Old Ge’s!
Having money makes a difference; you can change your ride whenever you want.
Han Yu was envious, and after washing his hands, he sat down, reached for the bowl and chopsticks, and asked, "Sister Zhang Lan, how much did the new bike cost?"
"Nine thousand eight hundred, a bit cheaper than when Uncle Ge bought his."
"You really are willing to spend."
"The light motorcycle I’ve driven for ten years has always broken down, and without a motorcycle, going anywhere is inconvenient. Besides, I’ve suffered through ten years of hardship, finally turning things around, shouldn’t I be allowed to enjoy myself!"
Zhang Lan was very decisive when purchasing an apartment in East Sea, and now she’s cleanly sold the one in East Sea too, having dragged the master on a business trip to East Sea to complete the procedures within two days.
Han Yu looked up at the large color TV in her home, then asked, "Is the TV also newly purchased?"
"Yes, bought it at Wenfeng yesterday."
"It’s so big, must have cost a fortune."
"Over six thousand, cheaper than before."
Having money is great; wherever you go, you earn respect, plus you earn it legally.
Zhang Lan was once afraid of poverty, now she’s truly proud, setting down her bowl and chopsticks to pull back a veil, proudly smiling, "Salted Fish, I even bought a VCD player, holds three discs, automatically plays the next one without needing to swap discs. Can watch movies and even sing KTV!"
"What brand is it, how much did it cost?"
"The Sentek brand, cost three thousand six hundred and sixty."
"Sister Zhang Lan, what else did you buy?"
Han Xiangning was equally envious, but couldn’t bear to sell the house in East Sea; before Zhang Lan and the giggling master brother could respond, she muttered, "There’s also a refrigerator, washing machine, and a Little Tyrant learning machine; San’er, could you show some ambition, stop making a fuss as if you’ve never seen the world!"
Han Yu had seen the world but was still shocked because they didn’t have any of these at home.
He exclaimed, "Sister Zhang Lan, you seem to have replaced an entire set of home appliances, even a learning machine, like Principal Gao preparing wedding gifts for Master Gao!"
"Exactly, I bought them with Master Gao," Zhang Lan returned to her seat, laughing, "The Little Tyrant learning machine is for Yuanyuan, and when Han Han grows a bit older, she can come to my place to play, then Yuanyuan can teach her to type."
"Master, your lifestyle seems too high-end."
"We didn’t have money before, so there was no choice. Now that we have money, of course we want to improve our living conditions."
After enduring years of hardship, finally things have turned around. Xu Mingyuan, like Zhang Lan, was delighted. He thought about it and couldn’t help but laugh, saying, "San’er, Ningning, it’s simple to live a good life. Your house is bigger than ours was before. If you sell it, you’ll make more money than we did."
The house was bought in East Sea and never lived in for a single day.
It was rented to someone, so not only can they not live there, they can hardly even go in to see it.
Han Yu envied the master from the bottom of his heart and subconsciously looked at Senior.
Han Xiangning knew what he was thinking and said without hesitation, "Don’t even think about it, we’re not selling the East Sea house."
"Ningning, the price has risen to 9,000 now, more than 9,000 per square meter, what kind of concept is that, who can afford to buy? If you don’t sell it now, what if the price drops later?"
"Even if it drops to the same price as Binjiang, I wouldn’t sell it!"
"Look how good that TV is, and there’s a VCD."
"We’ve endured so many years of hardship already, what’s a few more years of hardship? It’s just a big color TV, I can go watch at work, there’s also a VCD at work." Han Xiangning thought for a bit and added, "That house is meant for Han Han’s future. We can’t enjoy it ourselves. I want Han Han to enjoy it in the future."
"What enjoyment will Han Han have?"
Zhang Lan felt the money in hand was money gained for nothing, and said cheerfully, "Ningning, Ming Yuan and I have agreed, after attending Zhang Erxiao’s wedding banquet on New Year’s Day, we’ll take Yuanyuan to Guzhou for a trip!"
Travel!
To Han Yu and Han Xiangning, this is an unattainable term.
The young couple didn’t expect that Master and Zhang Lan’s life was so high-end, for a moment they didn’t know how to continue the conversation.
Xu Mingyuan took over and smiled broadly, "We’ve agreed, during the New Year holiday, we’ll take Yuanyuan to the Capital for a few days, she has always wanted to see Tian’anmen, and also wants to climb the Great Wall."
What kind of life are they living!
What kind of life are we living!
The last time they went to East Sea, upon hearing about the rise in property prices, the couple decided to celebrate by taking Han Han to eat KFC while strolling on Nanjing Road pedestrian street. But seeing the fast-food prices were so expensive, they ended up just ordering one for Han Han, sitting aside watching Han Han eat.
Han Han had never eaten such delicious fried chicken, after finishing she wanted more, but after touching their pockets, they didn’t have the heart to buy more.
Master and Sister Zhang Lan struck rich; last weekend, they took Yuanyuan and Han Han shopping, treated Han Han to a KFC meal, letting Han Han eat to her heart’s content.
Han Han devoured greedily and ended up so full that she couldn’t sleep at night...
Han Yu felt remorse towards his daughter, feeling unsettling inside, while Han Xiangning prompted, "Don’t envy, when we have money in the future, we will also take Han Han traveling."
Han Yu shrugged and replied reluctantly, "Okay then, anyway she is so young now, she can’t really enjoy when traveling, and in the future might not even remember she went traveling."
This couple just doesn’t want to live a good life!
Xu Mingyuan and Zhang Lan didn’t know what to say to them, so they simply stopped talking and didn’t persuade.
Han Yu wolfed down the meal, while drinking his soup he curiously asked, "Master, after buying so many things, how much money do you still have?"
"You’re asking me, how should I know, I’m not the one managing the household."
"Sister Zhang Lan, how much money do you have left?"
"Over eighty thousand."
"That can’t be right, didn’t you earn over two hundred thousand!"
Zhang Lan smiled, put down her chopsticks, and started counting on her fingers: some thousands spent on a motorcycle and home appliances. When purchasing the house, a down payment was required, and they borrowed some thousands from Yu Zhen, now with money, they need to repay her.
Previously they borrowed quite a lot to pay off the mortgage by robbing Peter to pay Paul. They need to pay both principal and interest back.
Xu Mingyuan’s family wants to build a house, she contributed ten thousand.
Her elder brother also wants to build a house, she lent two thousand more to him.
On top of buying their current house, only eighty thousand remains from the two hundred and twenty thousand.
Han Xiangning didn’t expect she spent, repaid, and borrowed money so quickly, couldn’t help but ask, "Sister Zhang Lan, are you going to buy a house in East Sea?"
"Not considering it for now, one must be content."
Zhang Lan glanced back at the brand-new home appliances and laughed after thinking, "The debts that need repaying are repaid, the necessary purchases and replacements are all done. In the future, we’ll go to work diligently, earn money, and then buy in East Sea when saving enough."
The cheapest commercial housing in East Sea costs three to four hundred thousand per unit.
With their combined salary, they can save a maximum of twenty thousand a year; now with eighty thousand savings, meaning it’ll take ten years before they can buy a house in East Sea.
In their view, money in hand is money.
Han Xiangning felt a property in hand is a property, for now didn’t know how to comment, simply smiled and said, "Buying after saving enough is good too, at least you won’t be worrying daily like before over the mortgage."
"Indeed, the troubles really scared us, even turned many hairs white."
"Let’s not talk about these things anymore, despite the hardships we’ve made it through, the previous efforts were worth it."
Xu Mingyuan laughed heartily, turned around and said, "Salted Fish, almost forgot to tell you, Haoran has been handling cases with me for several days now, he finds it interesting and rewarding. He’s too shy to say it himself, let me tell you that he’s not planning to go back to the ship."
Breaking smuggling cases and catching smugglers surely feels more rewarding than sailing.
Han Yu wasn’t surprised, smiled and said, "What’s there to be embarrassed about, I always felt he should join you in doing investigations."
