Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 1219 - 74: Differential Treatment

After the meal, they saw off the superior leaders.

Ma Qianli did not return to the dormitory to rest but instead went back to the office with Zhou Huixin, closed the door, and chatted over tea.

In the future, they need to work well together, so it is essential to have a good conversation.

More importantly, the Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau is a public security agency specialized in investigating smuggling crimes. It is not just an internal department of Customs, but also part of the Public Security Bureau, responsible for investigating smuggling cases under its jurisdiction, detaining, arresting, and conducting preliminary interrogations of smuggling suspects. To do this well requires support from Zhou Huixin, the former party committee member of the Binjiang Police Department.

"Political Commissioner, don't keep calling me Deputy Director Ma. I'm only a deputy director in name, similar to just having my name hung there. My superior appointed me as this deputy director mainly to communicate and coordinate with Customs. My primary work is fighting smuggling, and aside from that, I have no other responsibilities related to Customs."

"Then, how should I address you?"

"You can call me Old Ma."

"How can that be appropriate!"

"I'm two years older than you; why not? If you don't like calling me that, you can use the police's usual way and call me Director Ma."

Zhou Huixin laughed, "All right, at the bureau, I'll call you Director Ma."

Ma Qianli truly respected his partner Zhou Huixin, after all, Zhou Huixin had been both a party committee member of the Binjiang Police Department and the director of the Linghai City Police Bureau. He was once the top leader there, wielding real power.

While refilling Zhou Huixin's tea, he sincerely said, "Before I took office, Director Hu had a heart-to-heart talk with me. His attitude was very clear; he said that our Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau is a statutory institution, different from the Customs Investigation Bureau. We are independent, and there is no subordinate relationship with Customs."

Who wouldn't want autonomy?

Zhou Huixin thought it was not as simple as Ma Qianli said and gently reminded him, "Director Ma, but our funding comes from Customs."

"Director Hu mentioned that the relationships will be straightened out soon. Since we are the Binjiang Branch of the Jiangnan Province Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau, we must be accountable to our direct superior. Future funding and personnel arrangements will all be handled by the bureau, bypassing the Binjiang Customs."

"So we will have vertical management in the future?"

"Yes."

"That's great. Having too many bosses above really makes the work difficult."

...

After discussing work at the bureau, they talked about middle-level cadres.

Most of the middle-level cadres were carefully selected by Zhou Huixin from various units, and he introduced them in detail.

"I don't know much about Wang Changjiang, but since the superior appointed him as the Investigation Department Chief, it indicates that he has certain capabilities. From his resume, he has served as a police station chief and a criminal police captain, so he should have some skills in investigation."

"Political Commissioner, it's you who was responsible for the preparation of the branch. I just luckily picked a ready-made peach. For such an important position as the investigation department chief, didn't you have a suitable candidate in mind during the preparation?"

"Not only did I consider it during the preparation, but I can also say it was already decided. However, plans couldn't keep up with changes. Liu Guan noticed that the candidate was very capable and politically reliable, so he took the person to East Guang."

"Was that person also one of your former subordinates?"

"Yes, that young man's surname is Xu, called Xu Mingyuan. He has been a criminal police officer since he started working, and before transferring to the Customs Investigation Bureau, he had served as the criminal investigation team leader, major case team leader, deputy director of the Linghai Development Zone Branch, and the Linghai Police Criminal Police Captain. Over ten years ago, he was already assisting Customs in cracking down on smuggling, being not only very capable but also well-known."

"It's a pity such a talent wasn't retained."

Zhou Huixin believed that Ma Qianli spoke from the heart, as the first director of the Smuggling Crime Investigation Branch, he had to achieve some results and surely wished for capable subordinates.

But now, whatever is said is too late, and he can only let Wang Changjiang work for a while to see how he performs.

If his ability really doesn't measure up, and no significant results are seen, then they can dig up another competent person from the old unit. The current instructor of the Linghai Police Bureau Development Zone Branch, Wang Yan, is a good candidate. If necessary, they could let Wang Yan take the position!

Ma Qianli, unaware of what Zhou Huixin was thinking, asked calmly, "Commissioner, during lunch, Chief Xu, Director Hu, and Mayor Chen said Han Yu was raised under Director Zeng's watchful eyes. Is Han Yu related to Director Zeng?"

"Salted Fish was not only raised under Director Zeng's watchful eyes but also under the eyes of senior officials from the Marine Bureau, Port Authority, Changhang Bureau, Water Police Station, Border Inspection Station, and Fishery Administration. He joined work at sixteen and has been enforcing the law on the river. In the past, the enforcement powers on the water, including those of Customs, were very weak, so whenever there was an operation, they sought Salted Fish's assistance."

"All the water enforcement units on the river needed Salted Fish's help?"

"Ten years ago, Salted Fish already had a professional law enforcement rescue boat. At that time, he was a public security officer at the Linghai Police Station in Yanjiang, with not only a boat but also arms, having deterrent power that units like Port Supervision, Fishery Administration, and Customs did not have."

Zhou Huixin smiled slightly and continued, "Without exaggeration, for the past years, almost all joint law enforcement operations on the river were led by Salted Fish. Water firefighting, especially for the port terminals, is very important. Either there is no accident, or if there is one, it is a big deal. One could say that the water and shoreline firefighting forces of the Binjiang Yangtze River section were gradually established through Salted Fish's unremitting efforts.

To this day, he is still the secretary-general of the Binjiang Water Fire Fighting Association. Fighting fire poorly can lead to fatalities; outsiders cannot command professionals. The Binjiang Police Department and the Jingjiang Fire Rescue Brigade have already developed a list of on-site commanders for major fires occurring on the water and shorelines three years ago, with Salted Fish as the first choice on that list!"

Ma Qianli could hardly believe there was such a person and asked in amazement, "If a fire breaks out on a ship on the river or at a terminal in Binjiang Port, will Salted Fish still have to direct the firefighting?"

"Not only direct the firefighting but also organize forces to extinguish the fire."

"Let Salted Fish organize?"

"Water firefighting is different from land-based firefighting, you need a boat for fires on water. No one knows the situation on the river better than Salted Fish. If he doesn't organize it, who should?"

"Is he really that familiar with the situations on the river?"

"He started working in water law enforcement and rescue operations right from the beginning. He's thoroughly familiar with the waterways, water conditions, ships, and shoreline. He's commanded nearly a hundred shipboard fires, participated in almost as many rescues of vessels, and saved over a hundred overboard crew members."

Zhou Huixin paused, then said with a meaningful smile, "He's recognized as the 'Binjiang Water Army Commander' by a few law enforcement agencies on the river, and even by the Binjiang Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government! To build up an anti-smuggling force on the water, Liu Guan and Director Zeng pulled out all the stops to transfer him to the Smuggling Crime Investigation Branch."

Ma Qianli asked in surprise, "Binjiang Water Commander, does that mean he oversees everything on the river?"

"You could say that. Last year, during an anti-smuggling operation, we only had one law enforcement boat due for scrapping. We had to ask him to rush back from the Beihu flood rescue front line to organize enforcement boats from the police, Port Authority, Fishery Administration, Water Administration, and Border Inspection to combat smuggling on the river, which meant he missed the National Flood Control Summary and Commendation Conference."

"He went to Beihu for flood control and even earned a merit?"

"More than just earned a merit."

Zhou Huixin briefly described Han Yu's situation leading the team to Beihu for flood control and rescue and then added with a smile, "Even Vice President knows him and was very impressed..."

He didn't treat the Vice President like a superior, reported his work in a few simple words, and then asked the Vice President if he could leave. Ma Qianli was dumbfounded listening to it.

Thinking further, he's not just an anti-smuggling police officer, but also a reserve officer.

He even brought up a reserve force awarded two honors by the Central Military Commission, and now he's the regimental-level military commander of the Navy's first reserve unit. Ma Qianli realized this subordinate had a significant background and might be challenging to manage.

Zhou Huixin, knowing what he was worried about, candidly said, "Director Ma, when Salted Fish worked at the Changhang Bureau, the Bureau Chief and the Political Commissioner never saw him as an ordinary Changhang Public Security Officer. When he transferred back to the Linghai Police, I never treated him as just the Director of the Development Zone Branch either.

As Liu Guan and Director Zeng put it, Salted Fish isn't anybody's cadre but one jointly cultivated by several law enforcement agencies on the river. Even for job transfers, they have to consult with heads of the other law enforcement units first."

Ma Qianli understood and, smiling, asked, "Transferring him to our branch, we can't really treat him as merely the Water Anti-Smuggling Director, right? If other units have matters requiring his aid, he's bound to help. All we can do is support him, because if we don't, they won't assist us in our major operations either, right?"

"Exactly."

"Understood. Without your reminder, Commissioner, I really wouldn't have known all this."

"Director Ma, actually, our branch has always virtually managed the Water Anti-Smuggling Department."

"What do you mean?"

"Even when the superior informed me of setting up the branch, it was clear: the anti-smuggling boat to be equipped and the water anti-smuggling team being trained are under our leadership ordinarily. Still, in other tasks, they must obey superior command and might go to other places for rotation."

Seeing the director's dubious face, Zhou Huixin smiled and added, "The General Administration's Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau contains the Maritime Anti-Smuggling Office. Unless unexpected, the maritime anti-smuggling forces of coastal customs are all led by the Maritime Anti-Smuggling Office professionally."

Ma Qianli genuinely had not known all this and was about to speak when Zhou Huixin, smiling, added, "Previously, you mentioned we have no subordination to Customs, yet the Water Anti-Smuggling Department differs from our branch. Customs also need to inspect on the river and at sea, and they too have the right to use an anti-smuggling boat."

With only one anti-smuggling boat being equipped in Binjiang and not many across the entire customs system, it's evident that one anti-smuggling boat couldn't solely belong to the Smuggling Crime Investigation Branch.

Ma Qianli realized and quickly said, "Understood, the Water Anti-Smuggling Department and the Investigation Department need to be treated differently. We can't treat the Water Anti-Smuggling Department as our internal department."

"The expertise in water anti-smuggling is extensive. Water anti-smuggling personnel are primarily sailors, divided into deck crew and engine crew. If you're not part of the field, you won't get it. We landlubbers can't manage even if we wanted to. Again, outsiders can't command insiders, and it's best to leave it entirely to Salted Fish."

"What about team management?"

"Salted Fish is not only a national anti-flood model but also a second-level model in the national public security system, recognized with a first-level merit by both General Politics and the Guangzhou Military Region. Additionally, personnel in the Water Anti-Smuggling Department are both our branch cadres and Navy reserve officers, so there's no concern over managing them."

"Is the Water Anti-Smuggling Department managed in a military style?"

"Yes, they're stationed in the naval base, and they are basically part of the military."

"Military management is good. The nature of water anti-smuggling work is similar to the Navy's, requiring military management."

"Old Gu manages the Water Anti-Smuggling Department. Director Ma, do you think we should let Old Gu know?"

"I'll talk to him later."

Director Ma thought for a moment and said with a smile, "The Linghai Reserve Camp made a significant contribution to flood control. If Salted Fish can continue joining efforts, lead the newly formed Navy Reserve Rescue Boat Brigade to achieve more, since our branch is a primary co-constructor of the Rescue Boat Brigade, we can claim part of that achievement too."

Zhou Huixin, surprised by his partner's political awareness, nodded with a smile, "That's what Director Hu said when he attended the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission and Changhang Bureau's flood commendation conference hosted by Linghai."

"As a chief co-constructor, we can't just provide personnel and ships without funds. Our branch just separated from Customs, so funding is tight. Once the budget's not so strained, we'll hold a party group meeting to discuss it. As the family unit, we ought to sponsor somewhat, not leaving Salted Fish without resources."

"Director Ma, Salted Fish will surely be excited to hear that."

"He's seen a lot; I bet he won't be too excited, but he'll definitely appreciate it. If he truly does well, he also has to put in a good word for our branch with our superiors, hahaha."