Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 1233 - 83: Defending the National Gateway!

"Intelligence work isn't as difficult as you imagine; you learn as you go, and soon you'll catch on. Besides, after the Intelligence Department is established, you won't be the only one there. At the very least, I can provide you with an auxiliary police officer familiar with the situation."

"Can the bureau leadership agree?"

"Don't worry, I'll handle talking to the bureau leadership for you."

"Changing jobs at this time feels like being a deserter."

"Intelligence work is very important. Once you gather intelligence clues and hand them over to the Investigation Department for case investigation, how could Director Wang and his team think you're a deserter?"

"Alright, I'll listen to you."

...

Han Yu doesn't want to postpone today's tasks to tomorrow.

After seeking Xu Haoran's opinion, he dialed Zhou Huixin's phone.

Han Yu briefly reported his ideas and added helplessly, "Speaking of suitability, Ma Jintao from the Water Police Station and Yang Yong might fit better. But Ma Jintao doesn't want to transfer to our bureau, and even if he did, the City Bureau wouldn't agree because he's the only nationwide Anti-flood Model in the Binjiang Police System."

Other than offering better pay, the Smuggling Crime Investigation Branch really can't compare with the Water Police Station. At least working at the Water Police Station brings a sense of accomplishment and hope.

For example, Ma Jintao, if he keeps up his good work, he'll eventually become a deputy director.

Similarly, Yang Yong, with hard work, will sooner or later be a Big Commander running his own section.

The Smuggling Crime Investigation Branch is a newly established unit. Not only are many relationships unresolved, but its future is uncertain. Founded today, it may be revoked another day, so people are naturally unwilling to join.

More importantly, even if they transfer and get promoted to Deputy Director or Director, further advancement is difficult since the Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau is an internal bureau of Customs, which has a say in personnel arrangements. And Customs has high educational requirements, making it tough for those without a college degree to stand out.

Zhou Huixin understands why Ma Jintao and other water police are reluctant to join. She laughed and said, "Since there's no better choice, let Xu Haoran start with it. However, establishing the Intelligence Department takes time; I'll report to Ma Guan first thing tomorrow and strive to have Xu Haoran report to you soon. You can guide him."

"Okay."

"By the way, are you going for an inspection on the river tomorrow?"

"Yes, I just received the clues tonight, but they only seem suspicious now; whether it's smuggling or tax evasion needs to be verified."

"Have you arranged everything?"

"Everything is arranged, I've notified Border Inspection and Marine."

"That's good. Aim to solve a big case for a good start; otherwise, people might think our anti-smuggling police are just idlers."

"Understood!"

Han Yu hung up the phone when Han Xiangning suddenly remembered something and quickly said, "San'er, I almost forgot to tell you, the Yangtze River Passenger Company plans to stop the Bai Shen Line at the end of the month."

It's a true suspension this time; though Han Yu was psychologically prepared, he still found it hard to accept for the moment.

Han Xiangning sighed lightly, smiling bitterly, "I met Old Wu from the Waterway Section this morning, and he said that once the passenger ferries are suspended, they'll go and remove all the navigation marks from the North Branch Channel."

Han Yu asked in shock, "Even the navigation marks must be removed!"

"They won't be maintained in the future; navigation marks easily shift. If they shift and someone navigates according to the marks like before, what if they run aground?"

"Won't the North Branch Channel be dredged and maintained in the future?"

"There's no way around it; the Waterway Bureau doesn't have enough funds."

"Passenger ferries won't sail the North Branch Channel anymore, but small boats still have to use it."

"The Bin Yang River, Bin Qi River, Jianghai River, Hubin River, and Bailong River all lack navigation marks, yet small boats continue to navigate them."

"It's not the same; these are two different matters!"

Back then, why did my junior return to the Yanjiang Police Station? He was worried that if an issue arose on the North Branch Channel, no one would handle it. Now with passenger ferries suspended and the channel no longer maintained, it's truly being neglected.

Han Xiangning understands his feelings and said helplessly, "Even removing the navigation marks seems unreasonable, considering the North Branch Channel is still part of the Yangtze River, and it's directly linked to water transportation for the eastern Linghai and Dongqi. Linghai and Dongqi city leaders have both tried to argue, but it didn't help.

The Waterway Bureau claims they must allocate the precious funds where they are most needed, so now they can only maintain the main and secondary channels and can't spare any effort for the North Branch. Moreover, the North Branch Channel is heavily silted; even with funding, they couldn't dredge it."

Bailong Port, a hundred-year-old port, is about to turn into history.

Han Yu feels bitter in his heart, recalling Principal Gao and other white-haired Bailong Port veterans talking about Bailong Port's history.

In contrast to the vast river of history, its time is fleeting, but the life it nurtures is boundless. Over the long passage of time, Bailong Port witnessed the changes in its hometown and the glorious achievements of courageous locals in modern China's Linghai on this land.

"On the day navigation stops, I must find time to go back."

"Okay, I'll go back with you."

"I want to take the last ship."

"Sure, we can visit your sister and brother-in-law in the East Sea."

Han Xiangning has many beautiful memories at Bailong Port, and she couldn't help but hold onto Han Yu's arm.

Han Yu paused for a moment, then said bitterly, "I always thought Bailong Port had a hundred years of history, but after listening to Uncle Ge and Principal Gao, I realized Bailong Port has over two hundred years of history."

"Really?"

"It's true, it's all documented. Not only the shipping history, but also the modern revolutionary history."

Han Xiangning didn't know these things and leaned against him, reminiscing about their work and life at Bailong Port, and softly asked, "What did Uncle Ge and Principal Gao say?"

Han Yu held her shoulder and recounted, "As early as the eleventh year of Jiaqing, which is 1806, Bailong Port was the first crossing of the Yangtze River within Linghai; in 1888, the late Qing dynasty scholar Mr. Zhang relied on Dasheng Fourth Textile Factory to raise funds, build a big pier, purchase steamships to navigate with East Sea, the route to Sixteen Piers covered 103 kilometers."

Curious, Han Xiangning asked, "What about the revolutionary history?"

"In the spring of 1926, a Communist Party member named Zhang Guanjin, under superior orders, went to Linghai to establish a party organization. In the early spring chill, he wore a thin robe, boarded a ship at Sixteen Piers, landed at Bailong Port under the evening light, took a car, and disembarked at a place called Three Bridges, where he stayed at a nearby elementary school.

He used teaching as a cover to promote the party's views, develop party organizations, and engage in revolutionary activities. A year later, the first party branch in Linghai, with him as the secretary, was established at Three Bridges, igniting the revolutionary flame across Linghai."

"Is there more?"

"Yes, in the spring of 1932, the situation in Linghai was quite severe against enemy forces. A patriotic literature youth, evading enemy pursuit, carried a bundle with a few pieces of clothes and mingled in the chaotic crowd to hurriedly board a ship at Bailong Port Pier. He later became a Left Alliance Executive Committee member and an early film critic in China, Comrade Wang Chenwu. He was later martyred and posthumously recognized as a revolutionary martyr after liberation."

Han Yu thought for a moment, then continued, "In 1949, the British Far East Fleet's Zishiyin ship intruded into the Yangtze River segment during the Crossing the River Campaign, sparking military and diplomatic conflicts. In a deep night in July, the detained Zishiyin ship escaped via the North Branch Channel taking advantage of a typhoon landing.

It turned off lights, synchronized with the Jiangling Liberation, the first passenger and cargo liner resumed navigation on the Yangtze River mainline post-Crossing the River Campaign, to cover. The engine was shut off silent, using the low tide to drift unnoticed past Jiangyin Fortress.

To avoid the blockade artillery of the Liberation Army south side of Zhuangming Island's Yangtze River main channel, it exploited the high tide triggered by the typhoon to choose the North Branch Channel, which a warship wouldn't normally navigate."

Shocked, Han Xiangning asked, "The British warship escaped from the North Branch Channel?"

"A British warship can escape from the North Branch Channel, meaning foreign ships or even warships might intrude into the Yangtze River mainline from the North Branch Channel, thus the North Branch Channel cannot be left unattended!"

"It won't be unattended, the Changhang Bureau has Linghai Police Station and Dongqi Police Station, and the Water Police Station has the Water Police Third Team."

"They have only two patrol boats, plus the small 001 making only three law enforcement ships."

Han Yu doesn't want to see the North Branch Channel simply abandoned, in fact, the North Branch Channel isn't something the Waterway Bureau and Water Resources Commission can abandon at will.

Even if the navigation marks are withdrawn, two to three thousand tons of inland cargo ships can still navigate. Moreover, the North Branch Channel is, like the main channel, subjected to two tides daily, and during high tide, as long as there are depth detecting equipment, five to six thousand tons ships can navigate.

He paused briefly, then continued, "In the main channel, your maritime department has VTS, several radar stations monitoring conditions on the river. What about the North Branch Channel, there is nothing.

Recently, Xiao Yu gave your Bureau a reminder, he at least noticed two river ships entering and leaving the East Sea from the North Branch Channel. Both our Smuggling Crime Investigation Branch and your Maritime Bureau are guarding the national gate, we cannot just sit and watch the national gate left unguarded!"

Foreign ships entering the Yangtze River without maritime, customs, and border inspection permission is not unprecedented, a junior once intercepted one, and it came through the main channel.

If a foreign ship with not very large tonnage takes the risk and intrudes the Yangtze River mainline from the North Branch Channel, one might unintentionally let it sail through Binjiang Waters.

Han Xiangning felt the junior's concern was valid and pondered, "I'll ask Director Xu at work tomorrow."

"Ask what?"

"Ask if he can strengthen the Linghai Maritime Bureau's presence, the line from Bailong Port to Dongqi doesn't have a good method for now, but Sanhe must be guarded."

Sanhe Waters is Linghai Port Waters.

Linghai Port Waters are located at the Yangtze River fork.

Sanhe, located nearly a hundred kilometers from the sea, surprisingly became the front line guarding the national gate, Han Yu found it ridiculous and couldn't help asking, "Didn't your Bureau establish Dongqi Maritime Bureau, can Dongqi Maritime Bureau play a role?"

"Dongqi Maritime Bureau is in Dongqi District."

"Why is the office located in the district, why not at the estuary?"

Han Xiangning sighed lightly, "Dongqi only has a Fish Port without a big commercial port, setting Dongqi Maritime Bureau by the river or sea is inappropriate, it would instead burden the people needing services with unnecessary distance."

Han Yu realized and looked up, "When there's time, I want to reach Border Guard Branch Corps, border inspection station, Changhang Bureau, and Water Police Station, the North Branch Channel cannot be neglected because passenger service has stopped, and the Waterway Bureau maintenance is halted, what's happening on the river is our concern, and we need to guard the national gate that is the North Branch!"