Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 853 - 579: The Superior’s Judgment

is going out for a month, and Ma Jintao, Yang Yong, and other active duty police officers can’t board the ship, or it will affect their main jobs.

Captain Fan is getting older; he can sail during the day, but definitely not at night.

After weighing the options, Han Yu finally decided to call in Liu Wei from the Linghai Port Tug Company, to board the ship with Captain Fan, Zhu Baogen, and "Land God" Xiao Chen.

Liu Wei is an old neighbor of Linghai Shipping Company; by seniority, Han Yu should call him Uncle.

He is thirty-one this year and was born and raised on a ship. He holds a Certificate of Competence for fourth-class vessels, enabling him to operate the smaller 001 but not the larger 001.

This year, on the fifth of the first lunar month, he applied to be a crew member of the Linghai Port Tug Company at a talent recruitment fair held by the Linghai Labor and Personnel Bureau. Now he is apprenticed to Captain Huang of the Linghai Port Tug Team, and once he gets the appropriate Competence Certificate in the future, he can drive the other two high-powered tugs under construction at the Linghai Port.

The Hydrological Bureau promised to give them one month’s salary, which for them is equivalent to a subsidy.

Han Yu called to ask them, and as expected, they were willing.

Considering that the computer for the "Water Depth Detector" on 001 is the most advanced, and the underwater mapping software has been upgraded, and since no one knows how to use it yet, Han Yu saw this as a learning opportunity. He immediately called Yao Lirong, the engineering and flood prevention technical squad leader from the Camp Headquarters, and an engineer at the Linghai City Water Resources Bureau, to ask if he’d like to board the ship to gain some skills, and whether he could get a leave.

Master Yao understood the situation and immediately reported it to his superiors for approval.

The leadership at the Water Resources Bureau was very supportive, saying it counts as a business trip, not a leave.

Master Yao knew the Hydrological Bureau promised to pay one month’s salary to the crew. Considering several members of the technical squad are village team leaders who don’t draw regular salaries like official state employees and are usually just villagers, he saw this as an opportunity for his "subordinates" to earn some extra money.

With Han Yu’s approval, he made a call to inquire, and indeed there was a village cadre willing to join the ship.

However, that village cadre’s "position" on the ship isn’t a warrior of the Linghai Reserve Camp’s technical squad but rather the cook of 001. After all, the Reserve Forces are still military; without superior permission, no personnel can be moved arbitrarily.

Once everything was arranged, when they all arrived with their luggage, Han Yu personally sailed on the Supervision 38 to send them to the Hydrological Bureau pier across the river.

Master Xi and his assistant Master Xu were indeed very urgent, and their luggage was already prepared.

Han Yu knew that their survey task was very urgent and heavy, so he dared not ask too many questions, to avoid delaying their work. After a few pleasantries, he sent them on board to set sail.

He escorted them all the way to the Sanhe Waters, watching 001 sail upstream against the current.

Returning to the just-transformed water police and Changhang navigation police dunship, it was already half-past two in the afternoon.

His father-in-law was waiting on the dunship, and there was no need to ask to know he was eager to retrieve the old radar from his former unit.

Han Yu tied the mooring rope and asked, "Dad, have you eaten?"

"Yes, ate at the camp."

"Didn’t Ningning call you for a meal?"

"She did, but I didn’t go. I’m not with Port Supervision—what would it look like eating there."

"I haven’t eaten yet, and I’m starving. I’d better go back to the camp and grab something to eat."

Master Han asked, "Didn’t the Yangtze River estuary Water Bureau provide food?"

Han Yu, while seeing his father-in-law ashore, replied, "They invited me to eat, but I was rushing to find you, so I didn’t eat there."

"The radar is in our unit’s warehouse; it won’t disappear. What’s the rush!"

"It’s not just about rushing to retrieve the radar; I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" Master Han asked, holding the steel floating bridge.

Han Yu took a deep breath and asked, "Dad, have you heard any rumors about a possible catastrophic flood this year?"

"I thought you wanted to ask something else; turns out it’s this."

Master Han took off his camouflage hat and said, "The month before last, I attended a seminar in the East Sea discussing the potential impact of the El Niño phenomenon on China’s climate. At that seminar, experts suggested that the climate may be abnormal this year and that the rainfall in the Yangtze River Basin could be substantial. After the monsoon sets in, there might be continuous rain.

Some agreed, and some didn’t. Most agreed with this prediction. But even if everyone agreed, what difference would it make? Climate predictions are just slightly better than earthquake predictions; no one dares to claim their judgment is 100% accurate. In fact, similar predictions have been made in past years as well."

Weather forecasts always predict heavy rain, which often doesn’t occur; that’s quite normal.

I remember a while ago, there was a rumor driving people crazy that there would be an earthquake in Jiangnan, but no earthquake happened.

In short, both meteorological and earthquake forecasts are like the boy who cried wolf; when they cry too often, and the wolf never comes, people naturally stop believing them.

Han Yu pondered for a moment and followed up, "What happened afterward?"

Master Han nonchalantly replied, "Whatever happened was reported in the news."

"Reported what?"

"Don’t you watch TV?"

"Not much."

"Not even the Evening News?"

"Sometimes."

A Deputy Director-level cadre who doesn’t care about current affairs, Han Yu feels he should turn back and talk to his son-in-law about the importance of caring about national affairs.

But now they’re discussing meteorological predictions, and Han Yu doesn’t want to veer off topic. He says with familiarity: "Not long after the East Sea seminar concluded, the National Flood Control Headquarters held its first meeting of the year. Firstly, in line with the reform situation of the National Council, adjustments were made to the National Flood Control Headquarters, and the new list of members was announced.

Secondly, the drought and flood trends of this year were analyzed, agreeing with the Water Resources and our Meteorological Bureau’s judgment that the Northern Region and the Yangtze River Basin might experience a flood similar to that of 1954. Vice Prime Minister Wen, who is also the chief commander of the National Flood Control Headquarters, delivered an important speech, emphasizing the severe flood control situation this year.

At the end of last month, the Vice Prime Minister inspected the flood control work in Beihu, Nanhu, and the Xijiang provinces. During the flood control work meeting for the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River held in Jiujiang, he clearly demanded that all provinces along the Yangtze be prepared for a flood of the same magnitude as that of 1954."

Han Yu was shocked: "Was all this reported in the news?"

"It was reported. If you normally watch the news, you’d know."

"A flood of the entire basin, not just our Yangtze River Basin?"

"That’s just the assessment—hopefully, that assessment is wrong."

Han Yu thought for a while and said: "What I just mentioned is known to the City Flood Control Command, and they have also sent documents to all districts and counties. Whether the lower levels take it seriously or not, I don’t know."

Han Yu turned to look at the river dike and said: "In Linghai, we are taking it seriously. Even though there was no danger during the spring flood, we still strictly guarded as required by our superiors."

"I’m not talking about Binjiang, I’m referring to other cities and even other provinces."

Following his son-in-law’s gaze, Han Yu looked at the tall and solid river dike being repaired and sighed lightly: "Even if it is taken seriously, even if there is great attention, if such a big flood is about to break out, it might be too late to prepare. They always say ’prevention is better than rescue, and rescue is better than the patch-up.’ Actually, they should add—’construction is better than prevention’!

Every year it’s emphasized to prevent floods and control flooding, and when floods hit, all forces are mobilized for rescue. But merely preventing and rescuing, how much loss can actually be recovered? The damage has already happened. If there had been greater investment in water conservancy construction earlier, if river dikes like these had been built earlier, could last year’s flood have caused such significant losses?"

We have to admit that the flood control and drought relief efforts in recent years have been very passive.

They’ve been addressing issues superficially without solving the root problems.

Last year, the typhoon, heavy rain, and sea tide all happened simultaneously, causing such massive economic losses to the province. Finally, the province realized that merely preventing and rescuing isn’t enough, and they decided to increase investments in water conservancy, not just in repairing river and sea dikes but also in dredging inland rivers and small rivers.

Thinking that Binjiang and even the entire province were prepared, Han Yu wasn’t as tense as before. He smiled and said: "Even if the assessment of a flood bigger than 1954 proves accurate, we have nothing to fear."

"There’s nothing to fear this year, but what if it were last year?"

"That’s true."

...

Upon returning to the camp, he went to the cafeteria, and there happened to be some leftovers.

Han Yu heated it up himself; after eating, washed the dishes, and called a few active-duty soldiers from the transport squad to drive with his father-in-law to the Meteorological Bureau to move a radar.

The leadership of the Meteorological Bureau, seeing the interest of several active-duty soldiers from the reserve forces in the rusty anti-aircraft gun in the yard, generously asked Han Yu if he wanted it.

Today they were there to collect junk; anything they had, Han Yu would take.

As a result, they not only brought back the radar but also an anti-aircraft gun!

Although the anti-aircraft gun is a piece of military equipment, it has been decommissioned and is completely non-functional. Even if it worked, there would be no ammo available; the gun they brought back is similar to ones displayed in parks and large martyrs’ cemeteries.

As expected, Xiao Yu was indeed very interested and immediately fetched an electric grinder to remove the rust from the anti-aircraft gun. He intended to paint it with rust-proof paint, followed by dark green paint afterward...

Yingchou Instructor Yang Jianbo circled around the anti-aircraft gun and then turned back, smiling: "Secretary Han, you’ve been conned, conned by the Meteorological Bureau."

Han Yu asked puzzledly: "This was picked up for free, without spending any money. How could I have been conned?"

"This gun is decommissioned."

"I know, if it weren’t decommissioned, they wouldn’t have given it to me."

"The Meteorological Bureau is different from our military unit. For us, handling decommissioned equipment like this is easy, but it’s cumbersome for them. The superiors wouldn’t take it, nor can they sell it as scrap. If it goes missing, it would be a hassle for them. After all, if a cannon is lost, the superiors would definitely hold them accountable."

Han Yu was taken aback and asked with a wry smile: "Does this mean I’ve helped the Meteorological Bureau dispose of a decommissioned cannon?"

Camp Commander, Camp Commander, you always look to gain advantages, but some advantages are not easy to seize...

Yang Jianbo found it increasingly amusing, smiling as he confirmed: "They gave us the gun, which means we are responsible for safeguarding it."

"So they should pay us!"

"Whether they pay or not is one thing, but they should at least express gratitude to us."

"No wonder the people from the Meteorological Bureau were so easygoing and enthusiastic, even helping us load it onto the truck. It turns out they weren’t just giving me the gun; they were offloading a problem!"

"Pretty much."

"Xiao Yu, find some rebar, then dig a foundation, pour a concrete base, weld the gun’s mount to the rebar and pour it together. Since it’s been brought back, let’s make it a part of our camp’s landscape. Let’s see who dares to try and steal it!"

"Salted Fish, no one dares to steal our cannon."

Xiao Yu thought that a camp with a cannon looked more like a military camp, feeling joyous and exuberant.

Thinking about how he’s been tricked, Han Yu couldn’t help but mutter: "True, no one would dare to steal it, but then again, no one would want to. This scrap metal would be useless if stolen. Nobody would even dare to buy it as scrap."