Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 870 - 590: Trouble at Home!

Just as Master Xi predicted, the heads of the Port Supervision Bureau, Changhang Bureau, Yangtze River Waterway Bureau Binjiang Waterway Section, and Yangtze River Communication Bureau Binjiang Communication Office almost simultaneously received calls from their superiors.

The first thing the superiors asked was whether there are any cadres or workers serving in the reserves in your area? Have you engaged in military-civilian cooperation with the Linghai Reserve Camp? Have you ever provided condolences or sponsorship to the Linghai Reserve Camp?

If there are, then there are.

Moreover, this supports the construction of national defense reserve forces, not only not violating regulations but also worthy of encouragement, even considered a work achievement.

Director Tang reported truthfully, unexpectedly, the superiors also inquired about the situation of the Linghai Reserve Camp, such as how much equipment can be mobilized, how many personnel can be dispatched, and whether they can carry out flood control and rescue tasks, etc.

It wasn’t until the superiors asked if there was a way to transfer the Linghai Reserve Camp to Hanwu for flood control that Director Tang and others realized that the flood situation in Beihu might be more severe than the news reports.

The hometown probably can’t hold on, otherwise, the superiors would never want to transfer the Linghai Reserve Camp there.

When the hometown is in difficulty, those outside cannot sit idly by.

In fact, as early as four days ago, the Port Supervision Bureau and Changhang Bureau had already launched a fundraising within their units, intending to transfer the funds back home.

Compared to donations, sending Salted Fish to lead a team for rescue would be more helpful to the hometown.

Thus, the main persons in charge of the five vertically managed units gathered at the Port Supervision Bureau to discuss how to carry out this work together.

"Director Zhu, your Mayor Qin is the First Political Commissioner of the Binjiang Reserve Group, I think we can only rely on you for this matter."

"His role as the First Political Commissioner is concurrent, and besides, this is troop mobilization. Without the order of the Reserve Division, and without the consent of the Military District, his unauthorized troop mobilization would be tantamount to rebellion!"

Reserve forces are still troops, with designations, establishments, and military flags.

Apart from lacking funds, personnel, and equipment, in other aspects, they are the same as regular troops; all officers above the battalion level are active-duty officers.

Now the superiors are tightening control over the troops; mobilizing troops is not that easy. Director Qi of the Changhang Bureau sighed softly and looked at Director Tang again.

"Everyone, this work must be done; we must find ways to make it happen."

Director Tang first set the tone of the ’joint meeting’, then changed the topic: "Old Zhu, I think we might be overcomplicating things. What the superiors need is a professional flood control and rescue team, not necessarily any reserve forces. In other words, can we change our approach and have Salted Fish lead a rescue team?"

Before Sister Zhu could speak, Deputy Director Liu of the Changhang Bureau, who was concerned about the safety of his hometown, nodded repeatedly: "Director Tang is right; what Hanwu needs now is a rescue team. Whether or not we bannered under the reserves is not important."

Captain Jiang of the Waterway Section agreed heartily and couldn’t help but laugh: "Not using the reserve forces’ banner would be even more convenient."

"Old Zhu, what do you think?"

"Director Zhu, say something!"

Most of you are Beihu people; even if your ancestral home is not in Beihu, your current home is mainly settled in Hanwu. I’m not a Beihu native; I came over from the Port Authority when the Port Supervision Bureau was established...

Thinking of the current flood control situation where everyone only takes care of their own affairs, each province or city sweeping only the snow in front of their door without the strength to clear the frost on others’ roofs, Sister Zhu shook her head.

"Without using the reserves’ banner, it won’t go through."

"Why can’t it go through? We can absolutely organize a joint action."

"Yes, Director Zhu, we haven’t worked in Binjiang for long; you’ve worked in Binjiang the longest. You know best how Salted Fish’s ’First Post of the Yangtze River’ came to be, wasn’t it set up by several parties together?"

It is imaginable that if this matter can be accomplished, the superiors will surely be very pleased, and might even promote the ones present here.

Of course, most of them have homes in Hanwu, and their families are mainly based in Hanwu. They are not just aiming to accomplish the assignments from superiors; they are genuinely worried about the safety of their family and friends far away in Hanwu.

Sister Zhu was silent for a moment, then bitterly smiled and said: "We can organize a joint action among our families, using any excuse, without any problem; Salted Fish and the others will definitely cooperate and even support. The problem is, without using the reserves’ banner, bypassing the city and Jiangnan Reserve Division, how much power can we mobilize?"

"Director Zhu, can you be more specific?"

"This is a simple question; the superiors need rescue forces, and what can truly play a role in rescue isn’t it the two excavators confiscated by Linghai Road and Bridge Company and Customs? Customs’ excavator is parked with Salted Fish; it’s no problem for Salted Fish to operate it in Linghai, but it’ll definitely be an issue trying to use it outside Linghai."

Sister Zhu paused and continued: "As for the Road and Bridge Company’s one, without using the reserves’ banner, without going through military orders, would they arrange for a driver to drive the excavator to Hanwu for rescue?

Definitely not! Even if they wanted to go, they wouldn’t work for free.

Excavation work seems to be billed by machine hour; how much money is a machine hour worth? Such a large imported excavator is in high demand, there’s no lack of work for it. If they really want to go to Hanwu for construction, how should the costs be calculated?"

The office building and dormitory building of the Changhang Bureau have been completed, and there was a cost for foundation excavation during the final accounts.

Back then, an excavator was found from the opposite side of the river to do the digging, costing over eight hundred yuan per hour, and even that excavator wasn’t as large as the ones confiscated by Linghai Road and Bridge Company and Customs.

Ten thousand a day.

The hometown is currently in a state of emergency everywhere. To invite others to bring excavators for construction, at least ten days to half a month of work is required, who will pay for this project?

Moreover, having just excavators is far from enough. Although bulldozers and loaders are not as rare as excavators, hiring others for a day’s work still costs a significant amount of money.

Director Tang realized that he had been a bit naïve before and frowned.

"The operating costs for tugboats and floating cranes are equally expensive, calculated by the hour, as you all should be aware. Furthermore, flood prevention and rescue is not like other tasks, it requires flood prevention skills and even more so... even more so requires coordination between each construction team, unlike building houses, where the foundation can be dug and left for a few days while waiting for the next process team to enter."

Seeing that everyone was pondering, Sister Zhu emphasized: "This needs engineering technology, a tacit collaboration, and racing against time, which means no link can be missing, and every link must be able to connect."

Director Qi nodded: "Director Zhu is right, the Linghai Reserve Camp only has combat power when the entire camp is mobilized; taking just an excavator there is useless."

"Everyone, since this ’curve-saving approach’ path is not feasible, let’s think about how to get Jiangnan Army Reserve Division and Binjiang City to agree for Salted Fish to lead the team."

"No matter how you say it, Jiangnan Army Reserve is a main division-level unit, and as Director Zhu just mentioned, they only recognize orders from superiors."

"Then report truthfully to our superiors and let them find the higher command who can give them orders."

"It seems that you have not understood the higher authority’s meaning."

"Director Tang, what does the higher authority mean?"

"I don’t know what your higher authority says, but our superiors made it very clear. To request military support, you can ask for help from the Beihu Flood Control Command or the Yangtze Flood Control Command to the National Flood Control Headquarters, and then the National Flood Control Headquarters coordinates with the General Staff, and finally approved by the Military Commission. Or you can request through the Beihu Province Military District to the Guangzhou Military Region for help, and the Guangzhou Military Region dispatches troops approved by the Military Commission."

Director Tang paused and continued: "In other words, it’s easy to ask for aid from above, the key is whether the higher-ups will approve. And the attitude of Binjiang directly relates to whether the superiors will approve."

"Director Tang, would the Military Commission consider Binjiang’s attitude?"

"It certainly needs to consider, it might even seek opinions."

"How can that be possible!"

"Why is it not possible?"

Before Director Tang could speak, Sister Zhu explained: "Firstly, it’s not only Beihu that needs to fight against floods, Binjiang is also fighting floods. If Binjiang gets flooded, the economic loss will surely be larger than anywhere else in Beihu except Hanwu, so the superiors will certainly prioritize Binjiang’s flood prevention and rescue needs.

Secondly, reserve forces are not active forces, personnel, and equipment are temporarily requisitioned, and there is no corresponding funding. Binjiang is more than a thousand kilometers from Hanwu, how will personnel and equipment get there, and who will be responsible for logistics support once there?"

"The flood control situation in Binjiang is not severe."

"Currently not severe, but the rainy season is not over yet, who can guarantee there won’t be a bigger flood disaster than last year in the next month?"

Sister Zhu posed a question and continued: "The city clearly knows that the camp Salted Fish has is combat-ready. Secretary Lu even praised that Salted Fish’s camp is our Binjiang’s strategic reserve for flood prevention and rescue, but with such severe urban flooding, why does the city not let them go to fight the flood and drain the water, but always keeps them in reserve?"

Director Liu asked instinctively: "Why."

"Because Salted Fish’s forces are not like other reserve units, they are fully mechanized. Sending them in is like going to war, if the guns and cannons fire, it costs tons of money! The city can’t afford to use them; if they really do, the city’s flood control command would quickly go bankrupt."

Afraid they might not understand, Sister Zhu gave an analogy: "Just like the Gulf War, everyone knows the power of missiles. With just a press of the launch button, regardless of whether it hits the target, at least personnel won’t be harmed. But why did it still use conventional ammunition for fighting? Because missiles are too expensive, not only could Iraq not afford them, even the United States couldn’t afford them."

Director Qi was suddenly enlightened, thinking of the extravagant equipment lineup of Salted Fish’s camp. He smiled wryly: "With so much machinery, just burning fuel costs an estimated ten thousand a day, Binjiang can’t afford it, and Beihu certainly can’t afford it now."

Director Tang also realized that the logistics support for Salted Fish’s camp isn’t as simple as just a few meals, he could only say: "Maybe we compile these situations first, organize a report to the higher-ups and see what the higher authority says."

"That’s the only way."

"What about Salted Fish over there, should we let him prepare first?"

"Don’t inform him for now, this matter is quite sensitive, and spreading it could have a negative impact."

"What negative impact could it have?"

"Everyone, we’re all vertically managed units, in others’ eyes we’re outsiders. If word gets out, people will think during the flooding you’re not treating Binjiang as home, not caring about Binjiang’s safety, only thinking about Hanwu’s hometown, even trying to undermine Binjiang!"

"Indeed, that’s true, this matter really needs confidentiality."

"Director Zhu, don’t tell Mayor Qin for now either."

"Rest assured, I will not tell him."