Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 951 - 634: Emergency Rescue Assault Team

The night was deep, and Reporter Wang and his assistant Xiao Chen rode back in a truck transporting rescue supplies.

Illuminated by the car headlights, every village they passed was eerily silent, with each household's gate wide open (to reduce the impact when the flood strikes, protecting the houses), unusually cold and still.

Around the villages were mostly flourishing cotton fields, lush green rice paddies, and vast patches of blooming lotus flowers. Occasionally there were chickens chasing and pigs rooting around, but no people, not a single one!

There's an old saying, "Nine out of ten rooms are empty."

Here, it's not nine out of ten rooms empty, but all ten out of ten.

Fortunately, the Yang Liu Section dike was held, otherwise, the "internal transfer" to nearby towns and the "external transfer" to neighboring counties of hundreds of thousands of people would truly be homeless.

Reporter Wang felt exceptionally heavy-hearted.

Xiao Chen, on the other hand, found the trip meaningful, having witnessed the stirring sight of hundreds of thousands of people evacuating and capturing photos others didn't.

When they arrived at the base of the dike, they jumped out of the truck, thanked the driver, and climbed up the dike. As expected, the Linghai Reserve Camp was working tirelessly through the night!

The lights were bright over by the cofferdam, with two large excavators, three large loaders, one bulldozer, and two large dump trucks still busy at work.

When they went out early in the morning to interview the evacuating crowd, the cofferdam was just a foundation. Now it was higher than the dike.

To be exact, the cofferdam repaired within eight short hours by the Linghai Reserve Camp was the dike itself, blocking the flood at the crucial moment, considered as the lifeline for tens of thousands of people behind it!

The previous dike had breached, leaving only two smaller segments that barely added up to ten meters of short dike.

Looking at those two small segments that hadn't collapsed or breached, one could imagine the heart-stopping tension at the time.

"Director Wang, you're back, did you have a meal?"

"We ate, we had dry rations on the road."

Reporter Wang calmed himself, turned to look at the camp, and asked, "Minister Li, where's Salted Fish?"

"Mayor Shen ordered him to rest." Vice Minister Li of Linghai Armed Forces Department lifted his arm to check his watch, and with a wry smile said, "But he won't sleep for long. After a while, he'll have to get up and continue commanding."

"Who's commanding now?"

"It's President Hao, but President Hao is also struggling."

"What about Director Ge?"

"Director Ge is also asleep."

As Vice Minister Li finished speaking, Director Ge emerged from the tent, stretching and yawning endlessly as he spoke, "I'm getting old, my sleep is not good; either I don't wake up, or I can't sleep once I awake."

Reporter Wang apologized, "Director Ge, did we wake you?"

"It's not because of you, I woke up from hunger. Are you hungry? Shall we go eat something together?"

"We're not hungry, but I can accompany you."

"Accompany me, Director Wang, don't joke."

"I'm not joking, Director Ge, I have something to discuss."

"Alright, this way please."

Director Ge led Reporter Wang to the tent of the logistics personnel, asked him to wait, went to the water tank truck to open the faucet and washed his face first, then entered the tent that served "senior officers" for meals and meetings. He found his lunchbox, eating the cold meal he missed earlier while laughing and asking, "Director Wang, what's the matter?"

"This is what I wrote in the afternoon, but it's not for Binjiang Daily, it's for Xinhua News Agency. They knew about my presence in the disaster area, and called me yesterday to request an article." Reporter Wang opened his briefcase, took out a notebook, and handed it to him.

Their roles as reporters were totally different.

The few at Binjiang TV and Binjiang Daily just reported on news about Binjiang, or rather how their leaders instructed them to report.

But Reporter Wang was different; although he was a reporter for Binjiang Radio Station, his stage was not just Binjiang, but the nation!

Xinhua News Agency is a national media outlet.

An article by Xinhua News Agency was worth more than a hundred articles from Binjiang Daily, maybe even more.

Old Ge set aside his meal, hurriedly wiped his hands, took the notebook, "Thank you, Director Wang, for letting me preview it, I'll read it first."

"Director Ge, please eat, after eating then read and review."

"What review, Director Wang, don't joke with me."

Old Ge marveled as he read, "No wonder you're a national-level reporter, this handwriting is beautiful, the prose is excellent. Director Wang, I respect you literary folks the most. For articles like this, I couldn't write it even if I racked my brains."

Reporter Wang pulled out a cigarette, smiling, "Director Ge, you're too kind, can you check if it's okay written like this?"

"How can there be a problem with the article? I'm not flattering; it's genuinely well-written!"

"Can it be published?"

"Of course, it can be published, how could it not be?"

"Does it need to be sent to Regiment 132 for review?"

"In theory, it should be reviewed, but I can guarantee it on my behalf."

"Thank you, I'll head to the county early tomorrow to publish it."

Old Ge didn't want Reporter Wang to just go ahead and publish, he pointed to a name hesitantly, "Director Wang, others may not understand the situation of our Linghai Reserve Camp, but you know it best. To set up this camp for supporting flood control in Beihu, Linghai practically sold off everything we had!"

"I know."

"Knowing is not enough, if published like this, only mentioning the Binjiang Flood Control Rescue Camp without mentioning Linghai, would the entire camp be dispirited, would the troops lose morale? I can say, if published like this, not only would the entire camp's officers not agree, but a million Linghai people won't agree either!"

"But the order bringing you to support flood control stated Binjiang Flood Control Rescue Camp. As for whether using this name would violate confidentiality discipline and publicity discipline, the comrades from Xinhua's editorial department said there's no problem. They are a national-level media, and their considerations are more comprehensive than ours, their political awareness higher."

Previously exploiting intimidating tactics for news censorship only worked for local media like Binjiang TV and Binjiang Daily, but with nationally recognized reporters like Reporter Wang, it was ineffectual.

Please ask the 132nd Regiment to help "rename" the Linghai Reserve Camp; it will take time. Before the superior clarifies the unit designation, Reporter Wang can report however he wants.

Old Ge, not wanting previous efforts to go to waste, racked his brains and asked with a smile, "Director Wang, can we be flexible? Can we accommodate this?"

"How to be flexible? How to accommodate?"

Reporter Wang wanted to help promote the Linghai Reserve Camp, but the unit's name and designation are serious matters. If he only mentions Linghai and not Binjiang, the article wouldn't be published.

Old Ge pointed to the unit designation in the article and smiled, "Write Binjiang Flood Control Rescue Camp as usual, but add a parenthesis afterward, noting Linghai Reserve Camp."

Binjiang Flood Control Rescue Camp (Linghai Reserve Camp)...

Reporter Wang didn't expect Old Ge to really be able to be flexible and accommodating, and couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, I'll modify it according to your suggestion. As for whether they will adopt this expression, I can't guarantee it. After all, once our article is sent, the editor will review and might even adjust it."

"Director Wang, how about this, change it to Linghai Reserve Camp with Binjiang Flood Control Rescue Camp in parentheses. That way, even if they adjust, they will only remove Binjiang Flood Control Rescue Camp."

"Director Ge, this expression isn't very appropriate. After all, the order states Binjiang Flood Control Rescue Camp. If expressed as you suggest, they are unlikely to adopt it."

"Then go with what we discussed earlier and send it out. If they really want to adjust, there's nothing we can do."

"Okay, thank you."

"No need to thank, we should be thanking you for helping us with the promotion."

...

While the two were chatting, Han Yu came in.

Reporter Wang looked up and asked, "San'er, why don't you sleep a bit more?"

"My stomach was a bit hungry, woke up from hunger." Han Yu took out his phone and looked at it, then laughed and said, "Considering the time, after eating a bit, I should take over the shift. President Hao hasn't rested well these days either; I need to relieve him."

"Hurry and eat, I'll get you some water."

"Thank you, Director Ge."

The food was cold, and the rice was cold too.

Possibly too hungry, but it tasted exceptionally good.

To let "Brother Hao" return to rest sooner, Han Yu ate a "fighting meal," and quickly finished. Just as he put on gear for hanging the walkie-talkie and phone, the sound of a car engine came from outside.

The three of them walked out of the tent and looked down the embankment, and it turned out Xu Mingyuan, Ma Jintao, and others had completed their task and returned.

Surprisingly, Xu Mingyuan jumped out of the car, ran up the embankment, stood at attention, and saluted, "Report to the Camp Commander, we have completed the task assigned by Mayor Shen and request to rejoin the unit!"

All insiders, is it necessary to be this formal?

Han Yu found it strange, only to see a Lieutenant General leading a Colonel and a Captain getting out of the car, striding confidently up the slope toward them.

"Rejoin!"

"Yes!"

Xu Mingyuan saluted, then led Ma Jintao and the others and ran off.

Han Yu, unable to attend to them, hurriedly stepped up, stood at attention, and saluted, "Report to the Commander, our camp is currently engaged in emergency rescue work at the Yang Liu Village section on the Yangtze River, please give instructions! Linghai Reserve Camp Commander, Han Yu."

"Continue with the rescue work."

"Yes!"

The Lieutenant General just returned a salute, while the Colonel smiled and introduced, "Comrade Han Yu, I am Captain Peng Jiandong of the 132nd Regiment, and this is Vice Army Commander Lu of our army, who is here on behalf of the Military Region Commander to visit you."

Turns out to be the superior's superior's superior...

Han Yu realized and once again stood at attention and saluted, "Hello, Commander, welcome to our camp for inspection."

"Comrade Han Yu, I'm here to learn from you and gain your insights."

"Commander, you really know how to joke."

"Comrade Han Yu, why so tense? My rank may be high, but it's not higher than the Military Region Commander, let alone Vice President L. You weren't nervous even when you met Vice President L, and even asked 'Can I leave now?' Why become so reserved with me?"

"Commander, how did you know about that?"

"Heard about it." Vice Army Commander Lu patted Han Yu's arm, then turned and asked with a smile, "May I ask who is Master Ge?"

"I, I am. Hello, Commander."

"I've heard much about you." Vice Army Commander Lu shook hands tightly with Old Ge, then turned to look at Captain Peng, and smiled, "Master Ge, you've worked hard, and we've caused you trouble."

"Commander, your words leave me speechless."

"You're a professor-level senior engineer and a flood control expert. You've even helped manage a camp for us today; your command and logistical support are better than what Captain Peng Jiandong does. Isn't this causing you trouble, and we'll need to bother you more moving forward."

"Commander, I don't quite understand..."

Vice Army Commander Lu, very busy with work, walked toward the active construction area with the crowd, speaking directly, "Comrade Han Yu, Master Ge, I am here tonight mainly for two things: First, entrusted by superior, to check on everyone, and second, on behalf of the superior, to announce an order."

Han Yu quickly said, "Commander, please go ahead and announce."

Vice Army Commander Lu stopped and looked at the two, "Comrade Han Yu, considering your camp mainly has mechanical emergency rescue capabilities, lacking auxiliary construction forces. As requested by local flood control command departments, the Military Region Commander orders the allocation of the 132nd Regiment's part and the entire Naval Academy diving team to form a more combat-ready emergency rescue assault team with your camp, with you as the team leader."

"Yes!"

"At the same time, establish a temporary party committee for the emergency rescue assault team, with Comrade Shen Fan as the temporary party secretary, Captain Peng Jiandong of the 132nd Regiment, Commander Feng Qingsong of the Naval Academy diving team, Comrade Ge Weidong of your camp's Senior Expert Group, and you as temporary party committee members."

"Commander, our Mayor Shen is on duty at the Jingzhou Flood Control Command."

"I know, I met with him before coming here."

Vice Army Commander Lu looked back at Captain Peng and added, "Comrade Peng Jiandong can't always be with you. The primary work of the emergency rescue assault team and its temporary party committee work mainly relies on you two."