Binjiang Police Affa Chapter 790 - 536: We Have Salted Fish

Chapter 790: Chapter 536: We Have Salted Fish

The economic developnt of Zhangjia Port and Shuzhou across the river was rapid, but they only had cargo ports and no passenger terminals.

During the Spring Festival travel rush, people from Zhangjia Port and Shuzhou returning from cities in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River would take passenger liners to disembark at Binjiang Port Passenger Pier, and then take a bus or go directly to Bisha Ferry to cross the river and head ho.

Across the river, there is a railway, and so travel by train to get ho for the Spring Festival.

However, train tickets are scarcer than boat tickets, and the train station is located in Guzhou City, which is quite far from Zhangjia Port and Shuzhou. People still find the boat more convenient.

For this reason, Changhang Passenger Transport, despite becoming increasingly bleak and almost a "sunset industry," still gets very busy during the Spring Festival travel rush.

Ticket offices and waiting rooms are filled with travelers, and from today onwards, Han Ning would need to forget about heading straight back to Bailong Port after work. Accompanied by Changhang Police Academy interns who just started practicing at Binjiang Police Station, he is busy maintaining order, and won’t be able to go ho until New Year’s Eve.

"Comrade, where are you heading?"

"East Sea."

"Didn’t get a ticket?"

"The ticket seller said only the day after tomorrow’s available, how could I possibly wait here for two days!"

Surprised that soone couldn’t get a ticket, Han Ning couldn’t help but rember the busiest and most profitable years at the passenger terminal, seeing travelers with large and small bags crowding at the ticket office, and he laughed: "Comrade, you’ll definitely be able to get a ticket; you won’t have to wait two days."

The traveler asked joyfully, "Where can I buy it?"

"You can buy it right here in the ticket office, you can take the high-speed ferry, it’s only a two-hour trip to Wusong Port, faster than taking Jiang Shen or Jiang Han."

"The tickets for the high-speed ferry are expensive, and besides, I’m going to East Sea, Wusong Port is so far from East Sea."

"Wusong Port is in East Sea, there’s a bus to the city center from Wusong Passenger Terminal, buses go everywhere and it costs only two or three Yuan, not expensive at all."

The traveler hesitated, not over taking a bus, but concerned about the high price of the high-speed ferry tickets, turning to the ticket office indecisively.

Putting himself in the traveler’s shoes, Han Ning also felt that the ticket prices for the high-speed ferry were a bit steep. Taking Jiang Shen or Jiang Han to East Sea only cost around ten Yuan, while the high-speed ferry costs over seventy, and only gets you as far as Wusong Port, not directly to Sixteen Piers Pier in the downtown area of East Sea City like Jiang Shen or Jiang Han would.

Thinking that if he had to pay out of pocket, he would also be reluctant to take it, Han Ning simply pointed to the bus stop diagonally across: "Comrade, if you’re especially in a hurry, you can take the No. 2 bus to the long-distance bus station and take a coach, or you can take the No. 6 to Bisha Ferry and hail a ride to East Sea."

Taking the coach is more expensive than the Jiang Shen or Jiang Han liners, but cheaper than the high-speed ferry, and it can also get you to downtown East Sea City.

The traveler hesitated for a while, thanked him, and went to the opposite side of the road to wait for the bus.

In a mont, a high-speed ferry was about to dock, and Han Ning was ready to take the intern Xiao Xu to check the exit, when suddenly the voice of the director ca from behind.

"Han Ning, I just happen to run into you here, but if Manager Wang had seen you, he certainly wouldn’t have been pleased."

"Director Qi, what did I do?"

"We have people coming here to take our boats, but you’re pushing them away. Would Manager Wang be happy if he knew?"

Whether the passenger terminal is profitable or not... What does it have to do with Changhang Bureau...

Han Ning realized that the director was joking and quickly replied, "They wanted to take Jiang Shen or Jiang Han, but they couldn’t get tickets."

Director Qi, who was not in uniform, tightened the fur collar of his leather jacket and asked, "No fifth-class seats either?"

"It’s different now from before. In the past, we sold the fifth-class open-seating tickets endlessly, as long as there was room on the deck we let travelers board. Now we focus on safety, and there are rules for how many tickets are sold. Port Supervision just ca to inspect, and when the passenger liner arrives in East Sea, they will inspect on that side as well."

"Is that so?"

Director Qi really didn’t know about these matters, he let Han Ning continue his duty, went to check on the Spring Festival travel safety, and then drove back to the bureau.

Political Commissioner Jiang and Deputy Director Liu had been waiting for a while, and as soon as they saw Director Qi, they handed him a list.

Director Qi took a look, sat down, crossed off a na with a pen, and after thinking, added another na to the list.

Political Commissioner Jiang was stunned, reminding him: "Director Qi, Chen Zikun is the most educated police officer in our branch, he graduated from a regular college."

"I know."

Director Qi put down the pen and explained with a smile: "I have looked over his resu, and talked with him. Since he’s been transferred to our branch, he’s always been busy with this and that, and hasn’t had a chance to train at Hanwu. For this work exchange posting, let’s send Zhang Ping instead. After the holiday when it’s less busy, we will arrange for him to go to Hanwu for training."

Since it’s Changhang Navigation Police Branch, naturally, priority should be given to "well-rooted" Changhang police officers.

Compared to Zhang Ping, who has been an onboard police officer since he started work, Chen Zikun is just a later-starter, and must step back when it cos to opportunities.

Deputy Director Liu thinks there’s nothing wrong with the director’s arrangent, but still reminds him: "Director Qi, you’re sending Zhang Ping to work across the river, and after the holiday, you plan to arrange for Chen Zikun to go to Hanwu for training. With the Acting Director and Deputy Instructor gone, how will the work at Linghai Police Station be handled?"

"The other side will also arrange section-level cadres to co here for work exchange."

Director Qi thought for a mont and then laughed: "Han Ning has been working for quite so ti, always at the grassroots level, and has plenty of work experience. Plus, her spouse is the manager of Bailong Port Passenger Terminal, so it’s definitely worth considering her for the position of Deputy Instructor at Linghai Police Station."

Deputy Director Liu nodded in agreent, saying earnestly: "Won can hold up half the sky, huh? It’s one thing for the bureau party committee team to not have any female mbers, but the whole bureau can’t lack female section-level officers."

Using female officers as an excuse is just a pretext; it’s not as simple as Deputy Director Liu puts it.

The Water Police Station made a move, and Wang Xiazhi was being slippery, actually taking the lead in establishing so sort of Water Fire Fighting Association, leaving Changhang Bureau in a rather passive position.

The Director, considering the weak points of Changhang Bureau, decided to parry as moves ca in, so he got a colleague from the higher-ups to put together this exchange and secondnt program.

Thinking that the Director was playing a bigger strategy, Political Commissioner Jiang laughed and said, "This is a good arrangent, after all, the work of Linghai Police Station cannot be separated from the support and cooperation of Bailong Port Passenger Station."

We’re all on the sa side, so Director Qi didn’t think it was necessary to beat around the bush and spoke with a smile, "Whether Linghai can break new ground depends even more on Salted Fish’s support. It seems now that Director He did the right thing selling the ship along with people to Linghai."

Political Commissioner Jiang didn’t expect that the Director would have a deeper consideration. He asked subconsciously, "Director Qi, I don’t quite understand."

"The siltation in the North Branch Channel is severe. The Bai Shen Passenger Liner has to wait for the tide to dock, and for the past two years, it’s been almost daily delays. If there are strong winds and foggy weather, voyages are even canceled. Combined with the increasing convenience of automobile transportation, the number of passengers taking the ferry is getting less and less."

Director Qi took a cigarette from Deputy Director Liu’s hand and continued, "I talked with Manager Wang from the Passenger Station. He said Changhang Passenger Transport is now operating in a gloomy state; all three major Yangtze River Passenger Companies are losing money. Few passengers co to Binjiang Port Passenger Pier to take the boat, let alone Bailong Port."

Political Commissioner Jiang asked gravely, "Is the passenger liner going to cease operations?"

"It’s just a matter of ti."

Director Qi lit a cigarette and took several puffs, speaking slowly and deliberately, "Even if the three major passenger companies can hold on, the Waterway Bureau will not agree. As long as the Bai Shen Passenger Route is in operation, the Binjiang Waterway Section has to maintain the North Branch Channel. The North Branch is shallow and can’t accommodate large ships. The budget allocated by the higher-ups for channel maintenance is very little; one could say the Waterway Section is no longer able to bear it."

Dredging the channel and maintaining water depth, as well as setting and maintaining navigational aids, all cost money.

The North Branch Channel does not generate much economic benefit, and due to the natural environnt, it’s prone to siltation, so much so that Linghai and Dongqi’s enclaves in the river have already rged with Zhuangming Island, making it sowhat unrealistic for the higher-ups to maintain the status quo.

Political Commissioner Jiang realized that in the near future, it wouldn’t be just the Bai Shen Passenger Route ceasing to operate; even the North Branch Channel might be abandoned. For a mont, he didn’t know what to say.

Director Qi pointed to the Yangtze River Map on the wall and said with emotion, "After the Bai Shen passenger liner stops service, there’s no need for Linghai Police Station to remain in Bailong Port. Linghai is developing the Sanhe shoreline. Maintaining the security of Sanhe Waters and the shoreline, and ensuring the safety of water and shoreline firefighting in Sanhe Waters, can be said to be the future focus of Linghai Police Station’s work.

"The jurisdiction of security and fire supervision managent will surely be resolved by the superiors in the future, but we need to make preparations in advance. For instance, where will Linghai Police Station move to in Sanhe? Salted Fish is now the Political and Legal Committee Secretary and Military Minister of the Linghai Developnt Zone. He can’t just watch his sister and his old subordinates work in the open air."

The cessation of passenger liner operations is inevitable.

The relocation of Linghai Police Station to Sanhe is also inevitable.

Political Commissioner Jiang snapped back to the conversation and asked, "Ask Salted Fish to think of a solution to help us coordinate a plot of land?"

Director Qi flicked the cigarette ash, looked up with a smile and said, "Even if he can help us coordinate a plot of land, we still need to spend money to build an office building. It would be nice if Linghai Developnt Zone could arrange a ready-made place for us just like they did for Customs and Health Inspection."

"..."

"Political Commissioner, what’s wrong?"

"That’s a tough one. We are not like Customs, Port Supervision, or Health Inspection. They are eager for those departnts for the developnt of the port economy. They don’t need to seek us out for help – we can’t offer them any assistance."

"We have Salted Fish, and didn’t you say Xiao Yu wants to co back? With an additional Xiao Yu, the problem shouldn’t be too big."

...

The Branch Captain of the Security Team at Changhang Binjiang will transfer to Changhang Guzhou Branch to take up the post of Deputy Director after the New Year. Deputy Division Commander for Criminal Investigation Liu Guixiang will transfer to Guzhou Branch as the Branch Captain. Deputy Instructor Jiang Changhao from Binjiang Police Station is set to transfer to the Zhangjia Port Police Station in Guzhou to serve as Acting Director, and even Zhang Ping is bound for Shuzhou Police Station under Changhang Guzhou Branch as an Instructor after the New Year. Changhang Guzhou Branch will also arrange six director-level officers to take up positions at Changhang Binjiang.

The news reached the dunships, astonishing Ma Jintao, Yang Yong, and others such as Luo Wenjiang who ca for the eting.

It’s worth ntioning that Luo Wenjiang had progressed further and is now the Captain of the Water Police Third Team. His advancent as a select recruit is indeed rapid, making strides year by year.

"Sending Zhang Ping to the other side as an Instructor suggests they are paving the way for him to beco a Director."

"Chen Zikun has been Acting Director until now and hasn’t been promoted to Director, how co Zhang Ping can go and beco an Instructor?"

"Secretary Yu, what is Changhang Bureau doing?"

Han Yu was equally surprised, propping up his chin and thinking, then couldn’t help but laugh and say, "I see, Director Qi is really clever and knows how to play the ga."

Luo Wenjiang asked curiously, "What kind of dicine is this outsider monk selling in his gourd?"

The relationship between Water Police Station and Changhang Bureau is very delicate now, even Luo Wenjiang, who has been staying in Yingchuan Port, is coldly dismissive of Changhang Bureau.

Han Yu found it sowhat amusing and explained, "Everyone knows that Changhang Bureau wants to take control of the entire Binjiang Yangtze River Waters and shoreline, but everyone also knows that Changhang Bureau doesn’t have the strength. They only have about forty police officers, even if they were handed the jurisdiction, they would not be able to manage it properly."

"Exactly. They don’t have the diamond drill, so why take on porcelain work!"

"Problem is, we only see this side of the river and not the other side. Guzhou Branch and Binjiang Branch are actually one family—both are parts of Changhang Police. The two Branches face each other across the river, add both sides together, and they have almost a hundred police officers, more than Water Police Station. How can they not manage?"

Seeing everyone’s thoughtful expressions, Han Yu added with a smile, "Arranging police officers from this side to the other side for secondnt, and vice versa, after several rounds of such police exchanges, they’ll be able to assist and cooperate with each other when issues arise in the future. This move is indeed very clever; in fact, they should have done this long ago."

"So that’s where the ambush is set!"

"Secretary Yu, they are targeting our station, and yet you can still laugh!"

"That’s for Director Wang, Political Commissioner Ma, and Director Zhao to worry about; what does it have to do with ?"

"You are also our leader. They want to grab our territory, and you aren’t quickly thinking of a solution."

"What can I do? This is a fight among the gods, it’s not our place to interfere. We just need to do our own jobs well."