The South Korean representative went out to discuss for a while and came back expressing dissent over the administrative penalty from the Binjiang Maritime Bureau, intending to authorize a lawyer to file an administrative lawsuit.

President Tang and the representative from the insurance company went out to discuss for nearly half an hour. The Zhonghai representative stated acceptance of the administrative penalty imposed by the Binjiang Maritime Bureau, but disagreed with the accident investigation conclusions, insisting on their own findings, namely the maritime statement issued by the captain of the "Yuzhang" ship.

Now they're engaged in a war of words, and a real legal battle is about to start.

Han Yu had done all he could; he didn't have the time or energy to engage further. After greeting Director Xu, Director Zhu, and Director Liu, among other Maritime Bureau leaders, he drove back to the Smuggling Crime Investigation Branch. As a member of the organizing committee of the "National Customs and Smuggling Crime Investigation System Waterborne Anti-Smuggling Core Training Class," he contacted the General Administration's Maritime Anti-Smuggling Office to inquire about how exactly to conduct the training class.

"Are you Friend Salted Fish?"

"Yes, may I ask who you are..."

"I'm Yan Hao from the Maritime Anti-Smuggling Office. We met when the Qingdao Shipyard delivered boats 823 and 825."

"Director Yan, I'm sorry, I didn't recognize the voice just now!"

On the other end of the phone was Director Yan, the "Sect Leader" of waterborne anti-smuggling. The national smuggling crime investigation system's waterborne anti-smuggling work was under his control. The smuggling crime investigation system is under vertical management, unlike the Local Police which is dual-managed, only able to provide business guidance to the grassroots.

Han Yu calmed his mind and hurriedly reported why he made this call.

Boat 825 had already achieved great merits upon its commissioning, and Director Yan was very pleased and had a good opinion of Han Yu, holding the phone tightly and laughing, "Salted Fish, Director Zhang said you all have been conducting training for nearly a year. Because the preliminary training was conducted so well, boats 823 and 825 have quickly reached combat readiness. Especially boat 825, it achieved great merits this time. The leadership of the General Administration and General Bureau praised it during the meeting two days ago."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you, comrades from the Political Department just found me this morning. They plan to go to Binjiang to commend boats 823 and 825 after the military exercises on the Southeast Coast end, commending all personnel participating in the perimeter alert tasks."

"That's great, thank you, Director Yan."

"The achievements are made by you all, I should be thanking you, thanking you for bringing glory to our Maritime Anti-Smuggling Office!"

His heartfelt words could be heard clearly.

However, it's understandable; the status of the Maritime Anti-Smuggling Office in the General Bureau probably isn't much different from the Water Anti-Smuggling Department's local position in the Binjiang Smuggling Crime Investigation Branch. To others, it's just a bunch of boat operators.

Han Yu felt amused, and Director Yan returned to the main topic: "You've organized training for nearly a year, there must be a training outline. Can you send the outline over for us to use as reference?"

"Director Yan, we have many training subjects, the outline is quite long."

"You can photocopy and send it over, Binjiang seems to have an airport, send it by air courier."

"Yes."

"By the way, judging by the phone area code, are you in Binjiang right now?"

"Yes, I returned due to an urgent matter, but I have to go back by the day after tomorrow at the latest."

"Alright, first send over your training outline, and give me a call after the exercises end."

...

Water Anti-Smuggling Department doesn't have an office in the bureau, Han Yu was borrowing an old leader's phone.

Zhou Huixin extinguished his cigarette butt, exclaiming, "It's probably the first time the Maritime Anti-Smuggling Office is holding a training class, they don't have much experience, not knowing how to do it, asking us for materials and borrowing our training outline, thinking about it is normal."

"Political Commissioner, Director Yan isn't an amateur."

"Did he serve in the Navy?"

"He hasn't served in the Navy, but before his transfer, he served in the Coast Guard, and was transferred from Border Control Bureau to the Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau."

"So he was from the Border Coast Guard."

Zhou Huixin nodded and changed the topic thoughtfully, "Salted Fish, I heard the investigation results of the collision between Chinese and Korean cargo ships are out, both parties disagree with the Maritime Bureau's investigation results?"

Han Yu replied without hesitation, "It's expected."

"Expected?"

"With economic losses amounting to tens of millions, everyone involved will defend their interests, and none will give in easily."

Han Yu sighed lightly and continued, "Actually, the South Korean side hasn't explicitly expressed dissatisfaction with the Maritime Bureau's investigation results; they only object to the administrative penalty for crew violations. But in fact, it amounts to the same. For the South Korean side, accepting the penalty means acknowledging their crew indeed violated regulations, according to Article 3 of the Inland Waterway Rules of the People's Republic of China, they should bear certain responsibility for the accident."

Zhou Huixin asked puzzledly, "What's going on with Zhonghai then? The Maritime Bureau's investigation results are favorable to them, essentially trying every means to help them, what are they doing?"

"They acknowledge their crew was negligent in lookout but insist the 'Yangmi' forcibly disengaged, causing large amounts of river water to flood into the 'Yuzhang's engine room, making them lose valuable rescue time, leading to the 'Yuzhang's eventual sinking."

"Do their arguments hold up?"

"Not at all."

Han Yu picked up a pen and explained while drawing a schematic diagram on paper, "'Yuzhang' lost control and hit 'Yangmi' at a right angle. If 'Yangmi' did not disengage timely, the two ships would be pushed downstream as an L shape by the river water.

'Yuzhang' is large in tonnage, 'Yangmi' small. Under the force of the current, 'Yangmi' might break, get stuck and crash into other ships, or even capsize along with 'Yuzhang.' Basically, 'Yangmi' has a duty to assist in rescuing 'Yuzhang,' but ensuring its own and other ships' safety comes first."

Zhou Huixin understood and asked with a smile, "So this has nothing to do with the Pilot Center?"

Han Yu hesitated, instinctively asking, "Political Commissioner, did someone from the Pilot Center come?"

Zhou Huixin laughed and replied, "Given such a big incident, the Pilot Center leadership surely came, although I don't know them personally, Haoran told me."

At the time of the accident, a pilot from the Yangtze River Pilot Center was on board the 'Yangmi.'

Foreign vessels entering the Yangtze River must follow the pilot's instructions. If the Maritime Bureau's investigation concludes that 'Yangmi' should not have disengaged, it'll be awkward for the Pilot Center, and the pilot might even be held responsible.

Thinking about who to call when the Pilot Center encounters a situation, I thought of Xu Haoran first. Han Yu couldn't help but laugh, "Political Commissioner, it seems Haoran is doing a good job with intelligence work."

"Very competent, it shows you're mentoring him well."

"I didn't mentor him much, just introduced him to some friends on the river."

"To do intelligence work, you need to make friends."

No matter what you do, you must see it through.

Zhou Huixin knew Han Yu had to hurry back for an exercise. After chatting for a bit, she let Han Yu head home first. As for mailing the training outline to the General Administration, someone at the office would take care of it.

Han Yu bid farewell to his unit's leaders and colleagues, drove to the Maritime Bureau to pick up his senior sister for lunch, only to see two familiar figures as soon as he entered the yard.

Zhang Asheng and his wife actually came from the Linghai Development Zone. One was whispering with some South Koreans in front of the Ship Agency's car, and the other was talking to President Tang near the hall entrance.

Not wanting to be misunderstood by the South Koreans, Han Yu decided not to go up and parked his light motorcycle at the security office before walking in to chat with Uncle Liu.

After about twenty minutes, the South Koreans and Zhonghai's President Tang both left by car.

Zhang Asheng and Shen Rulan had noticed Han Yu's arrival earlier. They approached the security office, smiling, to greet Han Yu.

"President Zhang, President Shen, what are you doing here?"

"Discussing business."

"What business?" Han Yu asked curiously.

Zhang Asheng, a "frequent visitor" of the Maritime Bureau, handed a cigarette to Uncle Liu and said proudly, "After the incident, the Maritime Bureau requisitioned three tugboats from Binjiang Port for rescue operations, and getting the rescue fees is troublesome. The Binjiang Port tugboat team finds it bothersome and, as before, entrusted our company to handle it. But today, we're not here to discuss the rescue fees with them."

Han Yu laughed and asked, "So what are you here to discuss?"

"Their two ships collided, and that's a matter to handle. The Korean ship owner doesn't accept the Maritime Bureau's penalty, and their ship certainly can't leave. With the ship detained in Binjiang, the crew has to stay on board; otherwise, what if another accident happens? So I suggested that they let the Korean crew return home, and we assign crew members to watch over the ship for them."

The salaries and benefits of Korean crew members are much higher than those of Chinese crew members. The longer the Korean crew stay in Binjiang, the more the Korean ship owner has to pay each day.

Moreover, staying in China long-term wouldn't suit the Korean crew, and they surely miss home.

Han Yu realized the situation, turned, and with a smile, asked, "Sister Shen, what were you discussing with Zhonghai's President Tang just now?"

For ship owners, crew members, and insurance companies, the last thing they want is an accident.

For Zhang Asheng and Shen Rulan, the professional "dock runners" and specialists in "making a living off the river," an accident on the river brings them business.

Shen Rulan took a glance at Uncle Liu, a bit embarrassed, and said, "On Mayor Shen's suggestion, we co-founded a salvage company with Binjiang Port's labor service company, Linghai Underwater Engineering Company, and two shipyards. There's so much fuel in the 'Yuzhang' ship's oil tanks, it's like a whole chemical plant sunk in the river. If we don't salvage it soon, it could lead to environmental pollution. Besides, Dongting Lake upstream is flooding, and the water flow is swift. If it rushes into the waterway, it could cause traffic accidents."

"You want to help Zhonghai salvage the 'Yuzhang'!" 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"Even if we don't salvage, another company will. What's sunk in the river is different from being sunk at sea. I just asked Xiang Ning at your place, and she said they clearly demanded Zhonghai to salvage quickly. If Zhonghai doesn't listen, they'll consider mandatory administrative salvage."

Cargo ships anchored in the river could lose their anchors and drift.

Similarly, cargo ships sunk in the river could also shift position.

If they are swept into the waterway, the consequences could be unimaginable.

Even if they're not swept into the waterway, the Maritime Bureau still has to position a Sea Patrol Boat in the sunken ship area for alertness and to warn passing ships to take caution.

More importantly, the 'Yuzhang' ship's oil tanks contain so much oil, making it a "ticking time bomb" for environmental pollution that needs to be promptly checked.

Seeing the couple's justified expressions, Han Yu couldn't help but laugh, "President Zhang, President Shen, people unfamiliar with the situation often accuse us police of 'working both sides.' Compared to us, you are the ones truly 'working both sides!'"

"What do you mean 'working both sides?' Don't say it so harshly. We're providing services."

"What did they say? Are they willing to accept your services?"

"The South Koreans have agreed, but I need some time on my side. We've arranged to replace the crew in three days."

"What about the salvage?"

"The accident hasn't been completely handled, and Zhonghai neither wants nor dares to spend the money. They hope the Maritime Bureau will enforce a salvage. But it's clear that our salvage costs will certainly be lower than those of the East Sea Salvage Bureau."

Rescue is big business.

The profits from salvage are even greater than those from rescue.

Although it's hard to collect the money—at least eight out of ten times you find yourself in court—they've already made it one of their primary businesses and aren't afraid of lawsuits.

Han Yu was full of admiration and couldn't help but laugh, "If compulsory salvage does happen, the Maritime Bureau will only come to you. They can't manage without your assistance in rescue operations."

"It's mutual assistance, but I indeed take on significant risks!"

"That's right, it's like debt collection. If things go wrong, you won't get the money. It's really risky."

You have to admit, the Maritime Bureau truly can't do without them.

Especially in waterborne rescue operations, it's easy to requisition tugboats, but if you keep requisitioning them for rescue without offering compensation, who would still send their tugboats for your rescue efforts over time?

Existence is justification.

Han Yu said nothing more.