"Thank you, Chief Xu."

"No need to thank me. We'll split this money equally. Your department doesn't need so much funding; once it arrives, you'll get 50,000."

"..."

Only 50,000 for our department, are you kidding!

This isn't exactly splitting equally; it's not even taking a slice from the pie—it's taking the big portion and leaving us with crumbs.

The leaders at Binjiang Customs are so generous, they won't keep a single dime. Once the funds arrive, they'll give it all to Salted Fish's Water Anti-Smuggling Department.

Captain Liu was quite upset, not knowing what to say, Vice Director Hu smiled at him and said, "Getting 50,000 for your department is considerable. Although Binjiang Customs gives all the timber money to Salted Fish, Salted Fish needs to refit their boats, and 350,000 is far from enough."

Chief Xu agreed profoundly, looked at Captain Liu with a meaningful glance and said, "Though your department only gets 50,000, it can be given out as bonuses to everyone. Don't underestimate the money Salted Fish has; all of it will be spent on refitting the anti-smuggling boats, so you are actually better off than your colleagues from Binjiang."

"We can refit boats as well."

"The tasks are different. The 823 boat is mainly responsible for anti-smuggling on the river now; it won't have rotation duties, so there's no need for refitting."

...

While the two leaders from Jiangcheng Customs were aboard the 823 boat heading back to Jiangcheng, Binjiang Smuggling Crime Investigation Branch's Political Commissioner Zhou, Vice Director Gu, and Investigation Department Chief Wang Changjiang were finishing their meal in the mess hall while watching the news broadcast.

The news was about the earthquake in Taiwan.

Yesterday's news mentioned "aftershocks" being constant; today's reports changed the term to "main shock and secondary shock" being continuous.

This morning, another "secondary shock" occurred, with a magnitude of 6.2 on the Richter scale.

The latest death toll has exceeded 2,000 people, with over 6,000 injured, more than 2,000 trapped, and many more missing.

27,000 buildings have completely collapsed, and 24,000 have partially collapsed. It has caused all trains within Taiwan Island to cease operation, power outages at nuclear plants No. 1 and No. 2, damage to high-voltage transmission towers, and a blackout across Taiwan.

From the TV images, many buildings looked like sardines crowded together, some stacked like blocks, others resembling toppled domino pieces, and some collapsed into the streets.

"Let Li Dahui promote Taiwan independence, and this is karma!" Wang Changjiang murmured.

"Li Dahui is Li Dahui, Taiwanese compatriots are Taiwanese compatriots; we shouldn't confuse the two."

Zhou Huixin put down his chopsticks, pulled out a cigarette and said, "In such a huge disaster, we should empathize and not kick someone when they're down. Last year, we had a massive flood, and they donated money and supplies. Salted Fish said they donated several hundred million last year."

Wang Changjiang instinctively asked, "Should we donate too?"

"Of course, we should. The Rescue Boat Team has already been mobilized, and Salted Fish is leading with a fifty donation."

"Political Commissioner, I think Salted Fish is almost like an unofficial officer."

"That's quite normal."

"Normal?"

"It's a tradition at the old Yanjiang Police Station. Xu Haoran's father, when he was alive, was an unofficial cadre in the Linghai Armed Forces Department. From the time he started working, he sent new recruits every year and participated in organizing Civilian Soldiers' training until he passed away due to illness."

Watching Wang Changjiang in contemplation, Zhou Huixin continued, "Salted Fish is the same; from the time he started working, he participated in Civilian Soldiers' training and later, like his master, helped send new recruits."

"Political Commissioner, was Haoran's father really formidable back then?"

"You should ask Director Gu; he probably knows."

As soon as Zhou Huixin finished speaking, Vice Director Gu couldn't help but laugh, "I've never met Xu Sanye, but his name is really well-known."

Wang Changjiang curiously asked, "How is it well-known?"

"Back then, when our Dongru Police Bureau had to go to Linghai to arrest someone, the vice director of criminal investigation and the captain of the criminal investigation team wouldn't find Linghai Police Bureau's leaders but would go straight to Xu Sanye. I found it strange, so I asked the vice director of criminal investigation, and he said that although Xu Sanye was the captain of the criminal investigation team at Linghai Police Bureau, he could decide on big and small matters there."

"He sidelined the bureau's leadership!"

"Not exactly sidelined; it's more like his authority was too high."

"Xu Sanye was already overseeing Linghai's police work at his age in his twenties." Zhou Huixin smiled and said, "While others climbed higher in the ranks, his position diminished, but in terms of qualifications and prestige, even after the restructuring, all the bureau's leadership board members had to call him 'old leader'."

Director Gu added, "Xu Sanye was tough in his style; when overseeing the Human Protection Group's work, he personally handled cases, even personally executed death row inmates. When demoted to a rural police station as Director, he dared to string up a Deputy Town Mayor who had been a secretary to the County Party Secretary. Can you imagine, someone like that, who wouldn't be afraid?"

"Xu Haoran's father was so ruthless back then!"

"Even county leaders wouldn't dare provoke him."

"Salted Fish may be his closed-door disciple, but Salted Fish doesn't seem to have grasped his essence."

"You've only known Salted Fish for a few days; you've never seen Salted Fish when he's fierce."

"How fierce is Salted Fish?" Wang Changjiang couldn't help but ask.

Zhou Huixin extinguished the cigarette butt and recounted in detail, "When I transferred to Linghai as Police Chief, the bureau was incredibly poor, not only lacking funds but also heavily in debt. The power supply company was about to cut off our electricity, the water company was going to stop our water, the telecommunications company was going to cut our phone lines, and the construction office was going to sue me in court.

The bureau was about to hit rock bottom; shouldn't the wealthy police station help out in an emergency? But Yanjiang Police Station had money, with thousands of oil tickets stocked up, yet I couldn't touch a single one. In the end, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and sell Yanjiang Police Station's dunship, 001, and Salted Fish together to the Port Supervision Bureau and Changhang Bureau."

"Was Salted Fish the Yanjiang Police Station Chief at the time?"

"No."