Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 339 - 240: Sleepiness Brings a Pillow_2

"What are you studying for?"

"Ship piloting, engine technology, firefighting, and now there’s public security management too. Four specialties, each requiring exams for over a dozen subjects. I’m on the verge of an exam meltdown."

"So you have to learn so much, does that mean you’ve gotten a lot of certifications?"

Before Han Yu could respond, Han Xiangning chuckled and said, "Stacks of certifications, big and small, completely useless after all the effort. Bring them into the office and the bosses don’t care, won’t raise the salary by a cent."

Liu Xiaomei, not understanding, asked, "If they’re so useless, why bother learning all that?"

Just as Han Xiangning was about to speak, Lin Xiaohui’s pager went off.

She glanced at the caller ID, gracefully lifted it to her ear, and asked in a Mandarin accent with a touch of East Sea flair, "Secretary Ding, Lin Xiaohui here, what’s up... it’s over? Did we make the cut or not? Oh no, is that so? Ok, ok, looking forward to having the leadership tour our company."

Liu Guohua is mainly in charge of product exports and isn’t very familiar with the situation at the Linghai Branch.

Since Liu Xiaomei is both Lin Xiaohui’s close confidante and assistant, she curiously asked, "What’s Secretary Ding up to this time?"

"He says the clean city campaign is wrapping up and the work delayed by it needs to be put back on track. He mentioned that City Committee Secretary Chen will visit our company the day after tomorrow for an inspection. They say it’s an inspection, but really, they want to know how much value we can produce this year and how much foreign exchange we can generate."

"The clean city campaign is over, the inspection team has left?"

"Yes, they’re gone."

"How did it fare in the end, did we make the grade?"

"Secretary Ding says that, judging by the inspection team leader’s tone, it’s unlikely we’ll be selected this time. He said there seems to be some issues with the Police Bureau, that the city leaders had just seen off the inspection group and are now in a meeting with heads of various departments."

"What problems could the Police Bureau possibly have?"

"That, I have no idea."

Could this be about me...

As Han Yu found the suggestion ridiculous, the waiter began serving dishes.

While pouring drinks for them, Han Xiangning gratefully remembered their warm hospitality when she visited Qibao Town five years ago.

Han Yu couldn’t help sizing up Liu Guohua again.

She had to admit that Lin Xiaohui had good taste. Liu Guohua seemed cultivated, clean, spirited, and exceedingly polite to boot.

Worth mentioning is his demeanor towards Lin Xiaohui, much like Han Yu’s towards his senior sister — probably quite henpecked.

But then again, Lin Xiaohui was brought up on a boat, inherently bold and competitive, and it’s perfectly normal that Liu Guohua might be slightly afraid of her.

A few bites of food and sips of drink later, the conversation shifted.

It went from subtly boasting about who was closer to whom, to flaunting their boyfriends.

One a public security police officer, another a manager in a Hong Kong-funded enterprise’s foreign trade department, and the last a cadre at the Transportation Bureau — their boyfriends were incomparable, yet they boasted gleefully.

All three men, embarrassed by the boasting, took to toasting with drinks instead of alcohol, exchanging toasts back and forth.

"Brother Salted Fish, I’ve asked Sister Xiang Ning already, and now I’m asking you. With so many boats from the shipping company plying the rivers, please look after us. If there’s any trouble, please show some mercy."

"We police only check for Seaman’s Certificates; we don’t handle violations. That’s not our department."

Han Yu put down his glass and laughed, "Besides, I come from the shipping company. My family’s boat is still registered there. If the company’s fleet really runs into any trouble, I couldn’t possibly just stand aside and watch."

Jiang Bin quickly added with a smile, "I know, if it wasn’t for your protection escort back then, our company would’ve gone bankrupt, and my dad would’ve been out of a managerial job by now."

"Do the company’s boats still run along the canal?"

"Yes, but not that frequently."

"Have you encountered any water bandits or river tyrants?"

"In the two years after you helped us suppress them, the water bandits would steer clear of Linghai’s fleet when they saw us. But after that, it didn’t last."

A resounding crackdown followed by two years of deterrence.

It seems that enforcement needs to be sustained, and not just sporadic.

Han Yu thought that once things settled down, maybe he should accompany the shipping company’s fleet on the canal again, when Lin Xiaohui, hanging on Han Xiangning’s arm, looked at him and said with a smile, "Sister Xiang Ning, I’m not just complimenting you, but Salted Fish is really lucky to have found a girlfriend like you. Xiao Mei and I are truly happy for him from the bottom of our hearts."

"Yeah, Sister Xiang Ning, you and Brother Salted Fish are really a perfect match. Xiao Yu said you guys are getting married next year. You definitely have to invite us then."

"Of course, I’ll invite you. You have to invite me to your wedding too."

"You bet I will, just like Jiang Bin asked you a favor earlier, I need to ask you as well."

"What favor?"

Lin Xiaohui clinked her glass again and smiled, "Salted Fish’s parents work on ships, and my parents do the same on the river. Please take care of us in the future."

Liu Xiaomei giggled and said, "My parents and my brother and sister-in-law also work on ships, my family has two boats on the river, so I need to ask for the favor too."

Half an hour ago, Han Xiangning felt somewhat ashamed in front of Lin Xiaohui.

After all, Lin Xiaohui was so formidable. Now she’s the Deputy Manager of the Linghai Branch of a Hong Kong-funded enterprise, practically on par with the General Manager, someone who can speak directly with the leaders of Linghai City.

She’s using a "brick phone", giving away imported skincare and cosmetics worth thousands as gifts, driving a Crown sedan with black license plates, not only has she bought a house in East Sea, but she even has an East Sea blue-registered hukou.

Seeing her asking for a favor now, Han Xiangning finally found some confidence, and quickly said, "No need for favors, just call me if there’s anything in the future."

...

After having their fill and chatting for a while, they went to the front desk to pay and each went their separate ways.

Thinking that as a public security police officer of the Linghai Police Bureau, one can’t be so clueless as to not even know where the Criminal Investigation Team is, Han Yu suggested they stop by and see the senior.

Han Xiangning also wanted to see if the brat who was blind enough to call her auntie got disciplined, so she happily agreed.

They asked a passerby for directions, made several turns, and finally found the Southern City Police Station in a small alley, with the Criminal Investigation Team further down the road.

The four brats had already been taken to the Criminal Investigation Team earlier, and a few investigators were busy interrogating them.

Xu Mingyuan, hearing his junior had arrived, promptly handed over the interrogation to his subordinates and came out to ask, "Why haven’t you gone back yet? What are you doing here?"

"Come to see how the interrogation was going."

"The interrogation is going smoothly; they’ve basically confessed to everything they’re supposed to."

Xu Mingyuan looked back over his shoulder and continued, "They’re definitely not first-time offenders. They started with blackmailing and extorting their classmates at school. After succeeding a few times, they became bolder and their appetites grew bigger, progressing to robbing solitary young women in broad daylight with a knife."

Han Yu asked, "Didn’t any of the female comrades who were extorted file a report before?"

"They did, the Southern City Police Station handled them several times. Since they are young and the case value was low, they could only fine them and give them a warning and education, asking their parents to compensate for the victims’ financial losses and take them home for strict discipline."

"What about this time? Are you going to let them off this time?"

"Not possible this time, they’ve committed armed robbery. If we let them go, who knows what they will do next. Moreover, the city leaders are taking this case very seriously and require strict, heavy, and swift handling. They are definitely going to be sent to juvenile detention and won’t be let off with leniency."

"The city leaders know about this?"

"Don’t you know what you’ve done?"

"What did I do?"

Xu Mingyuan was honestly worried about his junior, so he pulled him aside and explained with a wry smile, "There wasn’t much chance of successfully becoming a hygienic city this time anyway; after all, the condition of the urban area speaks for itself. How can we compare with Zhangjia Port? But the city leaders needed a political achievement; they had no assurance but still went ahead with the initiative."

Han Yu asked further, "And then what?"

"It seems that the initiative failed, but they can’t say that the work was not done well or imply that the city leaders were overestimating themselves; they had to find someone to take the blame. Otherwise, with so much manpower and financial resources spent in vain, how could they explain it to everyone?"

"Who are they making take the blame?"

"This afternoon, you parading those few brats through the streets was seen by the inspection team, it seriously tarnished Linghai’s image and directly led to the failure of the initiative. If you don’t take the blame, who else will?"

Han Yu couldn’t help but laugh, "Big Brother, you’re not joking, are you? I’m neither an onion nor garlic; this pot is too big and too heavy for me even if I wanted to take it on."

Xu Mingyuan patted his shoulder, said helplessly, "Of course, the city leaders won’t look for you. They will only go after Director Zhang, Commissioner Ding, and Director Li."

"So, the bureau takes the blame?"

"Pretty much, this is like an unwelcome nap delivered on a pillow for the city, giving them a good excuse for the failure. But you can’t be blamed for it; the bureau really hasn’t done enough, and the security situation has been deteriorating year by year."

Realizing the seriousness of the situation and even imagining how Director Yang, Commissioner Ding, and Director Li would be reprimanded, Han Yu hurriedly said, "Big Brother, we’re leaving now, we’ll be in touch by phone if anything comes up."

Xu Mingyuan urged, "Get going quick, the sooner the better. Stay put in Yingchuan Port and don’t come back if there’s nothing important."

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