Binjiang Police Affairs

Chapter 1528 - 294: Double Blessings Arrive

The weather turned cold just like that, and in the blink of an eye it was New Year’s Day again.Holidays are the busiest time for the police. Han Yu had been on duty at the bureau all night, and early in the morning, as planned, he took Yangtze Police 111 out to patrol the river anchorage.

Every year during the low-water season at the end of the year, because the inland river water level is not high, navigation is affected to some extent, and "ship jams" occur outside several locks along the Yanjiang area. With so many ships anchoring side by side, the air dry and everything parched, it’s very easy for fires to break out.

They were patrolling on the river with the loudspeaker blaring the pre-recorded morning safety messages when a call came through on the radio from Chief of Staff Li Jun of the border inspection station.

"Director Han, Director Han, are you on 111?"

"Yeah, where are you?"

"I’m at the ocean-going ship anchorage. I just saw you swing past on my side."

Han Yu glanced back and saw a Singapore-flagged cargo ship anchored on the river, realizing they had a monitoring task there. He couldn’t help joking: "You’re personally out on the river for monitoring?"

"You’re personally out on the river for patrol, so why can’t I come out to monitor?" Li Jun chuckled, then asked curiously, "Director Han, what time are you going to the restaurant this afternoon?"

"Going too early is pointless. I’m planning to get there at five."

"Xiao Gong is your old subordinate. He’s getting married and you’re not going a bit earlier?"

"What would I do there so early?"

"You’re supposed to be his witness!"

"Are you kidding me? Do I look like the type who officiates other people’s weddings?"

Today was Xiao Gong’s big day.

As for how to organize this wedding, Xiao Gong’s father had called Han Yu more than once to ask for advice. Han Yu didn’t know a thing about such matters, so he simply suggested that Xiao Gong’s father go talk to Zhou Huixin—after all, Zhou Huixin was Xiao Gong’s current leader.

Thinking of how his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and Little Han Han had all come back, and his senior from school didn’t have to work today either, and the whole family could go to the banquet tonight, Han Yu was over the moon.

Li Jun had received the invitation long ago and pressed him: "So who’s the master of ceremonies tonight, and who’s the witness?"

"Of course it’s his current leader. Political Commissioner Zhou will host, and Director Zeng will be the witness for him and the bride."

"Besides the Customs and the Smuggling Crime Investigation Branch, which other leaders did he invite?"

"Quite a few."

This wedding was costing Xiao Gong a lot of money; the scale of the event tonight was even bigger than when Han Yu and his senior got married back then.

Holding the radio, Han Yu couldn’t help laughing as he said, "He’s a graduate of the Shipping School. Dean Shao and his class advisor from back then definitely have to be invited. After he graduated, he was first assigned to the Port Authority, so Secretary Miao and the master who trained him back then also have to be invited.

Later he got transferred to our bureau. Without Director Zhang and Political Commissioner Jiang signing off, he wouldn’t have made the transfer, so he has to invite Director Zhang and Political Commissioner Jiang. Add me, Chen Zikun, Zhang Ping, and Xiao Yu—these old colleagues from our bureau—and that’s already two tables on our side."

Li Jun asked with a laugh, "Who else?"

"He’s now an Anti-Smuggling Police officer, so he has to invite the leaders and colleagues from Customs and the Smuggling Crime Investigation Branch. On top of that, he’s also a Reserve Officer with our Rescue Boat Team, so he has to invite the leaders from the Reserve Forces system as well."

"So he has to invite Mayor Qin, Commander Wang, and Political Commissioner Chen?"

"Mayor Qin doesn’t have time tonight, so Director Zhu is going on his behalf. Commander Wang can’t make it either, but Political Commissioner Chen will definitely be there. Plus Xiao Yu’s family and the leaders from Four Factory Town, and the leaders and relatives coming from his hometown in Yangzhou—word is there’ll be over thirty tables tonight."

"Over thirty tables?"

"Don’t waste your worry on him. Both he and the bride are only children, and besides, his current salary is higher than yours and mine. Over thirty tables is nothing; he can handle it!"

"How are the relatives and friends from his hometown in Yangzhou getting here?"

"His dad chartered a big bus from back home. They’re coming over at noon and heading back after the banquet tonight."

"That’s quite a toss."

"His dad’s a man who cares about face. If he doesn’t bring the leaders and relatives from back home over to see, who’ll know how well his son is doing here in Binjiang? Besides, Yangzhou isn’t that far from Binjiang. Coming over for a wedding banquet and then going back doesn’t really count as a toss."

The monitoring task was to ensure that no vessel was allowed to come alongside an ocean-going ship without permission.

Even though Li Jun had personally come out to monitor on the river, he was actually pretty free, sitting on the small patrol launch, gazing into the distance at Yangtze Police 111 on patrol, and asked again curiously, "Where’s Xiao Yu?"

"Xiao Yu’s busy today. He’s helping Xiao Gong go to Four Factory to pick up the bride. He’ll probably be eating who knows how many meals today, hahahaha."

"Why aren’t you going?"

"Come on, I’m a deputy director no matter how you look at it. Have you ever seen a deputy director go help an old subordinate pick up the bride?"

"True enough. A leader has to maintain a leader’s style."

They were still joking when Director Qi’s voice came over the HF radio.

"Salted Fish, Salted Fish, where are you on patrol now?"

"I’m near the quarantine anchorage, Director Qi. Any orders?"

"Get back here, quick. Something urgent!"

Urgent business—could it be that a major criminal case has happened in the jurisdiction?

Han Yu’s heart gave a jolt. He didn’t bother chatting with Li Jun anymore, nor did he continue patrolling; he immediately ordered the driver to head back.

By the time they rushed back to the sub-bureau in a great hurry, it was already 11 a.m.

Han Yu ran straight up to the second floor in one go, saw that the Criminal Investigation Team office door was tightly locked, and quickly went up to the third floor to knock on the director’s office door.

Today was New Year’s Day, so Director Qi, the Political Commissioner Dong, and Director Li were all supposed to be off.

Han Yu hadn’t expected that all three of them would actually be there, and they all looked very happy. Only then did he finally let out a breath of relief.

"Director Qi, Political Commissioner, what’s going on?"

"Take a look at this."

Director Qi picked up a faxed document and handed it over with a smile.

Han Yu took it and glanced at it, and to his surprise it was the "Reply of the National Council on Issues Related to the Reform of the Yangtze River Port and Navigation Public Security Management System"!

There were six items in total. The first item was: "In principle, agree to the reform plan for the Yangtze River Port and Navigation Public Security Organs."

The second item clarified the powers and responsibilities of the Changhang navigation police, defining the Changhang Police Bureau "as an important component of the national public security administrative force and criminal justice force, exercising public security management authority over centrally managed waters across regions." It required the Changhang Police Bureau to continuously strengthen team building, truly adopt strong measures, severely crack down on illegal and criminal activities, and ensure political and public security stability in the waters and ports along the Yangtze River Mainline.

The third item concerned management, clarifying that the Changhang Police Bureau would be led by the Ministry of Transport Police, with party and government relations entrusted by the Ministry of Transport to the Yangtze River Navigation Administration. Public security institutions under the Changhang Police Bureau would be under the unified vertical management of the Changhang Police Bureau. Public security business work would implement a dual leadership system by the Changhang Police Bureau and the local Police Bureau where they are located, but with the Yangtze River Shipping Police Bureau taking the lead.

The fourth and fifth items were the real key points.

They designated the Yangtze River Port and Navigation Police Institutions as administrative institutions, and the Police officers were to be included in the national administrative staffing establishment.

However, the institutional setup and total staffing numbers were to be proposed jointly by the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Police, and then examined, approved, and submitted according to relevant principles and procedures by the Central Office of Organization. Relevant personnel would be managed in accordance with regulations pertaining to national civil servants and People’s Police of public security organs.

As for the specific methods by which existing Police officers would obtain national civil servant status, the Ministry of Transport was to consult with the Human Resources Department in accordance with relevant regulations, determine the plan, and organize its implementation. A corresponding cadre and personnel management system needed to be established and improved; the specific measures would be studied and formulated by the Ministry of Transport in consultation with the Ministry of Police and other departments concerned.

The funding required for the Yangtze River Port and Navigation Police Institutions would be borne by the central treasury. The Ministry of Finance was requested, based on the approved staffing numbers, to assess this in accordance with relevant regulations and include it in the departmental budget of the Ministry of Transport.

When reforming the Yangtze River Port and Navigation Public Security Management System, both on-budget and off-budget funds and existing assets were to be transferred together. The fines and confiscations and other fees collected by the Yangtze River Port and Navigation Police Institutions were, in accordance with the principle of separation of revenue and expenditure of penalties and payments, all to be turned over on the spot to the central treasury. The basic construction investment of the Yangtze River Port and Navigation Police Institutions would be resolved through the planning channels of the Ministry of Transport...

They had waited for this day like waiting for the stars and the moon, and finally it had come!

Han Yu understood perfectly well how Director Qi, Political Commissioner Dong, and Director Li felt at this very moment. He carefully read the document again, then looked up with a smile and asked, "Director Qi, from the look of this reply, the system reform still needs a process. It’s not like we can switch to administrative staffing just because there’s a reply document, right?"

"The Ministry of Transport has to go to the Ministry of Police to consult, and also to consult with the Human Resources Department—it definitely needs a process."

"About how long will this process take?"

"I just called to ask. Hanwu over there said it’s estimated to take two or three years."

"Two or three years!"

"Reforming the system is still reform; any reform is never accomplished overnight. But having the National Council’s reply is completely different from not having it. With this document, our sub-bureau is now a quasi-administrative unit, and we, these Changhang Public Security Officer, are quasi civil servants!"

Seeing that Han Yu looked a bit disappointed, Director Qi thought for a moment and then said with a smile, "The situations of the ten-plus sub-bureaus are all different. Our sub-bureau has already done all the work that can be done in advance. Some brother sub-bureaus are facing much bigger resistance. They can’t just convert to administrative staffing because they want to; very likely the bureau leadership will have to personally step in to help with the coordination.

In short, our Changhang Police Bureau is a collective. Only when all the work involved in the system reform is properly done can we convert to administrative staffing as a complete unit."

Han Yu asked with a wry smile, "So that means that in the next two or three years, we still have to keep taking our salaries from Binjiang Port Group and keep watching President Xu and the others’ moods?"

"There’s nothing we can do about that. Besides, it’s not like we’re the ones who want to ask them for funds; it’s the Superior who told them to give them. If they’re unwilling to give us funding, let them go talk to the Superior!"

"Salted Fish, we’ve already been eating from the Port Authority’s rice bowl for decades. We don’t mind doing it for another two or three years." Political Commissar Dong smiled, then thought for a moment and added with some deeper meaning, "Besides, this doesn’t affect you anyway."

The deputy division-chief rank in enterprise police didn’t carry all that much weight.

But if he really wanted to transfer to the Local Police, as long as they were willing to take him, he’d still be a deputy division chief then, so indeed it wouldn’t affect him.

There was no way Han Yu couldn’t hear the subtext in Political Commissar Dong’s words. He sighed and said, "These years I’ve been jumping around all the time, worked in several units, and the average time I spent in each was less than three years. I don’t want to toss myself around anymore."

"It’s good not to toss around. Just stick it out for another two or three years and we’ll be official police. Let’s see who still dares look down on us then."

"No one dares look down on us now either." Li Mingsheng patted Han Yu’s arm and laughed heartily. "Director Han, your old subordinate is getting married, and the National Council has made it clear we’re going to switch to administrative staffing—today you’ve got a double happiness at your door!"

One had to admit, the National Council’s approval of the Ministry of Transport’s scheme for reforming the port and shipping public security system was indeed a huge piece of good news. It wasn’t like before when they felt uncertain, not knowing whether the National Council would agree.

Han Yu nodded, then asked with a smile, "You three, Xiao Gong also invited you. What time are you going this afternoon?"

"Salted Fish, the three of us won’t go. We’re not all that familiar with Xiao Gong."

"He’s a Police who left from our sub-bureau."

"I know, but back then Mingsheng and I hadn’t come to Binjiang yet, and Old Dong wasn’t the Political Commissioner either." Director Qi smiled and stressed, "With Director Zhang and Political Commissioner Jiang going, that’s enough. If we go, it’ll actually be awkward."

Zhang Junyan and Political Commissioner Jiang were Xiao Gong’s real leaders back when he was in the Changhang Bureau sub-bureau.

Han Yu realized they were genuinely worried about the awkwardness and said with a smile, "It’s fine if you don’t go. I’ll bring you some wedding candies."