CHAPTER 492: CHAPTER 343 "SMALL CASE"_2

Logistics work is no easy task; every link in the chain can run into problems.

Director Li nodded slightly, "Alright, I’ll talk to Mr. Hans first. As for the embassy, we won’t trouble them to communicate with the port for now. Otherwise, it could inadvertently alert the port authorities, potentially changing from being able to enter the port to not being able to enter."

...

While Han Yu was doing everything possible to foster good relations with the ship’s crew, Han Xiangning and Director Dong rushed to Hai Bei City in Xiguang Autonomous Region and met with the managers of two shipping companies at a police station.

"Wu Changming, didn’t you say that our police have no jurisdiction? Lift your head up and have a good look, the comrades who have the right to supervise you are here!"

Old Shen, who arrived in Hai Bei City earlier and summoned the suspects to the police station with the help of local colleagues, slammed the table, startling the suspect.

Han Xiangning greeted the local police in Hai Bei and took out her work ID.

"Are you Wu Changming?"

"Yes."

"I am Han Xiangning, Deputy Captain of the third patrol enforcement brigade of the Binjiang Yangtze River Port and Navigation Supervision Bureau, and this is Director Dong from our Port Supervision Bureau’s Seaman Examination Department. We’ve traveled quite a distance to ask you about the application materials submitted to the South Sea Marine Supervision Bureau, especially the inland river crew certificates."

"These are the documents."

Director Dong opened his briefcase and took out a stack of copies of seaman’s certificates.

Wu Changming, surprised that people from the Binjiang Port Supervision Bureau would come looking for him, took the copies and said nervously, "These... these were submitted by the crew members attending the training."

Han Xiangning stared at him closely and asked, "You offer training courses?"

"Yes."

"Are these original inland crew certificates from crew members who want to obtain maritime certification, submitted to your company, and after completing training, your company collectively submits them to the South Sea Marine Supervision Bureau for examination on their behalf?"

"Yes."

Isn’t this just a police case investigation? Haven’t eaten pork, but have seen pigs run...

Han Xiangning put away her work ID, returned to the interrogation table, opened her briefcase, took out a stack of files that looked like testimonies, and waved them in her hand.

"Wu Changming, don’t you think that we would come all this way to find you without evidence? The registration materials you submitted to the seaman examination department of the South Sea Marine Supervision Bureau contain personal ID and contact information of crew members. We’ve contacted these crew members, and what they said doesn’t match your story!"

"I... I..."

"What’s with ’I, I,’? Forging and selling seaman’s certificates and forging so many is not only illegal but also criminal!"

The police and port supervision authorities have both made their visits.

And the two port supervisors who came also belong to the "certificate issuing department".

Making excuses is useless, denial won’t work.

Scared out of his wits, Wu Changming hesitated for a long while before tremblingly saying, "I didn’t forge the certificates; they were handled by others for the crew members."

"Handled by others?"

"Yes."

Han Xiangning’s expression turned serious: "You are the manager of a shipping company and organize crew training, so you must be familiar with the certificate issuing rules. Seaman’s certificates are not handled; they are earned through exams!"

Wu Changming hung his head and muttered, "Some people have connections; they don’t need to take the exams to get them."

"Do you believe that yourself?"

"I... I..."

"Starting with ’I’ again, is that useful?"

Knowing whether he knew they were fake certificates is very important. Han Xiangning clarified her thoughts and reminded him, "Wu Changming, I can tell you clearly, forging and selling seaman’s certificates, endangering water traffic safety, and causing a bad influence on several provincial port supervision bureaus; this has alarmed the Ministry of Transport.

You’ve been in shipping for a long time; you should know that our transportation system has its own police bureau. Director Shen and Instructor Huang are from the Changhang navigation police, and Changhang navigation police is under the Ministry of Transport Police Bureau.

I’m not trying to scare you, but if you don’t clarify things now and if you don’t cooperate, not only will your criminal responsibility be pursued, but don’t expect to work in shipping after you get out of prison!"

Offending the Ministry of Transport has serious consequences.

Confronted with undeniable evidence, Wu Changming no longer dared to take chances and said with a mournful face, "I... I’ll cooperate."

"Good, first tell us whether you knew these certificates were fake."

"I knew."

"How did you know?"

"At first, a few were filled out incorrectly, and... and when we went to the marine supervision bureau for the exam registration, I had to call him in advance."

"Why did you need to call him?"

"It was probably because the marine supervision bureau needed to verify with the certifying port supervision bureau."

Seizing the moment, Han Xiangning asked, "Who is this ’he’? What’s his full name?"

Wu Changming took several deep breaths and cautiously replied, "I only know his last name is Zhang; I call him Boss Zhang, I don’t know his full name."

"Where is this Boss Zhang from?"

"He should be from Jiangnan."

"Jiangnan is big; from where in Jiangnan?"

"Dacang."

"How did you get to know him?"

"A crew member told me about him, saying Boss Zhang could arrange certificates. I haven’t met him personally; I only have a pager number."

The rest is for the police to handle.

Old Shen took over the question, asking sternly, "How do you transact?"

Wu Changming glanced around and whispered, "We arrange over the phone, he provides a bank account, I transfer the money, and then send photos and data of the crew members to him. After he processes the certificates, he mails them to me."

"How much for each set?"

"Two thousand."

"Report Boss Zhang’s pager number."

Wu Changming was very cooperative; he answered every question.

After all, he’s running a business and doesn’t want to end up in jail.

Han Xiangning was excited, she hardly could believe that Wu would use the pretext of organizing training for people from provinces like Jianfu and Hui’an, who wanted to become crew members but found passing the tests challenging, and then organizing these "crew members" to get seaman’s certificates for ocean-going vessels from the South Sea Marine Supervision Bureau.