CHAPTER 506: CHAPTER 354 THEORY COMBINED WITH PRACTICE

From the moment Han Yu started looking for dockworker’s children in East Guang, he had been away on duty for over three months. When he left, it was the sweltering summer, and upon his return to Binjiang, the chilly early winter was biting.

Director He was very generous, approving a ten-day leave.

The self-study examination was coming up soon; to improve the pass rate, the Provincial Department had specially invited instructors from Public University to set up a tutoring center in Jiangcheng.

After paying the registration fee, textbook fee, and examination fee, Han Yu didn’t want to quit halfway. He checked in at Bailong Port, then went to the Linghai Police Bureau to divide up some funds with Director Zhou, and immediately set off for Jiangcheng with his senior sister, who hadn’t rested since returning from a business trip two months ago, to attend the tutoring.

Director Yu used to work at the Provincial Department and took advantage of the housing reform, spending over thirty thousand to buy a house in Jiangcheng, and it was not far from the tutoring center located in a hotel. Director Yu was transferred to Huaiyin, and his wife, Sister Wu, didn’t follow him. Hearing that the young couple was coming to Jiangcheng, she insisted they stay at her place.

However, Han Yu had already called Director Zhang beforehand, and Director Zhang had arranged accommodations, so they had to politely decline Sister Wu’s kindness.

During the day, Han Yu went to the tutoring center to study, while Han Xiangning was either entrusted by her parents to visit uncles and aunts who had transferred to Jiangcheng or went to catch up with childhood friends.

At night, they returned to the hotel arranged by Director Zhang to have their two-person world.

One studied diligently, and the other enjoyed reminiscing in his old haunts wholeheartedly.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the weekend arrived again.

Director Yu was going to the Provincial Department for a meeting next Monday, and he rushed back from Huai’an today to give the young couple a welcome dinner, inviting Director Zhang and his spouse to join them.

It was an authentic homemade feast among familiar people, at home.

After eating their fill, Han Xiangning and Director Zhang’s wife helped Sister Wu clean up, while the three gentlemen sat around the coffee table drinking tea and chatting.

"You’ve got five million in one fell swoop, Salted Fish, you should learn from Ningning about generating income by legal means, not just knowing how to spend money without knowing how to earn it."

"I should learn, but some things can’t be learned."

"Hahaha, that’s true; even I feel inferior in this respect."

More than how much money Han Xiangning helped Han Yu secure, Yu Xiangqian was more concerned about how Han Yu was getting along with the new leadership, smiling as he asked, "Does Director He support the building of new ships?"

"Very much so."

"Really?"

"Really."

Funding for the new ship was secure, and these days Han Yu was in high spirits with a joyous occasion, grinning and saying, "We only have five million, but Director He’s budget is ten million."

Zhang Junyan was surprised by He Bin’s generosity and asked skeptically: "A budget of ten million and you only have five million; who’s providing the other five million?"

"Mainly from two sources; one is applying for matching funds from the superiors, and this includes not only the Port Authority and the city but also the Changhang navigation police. The other is seeking sponsorships from several major enterprises along the river. But the main thing is still to apply for matching funds, if sponsorship can pull in five to six hundred thousand, that would already be impressive."

"Can the matching funds be secured?"

"It used to be very difficult to apply for funds in the past, but it’s easier now."

"Easier?" Zhang Junyan asked subconsciously.

Han Yu put down his tea cup and explained, "Director Zhang, to tell you the truth, this is all thanks to you. You used to apply for funds every year in Binjiang, but the superiors never gave any; now they can’t afford not to give."

Zhang Junyan laughed and asked, "Is it really that simple as you say?"

Yu Xiangqian didn’t believe that the Port Authority and the city would make such a substantial contribution and smiled, saying, "This job seems difficult to me, Salted Fish, you should be prepared not to receive the matching funds."

"Director He is confident."

"What makes him confident?"

"In the last two years, the Port Authority has spent a lot of money building dock berths, and the city has also been looking for large enterprises to jointly develop the Yangtze River coastline, leading to several major projects. But these projects are all about ’getting on the train first and buying tickets later’, many people oppose them, and they’ve been reported to the Ministry of Transport, as the navigation authorities had a special inspection this summer."

Han Yu continued with a smile: "You know the situation of the Port Authority; even though it was transferred to the city, it still has to accept the leadership of the Ministry of Transport. The superiors ordered the city to rectify the situation, and Director He has connections in Hanwu, reported to the superiors, asking them to include firefighting issues in the rectification."

Upon realization, Zhang Junyan couldn’t help but laugh, "Without prior approval, they expanded the docks and invested in so many projects along the river, even planning to build a large floating crane platform to do transshipment in the river. This doesn’t just involve water traffic safety but also water firefighting safety."

Han Yu smiled, "That’s why Director He is confident."

Both being chiefs of the Changhang Bureau, the other could carry out bold reforms and act vigorously in Binjiang, while here in Jiangcheng, one had to be cautious.

Zhang Junyan felt envious and said sentimentally, "He’s air-dropped in with superior support; that’s why he’s so confident."

Yu Xiangqian understood Zhang Junyan’s feelings but couldn’t help at all; after all, the situation in Jiangcheng was different from Binjiang. Jiangcheng was the provincial capital, and the Jiangcheng Police Bureau Water Division was so formidable that the Changhang Bureau simply didn’t rank.

Yu Xiangqian cleared his throat and asked, "What’s the city’s attitude towards Director He using the superior’s pressure?"

"Sister Zhu said the city also thinks there should be more investment in the Port District and water firefighting, saying the new ship can’t be built in a day or two and plan to invest in stages. Funding is tight this year, so they will allocate five hundred thousand first. Next year one million, and the remaining two and a half million will be allotted over four years."

"A total of four million, starting with five hundred thousand?"

"Mhm."

"What did Director He say?"

"Director He is worried about delays that might arise over time. Originally, the plan was to strive for more. However, both the city and the Port Authority are aware that we have five million. Building a ship is like constructing buildings; temporarily, we indeed don’t need that much money, so they didn’t comment much on it. But the final decision hasn’t been made yet; we have to wait for the mayor’s approval."

"As long as the city agrees, they shouldn’t withhold the remaining ’progress payments’. By the way, with ten million, what kind of ship are you planning to build?"

When it comes to the soon-to-be-built new ship, Han Yu spoke like an expert.

Yu Xiangqian and Zhang Junyan were baffled.

"Ten million is something I couldn’t even dare to dream of before, so I can’t rush to build. I must consider everything thoroughly. Not only must I consider the river but also the sea. Not only the water but also the shore."

"Considering the shore?"

"The Port District is so large; various newly-built docks and oil, chemical warehouses also occupy significant areas. The water cannons on my firefighting ship, even at their strongest, can only spray a maximum of a hundred and seventy to eighty meters. If a major fire breaks out on the shore and water and foam can’t spray over, what then?"

Zhang Junyan asked, "So, how do you solve this problem?"

Han Yu smiled and said, "My new ship will have the capability to supply water and deliver foam extinguishing agents to land fires. My ship, anchored by the river, can continuously draw water with high pump pressure, delivering high pressure and large flow of water through multiple outlets.

After returning, I’ll consult with the Binjiang Fire Department to see what type of hoses their fire trucks use, especially the model of hose couplings. We’ll choose compatible dividers during construction. My new ship is essentially a large pump that can supply water to at least six fire trucks simultaneously!"

Yu Xiangqian subconsciously asked, "Supplying water from offshore?"

"Not just water, but also foam."

Han Yu thought for a moment and then added, "How many tons of foam can a truck carry? How many tons can my ship carry? The difficulty of water firefighting is firstly, the lack of advanced equipment, and secondly, the difficulty in logistics support. Once the new ship is built, we should be able to fight fires on the water for at least thirty hours. During this period, there’s no need to worry about running out of fuel or foam. With those thirty hours, logistics support will definitely keep up."

Perhaps in others’ eyes, if a fire can’t be put out within thirty hours, the firefighters are incompetent.

In fact, for major fires, extinguishing them within thirty hours is very very challenging, and many large fires can even take five to six days, or seven to eight days to be fully extinguished.

And in tackling a major fire, the first issue to resolve is the water source. How much pressure can a fire hydrant provide, how powerful can a fire truck’s pump be? In complicated fire situations, even finding water can be challenging.

Having high-powered fire rescue ships providing water changes the game entirely. As long as the water delivery can be resolved, fire occurrences within two kilometers along the riverbank don’t need to worry about the water source or even water pressure issues.

Yu Xiangqian thought this approach was excellent. After a moment of silence, he looked up and said, "Salted Fish, you can’t just be busy with this and that. You should also focus on learning."

"I have been studying; coming to Jiangcheng is part of that learning."

"I’m not talking about self-study exams, but about enhancing theoretical learning."

"What theory?" Han Yu was utterly confused.

Seeing that the ladies had left, Yu Xiangqian lit a cigarette and gently explained, "You’ve worked hard and achieved many accomplishments. But now that you are a Deputy Division Commander, the standards by which your superiors judge your capabilities are not merely based on how seriously and responsibly you work, how many major cases you’ve investigated, or how many fires you’ve extinguished.

Instead, they look at the breadth of your vision, the depth of your thoughts, and the solidity of your theory. Specifically, whether you can write, whether you can speak eloquently, whether you handle affairs comprehensively, whether you have strong coordination abilities. Only by having these qualities and combining theory with practice can you be a good and capable officer."

Isn’t writing the job of a writer?

Han Yu was confused, his face filled with incomprehension.

Yu Xiangqian looked back at Zhang Junyan and continued, "Many educated police officers fall into the misconception that once they are at a grassroots unit, they need to start from scratch there. Not studying, not reading newspapers, not reading books, they rush around daily without focusing on theoretical learning.

For most officers who haven’t received that higher level of education, that’s the only path they can take. But you’re different. You have an associate degree, you’re taking a self-study examination for a bachelor’s degree, plus you’ve seen the world. You can’t just focus on the practical side; you must also pay attention to theory, you must walk on two legs."

Han Yu never expected Director Yu to say these things, and said with a bitter face, "Director Yu, I can’t write."

"How can you not?"

Yu Xiangqian asked back, speaking very seriously and sternly, "Look at the leaders in the Provincial Department, each one has written their way up, all relying on the pen, on the theory. The higher you go, the higher the demand for theoretical knowledge. The lower you go, the higher the demand for practical abilities. If you understand the practical situations and have theoretical knowledge, you can take on greater responsibilities.

Moreover, the process of writing articles is actually one of in-depth research and thinking, aimed at advancing specific work from a higher level, with a broader perspective and a deeper combination of theory and practice. Without this aspect, you won’t have a strong foundation for future growth."

Han Yu had never seen Director Yu so serious before and replied with a wry smile, "I’ve never studied theory, so I can’t write anything even if I wanted to."

"There are many types of theory, such as water firefighting. The things you just talked about are very insightful. You could further research and ponder on these, compile them into an article, and submit it to firefighting journals and magazines. Or, for example, in terms of water law enforcement equipment, you have clear thoughts and great ideas. Why not write them down and publish them?"

Seeing the astonishment on Han Yu’s face, Yu Xiangqian emphasized, "Writing articles not only allows you to think more comprehensively, but once published, it can also provide references for peers."

"I can write about these, but is it so easy to get published?"

"Submit your work multiple times. If it’s not accepted, it shows that your thoughts are not mature enough, or even lacking in some areas. You need to reflect on whether there’s something wrong with your approach. This is like testing yourself; it is a form of training for you and can help you grow."

Zhang Junyan deeply agreed and patted Han Yu on the arm, "Listen to Director Yu. Times have changed, and so have the criteria for promotion. You are different from me. You need to learn from Director Yu. Only by combining theory with practice, walking on two legs, can you progress."