CHAPTER 507: CHAPTER 355: SO IT WAS HER!

Just write it, after all, it’s an article about my major.

And I’ve already obtained the intermediate firefighting title, and in a few years, I will definitely apply for the deputy senior title, and writing papers is also required for that.

After a week of coaching classes, I returned to work officially at Bailong Port.

Old Liu could retire early, according to the notification from the branch, Han Yu was officially appointed as the Deputy Director and Acting Director of the Bailong Port Police Station of the Changhang Public Security Bureau Binjiang Branch. Chen Zikun’s transfer procedures were also completed, and he was appointed as the Deputy Instructor of the Bailong Port Police Station.

Returning to Bailong Port felt great, albeit a bit quieter compared to before the business trip.

In the morning, after seeing off Bai Shen, Bai Liu and the high-speed passenger ferry heading for Wusong Port, the once bustling Bailong Port Passenger Pier was empty, with only a few elderly men and women selling fruits and seeds left.

With no one around, the doors are closed and I head back to the Dunship.

As I drove to the river embankment, I saw Chen Zikun cleaning with Zhang Ping, Xiao Gong, and Zhu Baogen.

Han Yu parked the car and jumped out to ask, "What are you all doing, why are you cleaning up here on the shore?"

While sweeping, Chen Zikun explained, "This afternoon, the local officials of Linghai will bring businesspeople here for an inspection."

"What are they inspecting here?"

"It’s not us they’re inspecting, they’re using our boat 001 to take businesspeople to inspect the river. I heard they’re planning to invest in the construction of a port. Building dock berths is different from constructing factories; they need to inspect both the shore and the waterway."

Han Yu had heard from Director Zhou during his last visit to his old unit that Linghai was planning to build a port.

I didn’t expect the city to act so quickly; hardly any rumors had spread before they brought businesspeople for inspection.

Han Yu turned back and asked, "They want to use our 001, who informed you?"

"The city notified Director Zhou, Director Zhou called us, you were on duty at the pier, I picked up the call. We could refuse others, but we can’t refuse Director Zhou."

Chen Zikun stood up and couldn’t help but laugh, "Moreover, you are a member of the Political Consultative Conference of Linghai, the port construction and economic development in Linghai don’t concern us outsiders, but it concerns you."

Indeed, he was elected as a member of the Political Consultative Conference of Linghai, but until today, he had never visited the municipal Political Consultative Conference, nor had he participated in any of its meetings.

Han Yu didn’t think that being a member meant he had to comply with the city’s requests, and he laughed, "Accompanying businesspeople to inspect the waterway means going to Sanhe Waters, and we might even sail west to Yingchuan Port. This round trip is about sixty kilometers, and who knows how long the inspection will take; who will cover the fuel cost?"

"Director Zhou said it would be covered by the Transportation Bureau."

"That’s good, we can accompany them for the inspection, but we should not be out of pocket for the fuel cost."

"Director Yu, Director Zhou has really helped us a lot. Without his support, could we have dealt with that fraudulent school? It’s rare for Director Zhou to ask you for help, can’t you be a bit more generous?"

"I would like to be generous, but I don’t have the money to afford it."

His immediate boss was as stingy as ever when it came to money.

Chen Zikun laughed, and even Zhang Ping couldn’t help laughing.

Xiao Gong curiously asked, "Director Yu, did you send the new police officers who just joined the bureau this year to the Port Authority to learn how to pilot tugboats?"

"How did you know?"

"The master I apprenticed with at the pier told me."

"Do you want to go?"

"No, just asking."

Xiao Gong looked embarrassed.

Although 001 is also a tugboat, it is an old one, incomparable to the full-revolution tugboats of the Port Authority.

Everyone wants to learn to operate bigger and more advanced boats.

Han Yu realized that the young man was envious, and couldn’t help but smile, "They are police academy graduates, they haven’t learned about piloting vessels nor marine engine technology; they have no foundation, how can they directly learn to pilot?"

Xiao Gong quietly asked, "Then why are they on the port learning about tugboats?"

Han Yu laughed, "They start as apprentice sailors, learning from the very basics. Not only do they need to learn how to become qualified crew members, but also participate in training with the Binjiang Port Main Fire Brigade. Boss Fang has tailored a training plan combining onshore and water firefighting for them; if you want, I can send you there too."

The squadron leader of the Binjiang Port Main Fire Brigade, Fang Guoya, converted from the Binjiang Fire Department, had received water firefighting training at Bailong Port, and even his old comrades-in-arms had a tough time under him; you can imagine how tough it will be for the new recruits the bureau allocated this year.

"I’m not going, I was just asking. I’ll just stay here honestly."

Xiao Gong waved his hands, and everyone couldn’t help but laugh again.

Chen Zikun was about to inquire about the progress of the construction of new ships when a black Santana slowly drove by.

Han Yu stood by the road, wondering who it was when the car stopped, and a familiar face emerged.

"Commissioner Ding, what brings you here?"

"I thought I’d have a peaceful time after stepping down, but it turned out to be busier than before. Let me introduce, this is Director Chu from the Transportation Bureau, and this lady is Comrade Jiang Meimei from the Transportation Bureau. Secretary Ye will personally accompany the businesspeople for a river inspection this afternoon; we are here to prepare ahead."

"Captain Han, sorry for the inconvenience, but we need to borrow your law enforcement ship, and we appreciate your cooperation."

"No problem at all, Director Chu, welcome."

The female comrade who came along was very young and pretty, she seemed a bit shy and hid behind Director Chu, causing Han Yu to take a few more glances.

Commissioner Ding instinctively looked back and laughed, "Salted Fish, don’t go to the pier canteen for lunch today. We stopped by the Bailong Port Restaurant on our way here, and Director Chu has arranged everything for lunch."

It’s a bit embarrassing to admit that Linghai doesn’t have a respectable ship to send the city leaders and the businesspeople for a river inspection.

Asking for a favor requires some sincerity.

Director Chu quickly smiled, "Captain Han, let’s have lunch together, please honor us with your company."

Bailong Port Passenger Pier’s shipping routes and flights are decreasing, and so are the pier’s leaders and staff; even the canteen’s meals are not as good as before.

When the Transportation Bureau is treating, the meal is not to be missed.

Han Yu turned to look at the Dunship, feeling slightly embarrassed, he said, "Director Chu, it’s not just a few of us on the Dunship, but also comrades from the Third Team of the Port Patrol. Plus, 001 isn’t actually ours; it belongs to the Port Supervision Bureau."

"I know, let’s go together, I’ve seen it, there’s a big round table over there, definitely enough seats."

"Then I won’t stand on ceremony."

"What are you talking about, you guys not only have to provide the boat and crew but also have to clean up, it’s quite troublesome for you, sorry about that."

"No worries, the wind is strong onshore, let’s go and sit on the dunship for a while."

"Alright, thank you."

...

The dunship is property of the Port Supervision Bureau, and when guests arrive on the dunship, Deputy Captain Han Xiangning in charge of overseeing the work, naturally had to make an appearance to greet them. She quickly put down the half-knitted sweater and welcomed Commissioner Ding, Director Chu, and a very shy and nervous Jiang Meimei to the second floor.

This was Director Chu’s first time on a boat, so of course, he wanted to take a tour.

Han Yu was preparing to accompany and introduce him when Commissioner Ding pulled him aside.

"Commissioner, what’s up?"

"Old Qian went to Hanwu, did he take his fishing gear?"

"You want to fish?"

"Now I’m just stepping back from the front line, and in a few years, I’ll retire, and what comes after retirement if not fishing? I want to get a feel for the retired life early."

"No problem, the fishing rods are here, I’ll get them for you."

Han Yu left his senior colleague to entertain the guests and dug out Old Qian’s left-behind fishing equipment from the storage room, and found a shovel to accompany the older commissioner ashore to dig earthworms for fishing bait.

Back on shore, Commissioner Ding watched Salted Fish dig up earthworms and asked nonchalantly, "Salted Fish, how were you initially assigned to our bureau? Did your master ever tell you?"

This was really old, trite stuff.

Han Yu was startled briefly, then looked up and smiled, "He did tell me, but only later. I couldn’t believe that I actually contributed so much to the bureau, solving so many colleagues’ housing issues."

"And you got a few more year-end goodies out of it too."

"Commissioner, you knew about this too!"

"I might’ve known before your master." Commissioner Ding laughed a bit, then asked, "Do you know why your master didn’t tell you at the beginning?"

Han Yu responded without hesitation, "I know, he said I was too young then, at a critical time for forming personal and world views, he didn’t want me to know too much messy stuff. Plus, the superiors had arranged a job for me, it was just a change of position, making a fuss wouldn’t solve anything."

"Do you know who took over your original position?"

"My master didn’t say, and I didn’t ask; there was no point in asking. Besides, being assigned to the police bureau turned out good for me, ’a blessing in disguise’ as they say. Looking back, I should thank them."

"I’m relieved to hear you say that."

"Commissioner, what do you mean by that?"

Commissioner Ding looked back at the dunship and smiled, "The person who took over your position back then was Xiao Jiang, but like you, she was just a kid then. Those were decisions made by the adults, and she was too young and a bit introverted, so naturally, she went along with whatever the adults said."

"So it was her!"

"Don’t look now, if she sees you, she’ll only fear you more and feel more awkward facing you."

"She knows about this?"

"She graduated from a normal school, which meant she should’ve been assigned to teach at a rural primary school, but she was placed in the Transportation Bureau instead. Later, because a building was relinquished to accommodate our police bureau, many in the transportation sector were unhappy. Who knows who let it slip, they couldn’t confront your master, so they targeted her instead."

"What happened then?"

"She couldn’t raise her head, you can imagine how much pressure she was under."

That’s really shooting oneself in the foot.

Han Yu actually felt some sympathy for the woman currently touring the ship, then asked, "She knew about me a long time ago and knew I was at Bailong Port, obviously uncomfortable meeting me, why did she still come?"

Commissioner Ding, shielding himself from the wind, lit a cigarette and took several drags before explaining, "The personnel have changed so much over the years, the previous leaders of the Transportation Bureau knew, but the current leaders don’t know about these matters. Maybe because she looks rather young and presentable, capable of representing the image of the Transportation Bureau and even of Linghai, they arranged for her to pave the way for welcoming clients later in the afternoon."

Pretty young women participating in receptions seems to be an unwritten rule.

That’s how it was in Linghai Police Bureau; whenever higher-ups came for inspections or research, Zhang Lan would help serve tea and pour water.

The situation was the same at Changhang Bureau; when his sister had just transferred there, she often got called to reception duties for higher echelon leaders.

And the same held at the Port Supervision Bureau - ’serving tea and pouring water’ was a task his senior colleague had often performed.

Han Yu scratched his head, muttering, "Commissioner, you really didn’t need to tell me all this; telling me doesn’t serve any purpose."

Thinking of the nervous journey the young woman had made from the urban area to Bailong Port, Commissioner Ding hesitated for a moment, then crouched down and said, "Salted Fish, if a person has an emotional burden, it will weigh heavy on their heart, and they won’t enjoy whatever they do. If they can’t get over it themselves, they might live in its shadow their entire life."

Han Yu could not miss the implication in the old commissioner’s words and wondered, "To untie a bell, the person who tied it must be involved, should I confront her and forgive her?"

"If your master were here, how would he advise you?"

"My master was straightforward and fair, he would never dwell on past affairs, much less keep them in his heart."

"That’s it."

"The key is, I don’t feel she has wronged me; there’s nothing really to forgive."

"But she doesn’t know that, and perhaps because of this, she hasn’t had a partner up till now."

"She doesn’t have a partner?"

"No."

"This is tricky; I need to talk to Ningning first."

The young man had risen to be Deputy Division Commander but he was still as frugal and fearful of Han Xiangning as before.

Commissioner Ding finally gave in, laughing and said, "Later you can ask Ningning privately."