Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 1190 - 52: A Righteous Roar on the Road (1)

"They're unreasonable, they impose random fines, and we still have to ask someone to intercede!"

"The shipping schedule can't be delayed; we can't afford any delays."

"Those bastards, haven't they become local tyrants? Is there seriously no one who can manage them?"

"Bad deeds will eventually catch up to them. Like I've said before, the priority is to get the certificates back and move the ship. As for those bastards, someone will deal with them sooner or later."

"Sister Ningning, how is this any different from admitting defeat?"

Dealing with those people over there requires some thought and a process.

Han Xiangning didn't want to say too much to Xiao Yu; she turned around and said, "San'er, I've also called Uncle Ge, and he happens to know the former director of Wujiang Transportation Bureau; he's helping us get in touch."

Why do those who impose random fines and even demand bribes act so boldly? Firstly, most of the fined ships are indeed overloaded, and secondly, the shipowners can't afford to contend with them!

Running water transport can be lucrative, but the investments are large.

Many new ships are built with loans, and shipowners have to calculate repaying bank loans. Additionally, the various fees for operating the ship accumulate quickly; even being detained for a day can cost thousands of yuan.

Han Yu agreed with the point made by his senior sister that the priority is to get the certificates back but didn't want to use this method. Since his senior sister had already asked Sister Zhu and Old Ge for help, he had no choice but to nod in agreement.

On the first day of 1999, this kind of vexing situation occurred.

The lunch provided by Cosco Shipyard was quite lavish, all ordered from "Veteran Fast Food," but Han Yu, Xiao Yu, and the silent Zhu Baogen found it unappetizing.

It was cold by the riverside; after eating, they took the Maritime Bureau's car to Lang Mountain.

The Customs Anti-Smuggling Dock was completed.

Although it's called a dock, it's actually a reinforced concrete pier extending into the river, with a flat barge moored at the end, and the soon-to-be-retired Customs 08 vessel was anchored next to the barge.

Sister Zhu was about to board the flat barge to see if the pier, extending over fifty meters into the river, would affect navigational safety when her phone suddenly rang.

The outside wind was strong, making it hard to hear the conversation.

She returned to the car to take the call.

Han Yu and Han Xiangning waited outside for about ten minutes; Sister Zhu emerged from the car with a bitter smile, saying, "Salted Fish, Ningning, Director Liu said the leaders from Guzhou Transportation Bureau have talked it over, so your dad or brother can pay a 300 yuan fine at the checkpoint this afternoon."

It was clearly those bastards who were at fault, yet they still required someone to plead and even pay a fine; what kind of situation is this?

Han Yu asked, half-kidding and half-serious, "And then?"

"Then fetch back the certificates and sooner send the coal suppliers to Xingchang."

Sister Zhu also found the situation too absurd; it was difficult to deal with those rotten apples immediately, so she added with a bitter smile, "Have your dad confidently and boldly set sail; you probably won't get fined again if you pass Wujiang on the return trip."

Han Yu couldn't help but ask, "Do I have to thank them, even owe them a favor?"

"This is the best solution I can think of. If you feel aggrieved, do as your master did when he escorted Linghai Shipping Company fleets by taking some men to Wujiang to give those bastards a taste of their own medicine."

"Thank you, Sister Zhu."

"Don't run that line unless you talk it over with your dad; no matter how high the freight cost gets, don't run it again."

"I understand."

Having to bow before a bunch of law-breaking rotten apples was equally frustrating for Sister Zhu, and she didn't want to see the Customs Anti-Smuggling Dock anymore, so she made an excuse about a family matter to return to the city.

Han Yu watched Sister Zhu drive off, then took Little Han Han along a mountain path to the small villa where Old Ge and Master's wife were temporarily staying.

He hadn't expected it to be quite lively there.

Director Feng sat in the sunroom with Old Ge, sipping tea while playing chess.

Director Feng's wife, Aunt Yao, was sitting on the sofa with the Master's wife watching TV; they were delighted to see Little Han Han arrive...

Han Yu greeted Aunt Yao and Master's wife, then entered the sunroom and pulled out a chair to sit down.

"Salted Fish, you came at the perfect time. I was just about to call you."

"About the issue with my family's ship?"

"Yes." Old Ge made a move, sighed, and said, "Out of sight, out of mind; this saying is absolutely true. The former director of Wujiang Transportation Bureau is very enthusiastic and helpful, but he retired several years ago. The current director doesn't quite give him face, and ultimately your dad has to pay a 300 yuan fine."

Han Yu was silent for a moment, then softly said, "Three hundred yuan isn't much, but this whole situation is a bit perplexing."

"You're not the only one puzzled, the former director is equally puzzled and displeased. But he has retired; nobody listens to him anymore, and his displeasure is of no use."

"If only my family has to spend 300 yuan to resolve this, what do those ships without connections do?"

"I'm someone who has retired from active duty; even if I hadn't retired, I wouldn't be able to handle matters in Wujiang."

You're a professor-level senior engineer and an expectant father; how can you merely shrug it off?

Han Yu was secretly musing when Director Feng looked up and said with a smile, "Salted Fish, if you think this phenomenon shouldn't exist, you should consider how to handle those lawless bastards."

Old Ge agreed wholeheartedly and even started to sing: "Roar when injustice is seen, take action when necessary, storm through the lands..."

Han Yu was amused, and he asked Director Feng and Uncle Ge with a laugh, "Do you want me to take action?"

"They've bullied you into a corner; if it were me, I wouldn't tolerate this humiliation!"

"Salted Fish, you're a child of the shipping company; the shipping company still has quite a few people operating ships, and there might be people running on the Xinghu-Shen Line. If your master were alive, he definitely wouldn't be indifferent."

"You two are watching the excitement without fearing things will escalate."

"As we've aged, our edges have worn down; there's no drive, no adventurous spirit, so we can only watch the excitement."

"Master Ge, you're about to become a father again, but your drive and adventurous spirit seem quite evident!"

"Director Feng, is it necessary to talk about this with children present?"

"Not necessarily, but at least give Salted Fish some advice; you can't let Salted Fish charge in recklessly."

"Yes, Uncle Ge, give me at least a useful tip."

"I don't have any clever tips, just a reminder."

Old Ge set down the chess piece and said meaningfully, "Salted Fish, you're not a naive newcomer; you should understand the concept of 'pulling one hair affects the whole body.' Binjiang is like a brother city to that place; precisely speaking, Binjiang is just a little brother, so don't expect to get much support in Binjiang."

Director Feng sighed softly, saying in a subdued tone, "I reckon Customs and Marine are equally unlikely to support you."

Wujiang is a county under Guzhou's jurisdiction.

How formidable Guzhou is, with such impressive economic development and great attention from superiors, if you mess with Wujiang, it's like slapping their face.

Han Yu had already considered this; he mulled over it for a moment and said, "I feel Wujiang Marine's reason for arbitrary fines is partly driven by economic interests and partly because most of the freight ships running on the Xinghu-Shen Line are from East Sea and Zhehai."

"There's a possibility." Old Ge nodded.

After weighing things, Han Yu contemplated and said, "Since we can't provoke them, let those who can provoke them do it."

Old Ge was delighted and said with a laugh, "That's right; there's no need to be at the forefront of everything. Even if those guys disrupt the Xinghu-Shen Line, it won't greatly impact Jiangnan's economic construction, but it will have a big impact on East Sea. You should know that at least eighty percent of the building materials East Sea needs are shipped from Zhebei via the Xinghu-Shen Line."

Han Yu laughed and asked, "So, I need to make a trip to East Sea?"

Director Feng picked up his teacup and said casually, "The Port Supervision Bureau became the Maritime Bureau, but Changhang Police Bureau remains Changhang Police Bureau."

Han Yu could hear the implications in Director Feng's words and laughed, "I haven't seen Director He in a long time; it seems I could take a day off to visit my former leader. The situation in Wujiang segment on the Xinghu-Shen Line can be reported to the East Sea City Transportation Bureau through Director He."

...

PS: That's all for today, but both chapters are long, so the word count hasn't decreased.