Binjiang Police Affairs

Comrade Old Shi was full of confidence and ready to make a big splash.

In the morning, he called to say that Director Zhou had signed the approval for the bank to assist, and the procedure was in hand. He emphasized cryptically that the matter should not be publicized; the fewer people who knew, the better.

After all, there were too few clues at hand, not even close to a start. A high-profile investigation would be ridiculed if no leads were found in the end. Moreover, it would not align well with investigation procedures. If proof could be found, it would cover a multitude of faults, but if nothing was uncovered and yet stirred up public attention, it would put the leaders in a difficult position.

Initiating an investigation into bank accounts without a case or solid evidence was no small matter.

Han Yu even suspected that he might have gotten Director Zhou drunk first and tricked a groggy Zhou into signing the consent.

Regardless of how the paperwork came about, it was definitely a good thing.

However, Han Yu felt somewhat guilty every time he thought of the excitement in his voice over the phone.

Because even if everything was verified and the smuggling personnel were successfully intercepted, it would not result in the victory that Comrade Old Shi was hoping for.

The Snake Head was hiding abroad, organizing the smuggling with extreme secrecy, only making contact via phone without showing his face. Catching the Snake Head would not be easy, nor would seizing the illicit money, which might have already been transferred overseas.

In short, it was a thankless task.

But considering the risks involved in smuggling and the safety of so many smuggled individuals, Han Yu decided not to tell him just yet and let him organize his "trusted ones" to conduct the investigation.

As the Spring Festival approached, there were more passengers taking the ferries than usual.

As the acting director of Bailong Port Police Station, Han Yu had to stay at the pier every morning and could not spare time to investigate.

There were no major incidents, but plenty of minor ones.

Just ten minutes ago, Zhang Ping discovered an elderly man attempting to bring a large bundle of firecrackers into the waiting room.

"Sir, fireworks and firecrackers are hazardous goods; you cannot bring them onto the ferry."

"I won't be setting them off on the boat, so what's the danger?"

"Even if you don't set them off on the ferry, you can't bring them."

"Comrade, I've bought the ticket, and the boat is arriving soon. If you ask me to return these firecrackers, I won't make it in time. Please help me out, let me take them aboard."

"I can help with other things, but I can't help with this."

The elderly man's daughter and son-in-law lived in the East Sea. He was not only going to reunite with them but also to celebrate his grandchild's birthday.

According to Linghai customs, the grandfather should buy firecrackers.

He was not well-educated and could not be reasoned with. Han Yu simply pointed to the poster about hazardous materials on the wall, giving a serious and stern warning, "It's almost New Year's, and we don't want to make it difficult or unpleasant, and that's why we are discussing it with you nicely. On a normal day, or if it were a younger person, we would confiscate the firecrackers and even fine you according to the rules."

The elderly man was illiterate but could understand the pictogram. Hesitantly, he murmured, "I used to be able to bring them before, why can't I now?"

"It was never allowed before, sir. Let's not argue about it, you definitely can't board the ferry like this."

"What about all these firecrackers?"

Confiscating them was not an option he would like.

It would be too bureaucratic and lacking in humanity to deal strictly by the book with an old man in the twelfth lunar month.

Not wanting to cause the old man and his family to never ride from Bailong Port again over this small matter, Han Yu simply smiled and asked, "How much did you spend on these firecrackers?"

"Twenty-eight."

"Why bring them all the way to the East Sea when they're also sold there?"

"The firecrackers are pricier in the East Sea, I've bought them there before."

It was not easy for the old man to earn money and he was thrifty in his daily life.

After weighing the situation, Han Yu took out his recently purchased wallet and said, "Twenty-eight, right? I'll buy them."

The old man was persistent because he was reluctant for the firecrackers he spent tens of yuan on to be confiscated. Seeing that the young police officer was willing to buy, he asked with some embarrassment, "You really buying?"

"Really buying."

Han Yu pulled out the money and said with a smile, "Lucky you only spent twenty-eight. If this bundle cost thirty-eight, I really couldn't afford it, I only have thirty yuan."

...

The old man took the thirty yuan and gave two back to Han Yu. Although he was somewhat embarrassed, he still maintained a tough and unhappy demeanor, grumbling as he returned to the waiting room.

Zhang Ping looked down at the large bundle of firecrackers at his feet, smiled wryly, and said, "Director Yu, you actually paid to buy them off him, is this an appropriate way to handle it?"

The sound of a steam whistle came from outside; the Bai Shen had arrived and was slowly approaching the Dunship at the pier.

Han Yu buckled his utility belt, picked up the walkie-talkie, opened the south-facing door, and walked towards the Dunship with Zhang Ping, smiling, "The New Year is coming, and it's impossible not to set off firecrackers. Who cares who we buy them from?"

"Your father seemed to have bought some yesterday."

"Then we'll set off more. My sister and brother-in-law, my brother and sister-in-law, and my in-laws are all coming for the New Year's Eve dinner in a few days. There will be a lot of people and kids; we can make it lively with more firecrackers."

Worried that Zhang Ping wouldn't understand, Han Yu stopped, looked back at Director Wang of Bailong Port Village, and lamented as he saw the "Welcome to China Bailong Port" sign that Zhang Erxiao had suggested installing at the pier just a few days earlier, "We are all Bailong Port people now; we should do what we can for Bailong Port."

"What do you mean?"

"Bailong Port is already in decline and desolation; we can't let it fall and wither further. For those of us working at the pier, passengers are our gods. We should cherish every single passenger. We can't let the old man and his family members be discouraged from coming here to take the ferry in the future because of this small issue."

"Service attitude should be good?"

"It must be good. Who would want to come here if the service attitude were poor?"

"But we are the police."

Zhang Ping was amused and laughed again: "Director Yu, don't delude yourself. Others might not know, but you should be very clear that people's willingness to take the boat has little to do with good service. Previously, when land transportation was not as developed as it is now, people had to rely on boats to travel. Even though the service was not great, tickets were still hard to come by."

Han Yu agreed with this view, as the service in the past was indeed not that impressive, but he still said with a smile: "It's precisely because we have to compete with land transport that we need to improve our service quality."

At this time, the passenger ship, with the help of two pier workers, safely docked at the dunship.

Two sailors opened the guardrail, and Shao Lei, who had just been promoted to deputy captain of the onboard police half a year ago, holding a folder, led a seventeen or eighteen-year-old kid off the boat first.

"Brother Shao, good morning."

"What good morning? Today we were delayed again because of waiting for the tide, more than half an hour late."

Shao Lei, out of habit, passed the folder to Zhang Ping, letting an onboard police officer who had just disembarked handle the handover with Zhang Ping, then turned and said: "This kid doesn't have an ID card and didn't buy a ticket; he sneaked on board at Sixteen Piers Pier when the ticket inspector wasn't paying attention. He's your responsibility now."

Ticket evasion was frequent, but it mainly occurred on long-distance passenger ships like those bound for Jiang Shen and Jiang Han.

Some ticket evaders would buy a short-distance ticket for a small amount of money to board the ship and disembark, then find a crew member to buy another short-distance ticket just before reaching their destination.

Tickets for the Bai Shen were not expensive, and it was a direct route; it would not dock at other piers during the journey, so it was rare to see people evading tickets on the Bai Shen.

A large number of passengers began to disembark, and Han Yu took the boy, whose hair was in disarray and who was hanging his head low, to the side and asked: "What's your name?"

"Ma Zhen."

"Where are you from?"

"Linghai people."

"Which town in Linghai do you live in?"

"Wannian Town."

"Which village in Wannian?"

"Changhe Village."

The accent suggested he was a local, and he didn't seem to be lying.

Thinking about how Shao Lei had been running the Bai Shen Line for so many years and had developed a habit of buying New Year goods at Bailong Port, yesterday he bought some pork and had ordered some sausages made, which were kept in the office, Han Yu and Shao Lei took the young man who had evaded the ticket up to the shore and into the office.

The boy with messy hair suddenly became nervous, and his legs could not help but tremble uncontrollably.

Shao Lei saw it clearly and immediately gave Han Yu a knowing look.

Han Yu also noticed, opened a drawer to take out paper and pen, while signaling Ma Zhen to sit down, and asked casually: "How old are you this year?"

"Seventeen."

"Where did you come back from?"

"East Sea."

"When did you go to East Sea?"

"This summer."

"What did you do in East Sea?"

"Work."

"What kind of work?"

"Miscellaneous jobs at a restaurant."

"What is the name of the restaurant you worked at, and in which district of East Sea?"

...

Ma Zhen answered smoothly, but became even more nervous than before, his hands trembling.

Han Yu realized that this kid definitely had a problem and pressed on: "You worked for half a year, and the boss didn't pay you?"

"He always delayed it. I didn't want to work there anymore, so I came back. Office Yu, I know it's wrong to evade the ticket. Let me go back, and I will bring the money tomorrow."

"You'll have money when you go back?"

"I'll ask my dad for it."

"Wannian is so far from here, how are you going to get back?"

"I'll walk back."

"You've been working in East Sea for half a year, don't you have any luggage, no change of clothes, and you just came back empty-handed?"

"No."

"It's this late and you're still lying. Stand up!" Han Yu slammed the desk loudly.

Ma Zhen was startled and hurriedly stood up, with a pained expression, he said: "Office Yu, I... I... didn't lie..."

Han Yu stood up and pushed him against the wall, while searching his body, he said coldly: "You said you've been working at the restaurant for half a year and the boss didn't pay you, so you're just wearing these clothes. But working in a restaurant is different from other places, it's impossible not to have the smell of cooking on you. Why is there no trace of it on you?"

Ma Zhen was rendered speechless, his head drooping, trembling all over like he was sifting through chaff.

Seizing the opportunity, Shao Lei said: "Nowadays, communication is very convenient, I can call the Pudong Police Bureau right now, asking them to help check if there's the restaurant you just mentioned."

Ma Zhen, breaking out in cold sweat, went limp and collapsed into the corner.

Han Yu was sure the kid had an issue, immediately took out handcuffs to cuff him, and then gave him a pat on the shoulder: "I also need to make a call to Wannian Police Station, asking them to help check if Changhe Third Team has someone like you."