Zhao Guofu, suspected of receiving and selling stolen goods, sought leniency by reporting three leads.
Lu Zhonghua and Lu Zhongjun, brothers suspected of producing and selling inferior diesel, also realized they had hit a crackdown and reported two leads to seek lighter punishment.
Directors He and Peng did not expect such a harvest and organized an investigation silently.
Changhang Bureau and Water Police Station dispatched all available officers to the "investigation base" at Bailong Port. Political Commissioner Jiang and Political Commissioner Wang even rushed to Bailong Port on the pretext of business trips. Han Yu, initially in charge of the severe crackdown on water-related crimes, was downgraded to handle a major case of water theft.
What needed to be done now was not only monitoring coal transporting ships, not just gathering evidence, nor only focusing on Chen Xiaojuan’s gang involved in receiving and selling stolen goods, but also asking the Port Supervision Bureau for help in locating another twenty-three ships that transported iron ore in the first half of the year.
There is a Port Supervision Bureau in Jiangcheng as well, but Director Zhang’s relationship with Jiangcheng Port Supervision Bureau was average.
Moreover, to find the whereabouts of suspected ships, one only needs to find one Port Supervision Bureau; there’s no need to involve too many. Otherwise, it is neither conducive to maintaining secrecy nor would it avoid conflicts of information.
Director Tang and Sister Zhu were very helpful; one personally called the leaders of Yangtze River Port Supervision Bureau to report the situation, requesting the superiors to send inquiry letters to all branches in the Yangtze River Port Supervision System, asking them to emphasize confidentiality. The other contacted local port supervisors in Binjiang and its surrounding cities to keep an eye out.
Considering many engineering ships were operating on the river under the navigation system, Han Yu also asked Director He to contact the Yangtze River Navigation Bureau to alert the waterway operators.
Local police sometimes think Changhang navigation police lack professionalism, but when investigating such water-based cases, the prowess of Changhang navigation police shines through.
Living on the Yangtze River head, I live on the Yangtze River tail.
A large net was cast, covering over two thousand kilometers of the Yangtze River mainline and several major tributaries, countless eyes helping to monitor ships navigating, entering, and exiting ports and going through locks.
At four twenty-seven in the afternoon, feedback came from the Hanwu Port Supervision Bureau.
Six cargo ships that had transported iron ore in the first half of the year had entered Dongting Lake through Jingjiang four days ago.
These six ships are used for transport, not tourism, and their tonnage along with the conditions of the inland waterways determine their range of activity. Han Yu quickly narrowed down several cities in Nanhu Province they might head to and immediately called Director He.
Director He was very pleased, stood up with a smile, and said, "You’ve quickly located the six ships, well done!"
"They have to enter ports and go through locks, so they’ll definitely leave some traces."
"Now that we’ve roughly identified their location, hurry and send out inquiry letters, asking local police to assist in the search."
But Han Yu was concerned if it was not the right time to request local police to investigate water-based cases during a stringent crackdown, as they too had their tasks and issues to address.
Worried about bothering the director, Han Yu reiterated, "They’re still unloading at Yingchuan Port, and Chen Xiaojuan’s gang is ’unloading’ in Xingtai Waters. Although Director Zhang has cast a net in Jiangcheng and controlled nine ships and their crews, it’s not yet time to close the net.
In other words, even if our peers in Nanhu can locate those six ships, we can’t ask them to detain or arrest anyone. And it’s unlikely they would monitor the ships on our behalf at this critical moment."
Monitoring ships is as difficult as monitoring mobile vehicles.
Director He took a deep breath and asked quietly, "What should we do?"
"I suggest sending two people there."
"You know the situation in the bureau; it’s hard to spare anyone now. Besides, even if two people could be sent, they can’t control six ships."
"It’s not easy for two people to monitor six ships, but they can start by keeping an eye on them."
"Have you reported this to Director Zhang?"
"Why don’t you call him and see if he can send two people from his side?"
After thinking, Han Yu said helplessly, "Director He, I reckon Director Zhang can’t spare anyone either."
If Director Zhang can’t spare resources, the Water Police Station also has no personnel available.
Considering Changhang Police Bureau has branches not only in Jiangnan Province but also in the South Sea, Director He weighed his options and said with a wry smile, "This case keeps getting bigger the more we investigate. It seems we can only report to the superiors to see if Changhang Jingzhou Bureau can help."
The more agencies involved, the more the achievements have to be shared.
Han Yu understood the director’s feelings and said with a smile, "Director He, it’s not that the case is getting bigger, but rather the suspects and the ships have high mobility and a large operational range. In fact, this is a key characteristic of river cases, so to truly maintain security on the river, collaboration with sibling bureaus and cross-regional investigations are essential."
"You are correct. We can’t keep to ourselves like before. I’ll report to the superiors right away."
"Thank you for your support, Director He."
"Don’t mention it. You get back to your work, and I’ll make the call right away."
While Director Qian keeps an eye on the coal-transporting ships from the Traffic Control Center building, Han Yu’s main task now is to locate the ships that transported iron ore in the first half of the year.
But in reality, all he could do was wait. Thinking there was nothing else to do at the moment, Han Yu stepped out of the small conference room and knocked on the deputy director’s office door.
"Salted Fish, any updates?"
"No updates for now." Han Yu grinned and asked, "Sister Zhu, which floor is the ship inspection department on?"
Sister Zhu was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "The Ship Inspection Department is on the third floor. What do you need from the Ship Inspection Department?"
"Last time Director Li and his team were inspecting a cargo ship, they passed by Changyu Shipbuilding Factory and accidentally discovered a ship being dismantled that had issues. They called us immediately, really helped us out a lot. I was too busy to get around to it these past few days, but now I finally have some free time, I’d like to go thank them."
"So you’re saying that the ship that was almost turned into scrap metal really had problems?"
"Yes, it was stolen from Zhehai and sold here, and the real owner has been found."
"Who has the audacity to steal a ship over a thousand tons!"
"It’s a long story, the ship owner is also responsible."
Sister Zhu wasn’t interested in how the ship was stolen to Binjiang, she walked around the desk and came up laughing: "The Ship Inspection Department provided you such an important clue that helped you crack a big case, you definitely should thank them properly, but you can’t just talk the talk without action!"
Han Yu hurriedly said, "Don’t worry, Sister Zhu, individuals will be rewarded, and the department will be commended. Once the suspects involved in the theft are arrested, once the case is closed, I personally will treat you and Director Li to a meal."
"That’s more like it, let’s go then, I’ll accompany you."
"Thank you, Sister Zhu."
The Port Supervision Bureau definitely has the best office conditions among all law enforcement units in Binjiang.
The Traffic Control Center building is considered a landmark by the river, equipped with an elevator.
The office building is not as tall as the Traffic Control Center, but it also has an elevator installed.
Han Yu followed Sister Zhu into the elevator to the third floor, just as they walked into the right corridor, he saw a face that was both unfamiliar and somewhat familiar walking out of an office.
"Director Zhu, hello!"
"Xiao Lu, where’s Director Li?"
"Director Li is in the office. Director Li, Director Zhu is looking for you."
A man in his thirties, looking very spirited and handsome, stepped aside and then jokingly asked Han Yu with a smile, "Salted Fish, long time no see, how come you have time to visit our Ship Inspection Department?"
This person’s surname was Lu, named Lu Binxiang, an East Sea person, an undergraduate, graduated from Zhenjiang Shipbuilding College.
His alma mater isn’t well-known to many, but it has a significant reputation within the maritime and shipbuilding systems.
It used to be under the Sixth Machine Department, and there are six colleges under the same department altogether, the other three being Helbin Engineering University, East Sea Transport University, and Hanwu Shipbuilding Vocational Technical College, which shows how prestigious Zhenjiang Shipbuilding College is.
It seems to have been renamed now, called East China Shipbuilding College.
Huang Yuanchang went to Hanwu Shipbuilding Vocational Technical College, which belongs to the same department system.
There was a time when he and Huang Yuanchang were prominent figures in the Port Supervision Bureau, one in legal affairs and the other as an engineer, one in theory and the other in practice, both were considered for reserved cadre training.
Although the older colleague worked very hard, due to her academic qualifications, age, and gender, she could only look up to them and was not on the same starting line with them.
The difference between people is significant; she simply can’t compare with them.
Huang Yuanchang was arrogant and dismissive of others due to his higher education, looking down on this and despising that, notorious within the Port Supervision Bureau, she couldn’t compare with him either.
Not only was he a backbone of the Ship Inspection Department, but he was also amiable, enthusiastic, lively, and humorous. He used to participate actively in cultural activities organized by the Port Supervision Bureau, skilled in crosstalk, sketches, and singing, there was nothing he couldn’t do.
His family was also quite happy and fortunate; his wife was graceful, beautiful, virtuous, competent, from a well-known intellectual family in Binjiang, and their son was smart and clever.
It was said that at home he was a typical "East Sea man," taking care of chores like cooking, cleaning, and picking up the child, mostly handling all the household duties by himself.
Nobody needs to mention how good his popularity and reputation were; even the older colleague often mentioned him.
Just in the last two years, like Chen Zikun, he took unpaid leave, supposedly went to Jiangcheng to do some business, unexpectedly he and Chen Zikun both returned...
Regaining his senses, Han Yu quickly smiled and said, "Hello Brother Lu, last time you guys really helped us out a lot, I’ve come to express my gratitude."
Lu Binxiang was about to speak, when Director Li, with a smile, came out: "What great help?"
"Director Li, didn’t you find a ship being dismantled that might have issues? We have verified it now. That ship was stolen from Zhehai and sold to Changyu Shipbuilding Factory for dismantling, and the real owner has also been found."
"Have the thieves been caught?"
"We’ve clarified their identities, and we’re in the process of apprehending them. Justice has a long reach, he definitely can’t escape, he will be caught sooner or later."
Director Li laughed and said, "I said that ship didn’t look like a scrap vessel, turned out it really had issues."
"Thank you, Director Li, you’ve really helped us a lot this time. Director He said that once the suspect is caught, and the case is closed, he will report to the superiors to pursue rewards for you, to commend the Ship Inspection Department, and to treat you to a meal."
"Really, you might even be invited on stage to receive an award ceremony!"