"Just hand it over to the Canal Police ?"
"We don’t have the time to dig deep and investigate thoroughly, besides, this is their jurisdiction."
Xu Sanye smiled and continued, "Moreover, this is just the beginning, consider it a pre-war exercise. When we reach the Si Hong Section, the catch will be even bigger. If we don’t catch two to three hundred water bandits this time, we won’t stop."
The ones we just caught are just a group of water bandits that drifted over; the fleet is still far from the real bandit den.
Han Yu collected himself and quickly responded, "Yes!"
Chen Zikun on the Linghai Tuo 103 heard everything loud and clear. As soon as Xu Sanye let the radiotelegraphist send a message home, he couldn’t help but ask, "Director Xu, is it really appropriate for Salted Fish to take the lead? Despite growing taller, he’s only seventeen, still a child."
Salted Fish had confirmed a romantic relationship with Han Xiangning, and Xu Sanye knew that Chen Zikun and several other young men were somewhat jealous of Salted Fish. He couldn’t help but laugh and say, "Do you think Salted Fish is just learning how to steer the ship on the sea vessel?"
Chen Zikun asked in a low voice, "What else is he learning?"
"On the Changxiu Passenger Liner, he’s first an onboard police officer, and only then an apprentice third officer. In a few months, he will be an official third officer."
Xu Sanye smiled and added, "Whenever Salted Fish has time on the passenger liner, he participates in plainclothes patrols. Over the past six months, he and his colleagues from the Passenger Ferry Police Team have caught seven fugitives and seized two guns and a lot of contraband."
Chen Zikun had originally thought that Salted Fish was just hanging a title with the Passenger Ferry Police Team. Learning that Salted Fish was actually actively working as an undercover onboard police officer while learning to steer the ship, his heart soured further.
The Water Police Station had few formal police officers. The young man before him was the youngest, with the highest education, and had always worked at the City Bureau headquarters.
Both Scholar Yu and Wang Xiazhi thought highly of him, which made him a bit carried away.
Feeling that, as a member of the Water Police Station’s party committee, it was necessary to give him a reality check, Xu Sanye stood up and patted his shoulder, "To others, it may seem like Director Yu and I are sending Salted Fish away to learn, similar to a guaranteed university admission. But in fact, Salted Fish works even harder at the Marine Bureau than at our station.
In the first six months, he had to work as a sailor during his shift and perform plainclothes patrols after hours. When the ferry was docked or under maintenance, he had to study intensively, not only attending self-study exams but also preparing for the Certificate of Competence for the near-sea navigation zone."
"He’s that exhausted!"
"If he had gone to another sea vessel on his own, especially to an oceangoing vessel, with his qualifications, he could earn nearly two thousand a month. But his current salary is only ninety-seven yuan and fifty cents. With the contribution for the Asian Games in the past few months, he has only eighty-seven yuan and fifty cents in hand, yet he has no complaints."
Xu Sanye pulled out a cigarette and gazed at him meaningfully, saying, "As water police, you should know how hard it is to work on ships. The kind Salted Fish works on aren’t just any inland river ferries, but sea vessels. It’s common to encounter strong winds and big waves, and seasickness is normal.
Yet he not only fulfills his duty and performs the onboard police patrols, but he also serves passengers like a ’shoulder pole model.’ Salted Fish has been praised by Special Commissioner Xiao on the passenger liner not just once, and even got calls from Director Yu and Director Zhang commending him. They even consider reporting to their superiors, intending to transfer Salted Fish to their Marine Police Bureau."
Being capable both as a sailor and in police work, as well as being so dedicated, it’s only normal for others to appreciate him.
Chen Zikun was stunned for a moment and couldn’t help asking, "Does Salted Fish want to transfer to the East Sea to work?"
"I respect his decision. If he truly wishes to transfer there, I support him. But he doesn’t want to. He says that once he accumulates enough service time on sea ships and gets the Chief Officer’s Certificate of Competence, he wants to come back."
Xu Sanye lit the cigarette and added with a smile, "The reason Xiang Ning likes him is because he’s hard-working, down-to-earth, and never forgets his roots."