PM, the office of the Binjiang Fire Brigade’s dedicated team.
Having finally recovered after two days of adjustments, Deng Qikang was now cussing at his old comrade-in-arms Fang Guoya, who had come to discuss how to coordinate in real combat.
"You did this on purpose for sure; you damn well calculated that I get seasick, so you came up with this water rescue thing to take me down a peg!"
"We are the Water Fire Rescue Team, and water rescues are part of our job."
"Old Fang, do you find it amusing to see me suffer?"
"I’ve been seasick before, Director Yu, Director Zhang, and even Political Commissioner Wang from the Water Police Station have all been seasick on boats before. Who would laugh at you?"
Fang Guoya chuckled, then with animated excitement he said, "Compared to Political Commissioner Wang from the Water Police Station, your case is nothing. He once went on a river rescue with Director Yu and encountered rough winds and waves. He was so seasick he first vomited into a manure bucket, then was tied to a bed in the crew’s cabin to vomit, and after getting ashore, he was sent straight to the clinic. It took a week of IV drips for him to recover."
The game was lost and dignity compromised; talking too much now would be of no help.
Moreover, the brigade’s leadership had already decided to regard the Water Fire Rescue Team as a brotherly team, poised to fight side by side in the future.
Deng Qikang glared at his old friend, asking unhappily, "How to coordinate depends on the situation. Currently, there’s no fire alarm, and no so-called fire scene exists. What’s there to talk about?"
Fang Guoya was here on a mission. After taking a small sip of water, he grinned and said, "Let’s talk about responding to a dispatch instruction. You guys are the ’regular army’; just turn on the lights, sound the siren, and you can go through unimpeded.
We are local forces, it’s fine within the city, but if we have to go to Gaoru or Si Gang to carry out firefighting tasks, the toll stations along the way will definitely stop us."
"The toll stations charge you guys tolls?"
"Our vehicles all have local plates; of course, they won’t let us through without paying. Paying the toll isn’t the problem—we could ask for reimbursement from you folks later. The real issue is we can’t afford to waste time."
"Don’t you have police cars? They can clear the way for you!"
"We do have police cars, and we can use them to clear the way, but will the toll station listen to us?"
"So what do you suggest?"
"Help us get some fire truck plates."
Firefighting units are also military units, and his old comrade-in-arms actually wanted military vehicle plates!
Deng Qikang peered intently at his old friend and said with a laugh, "Old Fang, you are with the police; you can apply for police vehicle plates yourself."
Fang Guoya laughed, "We are with the police, but we are also firefighters. Plus, our superior is the Changhang Police Bureau, which is in Hanwu, not only far away but also not on good terms with the leadership that manages these matters. We can only ask for your help."
"You’re not active duty; you’re not allowed to drive military vehicles."
"It’s true that active duty military personnel are the ones who aren’t allowed to drive military vehicles, but aren’t there plenty of local drivers using military vehicles?"
"No way, it would be very troublesome if the patrol checks on us."
Thinking of Director Yu’s orders, Fang Guoya grinned and said, "We can work around it, make the patrol unable to complain."
Deng Qikang asked subconsciously, "How to work around it?"
"Military enterprises and especially defense industry enterprises also have military vehicles, and military employees are allowed to drive military vehicles. Later, I’ll send over the IDs and photos of several drivers. You ask the brigade to issue them a worker’s ID. With that, they’ll be the brigade’s workers and can rightfully drive military vehicles."
"The brigade’s workers, who will pay their salaries?"
"I mean, issue them a work ID, not actually have them come and work for the brigade."
Some military units indeed have workers.
And workers from some military units indeed can drive military vehicles.
After thinking for a while, Deng Qikang still shook his head, "The patrol will check work IDs as well as driving licenses."
If a few vehicles are fitted with military vehicle plates, the Port Authority just won’t be able to reclaim them.
As the squad leader of the Binjiang Port Main Fire Brigade, Fang Guoya yearned to truly possess his own fire engines. Unable to help himself, he laughed and said, "Helping them get a driving license from the general team isn’t so difficult. Don’t you have a classmate in charge of this? Besides, it’s not like you haven’t helped others with this before."
"Relax, I won’t blab. Besides, who in the brigade doesn’t know about you helping others with their licenses?"
"Fine, I can only help with the driving license, but for the vehicle plate, you’ll have to go to Director Song."
"We will be operating along with your team in the future, and during firefighting missions, we’ll follow your command. I’m only dealing with you on this matter, help me talk to Director Song."
"Are you taking me for granted?"
"I am doing this for work. If the fight gets delayed because of the plate issue, superiors will only criticize you, definitely won’t scold me."
"You’re asking me to compromise my principles!"
"What compromise of principles? That retirement home up front not only rents out military vehicles to haul goods and make money but I’ve heard they’ve rented out their plates too."
Local finances are tight, and military funds are even tighter.
Indeed, there are quite a few military units running businesses and renting out military vehicles, even the plates.
Deng Qikang hesitated, then could only smile stiffly and said, "It’s like I owe you something. Okay, I’ll report to Director Song first. If Director Song agrees, I’ll try to help you handle it."
Meanwhile, Han Yu had just organized Zhang Ping, Xiao Gong, Zhu Baogen, and others to complete a major project.
It was now the flood season, and with the water and tide levels rising, the old antique and dunship could no longer anchor at their original spots and had to be moved another fifteen meters into the river.
With a tugboat of their own, anchor machines and anchors on the dunship, and newly installed anchor machines, anchor chains, and anchors on the old antique, moving the anchorage wasn’t very difficult. But extending the pontoon bridge another dozen meters was not an easy task.
Since 6 AM, they had been busy until now, and had finally gotten it done.