Chapter 1390: Chapter 194: When the East Doesn’t Shine, the West Does (Part 1)
Han Yu, Xu Haoran, Xiao Yu, Ma Jintao, and others patrolled the river for three days, having checked over three thousand people, yet not a single escapee was found.
Zhao Hongxing organized the main forces of the Water Police Station to set up checkpoints at various ship locks along the river, but after three consecutive days of checks, they found nothing.
As the sunset faded, Han Yu sat in the cabin of Yangtze Police 110, staring at the fiery clouds in the western sky, growing increasingly puzzled.
"This can’t be right. Including Director Zhao’s side, we’ve checked nearly six thousand people in three days. How is it possible that not a single fugitive has been found? When did the security on the river get so good?"
"Yeah, I captured two fugitives with less than two thousand passengers checked at the Binjiang Passenger Terminal, and now with six thousand, not a single one is found."
Xiao Yu was equally confused, resting his chin in his hands, staring at the computer monitor with frustration.
For the river chase, Han Yu moved several computers from the office, the Water Anti-Smuggling Department, the Water Police Station, and the Changhang Bureau onto the law enforcement boat.
Because of limited cabin space on the boat, there wasn’t enough room for the computers, so they even dismantled two rows of seats. After such a big fuss, not a single fish was caught in the net.
The Armed Police squad leader Wang Xiaosheng finally had the chance to undertake a mission on the river, but after assisting for three days without any results, he was more disappointed than Han Yu and Xiao Yu and couldn’t help but ask, "Secretary Han, could it be a problem with the computers?"
"Impossible!" Before Han Yu could speak, Xiao Yu pointed at the computer and said, "These are new computers, and the CPU is Pentium, better than my home computer. Not only does it boot faster than my home computer, it’s even smoother for gaming."
It has to be admitted, learning computers was actually all done through playing.
Now Xiao Yu not only knows how to install software, he knows the functions of various hardware and even dares to open the case to clean dust with a brush and blower, once even taking out the crucial processor to show someone.
Han Yu couldn’t afford a computer. Although the unit had computers, they didn’t dare to play with them like Xiao Yu did, and he couldn’t help but ask, "Xiao Yu, could it be that you installed different software every day, infecting the computer with viruses?"
"There aren’t that many viruses, and besides, this computer has antivirus software installed."
"Did you run a virus scan?"
"It’s automatic. When it boots, the antivirus software automatically scans."
There are definitely escapees on the river; after all, the more trees there are, the more birds you find.
Now that it’s confirmed the computer isn’t the problem, then it must be the disk!
The more Han Yu thought about it, the more it made sense. He didn’t care how expensive his phone bill was, quickly pulling out his phone to dial a number.
To Han Yu’s surprise, the person on the other end had a clear Guzhou accent and immediately asked, "Who just called me?"
"Hello, I’m the one who called. Who is this?"
"Are you kidding me, you called and asked who I am? Why don’t you first say who you are!"
"My name is Han. I’m Han Yu. I’m looking for Captain Wei."
"What Captain Wei? Do you think calls are free? Don’t call randomly if you have nothing to do!"
"Wait a moment..."
Before he finished speaking, the other party had already hung up.
Han Yu put down the phone and checked the number he dialed, confirming it was not incorrect.
The phone numbers of the City Bureau’s teams have only been upgraded once and are unlikely to have changed. The number for the Criminal Investigation Team captain’s office is so important that it wouldn’t be changed lightly.
Strange things happen every year, but there are particularly many this year.
Han Yu felt puzzled, just as he was thinking about dialing Captain Wei’s mobile phone, Xiao Yu turned to look at the river and chuckled, "Salted Fish, you probably called Guzhou."
"What do you mean I called Guzhou?"
"We’re in the middle of the river, and the mobile companies on both sides are competing for signals. I’ve had this happen several times, where I accidentally call the other bank!" Afraid Salted Fish wouldn’t understand, Xiao Yu chuckled again, "If you don’t believe me, try adding our Binjiang area code and see if it connects."
Han Yu suddenly realized, bitterly smiling he asked, "So you’re saying I just made a long-distance call?"
Your mobile phone fees don’t come out of your own pocket anyway, as they are reimbursed by the unit. Are you so stingy?
Xiao Yu didn’t know how to roast him, simply saying, "You didn’t just make a long-distance call; you also roamed!"
"This is too much of a scam. We’re on the river but didn’t cross the center line."
"Where’s the center line?"
Han Yu looked at the south, then back to the north bank, mumbling, "The sandbar on the south side is roughly in the middle of the river. We are on this side of the sandbar and haven’t gone over there!"
Xiao Yu said sympathetically, "We can divide districts this way with the opposite bank, but the mobile companies in Guzhou and Binjiang may not divide like this either. Besides, that’s wireless signal; it can’t be told where it can go, signals are invisible, intangible, and not that obedient."
"Charging like this isn’t scientific or reasonable; aren’t they just ripping off our phone bills!"
"Are you going to reason with the mobile company?"
"This is definitely their problem."
"They won’t care about you, at most they’d say if you’re unhappy, don’t use our service."
"Then I won’t use it, I’ll switch to a Unicom number."
"Unicom signal is poor, and it’s the same on the river, hahaha."
Xiao Yu gloated, laughing so hard she was out of breath.
The dignified "Binjiang Water Army Commander" having trouble with the mobile company amused Xiao Chen as well.
Roaming carelessly and even making a long-distance call, Han Yu was exasperated and dared not use the phone to contact Captain Wei, lest he accidentally incurs more roaming charges. He was thinking about calling once ashore when Wang Xiaosheng suddenly said, "Secretary Han, there’s a ship over there. Is it within our jurisdiction? Should we inspect it?"
Han Yu looked in the direction Wang Xiaoshan pointed, seeing a small sea vessel of about two thousand tons anchored on the south side of the sandbar.
A cargo ship of about two thousand tons doesn’t draft deep, and doesn’t need to wait for the tide when heading upstream.
Though the south side of the sandbar is hundreds of meters from the main waterway, anchoring there doesn’t affect other vessels’ navigation, but it’s not an anchorage. If you need to transship cargo on the river, five or six kilometers southeast is the temporary water transshipment area at Shuzhou’s Baimao Sand North Channel...
Why anchor there without reason? Maybe there was a malfunction.
Han Yu thought for a moment and then said, "Xiao Chen, circle around and take a look."
"Yes!"
...
At 6:27, the Yangtze Police 110 circled around the sandbar, just reaching about three hundred meters upstream of the small sea vessel, suddenly spotting an inland river cargo ship of about one thousand tons moored alongside the vessel’s port side.
From afar, it faintly appeared to be engaged in transshipping.
Transshipping outside of waterway transshipment zones violates water traffic regulations.
Han Yu raised the walkie-talkie, ready to call Shuzhou Traffic Control, when Xiao Yu, peering through binoculars, exclaimed, "They see us! They’re panicking and are starting to untie their cables!"
Panic at the sight of a police patrol boat indicates guilt.
Han Yu couldn’t wait to call Shuzhou Traffic Control and immediately ordered, "Xiao Chen, turn on the police lights and siren!"
"President, this isn’t our jurisdiction."
"This area isn’t within the Changhang Bureau’s jurisdiction, but that doesn’t mean it’s not within our branch’s jurisdiction. Besides, faced with such a special situation, should we ignore it simply because it’s not our jurisdiction?"
"Understood!"
Xiao Chen responded, immediately switching on the police lights and siren, the piercing sirens echoing across the river.
Han Yu’s assertion wasn’t baseless; in terms of jurisdiction over combating river smuggling crimes, Binjiang Branch indeed had authority over the entire Yangtze River waterfront section, unlike Changhang Bureau, which could only manage security north of the Yangtze River’s central line.
This situation arose because Guzhou lacked a Smuggling Crime Investigation Branch, and because Jiangnan Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau’s Guzhou Branch was far in the Guzhou District, which is far from the Yangtze River, and Guzhou Branch lacked anti-smuggling boats. Thus, Jiangcheng Customs and Jiangnan Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau explicitly granted jurisdiction to Binjiang Branch.
The police patrol boat drew nearer.
The sea vessel’s captain grew anxious, leaning over the rail to shout, "What’s the rush? Quickly stop the engines and grab the cables!"
"Brother Xu..."
"Quit dawdling and do as I say. I’ve told you countless times, don’t panic in emergencies!"
Realizing his ship couldn’t outpace the police boat, the inland cargo ship’s captain quickly rushed to the stern to stop and park.
The ship woman on the inland river cargo ship hesitated briefly before tossing the untied cable back up.
As the sea vessel’s crew scrambled to secure the cables, a loudspeaker on the police boat broadcasted a message.
"Attention, ship ahead! Attention, ship ahead! We are Changhang Public Security Police, patrolling jointly with Binjiang Smuggling Investigation Branch. Please prepare your ID and Seaman’s Certificate for inspection. Please prepare your ID and Seaman’s Certificate for inspection!"
Anti-Smuggling Police are here too...
The sea vessel’s captain broke into a cold sweat, becoming at a loss.
The inland cargo ship’s captain realized trouble was imminent, attempted to cover the cargo hold with canvas but couldn’t in time, and could only watch as the Yangtze Police 110 gradually drew alongside the port side.
"Move back, I’m talking to you!"
These two ships had issues and were about to face various emergencies.
Han Yu ordered the inland cargo ship’s captain to stand aside, glanced back to confirm that Changhang Bureau officer Xiao Li, holding a Micro Machine Gun, was providing security, before tossing the cable over to loop it onto the cargo ship’s bollard.
Wang Xiaosheng and other cooperative Armed Police, following Han Yu’s pre-planned strategy, leapt onto the cargo ship.
Xiao Yu remained in the cabin of Yangtze Police 110, shouting into the loudspeaker, "Attention sea vessel’s captain and crew, immediately go to the bridge for inspection! Do not stay on the deck! Do not linger on the deck!"
"Did you hear? Don’t linger on the deck!" Wang Xiaosheng took the lead, traversing the inland cargo ship and climbing the rope ladder laid down by the sea vessel.
Xiao Li, holding the Micro Machine Gun and aiming, imposed authority, leaving the sea vessel’s captain no choice but to reluctantly lead two crewmen back to the bridge.
Han Yu secured the cable, and together with Xiao Yu, who emerged from the cabin after making the announcement and drawing her gun, boarded the inland cargo ship, glancing at the ship’s owner and ship woman standing at the stern’s living quarters, then peered into the cargo hold.
Seeing was believing; upon looking, they were amused.
The cargo hold was neatly stacked with goods packed in white woven bags, from the English printed on them, they appeared to be Malaysian-produced white sugar.
