Chapter 1498: Chapter 273: "Returning Home in Glory" (Part 2)
Han Yu paused for a moment, then went on, "As the competent authority for fire safety on the Yangtze River waterfront area and Yangtze River waterfront, our branch party committee has one requirement for all of you: everybody must talk about safety, and everyone must know how to respond to emergencies!"
Everybody talks about safety, everyone knows how to respond to emergencies—this requirement is anything but low.
But the "Binjiang Water Army Commander" has always been a man of his word. Once he raises a requirement, he doesn’t just leave it there. Next he will definitely organize inspections or spot checks, and might even launch surprise inspections without any warning.
For example, he might show up at your unit, stop an employee, and ask where the fire extinguisher is and how to use it. If there’s a fire in the plant area or at the ferry crossing, how should you respond?
If the employee can’t answer, it means you’re not taking fire safety seriously. When that happens, he’ll not only order you to rectify the problem, he’ll keep his eye on you, checking you over and over, and may even penalize you, until you truly meet the standard.
In short, although the "Binjiang Water Army Commander" oversees both criminal investigation and firefighting, in reality he focuses mainly on firefighting. Everyone has their own specialty—this is exactly his line of work.
Back in the Old Yanjiang Police Station days, he often piloted that fire rescue boat refitted from a tugboat to help the then Port Supervision unit put out fires.
Just as everyone was resolving to go back and really tighten up on fire safety, Director Wang invited Zhang Yidong to speak.
Naturally, Zhang Yidong would not pass up this chance to strengthen ties with Han Yu. He reviewed the tremendous contribution Han Yu had made, during his years working in Linghai, to maintaining public security in Linghai, ensuring fire safety along the Linghai section of the Yangtze River and at Linghai Port, and promoting construction in Linghai Development Zone.
He strongly agreed that fire safety is no small matter, and on behalf of the Linghai City Police Bureau, he stated that they would fully support the work of the Changhang Fire Department and the Changhang Branch Linghai Police Station, and required all units to earnestly implement the requirement put forward by the Changhang Bureau: "everybody talks about safety, everyone knows how to respond to emergencies."
Finally, he expressed his sincerest thanks to Han Yu for caring so much about his hometown’s fire safety despite his extremely busy schedule.
After a round of enthusiastic applause, Director Wang gave his closing remarks and then announced the meeting adjourned.
"Director Han, come on, let’s go to the Sanhe Hotel."
"Mayor Zhang, what are we going to the Sanhe Hotel for?"
"To eat, of course. You rarely come back; we surely have to get together."
"Mayor Zhang, there’s really no need to be so polite."
"Old Shi has already arranged everything." Afraid Han Yu would turn him down, Zhang Yidong pulled open the car door, beckoning Han Yu into his car as he laughed, "I’ve also invited three old comrades to join us. If you don’t give us this honor, they’ll be really disappointed."
"Mayor Zhang, who did you invite?"
"Li Weiguo, Old Ding, and Old Zhang. They’re all veteran comrades from our bureau, and you came out of our bureau too. This is basically an old-colleagues reunion."
The three of them were all seniors; inviting three senior predecessors to accompany him made it clear that this meal was basically impossible to refuse.
Han Yu had no choice but to get into his Passat, half-joking as he said, "Mayor Zhang, with you making such a fuss, I really don’t know how I’m supposed to return this favor. Our branch is poor, not like you with your deep pockets. If you come to Binjiang, I couldn’t afford to treat you even if I wanted to."
"What are you talking about?"
Han Yu’s reputation for being extremely stingy was well known. Zhang Yidong knew full well that he wouldn’t pay out of his own pocket to treat people, and he certainly wouldn’t host on public funds, so he hurriedly changed the subject: "I also asked Old Li to help invite Ge Diao, but Old Li said that Ge Diao had only been back at Bailong Port from Lang Mountain for a few days before moving back to Lang Mountain with Director Wei and the kid. Sounds like he’s got something on today and really couldn’t make it."
"Ge Diao moved back to Lang Mountain?" Han Yu asked instinctively.
"You didn’t know?"
"No."
The Sanhe Hotel was very close to the Development Zone Management Committee.
As they chatted, the car slowly pulled up to the hotel entrance.
When Han Yu got out and looked up, he saw that Old Li, Old Ding, and Old Zhang had indeed come; the three of them were standing at the door waiting.
They were retired, but deep down they were still police.
With the sitting bureau chief inviting them to a meal, you could tell they were genuinely a bit flattered. You have to know that even before retirement, they were the ones who would invite the bureau chief, and even then the bureau chief might not give them the honor—let alone the bureau chief turning around and inviting them.
"Old Li, Old Ding, sorry to keep you waiting."
"Mayor Zhang, we just got here too." Seeing Zhang Yidong extend his right hand, Li Weiguo quickly stepped forward to shake hands with his former leader at the old unit.
Although the past couple of years had not been as carefree for Old Ding as for Li Weiguo, nor as lucrative as for Old Zhang, he worked at the Martyr’s Cemetery right next to the Linghai Reserve Camp and had seen plenty of big leaders. So while he was indeed somewhat flattered, he was much calmer than Old Li. After greeting Zhang Yidong, he glanced at Han Yu with a smile and asked, "Salted Fish, when is the Binjiang Ship returning to Binjiang?"
"Tomorrow morning." Walking toward the elevators with Shi Shengyong, who had just caught up, Han Yu smiled and asked, "Uncle Ding, you want to visit the Binjiang Ship?"
"I’m not that interested in visiting warships. Back when I took the boat to the East Sea, every trip I could see warships." Old Ding smiled, then continued, "It’s Liu Degui who wants to go. He’s a soldier; as long as it’s military-related, he’s interested."
Liu Degui was a genuine "professional soldier."
He’d been to the Old Mountain Frontline, spent so many years in the Armed Forces Department, and even gave up a civil service post to transfer to the Water Resources Bureau’s flood control materials reserve center and become a public institution employee, just so he could keep wearing the uniform. Among all the Reserve Officers in the Linghai Reserve Camp, he was the only one who stayed in camp long term.
Han Yu understood Liu Degui’s soldier’s feelings and said with a smile, "If he wants to go, let him go."
"The problem is there are no slots." Old Ding explained, "The city gave Linghai 20 spots to visit, and Secretary Qian handed all 20 to the Special Warfare Group. Deputy Chief of Staff Jiang plans to let the officers and soldiers who perform outstandingly during training go. Old Liu is embarrassed to steal their slots."
"Have him go together with the Special Warfare Group’s officers and men. Once they get to the pier, have him call me."
"Okay, it’s settled then."
...
Lunch was arranged in a private room on the third floor.
The room was big, but there weren’t many people eating.
None of the leaders from the Development Zone Branch or the Changhang Branch Linghai Police Station were invited. On the Linghai Police Bureau side, it was just Zhang Yidong, Shi Shengyong, and Old Li, Old Ding, and Old Zhang; on the Changhang Bureau side, it was only Han Yu.
With few people, it was easier to talk.
Knowing the bureau chief would have a hard time finding common topics with Han Yu, Shi Shengyong poured drinks for the three seniors while feigning curiosity: "Director Han, we deal very little with Yangzhou, but your Changhang Bureau has more dealings with them. Have you ever gone to Yangzhou to visit Secretary Ye?"
"Changhang navigation police hasn’t set up a branch in Yangzhou, only a Police Station. We don’t have that many dealings with them either. I haven’t gone to see Secretary Ye, but Xiao Gong, who used to work at our Linghai Police Station, has. He took his girlfriend along. Secretary Ye was very happy to see them and even treated them to a meal."
"Gong Jian?"
"Yeah, he was transferred to the Smuggling Crime Investigation Bureau. He’s now the chief engineer of boat 825. He did a rotation in the South Sea in the first half of the year—performed excellently, with outstanding results, and was awarded a Second-class Merit."
With Shi Shengyong opening the topic, the conversation flowed more easily.
Following along, Zhang Yidong asked curiously, "Director Han, you must be in frequent contact with Mayor Yu, right?"
"He’s busy with work, and I’m not exactly idle either. Normally, if there’s nothing specific, we don’t really keep in touch."
"Mayor Yu is your former leader and your senior brother. You should keep in touch often!"
"I don’t want to interfere with his work. Even if I called him, I wouldn’t know what to say."
"What about Director Zhang of the Changhang Jiangcheng Branch?"
"I’m in touch with Director Zhang more often; after all, we’re in the same system." Han Yu smiled and added, "We’ll be in touch even more in the future. He’s about to move to a second-line post. He’s not very used to living in Jiangcheng and plans to return to Binjiang after he steps back."
Old Li was an old friend of Zhang Junyan and instinctively asked, "Director Zhang is coming back?"
"His parents and relatives and friends are all in Binjiang. It’s perfectly normal for him to want to return."
As soon as Han Yu finished, Zhang Yidong couldn’t help but laugh and say, "Director Han, of all these leaders, it seems you’re in the most frequent contact with Mayor Qin."
"That’s true. We’re close by, and on top of that he also serves concurrently as First Political Commissioner of the Binjiang Reserve Group, so we overlap in our work."
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