Chapter 12 Xu Sanye's Strike Plan

The next morning, I went to the Director's office early to call the Sailor Club.

In the next two weeks, there is an action planned. Please tell my sister-in-law and ask my brother-in-law not to come to help with the ship repairs on Sunday.

As soon as Li Weiguo arrived at the station, he saw Xu Sanye studying the materials brought by Old Zhang from Four Factory Police Station, trying to grasp the situation. He couldn't believe that Xu Sanye's idea, originally fixing ships, had turned into cracking down on speculation and profiteering.

"Director Xu, this doesn't seem to fall under our jurisdiction."

"How can it not be under our jurisdiction? Old Li, you are the veteran pre-trial officer, most familiar with the laws and regulations. Take a good look at it."

"The laws and regulations are established and implemented by the superiors, not something I can study and figure out just because I want to."

Li Weiguo didn't want his colleagues at the Bailong Port Police Station to think that the Yanjiang Police Station was overreaching, and his stance on this matter spoke volumes.

Zhang Mingdong looked thoughtfully at the materials brought from Four Factory Police Station that morning.

Han Yu was attending a meeting at the station for the first time and neither dared nor felt qualified to speak.

Xu Sanye was well-prepared and smiled while watching Li Weiguo, asking, "Isn't ticket scalping under our jurisdiction then?"

"If even this is under our jurisdiction, then what's the use of Bailong Port Police Station?"

"What if the Bailong Port Police Station asks for our help in cracking down?"

"We have no business relationship with them, even if they need it, they would ask Four Factory Police Station for help. Old Zhang has been at Four Factory Police Station for many years and knows this situation the best."

Zhang Mingdong was well aware that this was a hot potato and quickly said, "They have indeed asked us to join them in crackdowns several times before."

Xu Sanye laughed, "They asked Four Factory Police Station for help because there was no Yanjiang Police Station at the time. If there had been one, they certainly wouldn't have gone further afield."

Li Weiguo spoke softly, "That's a different matter."

"I contacted Director Zhang Junyan of the Bailong Port Police Station this morning, he seemed quite interested."

Xu Sanye revealed his trump card and glanced at his watch, "He'll be here soon. You all don't go out to mobilize the shipmen to get their IDs today, later we will discuss how to collaborate on the crackdown."

Li Weiguo asked in surprise, "You know Director Zhang?"

"I don't know him. I got his phone number from Old Ding."

"Will we be cooperating with them, or will they be cooperating with us?"

"Of course, they will be cooperating with us."

Xu Sanye glanced over at Little Salted Fish in the corner and laughed, "I've come to the conclusion that ticket scalping persists because, first, they have too few people; second, the scalpers all recognize them; and third, they are all outsiders and too careful, lacking sufficient resolve and not tough enough."

Bailong Port is a subsidiary of the Port Authority, with a long history, yet to Linghai it is still an "outsider," and even at a higher level, it dares not easily provoke the local tyrants.

If relations with the villagers of Bailong Port Village are not well managed, it can be quite troublesome. Among the scalpers selling tickets, there are no lack of villagers who "earn a living from the water."

Thinking of these, Li Weiguo reminded, "Director Xu, we are also 'outsiders' and just as much on Bailong Port Village's turf."

"Old Li, are you afraid of offending people?"

"I'm not afraid, it's just that..."

As they were speaking, a jeep drove into the yard, and everyone hurried out to greet it.

Two police officers in their forties dressed in uniform emerged from the jeep and warmly greeted Xu Sanye.

After some pleasantries, they entered the reception room together, and Han Yu hurriedly helped to pour tea.

Zhang Junyan, the police station chief of Bailong Port, from Binjiang Port, previously only knew that Linghai Police had established a Yanjiang Police Station and only knew it was located here.

Since there was no affiliation or business relationship, he didn't know who the police station chief or the instructor was.

Upon receiving Xu Sanye's call, he quickly contacted the chief of Four Factory Police Station, with whom he had dealt several times before.

Unbeknownst to him, upon further inquiry, he was startled to learn that Xu Sanye was very well-known within the political and legal system of Linghai.

Fierce, unconventional, ambitious, and even more daring. Unafraid of offending people, capable of anything and daring to say anything...

As a result, while others climbed higher in their positions, he ended up in smaller and more nominal positions.

From being the head of the criminal investigation team to being the police station chief in Xin Hai and then the current nominal chief of Yanjiang Police Station.

Facing someone like Xu Sanye, one must lower their stance.

Moreover, with rampant ticket scalping and the inadequate efforts of Bailong Port Police Station, it's an undeniable fact.

Zhang Junyan, not without curiosity, glanced at Han Yu and while offering cigarettes, said with a bit of embarrassment, "Director Xu, Commander Li, we haven't done well in our duties, you must find it amusing."

"All under Heaven Police are one family, how could we mock you."

"Frankly speaking, scalpers reselling boat tickets have put us under a lot of pressure. The month before last, a reporter from Binjiang Daily conducted covert investigations and wrote an article titled 'Endless Nostalgia, Indestructible Scalpers,' which led to us being criticized by the Bureau."

"Made the news!"

"Not just us, but East Sea has been in the news several times too. A reporter boarded a ship and found that out of six hundred fifth-class cabin seats from Sixteen Piers Pier to our Bailong Port, two hundred and seventeen passengers had bought black market tickets."

It's shameful to think about being unable to manage on our own and needing others to intervene.

Zhang Junyan, afraid of being ridiculed by the well-known Xu Sanye from the Linghai legal system, specifically brought a newspaper and gently placed it in front of Xu Sanye.

"Previously, it was mainly villagers and women selling tea eggs who were scalping tickets, but now scalpers have infiltrated all classes, from peasants and students to soldiers and even some officials. It could be said that everyone from officials to unemployed vagabonds is involved."

"Is it that serious?" Xu Sanye asked while looking at the newspaper.

Zhang Junyan gave a bitter smile and said, "In our station, we have only five police officers. We won't say how hard it is to catch the scalpers, but once caught red-handed, two officers have to review them.

Moreover, we also have to maintain order in the waiting hall and the pier, coordinate with the onboard police on the ships, and investigate cases within the port district. We're stretched too thin and quite helpless against them."

An Instructor from the Bailong Port Police Station added, "Also, these scalpers know that our jurisdiction is limited to the port area, so they only need to run to the square, and then they stop and argue with us."

"Those scalpers are so rampant..."

"Because of this, we've requested assistance from Four Factory Police Station more than once, but the Four Factory Police Station has its own work and can't assist us every day to combat the scalpers.

And it's hard to catch them red-handed, even if we get lucky, we can hardly find a few boat tickets on them, making punishment difficult, so now all we can do is chase them away."

For others, those scalpers might be hard to deal with, but Xu Sanye is not just anyone.

He put down the newspaper and calmly stated, "The scalping of boat tickets is causing significant public outrage; it has even been reported to me. This is the public's trust in me, but due to unclear jurisdiction, I asked you two here to discuss this."

Awkward as it may be, this is also an opportunity to crack down on the ticket scalpers.

Zhang Junyan, who couldn't ask for more with Xu Sanye willing to step in, eagerly said, "Director Xu, you're from Yanjiang Police Station, and have authority over any security issues involving Yangtze River jurisdictions, please go ahead and initiate investigations, we'll fully cooperate."

"Do we have a problem with that?"

"No problem, absolutely no problem."

"Since there's no problem, then I won't be polite with you."

Xu Sanye looked around at everyone, speaking like a leader, "Everyone, higher-ups are now emphasizing the importance of procedures and evidence, so let's gather some solid evidence according to due procedures.

Starting this afternoon, Little Salted Fish will be selling corn outside the ticket office, and I'll borrow a motorcycle and head to Bailong Port to pick up passengers, to understand who is scalping the tickets and how they are doing it."

Zhang Junyan unconsciously asked, "Director Xu, you're personally taking part!"

"Just a few people, and I'm an investigator by trade, after all."

"How can we assist you?"

"We need you to provide information about previously tackled scalpers. It would be best to arrange two police officers to rotate and ride the ships with Old Li and Old Zhang."

"Ride the ship?"

"The difficulty in combating scalpers lies in finding witnesses. I've contacted the Criminal Investigation Division to have an investigator bring a camera over.

Based on the information you and Four Factory Police Station provide, as well as the new details Little Salted Fish and I uncover, we'll discreetly take some snapshots of those scalpers."

Xu Sanye smiled slightly and continued, "Not a close-up ID photo, but a full-body shot, so passengers can recognize them at a glance. After taking the photos, we'll make multiple copies and compile a few albums.

Old Li, Old Zhang, you'll take the albums on board and let the passengers who bought black market tickets help identify, then take statements and preserve the evidence.

No need for extended time; ten days on the ship should be enough. Once we have some evidence, I can conduct a thorough investigation."

Clearly coming from someone with experience as a criminal investigation team leader, he's very thorough...

Both members from Bailong Port nodded in agreement.

Li Weiguo bitterly smiled and said, "Going to East Sea every day, boarding a ship requires finding at least two hundred passengers for evidence. That's a lot of work. Plus, it's just as difficult to buy tickets to return."

Xu Sanye turned and asked, "Director Zhang, can you help solve Old Li and Old Zhang's commuting issues?"

More eager than anyone to severely crack down on the scalpers, Zhang Junyan wouldn't let this opportunity slip by, "Leave it to me, we're familiar with the captains, the political commissioners onboard, and the onboard police. Besides, we'll also arrange two police officers to board the ship, one to work with Commander Li, and one with Old Zhang."

For someone who is also a station chief, they are all listening to him.

Han Yu suddenly felt that Xu Sanye seemed taller than before, not so much like a station chief, but more like a bureau chief.

Thinking about starting undercover work like the soldier character Zhang Ga from this afternoon, he felt a surge of adrenaline.

...

PS: The ships at that time had political commissioners, a distinctive feature of China.