At 10 a.m., in the small conference room on the third floor of the Linghai Police Bureau, Political Commissioner Sun from the Linghai Police Bureau was chatting with Political Commissioner Jiang while waiting for news.

During the strict crackdown period, there was a lot of work in the bureau, and Director Zhou couldn't devote all his attention to the smuggling case, so he had Political Commissioner Sun accompany him.

The superiors called every one to two hours to inquire about the progress, making the two feel very frustrated.

They discovered clues that could be investigated or ignored. They voluntarily took it upon themselves to use valuable police resources to investigate, only to find themselves in trouble, feeling as if failing to intercept would brand them as eternal sinners.

Thinking back to the previous day and night, with high winds and rough seas, their comrades carrying out the search and capture mission must have been completely exhausted. Political Commissioner Jiang, holding his forehead and massaging his temples, couldn't help but complain:

"Speaking of importance, the execution is another matter! It's well known that marine search is different from the onshore pursuit, yet there's no unified command."

Initially, the East Sea Coast Guard deployed three ships, plus the Fishery Administration Ship and the Dacang Coast Guard ship, making a total of five ships. If there had been unified command at that time to organize these five ships to search together, how effective it would have been. But the phone calls kept coming, and no one brought up this issue.

Political Commissioner Sun understood Political Commissioner Jiang's feelings at the moment and said with a wry smile: "The main issue is that we are not from the same unit, not even from the same system. We can't command the Coast Guard, and they can't command us, especially since the Coast Guard belongs to two different provinces and cities."

Border Police Defense belongs to active service and is completely different from Local Police and Changhang Public Security in terms of personnel and management.

For example, the Binjiang Border Defense Corps, although it is said to be under the dual leadership of the Jiangnan Border Defense Corps and the Binjiang City Police Department, in fact, it is almost like vertical management, and local police cannot command them under normal circumstances.

It's worth mentioning that there are also divisions within the border defense.

For instance, the Binjiang Border Defense Corps and the Binjiang Border Control Station are two parallel units. Mainly responsible for maritime duties, the Coast Guard has business dealings with the Border Defense Corps and the Border Inspection Station but does not have a subordinate relationship.

Political Commissioner Jiang sighed in his heart, then with a grim face, said: "Inter-departmental communication and coordination are possible. This excuse of 'who cannot command who,' I see it all as just excuses."

"What excuses?" laughed Political Commissioner Sun.

"Fear of taking responsibility. When there's benefit, everyone rushes forward, and when there's not, they avoid it as much as possible. Especially in this smuggling case that might cause a negative impact, whoever stands out will have to take responsibility. It's better to act independently, so responsibilities can be shirked later."

"You are from Changhang Public Security, it's unrelated however you put it.

We are local police, we can't discuss the faults of higher-ups behind their back."

Political Commissioner Sun didn't know how to continue when suddenly the phone on the table rang.

Political Commissioner Jiang, thinking it was a superior calling to inquire about progress again, reluctantly picked up the phone. Seeing the caller ID, his spirits lifted immediately, and he pressed the answer button asking, "Salted Fish?"

"Commissioner, it's me!"

"Is there a situation, for you to use a satellite phone to call my cell phone?"

"Commissioner, both smuggled boats have been intercepted! Sending a telegram is too slow, and some things can't be clearly explained in a telegram, so I decided to call you directly."

"Intercepted?"

"Yes, the targets were detected on radar at 8:37 this morning, we intercepted the first boat at 9:44, and secured the second boat at 9:56, capturing all six crew members involved in organizing the smuggling, including Huang Anyong, Shen Jiantong, Li Guozhong."

The young man indeed did not disappoint, and he had once again proved his worth!

Political Commissioner Jiang, elated, immediately stood up while gesturing for Political Commissioner Sun to call Director Zhou, and eagerly asked, "What about the smuggled personnel?"

"They've been secured, we just finished counting them, the total is the same as what you reported the day before yesterday, 121 people. Director Liu from the San Zao Port Police Station is currently giving them a lecture, my senior and second senior brothers have taken the six suspects onto the Fishery Administration Ship for intense interrogation, Xiao Yu and Deputy Yu from the Fishery Administration Corps and other crew members are currently rescuing a few smuggling victims who suffered from heatstroke and dehydration."

"That's great, well done!"

As Political Commissioner Jiang was about to ask Salted Fish to convey commendations to the participants on behalf of the party committee of the sub-bureau, Linghai Police Director Zhou Huixin arrived.

Seeing the joyful look on Zhou Huixin's face, Political Commissioner Jiang simply handed her the phone, and Han Yu had to report the situation again.

"Salted Fish, you've all worked hard, are there any life-threatening concerns for those suffering from heatstroke and dehydration?"

"We're organizing rescue efforts, but we've only received basic first aid training, so we're not certain if we can save them. Director Zhou, there's something I almost forgot to report, among the six people suffering from heatstroke, five are women, and among these five women, two are pregnant."

Smuggled persons are humans too, and besides, smuggling is illegal but doesn't reach the level of a crime.

If previously capturing and intercepting were priorities, now saving lives must come first.

Zhou Huixin anxiously asked, "How far are you from San Zao Port, can we get them back in time for rescue?"

"Quite far, even if we set sail now, we could only arrive at San Zao Port around three in the morning at the earliest."

"Can you dock nearer?"

"We are currently in the Salt Sea Area, I've just checked the marine chart, the nearest coast miles away has only two small fishing ports, and it's currently low tide, the tide is out, and it's all mudflats, the ships can't enter the port."

Why the Jiangnan Coast Guard is stationed in the Dacang Liuhe Port on the Yangtze River bank, instead of setting up a base on the seaside, is because Jiangnan Province has a long coastline, mostly mudflats, with only the northernmost Yungang City having a deep-water port, other coastal cities and counties are almost all mudflats.

San Zao Port wasn't any better either, even sending out fishing boats had to depend on the tide.

If only we had helicopters like those developed countries.

Last time, when I went to Bailong Port to attend Salted Fish's daughter's Baptism Wine ceremony, Salted Fish mentioned that when foreign ships navigate through developed countries' waters, if something happens, the Captain would indeed call for a helicopter from the shore to transport crew members. Some developed countries' pilots don't board ships using tugboats but helicopters.

But thinking about it now is pointless, Zhou Huixin furrowed his brows and asked, "So, what do we do now?"

"Don't worry Director Zhou, I've already contacted the Coast Guard vessel 3201 using the high-frequency radio, 3201 has military doctors and medical supplies, and they are not far from us, speeding towards our location."

"I almost forgot, the Coast Guard ships are also at sea; it will be fine as long as they can quickly reach us."

"Even without the pregnant woman suffering heatstroke and dehydration, we wouldn't dare to return easily."

Zhou Huixin, puzzled, asked, "Why?"

Han Yu turned to look at the Armed Police Soldiers standing guard on the fishing boat and said helplessly, "Our police force is strained, and it's getting hotter. We can't cram the human smugglers in the cabin like those suspects, or else more people will suffer from heatstroke."

"Is it very hot inside the cabin?"

"When the ship is sailing, the cabin temperature can reach over forty degrees!"

Han Yu took a deep breath and continued, "More than a hundred human smugglers are all staying on the deck. Without enough force to keep watch, who can guarantee we won't encounter problems during our return? What if one of the smugglers becomes desperate and jumps into the sea when we're not paying attention?"

The young man was as cautious as ever.

Zhou Huixin secretly praised him and couldn't help but laugh, "Since you've thought it through, we've got nothing to worry about. I and Political Commissioner Jiang will report to the superiors, and you call me again in twenty minutes."

"Director Zhou, wait."

"What else is there?"

Han Yu climbed from the fishing boat onto the Fishery Administration Ship, walked to the stern and smiled, "Director Zhou, the suspects we caught confessed they were hired by a boss surnamed Zhang to pick up and drop off people. This Zhang is most likely the Snake Head we've been wanting to catch."

Zhou Huixin looked up at Political Commissioner Jiang, sat down, picked up a pen and asked, "Where is this Zhang hiding?"

"He's hiding in Japan."

"The man is hiding in Japan, how are we supposed to catch him?"

"Zhang ordered the recently caught suspects to smuggle more than one hundred people, to send them near Nagoya, Japan. They were to contact via radio at sea, where a ship would meet them in international waters. Zhang doesn't know the smugglers were intercepted by us, and we now have the frequency for the meet-up communications. The captured suspects also wish to atone for their crimes in hopes of a lighter sentence."

"Salted Fish, are you planning to go to the meet-up by fishing boat and catch the people responding at sea?"

"Director Zhou, this is a rare opportunity, otherwise, if he never returns to the country, I'll never catch him!"

This mission near the waters of Japan is no trivial matter.

Zhou Huixin couldn't and had no authority to agree, he silently paused for a moment and said, "Salted Fish, this is a good idea, but it needs to be reported to the superiors."

"Alright, I'll wait for your update."

"Same as before, I'll report to the superiors first, and you call me again in twenty minutes."

…

At the same time, Coast Guard vessel 3201 was speeding towards the location where the Fishery Administration Ship and two smuggling vessels were drifting.

Captain Pei propped his chin, staring intently at the navigation map, regretting more and more.

Deputy Captain Lin, on the other hand, was gesturing on the navigation map while bitterly smiling, "So this is how they were searching. No wonder they were ahead of us but ended up behind as they continued searching."

"Just five or six nautical miles difference, if we had searched from this side to the north at that time, we probably would have intercepted those two fishing boats yesterday afternoon!"

"Who could have thought."

"Salted Fish did, he was calm and composed, preferring to let us and East Sea counterparts go ahead, risking being caught by us first, to expand the searching area as much as possible. Despite being younger than us, he is more composed in dealing with situations. I have to admit, it's admirable."

Navigating at sea, a slight deviation can lead to a vast error.

Deputy Captain Lin was equally disheartened, paused for a moment then bitterly smiled, "Captain Pei, it's not that Salted Fish is more composed than us, but he's better prepared."

"That's true, I bet they made sure the fuel tanks were full and fresh water tanks topped up before leaving the port. If today they hadn't intercepted those two fishing boats, they probably would not return even if they reached the Dongshan Sea Area."

"Indeed, if there were enough fuel, fresh water, and food supplies for a fifteen-day voyage, we could search just like them."

"Talking about this now is useless, the superiors only care about the results, not the process."

"This kid is going to be commended again. We also have to help him with the rescue and provide an escort on the way back; we should make him treat us, otherwise, wouldn't our efforts be in vain!"

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