Dunships, 001, and old relics, although they had gone to Sanhe, Bailong Port Passenger Pier was still bustling. Especially during the Spring Festival this year, it witnessed three joyous events.

Firstly, Old Director Ge, with the help of everyone, had been ardently pursuing Sister Wei for over two months and finally moved her.

They didn't go to the Civil Affairs Bureau for the marriage certificate, didn't hold a big wedding banquet to entertain relatives and friends, didn't even distribute wedding candies, but just invited Chairman Li, Li Weiguo, and their younger relatives from Linghai for a meal. They made a phone call to Xu Haoran and Lin Xiaoqin in Yan Yang at the dinner table and then moved in together.

Sister Wei was somewhat reserved and embarrassed to move into his dormitory, so it was he who eagerly moved into Sister Wei's dormitory.

Then, on the sixth day of the first lunar month, just after work resumed, the leaders from the Human Resources Department and Passenger Department of the Port Authority rushed to Bailong Port. They called a meeting of all pier staff, invited the Captain and Political Commissioner of the Jiang Shen and Jiang Liu passenger ships that docked in the morning, as well as Acting Director Chen Zikun from Bailong Port Police Station to attend, announcing that Zhang Jiangkun would take the position of Bailong Port Passenger Pier Manager.

The Port Authority was changing its leadership and undergoing institutional reforms, aiming at modern corporate management and operations to face increasingly fierce competition.

Positions such as Director and Section Chief with Party and governmental characteristics were gone, leaving only the Office Director and a few freight terminal directors.

The freight terminals mainly dealt with loading, unloading, and refueling or watering ships, not involving business operations.

The passenger terminal not only sells tickets and handles the boarding and disembarking of passengers, but also provides water for passenger ships, as well as some cargo services. It would even have to account independently, hence the head of the passenger terminal must be a versatile hand; within the Port Authority, the "political treatment" was half a notch higher than that of the freight terminal directors, holding the position of Manager rather than Director.

As for salary and benefits, Zhang Jiangkun, the Passenger Pier Manager, was far from earning as much as the freight terminal directors at Binjiang Port.

Local governments all prioritize economic development, not to mention enterprises like the Port Authority.

The freight terminals helped the Port Authority make money, but Bailong Port Passenger Pier didn't earn much.

Ticket sales commissions were the main source of profit for the passenger terminal, with cargo profits being negligible. Each ticket sold earned only two or three yuan, any more would lead to the shipping companies' refusal to operate.

During the Spring Festival travel rush, many passengers traveled by boat, but usually fewer people did so, and the bleakest days saw only three to four hundred tickets sold. Inclement weather like typhoons and dense fog would halt operations, and on average, there was only thirty to forty thousand yuan in revenue per month. After deducting expenses, it could hardly create much benefit for the Port Authority.

Nevertheless, becoming the Manager was still taking the helm of Bailong Port Passenger Pier and was worth celebrating.

Another joyous event was that Xiao Gong, who had an unsuccessful matchmaking session back in his hometown last year, was introduced to a girlfriend by Master Gao – a nurse newly assigned to Four Factory Health Clinic. The young nurse was very beautiful and greatly admired the public security police.

Xiao Gong's parents came to Bailong Port for the New Year and met the young nurse's parents. They got along well and planned to formally engage them during the May Day holiday, and they would marry once they were old enough.

In summary, celebrations never ceased in this big family compound.

Government organs and employees of enterprises and institutions started work on the sixth day of the lunar month, but for most people, the Spring Festival did not end with the return to work. According to Linghai custom, the New Year celebration lasts until the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

Just when the festive atmosphere had not yet faded, and everyone was preparing to joyfully celebrate the Lantern Festival, an unbearable piece of bad news arrived that shook everyone: the chief architect of the reform and opening up, Friend Xiaoping, passed away.

Even Mrs. Han, who never cared about national affairs, had tears in her eyes and said, "Without Deng Xiaoping, where would we have such good lives?"

"Friend Xiaoping's greatest wish was to see Hong Kong's return and to walk around and see it in Hong Kong. Hong Kong will return in just over four months, why did he have to go now?"

Old Ge was even more distressed than Mrs. Han, choking up several times while watching TV.

This generation has all experienced the hardships of not having enough to eat or wear, and deep down they were all genuinely grateful to Friend Xiaoping. Sister Wei felt just as heartbroken, hugging Little Han Han and crying her eyes out.

Old Han took a deep breath, stood up, and said, "The United Nations have lowered their flags to half-mast, I'll also go lower the flag on the ship."

Mrs. Han snapped back to her senses, looked up, and said, "Hurry up and go."

...

Friend Xiaoping passed away, the nation mourned!

The newly renamed Development Zone Management Committee organized all Party cadres to watch the mass memorial service live. After watching the broadcast, Deputy Mayor Shen urged all Party cadres to actively respond to the call from superiors, to deeply study Friend Xiaoping's theories, to adhere to reform and opening up, and to turn sorrow into strength to develop the economy.

However, Han Yu had no time to mourn with everyone as the weather warmed up and the migration of eel larvae began; the annual eel fishing battle officially kicked off. As a main force in protecting the fishery resources of the Yangtze River waterfront section, he had to gear up for battle once again.

Fishery Administration, Port Supervision, and police law enforcement vessels were all deployed.

Previously, they engaged in "annihilation wars", now they fought guerrilla warfare, with the waterway of over a hundred kilometers along the Yangtze River Binjiang section being the battlefield.

"Director Yu, Director Yu, we've found a dozen or so fixed nets here, but haven't seen any boats or people."

"They must be hiding in a nearby Cha Port."

"Our ship sits too deep in the water, we can't get in."

"Without evidence, it's useless to get in; let's clear the nets first."

"Received, looks like we can only do that."

After nearly ten years of "see-saw battles", those involved in illegal eel larva fishing had become craftier. They wouldn't brazenly fish during the day. After setting fixed nets along the waterway, they would hide and watch from a distance, not giving any chance to be caught red-handed.

Even if discovered, the loss was only a dozen or twenty nets.

After dark, they would all act, recklessly overfishing.

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