Puppet or not, I was never meant to be shorebound.

Moreover, did my master ever care about what others thought?

Han Yu contemplated for a moment and resolved to excel as the "Binjiang Water Navy Commander," managing the river well while helping his hometown develop the port. Once the Port District thrives and the Management Committee becomes financially robust, he plans to get a police patrol boat to give back to the river.

Lost in his thoughts, his pager suddenly beeped.

"Uncle Tian, I need to return a call."

"Sure, go ahead."

Tian Gui stood up and walked out of the office. Just as he was about to close the door, he suddenly remembered something and turned back to say, "Director Yu, I almost forgot—Director Zhou knows that grassroots stations have communication difficulties, so he had the communication department set up a paging station and issued a pager to every officer, in Chinese."

Han Yu asked in surprise, "Our Bureau set up its own paging station?"

"It was learned from Dongqi Police Bureau; they set it up last year. However, it's not connected to the postal and telecommunications department, so outsiders can't send messages, only our police can use it internally. The paging station's signal only covers Linghai; it's useless outside."

"Better than walkie-talkies."

"That's true, I've collected yours and will bring it over later."

"Alright."

Han Yu watched Tian Gui leave, then immediately used the desk phone to return the call.

It was another long-distance call, but one he must return, as it was from another master.

"Uncle Xiao, it's Han Yu. Did you need me for something?"

"Just a personal matter; are you busy? Is it convenient to talk?"

The former police envoy of the long-retired Changxiu cruise ship and now the Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigation Department at the East Sea Shipping Public Security Bureau, Uncle Xiao lifted his head to glance at his son-in-law and couldn't help but smile.

"Not busy at all, go ahead."

Old Xiao took a cigarette from his son-in-law, lit it, and said with a smile, "Salted Fish, I remember mentioning to you before, my son-in-law was a clerk at the Maritime Court. He's not a clerk anymore; he's now a judge."

"That's a promotion, congratulations!"

"Mostly it's his own effort; the court job is so demanding, yet he still persisted in self-study, first obtaining an undergraduate degree in law, and recently he passed the judge's exam."

"Uncle Xiao, studying law is tough; your son-in-law is impressive."

"The current issue is that young judges like him need to get grassroots court experience. The superiors have assigned him to the Binjiang Maritime Court. He's never been to Binjiang, completely unfamiliar with the place, and he's a bit uneasy, which has me worried too."

Comrade Old Xiao didn't often mention his son-in-law, so Han Yu wouldn't have remembered Binjiang even had a Maritime Court.

The transportation system includes shipping police and similarly has Maritime Courts that specifically handle maritime and maritime commerce cases.

The situation at the Binjiang Maritime Court differs from the Port Supervision Bureau; it's not under Hanwu Maritime Court but rather managed by the East Sea Maritime Court. Its jurisdiction starts at Binjiang Tiansheng Port and extends upstream, with maritime and maritime commerce cases under the jurisdiction of other Maritime Courts in Yangzhou, Jiangcheng, and others affiliated with Hanwu Maritime Court.

The Linghai people have little attachment to Binjiang, let alone to Jiangnan Province. If the authorities were to reassign all of Linghai like Zhuangming County to East Sea, the Linghai people would certainly rejoice.

In short, all Linghai people like East Sea, and those who don't are definitively not from Linghai.

For shipping companies or individual shipowners from Linghai and Dongqi, if they want to dispute a ruling from Binjiang Maritime Court and need to appeal in East Sea, they think nothing of it.

However, if a company or individual shipowner from outside the area disagrees with a ruling from Binjiang Maritime Court and has to travel to East Sea for an appeal, they would certainly find it inconvenient.

Worse yet, those further upstream must go all the way to Hanwu Maritime Court to appeal!

In essence, the vast expanse of the Yangtze River has only two Maritime Courts, one in East Sea and the other in Hanwu.

Reportedly, several Provincial People's Representatives and local legal professionals have advised the provincial government multiple times, strongly recommending establishing a Maritime Court in Jiangcheng, so litigants wouldn't have to travel so far.

But the Yangtze River isn't owned by any province; it's managed by the Ministry of Transport, and the provincial authorities don't have the final say. The national policy has always emphasized inter-regional management of the Yangtze.

Han Yu regained his composure and chuckled, "Uncle Xiao, what's there to worry about when you have me in Binjiang!"

"That's precisely why I called you."

"When is your son-in-law coming over? I'll pick him up."

Thinking it over, Han Yu then laughingly said, "I'm not very familiar with the Binjiang Maritime Court, but the leaders of Changhang Bureau, Binjiang Port Supervision Bureau, and Binjiang Port Authority should be well-acquainted with them. I'll invite some of the veteran leaders to welcome your son-in-law!"

As a promising young man in Binjiang, it was the leaders of Changhang Binjiang Branch and Binjiang Water Police Branch who sent him to study in East Sea back then.

Vice Director Xiao grew more delighted as he thought about it and, extinguishing his cigarette butt, smiled and said, "He's reporting to Binjiang the day after tomorrow. I plan to take a few days off and go with him."

"How are you planning to travel?"

"By boat; it's more convenient."

"Alright, confirm the time with me, and I'll meet you at the dock."

"Thank you for this."

"Uncle Xiao, what are you talking about."

"Alright, alright, I won't stand on ceremony with you. See you the day after tomorrow."

Uncle Xiao's visit to Binjiang genuinely delighted Han Yu.

Remembering last year's intensive water crackdown, when Deputy Division Commander Liu Guixiang of the Criminal Investigation Team of Changhang Bureau went to East Sea for investigation and gathering evidence, Uncle Xiao not only provided significant help but also warmly hosted Liu Guixiang and other investigating officers, Han Yu promptly called his old unit.

Although private and official matters must be kept separate, in situations like this, where there's both personal and official elements, hosting them officially was only appropriate.

As expected, Director He, upon hearing that the Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigation Department of Marine Police Bureau was coming to Binjiang, immediately declared that the Changhang Bureau would host them.

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