Binjiang Police Affairs

Chapter 809 - 551: Uncle Liu’s Choice

During Qingming Festival, the rain falls continuously, and travelers on the road feel distraught.These past few days, Han Yu, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Gong have been patrolling and enforcing the law on the river day and night. It was only when they walked down the riverbank through the under-construction Yanjiang Road, seeing hundreds of elementary school students lining up under their teachers’ guidance to sweep the tombs at the Martyrs’ Cemetery, that they realized the Qingming Festival had arrived.

The gate of the Linghai Reserve Camp, located more than forty meters to the west of the Martyrs’ Cemetery entrance, not only attracted the curious eyes of the children but also left the three of them, including Han Yu, in awe.

The gate was tall, large, and magnificent.

The four columns outside were covered in tiles that mimicked stone, making them look as if they were built from giant stones at first glance.

The header above the gate bore no unit name, only a huge "Ba Yi" military insignia.

There was no unit signage on the gate columns either. Between the two main gate columns was a vehicle passage fitted with a stainless steel retractable gate. Between the two main gate columns and the two side columns were pedestrian and bicycle paths, fitted with small iron gates.

In front of the columns on both sides, there were two round sentry boxes painted with red and white markings, though there were no sentinels on duty.

The walls on both sides of the entrance bore slogans of "The sanctity of the sentry is inviolable," and about a dozen meters away from both sides of the gate, along the roadside, two warning signs with stone bases were installed. They prominently read "Military Management Zone, No Entry Without Authorization," signed by the Linghai City Government.

Standing at the gate, you couldn’t see what the camp looked like inside because there was a huge screen wall there.

On the screen wall were the Central Command’s requirements for the People’s Liberation Army of China: Politically Qualified, Militarily Competent, Excellent Conduct, Strict Discipline, Strong Support!

Beneath the screen wall was a long flower bed filled with lush green plants.

The surrounding wall was very high, and like detention centers, had barbed wire installed at the top. Inside the wall was originally part of the Martyrs’ Cemetery, with its buildings in disrepair but well-maintained greenery, filled with many trees.

In short, looking from the outside, this appeared to be a military camp.

Judging solely by the impressive main gate, one might mistakenly think it’s a unit above the division level.

The more Xiao Yu looked, the more delighted he became. He grinned and said, "Not bad, it’s really well done, even more impressive than the Armed Forces Department!"

Like Xiao Yu, Xiao Gong was also about to become a reserve officer. The thought of this place becoming his "second unit," and soon wearing a military uniform with a lieutenant’s rank, made him even more excited. He chuckled and said, "The military should have a military appearance, and a military unit should be like this."

It looked impressive, but it cost money!

Han Yu wasn’t as cheerful as them, thinking to himself that building just this gate must have cost at least tens of thousands. He took a few deep breaths and calmly said, "Let’s go in and take a look first."

The three of them walked to the entrance of the security room, about to knock on the south-facing window, when they saw Liu Degui inside discussing something with Yang Jianbo.

Liu Degui also noticed Salted Fish was back and quickly put down the materials and came out to open the door.

"Uncle Liu, this gate is built quite nicely."

"What Uncle Liu, here we only have the Camp Commander, Instructor, and Administrator."

"Okay, Administrator."

Back when Han Yu and Xiao Yu just started their jobs, Liu Degui already knew them and even organized militia training for them. He knew these two fish very well.

Salted Fish was extremely stingy, and Xiao Yu was carefree.

Understanding well what Salted Fish was thinking, he explained with a smile before Salted Fish could even ask, "The gate is indeed grand, but it didn’t cost much."

"Didn’t cost much?" Han Yu was skeptical, reaching out to touch the high-grade tiles that mimicked stone.

Yang Jianbo, not waiting for Liu Degui to speak, said with a smile, "Camp Commander, the gate columns are made of reinforced concrete, and the tiles on the outside were brought by the Administrator along with us from the Management Committee office building site, even the rebar and cement mortar were brought in from outside."

As long as they weren’t bought with money.

Han Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, asking with a smile, "Where did you get them from?"

Liu Degui pointed around and said indifferently, "The Development Zone is practically a big construction site, under construction everywhere. We, as a Reserve, are also part of the People’s Liberation Army of China, so we definitely can’t take anything from the people, but finding some materials on government project sites doesn’t count as violating the public discipline."

If the master were alive, he would certainly do the same. Xiao Yu couldn’t help but laugh, "Salted Fish, Uncle Liu is right, it’s a waste not to take the government’s stuff. Uncle Liu, why didn’t you take more?"

"Xiao Yu, the Administrator took us many times to bring stuff."

"Where did you go to bring them?"

"The Management Committee office building site, the Sanhe Primary School site, the peasant new village development site by the Committee, any government project site, we’ve been there."

"Camp Commander, don’t worry, before bringing them I consulted with Mayor Shen and Secretary Chen. Mayor Shen and Secretary Chen said it’s fine, let us bring whatever we need."

"That’s just fine."

If Salted Fish and Xiao Yu see the dunship as their home, then Liu Degui, who wants to return to the Armed Forces Department but cannot, considers the Reserve Camp as his home.

He is determined to build the camp well, even more grandly than the Armed Forces Department or even the Military District, so that his former leaders and comrades can see who is truly the regular army.

He took out a roll of blueprints from the reception room and smiled: "Camp Commander, at first, I thought it was only the City Flood Control Command that wanted to build a flood control material reserve warehouse. Later I found out that even district and county levels have to build it, and even each village needs to reserve emergency rescue materials.

Mayor Shen suggested that the Water Resources Bureau build the riverside reserve warehouse here at our place, and the development zone’s material reserve warehouse also has to be built here, so the previous camp planning had to be adjusted."

The Binjiang Reserve Group needs to organize several reserve camps.

The brother district and county reserve camps are still on paper, but the Linghai Reserve Camp not only has its own camp area, it even has a flood control and emergency materials reserve warehouse, which, to say the least, is far ahead of the other brother camps.

Although Yang Jianbo has become an Instructor, he works with even more enthusiasm, helping Liu Degui unfold the blueprints to report: "Warehouse No. 1 is here, funded by the City Flood Control Command, and it’s the largest in area. Warehouse No. 2 is built here, funded by the Linghai City Flood Control Command and the Development Zone Management Committee, slightly smaller than Warehouse No. 1.

This is the garage, which can park six trucks and two small cars. Over here is the canteen and large conference room, capable of hosting two hundred people for dining or meetings simultaneously. This is the bathroom, and here is our camp’s small warehouse..."

The planning looks quite good.

Not only are there two large warehouses in the camp, but even the river beach behind the camp is to be utilized, transformed into a small dock and materials storage area for stones and wood.

Han Yu looked at the blueprints for a while, then peeked at the workers working overtime inside, and asked: "With so many emergency materials stored here, who’s responsible for managing them?"

Liu Degui laughed: "Me."

"You?"

"My main job has been adjusted now, I’m no longer a development zone cadre, I’m the Deputy Director of the Water Resources Bureau’s Flood Control Material Reserve Management Center and also the Director of the Linghai Flood Control Materials Reserve Warehouse, specifically responsible for the reserve management and transportation of flood control materials."

Han Yu was quite surprised, staring at him and asking: "Linghai City Water Resources Bureau or Binjiang City Water Resources Bureau?"

Liu Degui laughed: "Of course, it’s the Binjiang City Water Resources Bureau, there is no such unit as a flood control materials reserve management center in the Linghai Water Resources Bureau."

Serving as this Deputy Director allows him to stay here every day.

The reserve warehouse is built right in the Linghai Reserve Camp area, so he can wear his military uniform every day.

Han Yu realized that Liu Degui just wanted to wear the military uniform again, and couldn’t help but ask: "Uncle Liu, what kind of entity is the Water Resources Bureau’s Flood Control Material Reserve Management Center?"

"It’s a full department level public institution, this is a lateral move for me, and soon I won’t be a lone commander anymore. Director Liao said they’ll assign a staff member here, but since this is a camp, whoever comes must join the Reserve, so I only want those who have served in the army."

"Transferring to a public institution, although still a Deputy Director, the salary and benefits surely aren’t as good as in the development zone!"

"You win some, you lose some. Although the salary and benefits aren’t as good as in the development zone, by transferring here, it’s almost like being in the military. If I were an active military officer, I’d worry about transitioning to civilian life, but I don’t have to worry. I can work in the camp until retirement!"

Liu Degui was afraid the two Fish wouldn’t understand, so he added: "This job transfer has nothing to do with you guys, I proactively requested the transfer after hearing that the City Water Resources Bureau needed someone to manage the warehouse. Mayor Shen and Secretary Chen thought there’s no future in this Deputy Director position, they talked to me and tried to persuade me, but I insisted on the transfer."

Han Yu smiled bitterly and asked: "Just because you can wear a military uniform every day?"

"Isn’t that enough?" Liu Degui smiled, smugly saying: "Salted Fish, do you know how many people envy me? Those old comrades who want to return to the Armed Forces Department but can’t, come to me every other day to ask if there are similar opportunities. You can ask the Instructor if you don’t believe me."

The elder was someone who served on the Old Mountain frontline.

The elder has deep feelings for the army, he never thought about transitioning to civilian life, but because the Armed Forces Department was handed over to local leadership back then, he had to take off his military uniform, now with a chance to wear it again, even if it’s only as a reservist, he still wants to continue wearing it.

Yang Jianbo greatly admires Liu Degui, fully aware that Liu Degui’s choice not only impacts his current salary and benefits but also affects his pension in retirement.

He paused for a moment, looked up, and said: "Camp Commander, there have indeed been several old platoon leaders who’ve come looking for the administrator during this time, and they truly do envy the old platoon leader."

"I know those old platoon leaders, they aren’t development zone cadres either."

"I didn’t spend much time in the development zone myself."

"Camp Commander, you’ve never been a soldier, this decision the administrator made has its own reasoning, there are things you might not understand."

"Though I’ve never been a soldier, I understand. It’s like if I had to take off my police uniform, but then had the chance to wear it again, I’d definitely want to put it back on."

"As long as you understand." Liu Degui smiled lightly, then lamented: "If your master were alive, he would surely support my transfer to the Water Resources Bureau Flood Control Material Reserve Management Center too."

Han Yu nodded: "If my master were alive, I wouldn’t have the chance to be the Camp Commander either."

Liu Degui was momentarily stunned, then laughed heartily: "True, if he had this opportunity, this Camp Commander position would definitely be his, no one could take it away, he’d probably not want to step down until retirement."