"Huh? We're not that close. We've only met a few times."
The junior police officer was skeptical. They weren't close and had only met a few times, yet Station Chief Tang had specifically told them to save a boat for him?
Who would believe that?
Some of their own people couldn't even get one for their friends and relatives.
He was probably afraid of people finding out he'd used connections, so he was being evasive.
The junior police officer filled in the blanks with his own assumptions.
Ye Yaodong didn't feel right trading on someone else's name, so he hadn't said anything about being close to Director Chen. In his own opinion, they really weren't all that close anyway.
Their positions were worlds apart. How could he have the nerve to use the director's name behind his back to get things done? If the director found out, it could leave a bad impression, and the loss would outweigh the gain. Better to let them draw their own conclusions.
Besides, telling the junior police officer he was close to Director Chen wouldn't help. The officer didn't have that kind of authority and might even think he was bragging.
Anyway, once their deputy station chief arrived, he would see if he could ask whether the man would do Director Chen another favor.
After all, if you helped someone, you should see it through. They'd already sold him a boat cheaply, so surely a few smuggled goods wouldn't make much difference? Surely?
Ye Yaodong didn't chat much with the junior police officer. As people trickled in, he kept looking up, hoping to spot Station Chief Tang. That was the man whose words carried some weight.
But perhaps he was the big boss who always appeared last. Ye Yaodong watched for ages without seeing