The train driver in the courtyard

In this day and age, it is very common for pregnant women to stay at their workstations until the very last minute before taking a break.

The co-driver didn't try to persuade him further and focused his attention on the road ahead.

There has been a drought in Beijing recently.

It rains frequently here, and although the weather has cleared up, we still need to be extra careful while driving.

It was already late at night.

The passengers, exhausted from a long day, drifted off to sleep to the monotonous sound of wheels hitting the rails; some were already dreaming, a slight smile playing on their lips.

The atmosphere inside the train was peaceful and tranquil.

The train conductor made one last inspection and then returned to his cabin with peace of mind.

In a secluded valley more than ten kilometers away, the rocks began to loosen due to days of rain, and soil slid down the hillside in a soft rustling sound.

The large pile of rocks on the mountaintop resembled a hungry wolf lying in wait, silently watching the oncoming train.
The train, oblivious to everything, continues its journey without ever knowing anything.

The stars in the sky seemed to have foreseen the tragedy and couldn't help but hide behind the clouds.

"Baby, hang in there a little longer. Once Mommy has safely brought the train to the station, we can rest." Zhang Dahua felt the baby move and rubbed her belly.

"Driver, we're about to pass Xiaogezhuang switch station, three kilometers ahead." The co-driver saw the road sign beside the railway line, ducked back, and reported to his supervisor.

Small switch stations like this do not require stopping.

However, for safety reasons, Zhang Dahua still reduced her speed as required.

Waaaaah... I'm eating like crazy!
The train roared toward the switch station.

Sudden.

The co-driver shouted anxiously, "Stop the car! Stop the car! Driver, someone on the platform has given a stop signal!"

For a train, a signal is an order.

Although Zhang Dahua was unaware of the situation, she still left everything behind.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle. Sparks flew as the wheels rubbed against the rails, finally coming to a stop on the platform.

Just then, the train conductor finished writing the train log and was about to stand up when he was almost knocked to the ground by the sudden braking.

He realized something was wrong and quickly opened the door and went out.

The passengers in the carriage were also awakened and rubbed their eyes.

"Why did you stop the car?"

Is it malfunctioning?

"Of course, otherwise why would we park here in the middle of the night?"

The water deliveryman rushed over to report the situation: "Train Captain Zhou, the train has suddenly stopped for unknown reasons and is currently at Xiaogezhuang switch station."

"You immediately take the crew to reassure the passengers," Train Chief Zhou said, glancing at the closed windows. "The weather is hot and humid now. As soon as the train stops, the temperature inside the carriage will definitely rise sharply. Tell the passengers they can open the windows."

"Yes!" The water deliveryman nodded.

Fortunately, modern car windows can be opened; if the windows were truly sealed shut, this situation would be quite troublesome.
I heard a while ago that they were planning to produce completely sealed carriages, but it was rejected by the higher-ups. Train conductor Zhou muttered a few words to himself, took out his key, opened the train door, and jumped onto the platform.

Zhang Dahua had already gotten out of the car with her co-driver and was staring wide-eyed at the switchman.

"what happened?"

"Urgent alert from the warning center! Landslide possible in the valley ahead. All vehicles must stop immediately!"

The switchman must have been called up at the last minute; his hair was a mess, and his clothes were buttoned up incorrectly, yet he was shuffling around in his slippers trying to put on a serious face.

"Early Warning Center?" Zhang Dahua had been driving a lot lately and this was the first time she had heard this name.

Train conductor Zhou walked over and said, "I heard that it was invented by your old classmate Li Aiguo that can predict geological disasters in advance."

"It's patriotism, I've heard his name quite a bit lately."

Although Zhang Dahua didn't know how the warning center issued the warning, she knew that it was definitely impossible to continue driving at this point.

To avoid making the passengers anxious, Train Chief Zhou called over the announcer: "Make a train-wide announcement."

"Yes."

A moment later, a series of crisp sounds rang out from each carriage of the train.

"Dear passengers, this is an urgent notice. We have received a notification from the early warning center that a landslide may occur ahead. Train 352 is temporarily suspended. This is the 352 crew."

Upon hearing the announcement, the passengers immediately erupted in chaos.

"Early warning? What is an early warning?"

"It's just a guess."

"They made us stop here just because they guessed. The comrades on the railway are getting more and more outrageous."

"They're just doing this for safety reasons, so let's wait a little longer."

"You can wait, but I can't."

Most passengers expressed their understanding, since the section is now closed and passengers can go down to the platform to cool off.

As the saying goes, "A big forest has all kinds of birds," and there were a few troublemakers among them. After getting off the train, one of them rushed up to the train conductor and Zhang Dahua and started shouting.

"A clairvoyant? You're kidding me!"

"Don't tell me you've taken the wrong route and are using the landslide as a cover!"

"What's wrong? You're too scared to admit it?"

The scene instantly became noisy because of these few troublemakers.

Train conductor Zhou tried to explain, but the men wouldn't listen and started shoving him with their fists.

Zhang Dahua couldn't stand it and tried to rush over to stop them, but the co-driver held her back tightly.

"Dahua, be careful of the baby in your belly."

The train police were busy taking care of the older passengers and couldn't spare any more attention, which made those troublemakers even more arrogant.

"Aren't you in the wrong? I'm telling you, drive off right now, or I'll tear down your 'Serving Passengers' banner."

Since the new regulations were implemented, every advanced train now displays a banner, a source of pride for the train crew.

Seeing the young man climb onto the train to unfurl the banner, Zhang Dahua could no longer hold back. She rushed over and kicked the young man to the ground.

The young man never expected her to attack him. Caught off guard, he fell on the platform, nearly splitting his buttocks in two.

"You dare hit me? You're in big trouble now. You're in big trouble now. I'm going to..."

"I can take the blame for kicking you! But if I endanger everyone in the car while driving, can you take the blame?!"

Just then, a rumbling sound suddenly rang out in the distance, and the ground trembled slightly.

The passengers all looked in the direction of the sound.

Even though it was dark and I couldn't see clearly, I knew something terrible must have happened ahead.

The scene fell silent instantly.

"Landslide! A landslide has occurred in the valley ahead!" The old switchman was the first to react, slapping his thigh and saying, "Oh dear, luckily the warning came in time, otherwise, this train would have been buried."

Upon hearing this, the passengers' expressions changed slightly.

Based on the train's speed, if the train did not make an emergency stop, it would be located right in the valley at this moment.

A chill ran down their backs.

"This early warning system created by Patriot is actually quite useful!" Zhang Dahua was also stunned, and reached out to rub her stomach.

The young men were even more surprised that something would actually happen ahead. They exchanged glances and tried to slip into the crowd unnoticed.

"Anyone who dares to cause trouble, arrest them all." At this moment, the train police officers had freed their hands and rushed forward to pin the people to the ground.

The young man who had just fallen and hurt his butt was no exception.

He struggled and shouted, "How can you blame me? Who knew that warning would be so accurate?"

"Comrade Patriot, your early warning system is truly amazing. We just received a call from Xiaogezhuang switch station. A landslide has occurred on Line 2, and the current situation is unclear."

At the Ministry of Railways' early warning center, a leader put down the phone and said excitedly, "Thanks to the timely warning, train No. 352 avoided this accident."

A cheer erupted inside the early warning center.

Li Aiguo also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

With an early warning system, countless geological disasters can be avoided in the future.

At this moment, Leader Teng also learned of the news and rushed over.

A blond, blue-eyed man following behind him entered the early warning center and gave Li Aiguo a bear hug.

"It's simply a miracle. Everyone says that the East is a place where miracles happen. I didn't believe it before, but now I do, dear Li."

Why do these foreigners all have a penchant for hugging people? It would be nice if you were a beautiful woman. Li Aiguo almost fainted from the stench and coughed twice before saying, "Mr. Ed, what are you doing here?"

Li Aiguo recognized the man as Ed from the John Bull family. Ed had represented John Bull Railway during the recent inspection of the railway network.

"Representative Ed arrived here yesterday to discuss the introduction of the railway network," Leader Teng said with a smile.

Li Aiguo was slightly taken aback. It was normal for John Bull to be interested in the railway network, after all, several of his Eastern European neighbors had introduced railway networks and the results were very good.

The key point is that it's quite interesting that Representative Ed was personally accompanied by Leader Teng.

"Representative Ed has brought friendship this time." Seeing the surprised expressions on the faces of the other leaders in the early warning center, and the unfriendly looks from several activists towards Ed, Leader Teng added.

Li Aiguo instantly realized that the relationships within the extended family had changed ever since they made progress in the south.

It has transformed from a two-pronged approach to a three-way competition.

Many families have expressed their opinions on this, feeling that Dongda Tie lacks martial ethics.

However, John Bull was an exception and strongly supported Tokyo University's Tetsuya.

It wasn't that John Bull was particularly kind; rather, he was a born troublemaker who adhered to a strategy of maintaining a balance of power on the continent.

They try to win over the weaker side and suppress the stronger one. Now that they see someone trying to challenge the old Mao and the little Mei, they naturally want to jump out and support them.

In the original timeline, John Bull Iron was one of the first to establish a formal relationship with us, which reveals their ulterior motives.

Because of Li Aiguo's butterfly effect, something that should have happened more than a decade later has now come to fruition.

Ed was ostensibly there to procure the railway network, but he also had an additional identity as a representative of President Haq.

Of course, this was information Li Aiguo later learned from the farmer.

Leader Teng originally planned to place Ed at the Friendship Hotel.

Unexpectedly, Ed learned that the railway early warning system had been successfully established and became very interested in the early warning center, requesting a visit.

"Dear Li, don't worry about me. You all continue working, just ignore me." As a railway expert, Ed knew very well that there were still many things to handle. It was obvious this guy wanted to learn from Li Aiguo, but Li Aiguo didn't care.

The railway early warning system is a complete system; it cannot be stolen just by glancing at it.

If the Iron family is willing to pay a high price, it's not impossible to sell.

Li Aiguo stopped paying attention to Ed and reported the situation to Teng's superiors.

Ed, who had just volunteered to ignore everyone, was now breathing rapidly.

Has the technology of the Tokyo University of Technology advanced to the point where it can predict landslides in advance?

He tried several times to ask what was going on, but he didn't make a sound, after all, he also had professional ethics.

After learning of the successful early warning, Leader Teng highly praised the work of the early warning center and nodded to Li Aiguo.

Li Aiguo knew that the time was ripe to implement nationwide weather forecasting.

However, this is something that the higher-ups need to consider. Li Aiguo only focuses on technology and has no way to get involved, nor does he want to.

Moreover, the early warning center immediately convened an emergency meeting.

Before the emergency meeting, Director Teng called over the director in charge of reception, pointed at Ed and said, "Old Chen, Ed is our honored guest, we must ensure his safety."

Ed understood that the upcoming meeting might involve the secrets of Tokyo University's Ironclad Group, so he could only nod helplessly.

After returning to the Friendship Hotel, he immediately picked up the phone and called his hometown.

"The fact that Dongda Railway predicted the landslide is incredible!

"How is that possible? Even American Iron doesn't have this technology."

“I’ve seen it with my own eyes; there are many dangerous sections of road near our home, especially in the mountains of Ireland. If this technology could be introduced…”

"I'm entrusting this matter to you. Try your best to verify the authenticity of the early warning system, actively contact Dongda Railway, and obtain the procurement rights."

"understand!"

After hanging up the phone, Ed lit a cigar and squinted his eyes.

"The railway early warning system is really a great thing."

At this moment, Li Aiguo was unaware that what he had just created was being watched. He was sitting in the conference room, listening to several leaders speak.

At the meeting, a leader raised his hand: "Train 352 is currently stuck at Xiaogezhuang switch station. If the line cannot be cleared as soon as possible, it will block the main line from Beijing to the south."

“Passengers are still stranded at Xiaogezhuang switch station. With so many people, if things aren’t handled properly, it could cause chaos,” another leader said worriedly.

Leader Teng looked at Li Aiguo: "Comrade Aiguo, what are your thoughts?"

Li Aiguo suggested: "The Qianmen Locomotive Depot rescue team is experienced and has the ability to be dispatched in an emergency. We can have them take food, water and medicine and rush to Xiaogezhuang switch station first."

The leader nodded in agreement: "With food and drink provided, the passengers won't be in such a hurry. The only question is, which team should be sent to clear the railway line?"

Li Aiguo: "I think we should bring the subway construction team up first. They are equipped with heavy machinery and can clear the lines in the shortest time."

"That's a good idea." Several leaders nodded.

There are indeed several railway corps units near the capital that can be mobilized at any time.

However, in those days, construction machinery was in short supply, and only the Fifth Division, which was building the subway, had the best equipment.

"Aiguo, I heard that your teacher is Guozhang, the director of the five-person group. I'll have to trouble you to coordinate this matter."

"This is what I should do."

The railway system is like a family. It's perfectly normal to urgently call upon the resources of other units when there's a problem with the railway line.

As expected, Liu Guozhang immediately agreed after receiving Li Aiguo's call.

"The construction at the apple orchard has just finished, and the staff are preparing to move to the next site, so we can send them there right away."

"Thank you so much!" Li Aiguo said with a smile.

"If anyone should thank you, it's me who should thank you, your student. If the train had really crashed, we railway workers would never be able to hold our heads high again." Liu Guozhang was still a little scared; after all, it was a passenger train.

Liu Guozhang acted swiftly. After holding a meeting with the other members of the five-person team, Li Aiguo waited in the office for Zhang Tieling, the regimental commander in charge of the rescue.

After some time apart, Zhang Tieling's skin was darker and he looked more energetic. As soon as he entered the office, he saluted Li Aiguo.

"Old Zhang, I didn't expect you, General Yuan, to be sent this time."

Zhang Tieling and Li Aiguo were old acquaintances, so without exchanging pleasantries, Zhang said directly, "Advisor Li, the personnel have all been assembled, but it will take a little more time to transfer the equipment."

"I'll contact the Qianmen Locomotive Depot and ask them to send a freight train." Li Aiguo shook the phone and contacted the Qianmen Locomotive Depot again.

At this time, Liu Qingsong's rescue team had been dispatched urgently, and Section Chief Xing agreed to coordinate a freight train to help transport personnel and equipment.

Seeing Li Aiguo resolve this major problem in the blink of an eye, Zhang Tieling was momentarily dazed.

When I first met Li Aiguo, he was just a skilled train driver. How long has it been since then, and he's been able to coordinate with various departments?

Li Aiguo put down the phone and said, "If there are not enough people in the team, we can ask comrades from the local area to go and help. We should adopt a voluntary registration method."

Zhang Tieling understood the principle that many hands make light work, and nodded: "Okay, I'll go back and hold a mobilization meeting right away."

Li Aiguo was going to accompany Regiment Commander Zhang Tieling this time, firstly to inspect the early warning system, and secondly to represent the early warning center in supervising the unblocking work of the lines and to inspect the unblocked lines.

Considering that this trip might take more than ten days, Li Aiguo chatted with Commander Zhang for a few minutes before leisurely returning to the courtyard house.

Chen Xueru had just finished preparing breakfast: steamed buns and cornmeal porridge.

Upon learning that Li Aiguo was going on a business trip, Chen Xueru packed her luggage after finishing her meal.

"I heard it's easy to get diarrhea in the wild, I'll go buy you some diarrhea medicine to take with you."

"No need, Liu Qingsong from the rescue team definitely brought the medicine."

Li Aiguo tried to stop her, but Chen Xueru had already left the house.

When she returned with the medicine, she ran into Liang Ladi at the Intermediate People's Court.

"Xueru, how are you going to buy medicine so early in the morning?"

"Aiguo is going on a business trip, this is for him. Nan Xiaoying's clothes are ready, come and pick them up when you have time."

Chen Xueru was in a hurry to go back, so she left after saying just one sentence.

Jia Dongxu was sitting next to Qin Huairu, staring blankly at the dried sweet potatoes on the ceiling. Hearing this, he curled his lip and said, "See? He's away on a business trip again. This kind of person doesn't care about his wife and children at all."

Qin Huairu squatted on the roof and smiled helplessly, reaching out to touch the still damp dried sweet potato.

****
The accident occurred at 2 a.m., and the first rescue team arrived at 8 a.m.

When Li Aiguo and Zhang Tieling arrived at Xiaogezhuang switch station, Liu Qingsong had already settled the passengers with his men.

"Comrade Patriot, considering that the route cannot be reopened in the short term, we plan to send the passengers back first."

"Thank you."

Li Aiguo, without bothering to exchange pleasantries with Liu Qingsong, led Zhang Tieling and the railway soldiers into the valley.

Upon seeing the scene before them, everyone gasped in shock.

The once straight railway tracks now resemble a tin toy crumpled by a giant hand, twisted into bizarre, braided curves.

The murky water meandered along the gullies, accumulating into foamy puddles in the depressions.

The wind blew in from the valley, swirling up the withered grass on the ground.

Li Aiguo looked up at the top of the cliff, where the pines and cypresses looked as if they had been cleaved by a giant axe, with broken branches hanging haphazardly among the pile of rocks.

Several millstone-sized rocks were stuck between the branches of the tree, and soil was still falling from the roots, threatening to crash down at any moment.

"Everyone step back three meters," he suddenly raised his voice. "Zhang Tieling, take two people to check the stability of the rock mass. The rest of you come with me to check for potential hazards and be careful to collect any loose debris."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud crash came from above. A basketball-sized pebble slid down from the treetops and made a deep dent in the mud.

Seeing this, Li Aiguo knew that the dredging work had encountered problems.

"Let's set off the blasting first. Clear the rocks off the mountain to avoid causing further damage."

"Second Platoon Leader, fire the cannons!" Zhang Tieling shouted into the ranks.

The second platoon leader responded with "Received," turned around, took out a detonator wrapped in oil paper from his canvas bag, and led several railway soldiers to rush forward.

"Boom"

The deafening explosion crashed against the rock wall, bouncing back into countless sharp echoes.

Li Aiguo felt his eardrums buzzing and saw a burst of stars before his eyes.

As the dust settled, he saw the rubble on the hillside rolling down like a waterfall, and several huge boulders the size of millstones finally broke free from the branches and crashed onto the ruins of the railway tracks.

The entire blasting process lasted until 2 p.m.

After a short rest, the railway soldiers ate some dry rations and began the dredging work.

The railway soldiers drove up in a strange tractor.

The tractor is more than a person tall, equipped with tracked wheels, and has a wire rope lifting bulldozer blade at the front, making it similar to a simple bulldozer.

This was the first time Li Aiguo had ever seen a bulldozer in this era, so he couldn't help but be curious.

While the driver was busy preparing, he stepped forward and asked, "Where did this thing come from?"

"It was only recently developed. It's quite large and has decent strength, but it's too prone to malfunctioning."

The driver and several railway soldiers worked for a full half hour to complete the preparations.

The bulldozer, billowing black smoke, rushed toward the railway ruins, its tracks shaking violently as soon as they rolled over the mud.

Sure enough, it stalled completely after only half an hour, and no matter how much you knocked on the hood, there was no response.

"Equipment malfunction! Rely on manpower first!" Zhang Tieling's roar pierced through the dust.

The railway soldiers grabbed shovels and rushed toward the pile of mud and rocks, the clanging of metal striking the broken stones filling the air.

Li Aiguo was squatting on a rock recording data about the rock strata when he suddenly heard a suppressed groan.

Looking up, I saw a young railway soldier swinging his shovel and shaking his hand.

His palms were rubbed raw and red, and two bloody marks appeared on the tiger's mouth, with blood beads mixed with mud rolling into his sleeve.

Li Aiguo stood up and glanced at the crowd: Under the scorching sun of the dog days of summer, hundreds of people were hunched over, wielding shovels. Their sweat-soaked work clothes clung to their backs, and almost everyone had blood-soaked gauze wrapped around their palms, old scabs layered with new blisters.

"Commander Zhang, this bulldozer." Li Aiguo pointed to the malfunctioning machine.

"It's the same old problem!" Zhang Tieling wiped his sweat. "The No. 22 Factory copied the Russian goods; the lifting mechanism is manually operated, the gear shifting is a matter of luck, and it takes half an hour to work and an hour to repair!"

Amidst the scraping sound of shovels striking rocks, Li Aiguo squinted: "It's time...to build a real excavator that truly belongs to us."

(End of this chapter)