The train driver in the courtyard

Professor Chen Zunan arrived in Beijing on Monday morning.

After learning about Sadam's needs, Professor Chen Zunan repeatedly exclaimed, "Xiao Yi's family is too rich."

“They have oil underground. Professor Chen, this is the first large SUV exported, so we’ll have to trouble you.” Li Aiguo said.

"Don't worry." Chen Zunan already had experience in manufacturing custom-made cars, and now with Li Aiguo's blueprints and designs, manufacturing a customized SUV was a piece of cake.

He and his team of technicians, with the assistance of the wild car experts, began their work.

the other side.

The Ministry of Railways officially passed a resolution to establish a third-line motorcycle factory within the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, named the Qianmen Locomotive Depot Motorcycle Factory.

Considering that the Qianmen Locomotive Depot already had experience in manufacturing motorcycles, Section Chief Xing was put in full charge of preparing for the motorcycle factory.

"Leader, please rest assured, even if I, Old Xing, have to leave this 150 jin (75 kg) here, I will get the motorcycle workshop built as soon as possible." Section Chief Xing was particularly happy.

The fact that the Qianmen Locomotive Depot was responsible for the preparations meant that the bureau and other departments could not intervene.

Most of the workers at the motorcycle factory were children of workers from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

The motorcycle factory was built not far from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, which used to be an old coal mine, backed by the railway and responsible for supplying coal to Beijing.

In the past two years, due to the sewage flowing everywhere caused by the coal mine, which affected the lives of residents, the coal mine was relocated to the suburbs of Beijing and has been idle ever since.

Some usable buildings will be retained, but several workshops and warehouses will need to be built.

When Li Aiguo arrived at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot early in the morning, the comrades from the Qianmen Construction Team had already started working.

Various building materials were transported by Jiefang trucks, and the workers' chants echoed across the construction site.

Section Chief Xing also rolled up his trousers and jumped into the mud pit, joining the workers in digging the foundation.

He greeted Li Aiguo with a smile as he approached.

"The basic construction work will only take about half a month."

"I will get the production line ready as soon as possible."

"Thank you for your hard work." Section Chief Xing looked at Li Aiguo, somewhat moved, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "Yesterday, they sent some venison from the Northeast. Go and collect ten catties later to nourish your body."

Li Aiguo has been extremely busy lately, preparing for the motorcycle production line, customizing a large off-road vehicle, and most importantly, receiving Sadam.

Ever since Sadam placed the order, he has acted as if he were the client, and he would come to the studio every few days to chat with Li Aiguo.

Fortunately, everyone knew that Saddam already had three wives, otherwise they would have really thought he had some kind of special hobby.

"These are what I should do."

While they were chatting, Minister Niu ran over and shouted, "Patriot, the Middle Easterners are here again!"

Foreign affairs are no small matter. Sadam's status is special, and every time he comes to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, the leaders of the depot treat him as if he were facing a major enemy. Only Li Aiguo can be responsible for receiving him.

"Section Chief, I'm off."

"Go quickly, don't neglect them."

When Li Aiguo arrived at the workshop, Sadam had already walked around the large off-road vehicle that was under construction.

He was extremely satisfied with the customized off-road vehicle and even gave some gifts to Professor Chen Zunan and a few other professors.

Cigars, spices, tapestries, and the like.

Chen Zunan was at a loss when faced with the tapestry, and asked Li Aiguo in a low voice, "Is this pattern...appropriate for hanging in the house?"

"Old Chen, please accept it. Old Sa is no stranger to us."

With Li Aiguo's intervention, Chen Zunan and the others accepted the gifts with peace of mind and continued working in the studio.

"Aiguo, what happened to King Goujian of Yue after he was captured? Was he beheaded by the King of Wu?" Sadam handed Li Aiguo a cigar and lit it for him with a pure gold lighter.

Li Aiguo looked at Sadam, whose face was full of thirst for knowledge, and was momentarily dazed.

Saddam was actually a history enthusiast.

When Sadam came to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot recently, his favorite thing to listen to was Li Aiguo telling historical stories.

Especially the history of dynastic struggles.

Actually, if you think about it carefully, you'll understand.

Sadam came from a poor family. He was able to go to school and receive an education thanks to his uncle, Haila Talefa, who was a history teacher in Tikrit.

Hela Talefa was his uncle, his spiritual father, and later his father-in-law.

Under the influence of Haila Talefa, Saddam had a fervent interest in history, especially military history, and particularly enjoyed hearing stories of dynastic struggles.

Compared to the dynastic struggles here, the wars in Xiao Yi's family were more like a fight between a few villages.

Li Aiguo is well-read and has a far greater grasp of historical allusions than Saddam Hussein's incompetent Chinese teacher.

Every time Sadam came to the studio, he would pull Li Aiguo aside and tell him stories.

Li Aiguo has now transformed into a history teacher.

He took a puff of his cigar and continued, "King Fuchai of Wu listened to the words of a villain and pardoned Goujian. He even made peace with the Yue Kingdom. Later, Goujian endured hardship and humiliation, and intensified his training of the army. Finally, after the Battle of Lize and the Siege of Gusu, he forced King Fuchai of Wu to commit suicide, and the Wu Kingdom perished."

King Goujian of Yue became the last hegemon of the Spring and Autumn Period.

"Fool! This King of Wu is a fool! Doesn't he understand the principle of eradicating evil completely?"

History enthusiast Sadam, seeing the promising situation ruined by the King of Wu, slammed his fist on the table in anger, startling the white-robed figures outside, who rushed in.

"Get out! I'm talking about history with my patriotic brothers, what are you doing here?" Sadam reprimanded the men in white robes.

The men in white robes quickly went outside and stood guard. They exchanged glances, and each saw a hint of shock in the other's eyes.

They had never seen Old Sa respect anyone so much, especially a foreigner.

Li Aiguo looked at the enraged Sadam and smiled: "We, the people of later generations, can naturally see things clearly, but what about those shrouded in the fog of history? Can we really make the right choices? Even now, similar tragedies are constantly being repeated."

Upon hearing this, Sadam seemed to ponder something.

He sensed that Li Aiguo's words were loaded with meaning.

"There are many people like King Fuchai of Wu. They think they have already won and give a break to those enemies who are willing to cooperate. Little do they know that those enemies are just lurking like venomous snakes, waiting for their chance."

Li Aiguo's tone hardened as he stubbed out his cigar on the table: "Even roses watered with blood will one day wither."

Looking at the lingering smoke, Sadam thought of the internal situation of Xiao Yi's family, and his heart skipped a beat.

The King of Wu's folly led to the downfall of his kingdom... Wasn't Uncle's kindness towards Arif a repeat of the same mistake?

"Don't you also think that our leader is being a bit too soft-hearted?"

"Ahem. Sadam, we're just talking about history. I'm just a train driver, how would I know about your family's affairs?" Li Aiguo stood up, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it by himself.

"Too."

Sadam knew that it was impossible for an Easterner to know so much about the secrets of the Yi family, but he narrowed his eyes slightly.

The current situation in Xiao Yi's family is similar to that of the states of Wu and Yue.

Last year, Uncle Becker, with the support of a group of old comrades, secured the position of President.

Former commander Arif volunteered to become his deputy, and Becker, seeing that the situation was settled, did not eliminate him completely, but still allowed Arif to remain the nominal commander-in-chief.

Recently, rumors have been circulating that Arif is unwilling to accept defeat and wants to launch a counterattack.

Sadam initially didn't believe Arif was so audacious, but after hearing the story of King Goujian of Yue, he became alarmed.

As for Bakr, Saddam considered him a confidant and believed he could persuade him.

“Patriotism? That’s easy. As long as the leader gives the order, all those people will be dragged into the desert.” Sadam raised his hand and made a vicious gesture.

Li Aiguo seemed not to notice his actions and said to himself, "The most difficult thing in this world is changing other people's minds."

"..." Just as Sadam was about to ask further questions, Chen Baiya knocked on the door and came in.

"Master, several steam engines on the battlefield are blocking the road for the supply trucks. All the drivers in the section are at a meeting. Director Zhang, could you please move them?"

"Old Sa, I have to get back to work," Li Aiguo said, standing up to see the guest off.

"A train? Can I go and visit?" Sadam was intrigued when he learned that Li Aiguo was going to drive a train.

Li Aiguo did not refuse the client's reasonable request and brought Sadam to the station.

Looking at those massive, dilapidated steam engines, Sadam's eyes lit up: "These are real big vehicles."

Li Aiguo grabbed the handrail and climbed onto the steam engine in a few quick movements. He then had Chen Baiya shovel coal, only to find that they were short an assistant driver. He was about to call a worker from the maintenance workshop.

"How about me? My eyesight is excellent!" Old Sa was now staring intently at the big train, unable to look away.

This was the biggest truck he had ever seen.

At Xiao Yi's house, Sadam had to maintain his image and was also worried about enemy attacks, so he never had the chance to come into contact with the steam engine. He didn't want to miss this opportunity.

"You? Fine." Li Aiguo stared at Sadam for a moment, then reluctantly agreed.

The terrain at the station is not complicated; in fact, Li Aiguo could handle it without a co-driver.

The corners of the mouths of those in white robes twitched in unison. Old Sa was giving this guy a huge favor by being his co-driver, and yet this guy was still reluctantly agreeing.
With a whistle, Li Aiguo pulled the valve, and the train emitted two clear whistles.

"Co-driver, report the situation."

Sadam stuck his head out of the window, looked around for a moment, and reported: "Driver, the road ahead is clear."

Li Aiguo skillfully pushed the gate up, and the train slowly began to move.

Sadam exclaimed in surprise, "I never expected this, my patriotic brother, you really are a train driver."

Li Aiguo rummaged in his pocket and pulled out only a pack of Daqianmen cigarettes. Without paying much attention, he casually pulled one out and handed it to Sadam.

He took out the fire tongs, picked up a burning piece of coal, and lit it.

Sadam found it fascinating and, imitating him, lit a cigarette: "I think driving a big train would be quite fun. When I go back, I'll get one too. Patriotism! What's the secret to driving a train?"

This guy is so eager to learn and ask questions, no wonder he's capable of doing great things.

Li Aiguo took a puff of his cigarette: "Driving a train requires both extreme caution and swift action."

"???" These two words don't seem to go together, do they? Sadam tilted his head and looked at Li Aiguo.

Li Aiguo flicked his cigarette ash, stood up, and pointed behind him: "Trains usually carry thousands of passengers. Every decision a train driver makes is related to the safety of these passengers, so every trip requires extreme caution."

Trains travel at high speeds, and in the event of an emergency, swift and decisive action is crucial; otherwise, derailment is highly likely.

"Cautious yet swift," Sadam somehow connected the situation to the internal affairs of Xiao Yi's family.

The current Xiao Yi family home can be considered a train. The train runs on the desert tracks, seemingly very smooth, but in fact, it hides dangers.

If it cannot be avoided, then all the blood shed will be wasted.

"Thank you, my patriotic brother." After getting off the train, Sadam threw away his cigarette butt, smiled at Li Aiguo, but his gaze drifted into the distance.

A man in a white robe understood Saddam's thoughts and hesitated before speaking: "Sir, should we notify the country to strengthen security?"

Sadam closed the map, shut his eyes, and shook his head: "Uncle Becker hates being questioned about his loyalty the most."

When the break ended, Li Aiguo called out to Sadam, "Don't just stand there, comrade co-driver, we still have four or five locomotives to move." "Coming!" Sadam turned to the white-robed man and said, "Faisal, notify the country that I need to speak directly with Uncle Becker tonight."

"Yes!" Faisal turned and got into the jeep, driving away in a hurry.

Sadam withdrew his gaze, the tension on his face instantly vanishing. He shouted to Li Aiguo, who had already boarded the locomotive, "Comrade Driver, it's me, Old Sadam, here!"

Li Aiguo boarded another locomotive, and Sadam stuck his head out of the window, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Reporting to the driver, there is an obstacle thirty meters ahead!"

"Attention to the driver on the instrument panel."

"Corresponds to white light."

"Blue light, blue light."

Sadam's voice was loud and clear, filling the entire station area; he looked no different from a real co-driver.

When several comrades from the foreign affairs department learned that Sadamu had come to visit the Qianmen Locomotive Depot again, they arrived just in time to witness this scene.

The group exchanged glances, all seeing shock in each other's eyes.

"Driving a train is a job that requires a high degree of cooperation and can quickly build relationships. Comrade Aiguo truly deserves to be called a genius in foreign affairs work," the old director exclaimed, stroking his chin.

Looking at the excited Sadam, he asked with some curiosity, "I wonder what achievements Comrade Patriot has made?"

"You mean, there's a high chance of drastic changes happening in Xiao Yi's family?" In the evening, inside the weather station, the farmer took a cup of medicinal wine from Li Aiguo.

Hearing Li Aiguo's report, he was somewhat shocked, even though he had seen countless grand occasions.

The situation in Xiao Yi's family had only been stable for a year or two, and now it's going to be turbulent again.

"Teacher, please take the medicinal wine first," Li Aiguo urged.

The farmer realized he had lost his composure, picked up his wine glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

"These are all my guesses. According to the information revealed by Sadam, Arif has already begun to amass strength and may launch a surprise attack."

Li Aiguo reported on the inside information about the Yi family that he had obtained from Sadam over the past two days.

"Arif is very close to the Russians, and he may have received their support this time."

Xiao Yi's family is now an important partner here, and the farmer has been paying close attention to their situation.

Our workers who helped Xiao Yi's family repair the patriotic steam engine also provided some information from time to time.

And at the weather station, he also made some friends at Xiao Yi's house, including some chiefs and such.

"Now that Sadam is on guard, it's estimated that Arif will have a hard time succeeding."

Li Aiguo shook his head: "I have dealt with Becker. He is very capable. His only flaw is his indecisiveness. He also wants to rely on the Russians. I think it will be difficult for Saddam to persuade him."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the study became tense. The light bulb on the ceiling flickered twice, casting the farmer's face in alternating light and shadow.

If a major change occurs in the Yi family, the entire situation in the Middle East will change, potentially affecting the layout of weather stations.

Arif, in particular, has a very good relationship with the American family, and it is said that Langley has sent people to his side.

If Arif returns to power, it will certainly affect the export agreements that have already been reached, as well as the deployment of weather stations there.

However, not interfering is our long-standing rule.

For a moment, the farmer felt somewhat undecided.

What's your opinion on patriotism?

"Wait." Li Aiguo stood up.

"Wait..." the farmer repeated the word, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the rim of the enamel cup, the steam rising from the cup blurring his vision.

The sky outside the window was already dark, and the streetlights in the distance lit up one after another, casting long shadows on the ground, much like the complex and tangled situation at this moment.

He was silent for a moment, the hesitation in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a more determined look: "You're right, we should wait."

Non-interference is a hard and fast rule, but that doesn’t mean we should just sit idly by.

"Waiting" does not mean inaction, but rather waiting for the situation to reveal itself and for the circumstances to change before taking advantage of the situation.

The farmer picked up his enamel mug, took a sip of the lukewarm tea, looked out the window, and suddenly laughed: "You rascal, you always manage to grasp the key point at the crucial moment."

Seeing you riding the train with Saddam, I wondered if you were just being playful, but now it seems you've got the timing perfect.

Running a train requires coordination; you push and I pull, and the rhythm must be in sync.

Isn't this also true when it comes to how family members interact within a large family?

Being too hasty can lead to losing your composure, while being too slow risks missing the opportunity.

Offering help in times of need is far better than adding to someone's already good fortune.

Li Aiguo's seemingly casual gesture of taking Sadam on a train ride actually served to subtly bridge the gap between them, allowing Sadam to lower his guard and open up, which proved far more effective than any deliberate probing.

Suddenly, it started raining outside, and the raindrops pattered against the window.

“You came by motorcycle, right? You’ll definitely get soaked if you go back now. Take my car back and return it tomorrow.” The farmer looked away and called over the guard, who arranged a car for Li Aiguo.

When she got home, the two children were already asleep, and Chen Xueru was still waiting for Li Aiguo to come back.

"Did you get wet?"

"No, I drove back." Seeing the concerned look in her eyes, Li Aiguo felt a warmth in his heart and picked up Chen Xueru.

A wife, children, and a warm bed – this seemingly simple life is what countless people dream of, and it requires the silent dedication of countless people behind the scenes.

Just think about the current situation of Xiao Yi's family and you'll understand.

The sounds inside the house gradually increased, and the rain outside the window grew louder.

Under the same rain curtain, Sadam put down the phone, the echo of Becker's words, "Rectification requires tolerance," still seemed to resonate in his ears.

He ripped open the collar of his white robe, grabbed an ashtray, and smashed it against the wall.

"The regime we won with blood and sweat is about to be destroyed by womanly compassion!"

Amidst the flying debris, Faisal saw for the first time in Becker's eyes a hint of disappointment.

"What should we do now? Are we just going to sit here and wait to die?"

The white-robed men who accompanied Sadam were all his brothers who had fought alongside him for many years and were extremely devoted to him.

Especially the old man named Faisal in front of him.

When Saddam's assassination attempt failed, he was the one who protected Saddam and helped him escape. He was Saddam's most trusted advisor and currently serves as his steward.

“I’m going back home. I want to talk to Uncle Becker in person.” Sadam tore off his white robe, which was splattered with glass shards, and threw it on the ground, revealing the holster underneath.

The rain wove a gray net outside the window, and he suddenly remembered Li Aiguo's words, "Even roses watered with blood will wither." At this moment, he smelled the stench of decay before withering.

Faisal's hand, which was offering the new robe, hung suspended in mid-air: "But what about Mr. Li?"

"It's up to you now."

The next day, as soon as Li Aiguo arrived at work, he learned that Sadam had returned to China.

An elderly man in a white robe entered the office and introduced himself: "I am Faisal, Mr. Sadam's steward. Before he left, he instructed me that you can contact me directly if you need anything."

“Mr. Faisal, you’re too kind.” Li Aiguo had long anticipated that Saddam would return to China, so he was not surprised.

He was curious about what would happen if Sadam failed to persuade Becker.

Just like in his previous life, he watched helplessly as Arif launched an attack, was driven out again, and only returned to Little Yi's house after Becker regained control of the situation.

Will they still cause some trouble?
Li Aiguo found the world increasingly fascinating.

However, none of these things are directly related to Li Aiguo; he still needs to manufacture the customized large off-road vehicle as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the first batch of mass-produced large off-road vehicles from the Second Automobile Works is also scheduled to be launched.

When the leaders of the Second Automobile Works were looking at the materials, they suddenly realized a problem: "This SUV is intended to be shipped overseas for sale. When we register the trademark, we can't just call it 'Big Off-Road,' can we?"

According to trademark law, category names cannot be registered as product names; a formal name is also required.

The leaders of the Second Automobile Works came up with several names, but they were all rejected by the ministry. The leader suddenly slapped his thigh and said, "Ask Li Aiguo! He's the one who came up with this thing, he should have some ideas."

The leaders in the department began to murmur among themselves, wondering if Li Aiguo would name the car "Red Star Automobile" again.

It's not that the name is inappropriate, but rather that the Red Star family has just too many products.

From diapers to tunnel boring machines, everything is covered in red stars, which has already attracted attention.

"Patriotism, what name do you think would be good?"

Section Chief Xing spoke with Li Aiguo.

"Comrade Patriot, what do you think should be called about the Great Off-Road?"

Li Aiguo pondered for a moment and said, "Domestically, it will still be called Hongxing Automobile, while the export version of the large SUV will be called Tyrannosaurus Rex."

"One car, two names?" Section Chief Xing found it strange.

"There are two brands."

In later generations, it was common practice for the same product to develop into two or even more brands depending on the region and positioning.

For domestic sales, Hongxing Motors emphasizes robustness, durability, and relatively low prices.

Tyrannosaurus Rex exports are a high-end product, and the company focuses on exporting to earn foreign trade profits.

Just like Ford, the main brand is Ford, while the high-end line uses the independent name Jaguar.

Section Chief Xing was an experienced man, and although he had never heard of this method before, he understood after Li Aiguo gave him a simple explanation.

"I'll report this to the department now." Section Chief Xing changed into clean clothes and hurried inside.

The department leaders presented the two names at the meeting, and Section Chief Xing returned in the afternoon with the news.

Domestically, the Hongxing automobiles were sold by the Second Automobile Works and the Ministry of Railways, with the first batch prioritized for supply to the front lines.

The export of Tyrannosaurus Rex was still handled by Hextech.

Several major businesses in Hong Kong had heard that the mainland had launched a large-scale off-road vehicle project and had been eyeing it closely, hoping to get a share of the profits, but Li Aiguo rejected their proposal.

It's not that I'm unwilling to share the profits, but selling cars is different from selling other products; it's not just about transporting the car to the customer and that's it.

They also provide a range of services, including maintenance.

Currently in China, only Hextech has such financial resources and distribution channels.

"The automobile industry will prosper for at least several hundred years. If we want to take a bite out of this lucrative market, we need to plan ahead. It seems we should have a talk with Yang Jizong and make some serious plans."

In the evening, a cool breeze was blowing as Li Aiguo rode his motorcycle toward the courtyard house.

The wheels rolled over the faded slogan wall, and not far away came the broadcast of "We workers have power." This vibrant, noisy era, which did not belong to him, was about to unleash a surging wave.

Tyrannosaurus Rex Motors will break the first hole in the automotive monopoly, and this is just the beginning.

(End of this chapter)