The train driver in the courtyard

The sounds of wailing and howling echoed almost simultaneously throughout and around the capital.

The sirens shattered the peace of the world.

Pedestrians on the road hurried home, and those who lived far away began to look for higher ground.

The factory announced a shutdown of the workshop, and most of the workers, except for those on duty, rushed back home in a short period of time.

The residents of the courtyard piled up sandbags they had prepared in advance at their doorway.

The bus quickly drove out of the underpass, and all the railway switch stations closed the blocked sections according to the plan.

Everything seemed orderly as the torrential rain was about to arrive.

Inside the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, Li Aiguo also drove his excavator onto the yard; this thing isn't afraid of getting wet.

About half an hour later, a few large raindrops hit the excavator's tracks, making a dull sound.

Li Aiguo squinted at the sky and saw that the originally gray clouds looked like a burlap sack that had been punctured, and rain poured down instantly.

Li Aiguo wiped the water droplets from his face. The raindrops were so dense that he could not see the shadows of the trees three meters away. The glass window of the excavator cab was immediately covered with winding water streaks.

"It's raining."

The sudden downpour interrupted Li Aiguo's test drive plan.

Stealing a half-day of leisure from a busy life, and with no other work to do, the wild car expert found a deck of cards, and the group squatted in the nearby warehouse to play cards.

We don't play with money, we only play with stickers.

It was raining heavily outside, but laughter filled the warehouse.

At this moment.

Dozens of kilometers away on the Beijing-Chengdu Railway, the K3 international train is speeding towards Beijing Station in a downpour.

Inside the driver's cabin.

The driver, Zhang Shan, kept his eyes glued to the dashboard gauges and shouted to the co-driver, "What's the situation outside?"

"I can't see clearly, the rain is too heavy." The co-driver pulled his head back, and in just over ten seconds, his hair was completely soaked, and his clothes were dripping with oil.

The co-driver, who had lived most of his life, had never seen such a torrential downpour before.

"Driver, why don't you stop the car? If this continues, something bad could happen."

The tracks are not currently flooded, and the trains have not been affected by the heavy rain. However, continuing to travel without knowing what lies ahead is extremely dangerous.

"Xiao Liu, try to contact Driver Zhou." Zhang Shan also felt that the train should be stopped.

The apprentice driver turned and went to the back, contacted the driver through the water deliveryman, and returned a short while later with an unsatisfactory result.

"Train conductor Zhou told us to keep going and make sure we arrive at Beijing Station on time."

Upon hearing this, the co-driver was the first to object: "Old Zhou is going too far. Doesn't he know it's dangerous?"

“Train Chief Zhou also has concerns,” Zhang Shan stopped the co-driver.

This story begins when the K3 train passed through Zhangjiakou West. At that time, the station had already informed them of the heavy rainstorm that had occurred near Beijing.

However, there were a group of important people in the compartments of the K3 train.

They were pressed for time, and after contacting the Beijing Railway Bureau, Train Chief Zhou received orders to continue driving.

"Let's be careful, but we should be fine." Zhang Shan patted the co-driver on the shoulder, worried that he might make a mistake.

The co-driver also knew that this was a rectification task, and it was not something that the train conductor Zhou could decide on his own. He sighed and stuck his head out of the car window.

Large raindrops pelted their faces, and the outside world became a misty, watery wonderland. The co-driver squinted and tried his best to see.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Brake! Brake!"

Zhang Shan was unaware of what had happened ahead, but he still left immediately.

The co-driver is the driver's closest comrade-in-arms, and trusting the co-driver is an essential quality for every driver.

The screeching sound of brakes instantly tore through the rain curtain, and the acrid smell of burning wheels rubbing against the rails, mixed with the fishy smell of rainwater, seeped into the driver's cabin through the ventilation openings.

The train suddenly stopped, the body shook violently, and the glass near the windows rattled.

Zhang Shan gripped the brake lever tightly, his knuckles turning white. Even though he knew the lever wouldn't bounce back, he didn't dare loosen his grip.

Only after the train's speed noticeably decreased did he turn to the co-driver and shout, "What did you see?"

The co-driver was still pressed against the car window, rain dripping down his chin, his voice trembling with relief: "Five hundred meters ahead! There's a landslide, the tracks are all buried."

Zhang Shan looked out the window at the torrential rain, and a cold sweat broke out on his brow.

Located near Jundu Mountain, this area experiences landslides almost every year.

The train braked suddenly. Train conductor Zhou was writing a safety record in the conductor's office when he was nearly thrown off balance. He dropped the record book on the ground, but didn't bother to pick it up. He pushed open the door and rushed out.

"What happened? Water deliveryman!"

"It's not clear yet."

"Contact the driver's quarters immediately." Train conductor Zhou arranged for a water deliveryman and also called over several train attendants and police officers.

"Protect the private rooms with soft seating at the back first."

"Flight attendants must provide good service."

"Yes!" The flight attendants and police officers, who frequently travel on international routes and had encountered similar situations before, turned around and rushed to the compartment.

As soon as we reached the carriage entrance, several Russian representatives pushed open the door and rushed out, their voices filled with anxiety.

"What's going on? Why did it suddenly stop?"

"Is the train broken?"

"We still have a meeting in Beijing, we can't afford to be delayed!"

The female flight attendant immediately explained in fluent Russian: "Ladies and gentlemen, it's pouring rain outside, so we're temporarily stopping to check the situation. Please wait a moment."

Most Russians could understand, after all, it was the first time they had ever seen such a heavy rain.

However, the Russian representative in VIP room number three was clearly a troublemaker.

He pointed at the train attendant's nose and sneered: "Hmph, our international trains have been running for so many years and have never had such a problem! I think either your tracks are of poor quality or the driver's skills are lacking!"

The train attendant knew perfectly well that this person was looking for trouble, as the most frequent breakdowns on international trains occur in Siberia.

Since the other party was a passenger, the female flight attendant could only greet them with a smile and quickly apologize.

The Russian man, with his large belly, didn't appreciate the good intentions. He glanced at the female flight attendant with disdain and was about to say, "Suka."

"Comrade, please watch your words and actions!" Railway police officer Lao Zhang strode forward. "This is our area. We are responsible for operational safety and have the authority to deal with anyone who disrupts order!"

The Russian guy assumed the train police officer was like Naillong, unable to understand what Sukabul was.

It turns out that the railway police have handled countless cases of Russians getting drunk and causing trouble over the years, and they are very familiar with Russian slang.

But under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Russian was unwilling to admit defeat and wanted to stick his neck out, roll his eyes, and say a few more curses.

The train police officer placed his hand on his waist, and the Russian man's mouth gaped open, unable to close.

The carriage fell silent instantly.

The police officers on the K3 train are all specially trained; they can draw their guns and fire in just three seconds, and their skills are top-notch.

Those drunkards had been dealt with many times before, and the reputation of the K3 train police had long been spread.

Getting that Russian to apologize is out of the question.

As the two sides remained frozen in place, the head of the delegation strode over, grabbed Dmitry's arm, and glared at him: "Dmitry! You've had too much to drink! We're here for exchanges. You need to be mindful of your boundaries with your fellow countrymen. Don't cause trouble here, understand?"

The man named Dmitri was glared at by the commander, and he took a step back.

The regimental commander turned to Lao Zhang, his face full of apology: "Comrade, I'm really sorry. He had a few drinks today and couldn't control his temper. I hope it won't affect the friendship between our two families."

He paused, then added, "But please understand, our meeting in Beijing is scheduled very tightly, and we really can't afford to be delayed."

"Don't worry, it's just a misunderstanding. We're already checking for the problem and will try our best to arrive on time so as not to affect the meeting," Old Zhang replied.

The commotion subsided temporarily, and the members of the Russian delegation returned to their respective private rooms. Train conductor Zhou rushed over after learning of the incident.

After learning the whole story, Train Chief Zhou praised the police officer and the train attendant for their composure and for their efforts to restrain themselves from escalating the situation.

However, Train Captain Zhou's mood became somewhat heavy.

The water deliveryman just reported that there has been a landslide ahead, making it almost impossible to continue driving in the short term.

"These Russian representatives are going to Beijing for a meeting, Captain, what should we do?"

"We've already sent people to the switch station to contact the locomotive depot. Hopefully, they can find a solution." Train conductor Zhou looked out the window and sighed.

Everyone knows that even if the locomotive depot's rescue team arrives in time during such a storm, they won't be able to clear the tracks in a short period of time.

To avoid causing anxiety among passengers, Train Chief Zhou had the announcer report on the landslide.

After the train attendant left, he called over the conductor of the soft-sided carriage: "Who is that Dmitri?"

The train conductor flipped through his notebook: "He is a senior executive at the Voroshilovgrad Steam Locomotive Plant in the Soviet Union. He's here to attend an exchange meeting."

Upon hearing this, under the dim light in the carriage, Train Chief Zhou's expression changed slightly.

The so-called exchange meetings are one of the main ways for us to conduct cultural and trade exchanges, and most of the participants are prominent figures from their respective families.

Although the level of the exchange meeting was not high, it laid the foundation for the next step of cooperation among the parties.

Once an agreement is reached at the exchange meeting, the two countries can further exchange high-level delegations to conduct trade and other negotiations.

Previously, these kinds of meetings were mostly organized by the Big Brother, but in the last two years we've been organizing them more often.

Ever since China's railway technology developed rapidly, and we snatched a big piece of bread from Russia, the leaders of the Russian railway have maintained a resistant attitude towards us.

"If Dmitry seizes this opportunity, we'll be in big trouble." Train conductor Zhou was worried, but there was nothing he could do.

He felt a bit oppressed inside the carriage.

A clear voice blared from the loudspeaker hanging above the carriages: "Passengers, this is the crew of train K3. We are issuing an emergency notice: a landslide has occurred ahead. We have contacted the locomotive depot, and rescue teams will be on their way soon. Please don't worry."

In the cabin, Dmitry was cursing the flight attendant when the announcement suddenly stopped, and his eyes lit up: "Landslide? Hey! That's great!"

The regimental commander took a puff of his cigar and frowned. "Dmitry, our inability to reach Beijing in time will affect the upcoming exchange meeting. The higher-ups are paying special attention to this meeting." The other Russians nodded in agreement.

Since the US began its operations in Southeast Asia, the Russians have provided support to the Northern Monkeys, making the support of their little brothers even more important.

"Commander, Dongda Railway claims to have top-notch railway technology, which has fooled many naive young companies, such as Dabo and Jieke, who have all purchased Dongda Railway's equipment. This time, I'm going to expose Dongda Railway's true capabilities."

Seeing Dmitri's sinister look, the commander shook his head with a wry smile.

Once upon a time, their railway technology was recognized as the best in the industry. Who would have thought that in just a few years, they would have to resort to such means to compete for orders?

How tragic and lamentable!

Dmitri, however, felt that the commander did not understand the pressure they were under.

In the past, the Voroshilovgrad Steam Locomotive Plant made a fortune every year by exporting railway technology and equipment.

In the past two years, most of the orders have been taken away by Dongda Iron, and things have been very difficult for the factory.

However, Dmitry was not in a hurry. Leaning back on the berth, he began to plan how to make good use of this opportunity.

The torrential rain showed no signs of abating late at night, and the K3 train sat like a lone boat on the tracks.

Just as Train Conductor Zhou had calmed the passengers in each carriage, the water deliveryman, covered in mud, rushed in, his voice trembling: "Conductor! The rain is too heavy, the tracks behind are flooded, and the water is about to overflow!"

"Still no news from the locomotive depot?" Train conductor Zhou took a deep drag on his cigarette, his eyes fixed on the darkness outside the window.

Li Aiguo learned of the train accident at 10 p.m.

To ensure that nothing goes wrong at the workshop and lathe center, the workshop staff and technicians did not go back.

Professor Qi and the researchers from the aircraft factory also stayed in Workshop 116. After dinner, they all gathered together to play cards.

Zhou Ke, with seven or eight slips of paper stuck to his face, slammed his fist on the table in frustration: "Again!"
Yan Jiecheng's voice came from outside.

"Brother Aiguo, the section chief requests your assistance to the rescue team."

"You guys play, I'm going over there." Li Aiguo realized something was wrong, so he dropped the playing cards, grabbed a flashlight, and followed Yan Jiecheng to the rescue team in the rain.

The rain outside was heavy; even a short walk left me soaked to the bone.

Upon entering the office, Li Aiguo discovered that Section Chief Xing and several key section leaders were already there.

He took a towel from Yan Jiecheng and, while wiping himself, asked what had happened.

"We just received a call from Zhangjiakou West. The K3 international train encountered a landslide near Jundu Mountain." Section Chief Xing took one puff of his cigarette after another.

"Didn't we issue a warning? Why is K3 still advancing in the rain?" Li Aiguo found it a bit strange.

"There is a Russian delegation on K3; they are going to attend a meeting."

Li Aiguo immediately realized that our relationship with the Russians was very delicate, and we had to handle this matter with extra care.

Section Chief Xing looked at Captain Liu: "Explain the current situation to Aiguo."

Captain Liu of the rescue team picked up a railway map, spread it on the table, and pointed to the marked area.

"According to information provided by Zhangjiakou West, the landslide point should be located on the north side of Jundu Mountain, and about 100 meters of railway track have been buried. In order to free the train, all of that track must be cleared out."

One leader raised a question: "This is an impossible task. I suggest that the K3 train immediately reverse and return to Zhangjiakou."

"Old Zhang, ensuring that the comrades from the Russian side can attend the meeting on time is a task assigned by the higher-ups," Section Chief Xing reminded him.

The leader lost his temper: "This is an impossible task! What, are you telling us to organize four or five thousand people to carry the train across?"

Even Section Chief Xing was amused by his words.

There was no intention to blame him, after all, it seemed like an impossible task.

However, there was nothing the authorities could do; the meeting time could not be changed.

Just then, Li Aiguo raised his hand.

Section Chief Xing perked up and pointed at Li Aiguo: "Aiguo, what are your thoughts?"

"Section Chief, esteemed leaders, our workshop has just assembled an excavator; that thing is perfect for clearing rocks and mud."

"Is there enough time?" Section Chief Xing pressed.

"I don't know the situation on the ground right now, so I can't give any guarantees," Li Aiguo replied cautiously.

"Now we have no choice but to try anything, even if it seems hopeless." After a moment's hesitation, Section Chief Xing gave the order.

Li Aiguo led the technicians from his studio to drive the excavator. The rescue team dispatched a rescue train with five wagons. One wagon carried the excavator, and the other wagons carried the rescue team members and supplies.

In addition to the official team members, the rescue team now has a group of temporary team members from various workshops, with a total of up to 500 people.

Some leaders suggested that the workers on duty should be mobilized, and two or three thousand people should be sent over, because more people means more strength.

However, Section Chief Xing rejected it.

The rescue site is only a small area, and the rescue work is highly specialized. Having too many people would only create more chaos.

Section Chief Xing did order the armed forces department to send some members with weapons to accompany him.

Li Aiguo returned to the workshop and informed the Wild Auto experts and technicians that the excavator would be participating in the rescue.

Everyone was very excited and raised their hands to sign up.

Li Aiguo selected several young men with good physical fitness.

The young men who weren't chosen looked quite disappointed.

The excavator was refueled, the wiring was checked again, and the whistle of a rescue train could be heard outside.

Li Aiguo braved the rain to drive the excavator onto the train car.

When Captain Liu of the rescue team saw the excavator, he gasped: "This thing is huge. Maybe it can actually work."

The rain was getting heavier, and Li Aiguo couldn't bother chatting with him anymore. He had the wild car expert use cables to firmly secure the excavator to the trailer.

After finishing their work here, the rescue team members and militiamen were also ready.

The militia was led by Zhou Ke, who had lost all night and was finally cheering himself up.

"Comrade Aiguo, Comrade Liu Qingsong, I wish you a speedy return." Section Chief Xing personally braved the heavy rain to see you off at the station.

"Please rest assured, sir."

Li Aiguo and Liu Qingsong saluted Section Chief Xing, then turned and boarded the rescue train.

A clear whistle sounded, and the rescue train, its chimney glowing with fire, slowly started up, accelerated, and finally disappeared into the heavy rain.

Yan Jiecheng had been wanting to sign up, but only after watching the train disappear into the distance did he slowly raise his hand. He raised it halfway, sighed softly, and then lowered it again.

At the same moment, on the other side of Jundu Mountain, Train Chief Zhou on the K3 train was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the water on the tracks behind was also rising. If the rescue team didn't arrive soon, the entire train could be flooded.

"No, we can't just sit here and wait to die!" Train conductor Zhou picked up a shovel and got off the train.

The rain stung his face like steel needles. As soon as Train Chief Zhou jumped off the train, his trouser legs were soaked through by the muddy water beside the tracks, and a chill crept up his ankles.

Several flight attendants followed closely behind, and when they stuck their shovels into the pile of rubble, they found that the surface stones had become slippery from the rain.

The stones underneath were firmly embedded in the mud; each shovel stroke only left a white mark, and the impact made my hand go numb.

"Commander, this rock is too hard, there are only a few of us..." Before he could finish speaking, his foot suddenly slipped, and he almost fell into the mud.

Train conductor Zhou quickly reached out and grabbed him. Just as he was about to say something to comfort him, he caught a glimpse of a faint light shining through the rain in the distance.

The light was initially very faint, flickering in and out of the dense rain.

But after a few seconds, it grew brighter and brighter, gradually forming a beam of light that pierced through the thick rain and fog.

Immediately afterwards, a muffled whistle carried on the wind, and although it was indistinct, it made everyone present stop in their tracks.

"It's a rescue train!" the young train attendant suddenly shouted, his voice filled with excitement.

Train conductor Zhou also straightened up, staring intently at the approaching beam of light, his eyes unconsciously becoming hot.

The rescue train slowly came to a stop at the other end of the landslide. Because of the distance and the heavy rain, Liu Qingsong used his flashlight to signal in that direction.

Seeing the returned signal, Liu Qingsong nodded and said, "The situation on the K3 train is urgent. The water has already reached the wheels. If we delay any longer, the tracks may be flooded! We need to hurry!"

"Understood!" the team members responded in unison, and they all picked up shovels and crowbars and jumped down from the vehicle.

"Tell them we'll clear the fallen rocks right away!" Liu Qingsong added. A team member immediately raised a flashlight and signaled "Working" to Captain Zhou.

Li Aiguo quickly climbed onto the excavator, tested the control lever, and the engine roared as it drove the machine off the train.

They turned on the roof spotlight, and the bright light shone on the pile of rubble—large rocks were clearly visible. A dozen team members tried for a long time with crowbars, but couldn't move them.

"Make way!" Li Aiguo pushed down the control lever, and the shovel plunged into the pile of rubble. The ear-piercing scraping sound mixed with the sound of rain as large rocks were pried up and unloaded into the open space.

"This thing is really powerful." The team members knew that excavators were powerful, but they didn't expect them to be this powerful.

Upon seeing this, Liu Qingsong's eyes lit up, and he immediately changed his strategy, instructing his team members to clear away the loose soil, while leaving the large rocks and gravel to the excavator.

"Patriotism, please."

"Don't worry!" Li Aiguo took a deep breath and pushed the control lever.

At the scene, the sounds of footsteps, tools clashing, and excavators drowned out the rain.

The team members bent down and used shovels to remove the rubble.

Sweat mingled with rainwater streamed down Li Aiguo's forehead, but he had no time to wipe it away. The control lever rose and fell precisely time and time again—every second faster they were, the safer the people on the bus would be.

Outside the window, searchlights at the rescue site pierced the rain, and several team members could be clearly seen with half their bodies stuck in the mud.

Inside the private room, Dmitry heard the commotion outside and suddenly jumped up from his bunk.

He yanked open the curtains, and the bright light from the searchlight instantly illuminated his face, which was flushed with excitement.

"Has the rescue train arrived?"

"Then what are we waiting for! Get a rescue train to take us to the capital immediately! Are we going to let the engineers of Voroshilovgrad waste their time in the mud with you?!"

(End of this chapter)