The train driver in the courtyard

On Wednesday, Li Aiguo got up very early.

Today is the day the military personnel will come to inspect the equipment, so we need to go to the maintenance depot in advance to make preparations.

Chen Xueru prepared breakfast.

It's very simple: five fried eggs, two large white steamed buns, cornmeal porridge as the staple food, and a dish of pickled vegetables.

The taste was quite good; Miss Chen's omelet-making skills are now top-notch.

First add oil, then eggs, and sprinkle with salt.

After eating and drinking his fill, Li Aiguo slung his canvas bag over his shoulder, pushed his bicycle, and went out the door.

When they arrived at the front office, Section Chief Xing and a group of section leaders were already waiting there.

"Patriotism, this time the leaders from the General Armament Department are here. We absolutely cannot afford any mistakes. The excavators are definitely fine, but what about the loaders? Have they been tested?"

“Zong Xianfeng and the others tested the machine last night.” Li Aiguo found Xing Duanzhang’s attitude strange.

Section Chief Xing is a man of great experience who has received superiors before, so why does he seem somewhat out of sorts?

As they were talking, several large SUVs slowly drove in from outside, their license plates belonging to the military.

Before the large off-road vehicle could stop, Section Chief Xing quickly stepped forward and extended his hand.

"Sir, welcome to our Qianmen Locomotive Depot."

An elderly man in uniform got out of the car. When he saw Section Chief Xing, he was taken aback for a moment, then shook hands with Section Chief Xing and asked, "Are you Xiao Xing?"

"Old boss, I didn't expect you to have such a good memory, you still remember me."

Section Chief Xing's face visibly flushed red as he gripped his old leader's hand tightly: "If you hadn't carried me to the rear back then, I would have been dead long ago."

Li Tiechui had heard Minister Niu talk about Section Chief Xing before.

In a battle before liberation, Section Chief Xing was seriously wounded, his intestines were even blown out, and he was on the verge of death. The company commander carried Section Chief Xing for more than ten miles of mountain road before sending him to a hospital in the rear.

It now appears that this old leader was Section Chief Xing's former company commander.

The nickname "Little Xingzi" sounds like it belongs to the emperor's servant. The leaders next to him were all holding back their laughter, not daring to laugh out loud; it was quite a struggle for them.

"Things were indeed tough back then," the old leader said, looking at Section Chief Xing. "Young Xing, you should know which unit I'm in, right? So many years have passed, why haven't you come looking for me?"

"Old boss, I'm worried people will say I used connections."

"."

The old leader was silent for a moment, then looked up at Section Chief Xing: "Good, good, you've made great progress over the years. You're not that kid who only knew how to cry and whine anymore."

Upon hearing this, Section Chief Xing remembered his work: "Sir, let me introduce you. This is Comrade Li Aiguo, a train driver from our Qianmen Locomotive Depot."

Li Aiguo strode forward and extended both hands to shake hands with his former leader.

"Patriotic comrade, you are a promising young man."

"It was only under Section Chief Xing's leadership that we were able to achieve some results."

The old leader was busy with many things, so after a few pleasantries, he asked to visit the excavators and loaders.

Li Aiguo had Lan Xiang drive out an excavator, while he himself drove a bulldozer to the scene.

The accompanying experts were already familiar with the excavator's parameters and were more interested in the loader.

Due to the lack of proficiency in manufacturing oversized tires, this loader uses tracked wheels, which improves its mobility and makes it more suitable for battlefield environments.

"It can be used in conjunction with excavators to dig trenches, and can also clear barbed wire and level fortifications," an expert said.

The leader walked over to the bulldozer and patted the massive bucket: "It can be used as cover; it won't stop tanks, but it's enough to escort engineers. Patriotic comrade, do you have any other ideas?"

Li Aiguo replied, "They can also serve as temporary armored personnel carriers to repair damaged runways and ensure the take-off and landing of fighter jets. During the Normandy landings in World War II, the Allied forces used bulldozers to build temporary airfields on the beachhead."

"It will be useful in amphibious operations!" The leader nodded in approval.

Li Aiguo further added to later tactics: "Equipping electronic devices can simulate troop signals and emit electromagnetic radiation to mislead the main attack direction."

This can be traced back to military history.

By using the ability to refute infrared detection by burning solidified oil, the men tricked Xiaomei's family into giving them a bomb.

The forklift cluster created a false impression of construction in a secondary direction, and the northern monkeys fooled B2.

It is cheaper than a tank, can attract fire, and can be constructed quickly, making it a powerful weapon on the battlefield.

"The rumors are true. It seems you do have unique insights into military affairs." The leader was clearly aware of the Northern Monkey's victory.

Li Aiguo humbly replied, "I've just read a few more books."

"These things can't be understood by reading a few military books. Some people in the past have become stupid from reading too much. When they went to the battlefield, they still thought of copying military strategies."

The leader spoke out of a sense of unease, and Li Aiguo and Section Chief Xing were both confused and dared not respond.

Who knows which big shot the leader is referring to right now?

Following this, a routine exercise was conducted, during which Li Aiguo personally drove a bulldozer to practice clearing obstacles.

Three intersecting barbed wire fences were set up on the east side of the playground, with barbed wooden stakes wrapped around them and sharpened bamboo stakes buried underneath.

Sandbag fortifications were piled up on the earthen slope, and fake machine guns were set up to simulate actual combat.

Leaders and experts stood behind the safety line, holding notebooks and keeping their eyes fixed on the dark yellow forklift.

Li Aiguo opened the car door, got in, gripped the steering wheel, and started the engine. With a "putt-putt-putt" sound, light smoke drifted from the exhaust pipe, and the loader slowly moved forward.

When he was three meters away from the barbed wire fence, he suddenly pulled the left control lever, and the bucket landed with a "bang," with the blades sinking half a foot into the soil. Then he pushed the right lever.

The bucket, carrying soil, scoops up the wire mesh at an angle. With a gentle lift of the control lever, the wire mesh and wooden stakes are pulled up with a "whoosh" and thrown to an open area.

"It saves time compared to explosives, and you don't have to worry about accidental injuries!" the expert said.

Before everyone could catch their breath, Li Aiguo maneuvered the bulldozer toward the sandbag fortifications.

First, lower the bucket to its lowest position, move it forward close to the ground to loosen the bottom of the sandbags, then raise the bucket towards the side of the fortification, accelerate, and with a "boom," push down the fortification, and the fake machine gun falls with a "clang."

The entire sandbag fortification was bulldozed.

Then Li Aiguo drove a bulldozer to the simulated damaged track, which was covered with broken cement slabs with a half-meter crack in the middle.

They changed the bucket, broke up the hard soil next to the crack, filled it into the crack, and repeatedly compacted it. The runway was leveled in just ten minutes.

"Although this runway isn't perfectly flat, it's still large enough for fighter jets to land."

The drills for each project were met with applause, and the leaders and experts spoke highly of the forklifts, immediately indicating that they would place a large order.

"Xiao Xing, the team urgently needs these excavators and loaders, you guys need to hurry up." The leader patted Section Chief Xing on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, old leader. The heavy engineering plant is now in operation. Once Comrade Aiguo has designed the large-scale production, we will be able to produce in large quantities."

This made Section Chief Xing extremely happy. He had been transferred to civilian work for many years and never expected that he could still contribute to the team.

At noon, Section Chief Xing arranged for the canteen to prepare a meal. The leader sat in the main seat, accompanied by a group of experts.

The meal was simple, a standard three dishes and a soup: stir-fried potatoes with meat, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, a plate of green vegetables, and a seaweed soup with big bones in it, which was very satisfying.

The general assembly leader was in poor health and could not drink baijiu (Chinese liquor), so Section Chief Xing had someone deliver beer produced in the section.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was very lively.

The general assembly department plans to send a group of people over to learn how to operate excavators and loaders, as well as how to repair them.

Li Aiguo had to oversee all of these tasks to ensure the quality of the students' learning.

Suddenly, Li Aiguo saw Liang Ladi peeking out from outside.

Her face practically screamed anxiety, but because there were leaders in the room, she couldn't call out to Li Aiguo.

Li Aiguo excused himself to use the restroom, stood up, and went to the door.

"Brother Patriot, I have something to tell you. Come over here."

Liang Ladi pulled Li Aiguo to a secluded spot and whispered, "Someone has reported Liu Feng."

"They sued? Why?"

"It was because of the matter of supporting mechanics that someone went to the ministry to complain, saying that Liu Feng was causing all sorts of trouble."

Liang Ladi was a little anxious and spoke in a rambling manner, but Li Aiguo still understood her.

The Ministry of Machine Building received the report but didn't take it seriously, since the "labor dispatch" system had been tested and proven.

However, as more and more workers in the factory began writing letters of complaint, the leaders could not help but take it seriously.

In particular, even ten fingers can vary in thickness, and a hundred people can have a hundred different thoughts.

Some leaders in the department also felt that Liu Feng's actions were inappropriate. Since they couldn't directly target the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, they turned their criticism towards Liu Feng.

"I just received word that the investigation team wants to speak with you soon."

As they were talking, several comrades dressed in gray Zhongshan suits walked over from a distance.

They were accompanied by Zhou Ke and comrades from the security department of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

Zhou Ke walked at the front and, upon seeing Li Aiguo, quickly took a few steps forward and said, "Aiguo, these people have letters of introduction from the ministries, but even Section Chief Xing and you can't contact them. Don't worry, this is the locomotive depot, and everything must be done according to regulations."

This statement, seemingly an explanation, was actually a warning to the investigation team members that this was the railway department, not under their jurisdiction, and that they should be mindful of their attitude.

Li Aiguo was also curious to see what the machinery factory was up to, so he smiled and extended his hand: "Comrade, hello, I am Li Aiguo from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot."

"I am Fang Xian from the Discipline Inspection and Supervision Department of this ministry. You can call me Team Leader Zhou. I apologize for bothering you this time, but this matter is of great importance, and I hope you can cooperate. Can we find a place to talk?"

Fang Xian was clearly an old comrade. Faced with Li Aiguo's overtures, his words seemed respectful, but they were full of unquestionable authority.

"Of course we'll cooperate. We're all trying to get the job done, but it's not possible right now."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xian's expression changed slightly.

He knew Li Aiguo's identity and didn't intend to make things difficult for him, but he didn't expect the kid to refuse outright.

"Patriotic comrade, please allow me to..."

Before he could finish speaking, Section Chief Xing came out and looked at the group with some surprise.

"Comrade Patriot, what are you doing standing outside? The leader is waiting to toast you!"

"Where did this leader come from? We have important business to attend to. Let Comrade Aiguo ask for leave."

Upon hearing this, Section Chief Xing's expression turned strange.

Ask for leave?

This department of machinery has quite a big mouth.

Before leaving, Fang Xian was called aside for a talk by a senior leader who instructed him: "The Qianmen Locomotive Depot is very arrogant because of its special status. This time, you must bring the person back. Old Fang, you can't embarrass our First Ministry of Machinery Industry."

Seeing Section Chief Xing blocking the door, his anger flared up instantly.

"I want to see what kind of leader he really is!"

Fang Xian was already a bit hot-tempered, so his pushing of the door was naturally quite forceful.

The experts and leaders inside were startled and looked at him with some surprise.

The attendants nearby reacted quickly; one stood in front of the leader, while the other rushed over, grabbed a pistol, and pointed the black muzzle at Fang Xian's abdomen.

“Who is it?!”

It's not fair to blame the staff for overreacting.

These days, there are quite a few hidden spies, and micro-management masters especially like to pull these kinds of tricks.

We suffered a lot of losses before liberation. The farmer even personally commented on the micro-operation master's approach. It seemed that he could gain a temporary advantage, but he lost support invisibly. It was extremely foolish.

Since its establishment, the weather station has had an ironclad rule: this kind of thing is not allowed.

Seeing someone suddenly rush in, it would be dereliction of duty for the orderly not to react quickly. As the head of the inspection team, Fang Xian was always treated with utmost respect in various factories; he never imagined he would one day have a gun pointed at him.

"What are you doing?! Let me go right now!" Fang Xian struggled a couple of times, trying to break free from the orderly's grasp, but the orderly was specially trained and wouldn't let him succeed.

He kicked out diagonally, striking Fang Xian's shin. With a thud, Fang Xian fell to the ground.

Before he could react, the orderly's knee pressed against his back and his arm tightened around his neck, instantly rendering Fang Xian unable to resist.

This whole sequence of actions looks complicated, but in reality, it only takes four or five seconds from when Fang Xian enters the room to when he falls down.

When Li Aiguo and Section Chief Xing came in, they saw him lying on the ground, unable to move.

Section Chief Xing, worried that things would escalate, quickly stopped the orderly: "This is a comrade from the Ministry of Machine Building's inspection team."

The leader shouted at the orderly, who then grabbed Fang Xian by the collar and dragged him up from the ground.

Fang Xian was no longer as arrogant as before, especially now that he could clearly see the old leader's uniform and the stars on his shoulders.

Fang Xian's face was extremely ugly.

"Leader, leader, I... I didn't mean to cause trouble."

The leader did not make things difficult for Fang Xian. He pointed at Li Aiguo and asked Fang Xian, "What mistake did Comrade Aiguo make? I'm sitting right here today. Tell me, and I will definitely punish him."

"It's not about Comrade Aiguo; it's just that a small incident happened at the machinery factory, and we need to talk to Comrade Aiguo." Fang Xian looked somewhat embarrassed and stammered as he explained the situation.

"Is this how you invite people for a talk? Huh?" The leader was getting a little angry.

The Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop now involves more than a dozen workshops, tens of thousands of workers, more than a dozen best-selling products, and hundreds of millions of foreign exchange annually.

Not to mention that they are now also taking on military orders.

This is such an important person, and these people dared to come over without warning and try to take him away.

Today it's from the Ministry of Machine Building, what if tomorrow it's from the island?

"Xiao Xingzi, you guys aren't protecting our patriotic comrade enough." The leader glared at Section Chief Xing.

Section Chief Xing nodded quickly and said, "It's all my fault. The section will improve the measures."

Section Chief Xing also felt wronged. He had tried several times to send security personnel to Li Aiguo, but Li Aiguo was used to being undisciplined and refused to accept protection from others.

This time, however, there was a reason for it.

Who would have thought that the head of the inspection team at the First Ministry of Machine Building would be so reckless as to think of taking people away for investigation?

But what to do next? No one present had any idea.

Section Chief Xing clearly couldn't let Fang Xian take Li Aiguo away, not even to talk to him.

Fang Xian had been choked quite badly earlier, and now that he was facing his old boss, he dared not mention it again.

But things still need to be resolved.

At this moment, Li Aiguo suddenly spoke up.

"Section Chief Zhou, the situation at the machinery factory is related to our ongoing military project, and I think it's necessary for us to get involved. How about this, I suggest that the locomotive depot's police station get involved."

Fang Xian was dumbfounded. He came to investigate, but his right to investigate was about to be taken away. What kind of situation was this?

Fang Xian was about to refuse when the old leader slammed his hand on the table: "That batch of military orders must be completed as soon as possible. This matter cannot be delayed, Staff Officer Zhou."

"Here!" The narrator immediately stood up.

"Since it involves military orders, you should keep an eye on things from the sidelines."

"Yes!"

Seeing that Staff Officer Zhou had intervened, Li Aiguo admired his old leader. After all, he was a veteran and found the most suitable solution in an instant.

With Staff Officer Zhou watching over them, anyone would have to think twice before taking any action.

Upon hearing this, Fang Xian's expression changed slightly, and he could only say that he needed to consult his superiors.

The old leader told him to go and ask for instructions as soon as possible. After Fang Xian left, he invited Li Aiguo to sit down and continue eating and drinking.

Fang Xian reported the situation to the leaders of the Supervision Office of the Ministry of Machine Building.

When the head of the supervisory office heard that he was going to take someone away for questioning, he immediately gave him a severe dressing-down.

"Old Fang, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot's workshop has a special nature. I'm asking you to find someone to talk to, not to interrogate them!"

Upon learning that the former leader was also present and had requested that someone be sent to investigate, the supervisory office's expression turned serious.

"Old Fang, I heard you've been getting close to some people. But this time it involves the Qianmen Locomotive Depot and the military industry. I hope you've thought this through. Our Inspection Office isn't a tool for certain people."

After Fang Xian's little scheme was seen through, a chill ran down his spine, and he quickly nodded: "Don't worry, I will definitely cooperate with the comrades in the military industry to investigate the matter of the machinery factory thoroughly."

Fang Xian led his men back to the Qianmen Locomotive Depot and conveyed the views of the leaders in charge of the First Ministry of Machine Building, expressing their willingness to establish a joint investigation team.

The investigation team consists of three parts.

Staff Officer Zhou from the military industry, Li Aiguo and Zhou Ke from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, and Fang Xian from the First Ministry of Machine Building's inspection team.

At the first meeting, Fang Xian fully explained the situation he had gathered.

After receiving numerous whistleblower reports, the ministry convened a meeting and, after intense discussion, decided to thoroughly investigate the matter.

The supervisory team has taken Liu Feng into custody and is currently investigating the matter of supporting the employees, which is why they spoke with Li Aiguo.

"Where are those complaint letters?" In the office of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot Police Station, Li Aiguo took the enamel mug from Zhou Ke and took a sip of tea.

"They're currently in the supervisory office of the ministry. I'll have someone deliver them." Fang Xian was being very cooperative, not daring to delay anything, and had someone drive over to pick up the complaint letter.

There were eleven letters in total.

The above content is quite detailed, mainly about Liu Feng's misconduct and improper relationships with some female employees during his tenure as factory director.

Liu Feng also stole office supplies from the office, including pens, ink, and paper. The toilet paper in his home was even the factory's special draft paper.

This may not seem like much in later generations, but in those days it was a very serious accusation.

Each letter, though different in content, shared a common thread: Liu Feng was using the pretext of supporting the Qianmen Locomotive Depot to pursue his own private schemes.

He also secretly accepted benefits from Li Aiguo of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

When Zhou Ke saw this, he was both amused and exasperated: "Isn't this nonsense? When did our Qianmen Locomotive Depot start having to give benefits to others when we cooperate with them?"

“These reports are all written under real names. We even had someone verify them.” Fang Xian wanted to correct Zhou Ke, but after glancing at the police officers not far away, he swallowed the rest of his words.

This is, after all, the territory of the railway police station, and those guys are said to be particularly unreasonable.

Zhou Ke wanted to refute Fang Xian, but couldn't find a reason, since Fang Xian had already had someone verify it.

He lit a cigarette, wondering what to do, when he noticed Li Aiguo staring at the letters of complaint, which struck him as odd.

"Patriotism, is there anything wrong with this whistleblower letter?"

Li Aiguo spread the complaint letters out one by one on the table, pointed at them and asked, "Look at the handwriting."

“These characters are quite neat, with straight lines, much better than mine,” Staff Officer Zhou said, coming over to comment, not understanding Li Aiguo’s intentions.

Zhou Ke, however, sensed something was amiss and asked:
"Officer Zhou, what is your educational level?"

"I graduated from junior high school before liberation, and later went to university while serving in the army. I even published articles in newspapers," Staff Officer Zhou said, puffing out his chest.

His ability to serve as a staff officer is enough to demonstrate his high level of knowledge and culture.

"What about the workers at the machine factory?"

Upon hearing this, Staff Officer Zhou's expression changed.

Even though he wasn't a factory worker, he knew that most of the workers in the workshops back then were primary school graduates, and many were even illiterate.

How could these workers have written such beautiful handwriting?

This is a huge vulnerability!

"Maybe these workers hired someone to write it for them?" Fang Xian was also stunned, and after thinking for a moment, he said.

Li Aiguo picked up several letters and asked, "The handwriting on these letters is actually from the same person, but the other party cleverly and deliberately changed the font. If it was written by someone else, would it be necessary to go to such lengths?"

Zhou Ke was just wondering where these workers found so many junior high school students to write for them.

Upon hearing this, I picked up the letter and looked at it carefully. I quickly realized that all the letters were written by the same person.

All eyes turned to Fang Xian.

Fang Xian just said that the whistleblower letter has been verified. In theory, as long as the person who wrote the whistleblower letter is found, the situation should be clear.

How could this happen?
Fang Xian felt uneasy, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He never expected that those people would dare to tamper with even the whistleblower's letter.

"We were short-handed, so we assigned the task of verifying the whistleblower letters to Comrade Liu Wu, the deputy head of the security department of the machinery factory."

Li Aiguo stood up abruptly and said, "It seems we need to talk to Comrade Liu Wu."

"How about I have someone bring Liu Wu over?" Fang Xian stood up to make a phone call.

But Li Aiguo held his hand down.

"No need. This matter requires the cooperation of the machinery factory's security department. Let's go there ourselves."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xian was completely bewildered, not understanding what Li Aiguo was up to.

Then Li Aiguo asked, "I suggest that the investigation team take over the security department of the machinery factory. What do you think?"

Fang Xian instinctively wanted to object, but after looking at the letter, he nodded in agreement.

He only agreed to help a former leader, but he wasn't willing to put himself in danger. Now, these people's actions have crossed the line.

The best way to extricate oneself from this situation is to actively cooperate and thoroughly investigate the matter.

“Very good.” Staff Officer Zhou was also taken aback by Li Aiguo’s idea, but then realized that it was the best course of action.

If the deputy head of the security department of the machinery factory was able to falsify information, then the entire security department is no longer trustworthy.

To resolve this matter as quickly as possible, swift and decisive measures are needed.

Just like in war, a decisive blow is the wise choice; gradually increasing troop deployments will only escalate the situation.

Seeing that Fang Xian had no objections, Staff Officer Zhou picked up the phone and contacted the General Armaments Department, explaining the situation on this side.

Because it involves military orders, according to the guarantee regulations, specific units and departments can be taken over at certain times.

The General Assembly Department contacted the Ministry of Machinery Industry, and after some coordination, the formalities were completed quickly.

The company involved was found to have engaged in activities that endangered production, and a joint investigation team was authorized to temporarily take over its security department.

It has the General Assembly's stamp and signature on it.

The so-called takeover was limited to investigating Liu Feng's case.

There have been precedents for this.

A blanket factory that used to produce blankets was taken over by the security department because it was suspected of cutting corners and producing substandard blankets.

There are also some pharmacies that have caused a lot of trouble and have been taken over by authorities.

"Comrade Aiguo, we can set off now." Back in the office, Staff Officer Zhou held up the paperwork in his hand.

Zhou Ke was excited. Taking over the security department of the machinery factory was a big deal.

He immediately gathered more than a dozen team members, who went to the armory, collected long and short guns, and lined up outside.

The Qianmen Locomotive Depot Police Station is now equipped with a large off-road vehicle with a V8 engine. With a press of the accelerator, the off-road vehicle roars towards the direction of the machinery factory.

The truck was a Liberation truck, and a dozen or so team members jumped onto it and followed closely behind.

(End of this chapter)