The train driver in the courtyard

Running a newspaper is different from ordinary things; the higher-ups need to consider all aspects of the issue.

What Li Aiguo wanted to do was to explain the advantages and disadvantages as much as possible and find a way to tell the story of the development of the newspaper industry in later generations.

"Some positions, if we don't occupy them, will be occupied by others, and then..."

The pen nib left striking marks on the snow-white manuscript paper.

The night is getting darker.

On a railway track in Yunnan, thousands of kilometers away from Beijing.

The patriotic locomotive spewed white steam, its roar shaking the very air. A dozen dark green carriages followed closely behind, like a giant steel python, rushing towards Kunming.

The train was driven by Comrade Liu Ping'an, the chief driver of the Kunming Locomotive Depot.

He is a member of the organization and also a train driver with more than ten years of experience.

He's a seasoned train driver with over a decade of experience; he can navigate every curve and slope of this railway line with his eyes closed.

It was already late at night, but Liu Ping'an was very vigilant. When he felt sleepy, he would pick up a chili pepper and chew on it to wake himself up.

Perhaps it was because a comrade wearing a gray Zhongshan suit was sitting behind him.

Liu Ping'an had no idea who the man in the gray Zhongshan suit was or who he was.

All that is known is that the leaders of the locomotive depot's confidentiality department specifically instructed that he should be addressed as "Comrade Zhao".

This person was specifically tasked with escorting a batch of "goods" from the state-owned Factory No. 172.

As for what the goods are or where they will ultimately be shipped, he has no right to ask, nor does he dare to ask.

As a veteran train driver who had carried out several classified transport missions, Liu Ping'an was well aware of the importance of this mission.

"Comrade, do you want to take a break?" The co-driver, Liu Ping'an's apprentice, a young man, couldn't stand the boredom and spoke up.

Comrade Zhao didn't speak, he just shook his head slightly and sat there blankly, like a wooden man.

"What a strange person," Liu Ping'an muttered to himself, giving his apprentice a look to tell him to be quiet.

All they need to do is drive the train back and not ask questions they shouldn't ask.

The apprentice immediately understood, quickly sticking his head out of the car window and carefully looking around in the headlights, not daring to say another word.

Liu Pingan took another bite of the chili pepper, and the spiciness shot down his throat, instantly invigorating him.

The train has just successfully rounded the last curve, and ahead lies a straight track—it's the perfect time to accelerate.

"Reporting to the driver, we have successfully passed the bend."

Liu Pingan nodded, placed his right hand firmly on the handbrake, and slowly pushed it up. The barometer needle climbed rapidly, and the train's speed increased dramatically.

Sudden.

A very slight tremor came from the control lever, and then, as if the train had broken free from some restraint, its speed inexplicably increased!
Liu Ping'an's pupils suddenly contracted, and his heart clenched: "This is bad!"

"Apprentice! Quickly check the back of the car!"

"We're driving in a straight line now, how can you see anything?" The co-driver muttered, but still turned his head to look behind him. Just one glance was enough to terrify him.

"The last car of the train car is gone!"

His voice was trembling so much that it was unrecognizable.

"What?!" Liu Ping'an's mind went blank.

Almost simultaneously, Comrade Zhao behind him suddenly stood up and drew his pistol from his waist with a "whoosh".

Liu Ping'an didn't even bother to look at him and simply left.

With a piercing metallic scraping sound cutting through the night sky, the train slowly came to a stop.

The group of people jumped off the train without prior arrangement. Liu Ping'an ran along the tracks, his legs weak and his heart pounding.

The classified cargo to be transported was loaded into the last railcar.

If something happens
Liu Ping'an didn't dare to think any further. As he ran, he cursed himself fiercely: "Liu Ping'an! You old fool! You've been driving for over ten years and haven't had a single accident in years. How could you let me down at a critical moment like this! If something happens, how can you face the organization?!"

The night wind carried the chill of the mountains, and he was out of breath from running, feeling as if his lungs were about to burst.

He had run over a kilometer, and just when he was about to give up, a faint outline came into view on the distant railway tracks—

That dark green train car was sitting there quietly!
"It's still there...it's still there!"

Liu Ping'an's legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the railway tracks with a "plop," tears welling up in his eyes.

"It's just unmounted...it's just unmounted, we can just remount it, that's all..."

"Report this immediately!" A cold voice rang in his ears, and Liu Ping'an turned his head to see a cold face.

It was Comrade Zhao's face.

"From now on, tonight's events are to be kept absolutely secret! No one is allowed to disclose them to the outside world, or they will be severely punished!" Comrade Zhao strode towards the wagon.

Liu Pingan struggled to his feet and quickly followed behind.

He felt that the night seemed even darker.

*****
early morning.

The tender sunlight bathed the capital city, casting a golden glow on people's faces.

Li Aiguo first rode his motorcycle to the weather station.

Since the farmer wasn't at the station, he entrusted Team Leader Wang from the Equipment Department to forward the report.

As I stepped out of the office, I ran into Old Cat, who was swaying as he walked out of the office, a cigarette dangling from his lips and rubbing his lower back.

"Aiguo, how's your work going? The Gobi Desert base is already in the planning stages."

"That's about it, it should take about half a month," Li Aiguo said with a smile, calculating Professor Qi's work progress.

Seeing the old cat's tired look, he joked, "What's wrong with you? Did your sister-in-law exploit you?"

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

The old cat blushed just like the young man, then lowered his voice:

"The giant mushroom is currently being transported, and various regions are sending the last batch of parts to the Northwest. The meteorological station has sent a specialist to escort it, and the station staff also need to keep an eye on it."

It seems that countless factories and units across the country are working towards the same goal. No wonder we were able to create the miracle of giant mushrooms during those difficult years.

A sense of pride welled up in Li Aiguo's heart.

"I've been so busy lately. Let's have a good drink after we succeed." As Old Cat was speaking, a comrade in a gray Zhongshan suit ran over.

He glanced at Li Aiguo, then whispered something in Lao Mao's ear.

"What? There's trouble in the southwest? Let's go!"

Old Cat turned and walked away, but after taking a few steps, he looked at Li Aiguo and said, "Aiguo, I heard you have a kind of medicinal wine called Linggui Zhanshi. Could you give me a pot of it? Don't misunderstand, I've just been busy with work lately and I'm especially prone to feeling sleepy."

"No misunderstanding, no misunderstanding."

Li Aiguo chuckled twice, turned around, got on his mountain bike, and arrived at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop.

Today's work was the same as yesterday, mainly helping Professor Qi assemble the armed helicopter for testing. Wild car expert and Zong Xianfeng have already started tinkering with minibuses.

Busy until noon, Section Chief Xing arrived at the studio.

"Aiguo, I heard your studio is developing a minibus?"

"The wild car experts have been busy with this matter these past few days." Li Aiguo stood up, poured a cup of tea for Section Chief Xing, and handed it to him.

Section Chief Xing took the enamel mug, took two big gulps, and asked anxiously, "When can it be manufactured? When it is, can you allocate a few to our locomotive depot first?"

Li Aiguo was taken aback, somewhat puzzled: "Section Chief, don't we all rely on trains for commuting in our section? What do we need minibuses for?"

The comfort and stability of trains are unmatched by cars; even on old green trains, very few people get carsick.

"Have you forgotten how many factories we've built, employing tens of thousands of people? We can't all rely on hitchhiking to get around. What have we become, the Railway Guerrilla?"

Section Chief Xing was somewhat frustrated.

Li Aiguo, that guy, only cares about research and running the factory; he, as the section chief, has to take care of everything for the workers, from food and drink to toileting.

Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "I had completely forgotten about this! The minibus project is already in the planning stages and should be completed in two or three months."

"Oh? Tell me quickly, what do you think of this car?" Section Chief Xing's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward.

"The vehicle is 9 meters long, with a rated passenger capacity of 19 people, and can accommodate up to 40 people standing. The all-steel structure makes it safer, and it uses an aluminum engine," Li Aiguo said.

Section Chief Xing asked, "How many horsepower?"

"155 horsepower."

"So tall!" Section Chief Xing was stunned. He knew that the domestically produced Jiefang CA10 only had 95 horsepower.

As soon as he said it, Section Chief Xing realized his oversight: the studio's advantage was in the research and production of engines.

They've even made helicopter engines, so they can certainly make minibus engines.

"With more strength, you can pull and carry more loads," Li Aiguo said with a smile.

If this minibus is widely adopted, it can be used in mountainous areas. The more powerful the engine, the more responsive the brakes, and the safer it will be.

"Okay, I'll go report to the Ministry of Machine Building right now." Section Chief Xing came and went quickly, leaving before he had even finished the enamel mug of wine.

Li Aiguo watched his hurried departure and chuckled in surprise.

It turns out this old comrade made this trip just to advocate for the interests of the locomotive depot.

That makes sense. The locomotive depot produces a steady stream of output, but the biggest beneficiaries are the Second Automobile Works and the First Ministry of Machine Building.

Section Chief Xing naturally had to find a way to make up for it.

After Section Chief Xing left, Li Aiguo studied the blueprints for the minibus with the wild car expert.

After confirming that there were no problems, the task of manufacturing the prototype of the minibus was handed over to the wild car expert.

This kid has been particularly enthusiastic since the celebration party; it's time for him to take responsibility.

Busy until noon.

Just as Li Aiguo was about to take his lunchbox to the canteen to get food, Section Chief Xing hurriedly returned, bringing Ma Dele from the General Administration's Safety Section with him.

"What's wrong, Section Chief, Section Chief Ma?" Li Aiguo asked, seeing their anxious expressions.

Section Chief Xing's expression was a bit strange. He looked at Ma Dele and said, "Old Ma, why don't you talk to Aiguo?"

Ma Deluo rubbed his hands together, looking somewhat embarrassed. He first handed Li Aiguo a cigarette, lit it, and then lowered his voice: "Aiguo, something happened at the Kunming Railway Bureau."

A train transporting supplies lost its last carriage halfway through its journey.

"Was it found?"

"We found it. The driver was an experienced driver who stopped the car as soon as he noticed something was wrong, so there was no major accident," Ma Dele said.

"What other problems could there be?" Li Aiguo asked, somewhat puzzled. Trains are assembled from mechanical parts, and anything mechanical can malfunction.

In particular, the connection points between the carriages are relatively fragile, and due to negligence or some accidents, they may become uncoupled.

Such incidents are not uncommon. In one case, a 40-car freight train belonging to India was traveling when 32 of the cars suddenly separated from the locomotive. The driver did not notice and continued to travel for nearly 10 kilometers.

Even when the Shinkansen bullet train was traveling at a speed of over 300 kilometers per hour, the carriages of the small notebook fell off.

Our Shenshan line has experienced two drops, and the Guiding line has experienced one drop.

Especially for the last car body, if the valve breaks or the hook pin falls off and is lost, the car body may be lost.

As long as the freight cars are recovered and no accident occurs, it is not considered a major work safety accident.

Why is this old security expert, Ma Dele, so nervous?

Ma Del looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "Patriotism, the key is that the railcar contains classified parts, the level of secrecy is very high!"
The people escorting the vehicle were from a special department. They felt...that this wasn't an accident, but rather a deliberate act of sabotage. The prime suspects were the drivers, and they've been detained.

"Did the investigation uncover anything?" Li Aiguo couldn't help but narrow his eyes.

Ma Dele slapped his thigh: "That's where the problem lies. The comrade in charge of train safety from the Kunming Railway Bureau was sent to inspect the train and found that the air pipe had been cut off, which was likely a deliberate accident. However, the three comrades in the driver's group are all veterans and could not possibly do such a thing. So the Kunming Railway Bureau asked our Beijing Railway Bureau for help."

As he spoke, Ma Dele looked at Li Aiguo with some hesitation: "That is a train pulled by an Aiguo-type steam locomotive. You designed the braking system and the connecting system. The bureau wanted you to make the trip."

Li Aiguo finally understood why Ma Dele was so nervous.

If the drivers can't clear their names, they'll never be able to get on a train again. And in more serious cases...
Li Aiguo was a train driver, and the Aiguo-type steam train was also his creation.

If there are design flaws in the train, they must be identified and repaired promptly.

"Of course, the bureau can't just use people for free. You went there this time to do things for the bureau, so we'll give your locomotive depot five points for being an advanced worker."

The so-called "advanced points" are a point-based evaluation system that the railway system adopted, similar to that used by local street offices.

You can get extra points for receiving praise from passengers, such as being safe and accident-free, or coming up with a small invention.

At the end of the year, a competition will be held, and the locomotive depot with the highest score will be awarded the title of Red Flag Locomotive Depot. The depot leader will be able to wear a big red flower and go on stage to receive the award.

Five points is quite a lot, equivalent to a year's worth of effort for a whole crew. The General Administration really went all out this time.

"Ahem, Section Chief Zhang, actually, if you don't add points, it's our job as train workers, and I can't refuse. But if you do add points, I can't refuse, right?" Li Aiguo said with a smile.

Ma Dele: "."

He felt like he had been too generous.

The sooner the situation is clarified, the sooner the driver team can be cleared of suspicion, and the Kunming Railway Bureau can resume normal operations as soon as possible. Li Aiguo didn't waste any time and called home to inform Chen Xueru that he was going on a business trip.

"When will you be back?" Chen Xueru was already used to it.

"I estimate it will only take a few days."

If an accident like this can't be investigated in a short time, it may never be investigated at all.

As soon as Li Aiguo hung up the phone, Section Chief Xing selected the accompanying personnel.

One is Zhou Ke, whose identity is quite special and who can be responsible for security work.

Another one is Chen Baiya. He is Li Aiguo's apprentice and comes from a family of doctors. He knows a lot about medical knowledge and could be of use in case of any emergency.

It's not that Section Chief Xing is overthinking things.

Instead, the leaders in the department have repeatedly instructed Section Chief Xing to ensure that Li Aiguo's health is not compromised and that the donkey is not overworked just to grind a little flour.

Also accompanying them was Ma Dele, the head of the security department, who was in charge of liaison work.

The train to Kunming was scheduled to depart in the afternoon, and Li Aiguo, seeing that he still had some time, decided to ride his motorcycle home.

"Master, what are you going back for?" Chen Baiya felt strange. The Kunming Bureau had already made arrangements, and she didn't need to bring any luggage this time.

"What does a little brat know? Your master is going to say goodbye to your mistress," Zhou Ke joked.

Chen Baiya didn't understand: "Didn't we already make the call? For such an important mission, we need to be fully prepared."

"You'll understand when you get married," Zhou Ke said, unable to explain it clearly to this clueless young man.

"You only understand after marriage?"

Chen Baiya scratched his head, watching Li Aiguo and Zhou Ke ride away on their motorcycles, and fell into deep thought.

He's already in a relationship, but he's been too busy with work for the past two years and feels that dating and getting married are too much of a hassle. His family has urged him to postpone it several times, but he's already put it off.

"So, does this mean I should follow my master's example and get married?"

Even if he knew, he wouldn't care.

*****
The predecessor of Kunming Railway Bureau was the privately-run Gejiu-Bishe Railway Company.

After liberation, the company underwent a joint public-private ownership reform and was established as the Southwest Railway Engineering Bureau. It was not until 53 that it was renamed the Kunming Railway Bureau.

Compared to other railway bureaus in China, the Kunming Railway Bureau is relatively young, and its management model differs from that of other railway bureaus.

A three-tiered management system was implemented, consisting of bureaus, offices, and stations/sections. The offices were equivalent to the branch bureaus of later times.

The freight train accident occurred on a section of the Lao Bishi line under the jurisdiction of the office.

After boarding the campervan, Li Aiguo briefly learned about the destination and then picked up a book to study.

I've been working on a lot of projects lately, and I've used up most of my points. It's time to recoup some.

Ma Dele and Zhou Ke often travel for work, so it wasn't a problem. However, it was Chen Baiya's first time traveling to another city, and she seemed particularly excited. As soon as she got on the car, she started fiddling with her camera, snapping a couple of photos outside.

He said he wanted to keep it as a souvenir and take it back to show his parents.

Zhou Ke saw it, but simply reached out and took the camera away.

"The place we're going to this time is close to the border, so it's not appropriate for you to bring this. Leave it with me for now."

Chen Baiya glanced at Li Aiguo, and seeing that Li Aiguo nodded, she had no choice but to give up.

He had also worked as a train driver for a while, so he understood the complexities of some issues.

A long whistle pierced the sky, and the train, puffing out thick black smoke, slowly pulled away from Beijing Station.

The wheels rolled over the rails with a steady clanging sound, speeding southward toward Yunnan, a thousand miles away.

It was four days later that Li Aiguo and his entourage arrived at their destination.

After getting off the bus, Li Aiguo looked at the bus stop sign and was momentarily dazed.

"Chicken Street?"

Indeed, the weathered plaque does bear the words "Jijie Railway Station".

The Jijie Railway Station is quite large, and the Jijie Locomotive Depot is right next to it. As soon as Li Aiguo and his group got off the train, some colleagues from the Jijie Locomotive Depot came to greet them.

"Section Chief Zhang, we've been waiting for you!" The man in the lead was thin, wearing a gray Zhongshan suit, and spoke with a slight accent; he was probably a local.

"This is Comrade Li Aiguo, a train driver from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, and a national model worker."

"This is Section Chief Liu from the Jijie Locomotive Depot. We lived in the same dormitory when we were training at the Ministry."

When Section Chief Liu saw Li Aiguo, his eyes lit up instantly. He reached out and shook hands with him, saying, "Comrade Li Aiguo, welcome to our Jijie Locomotive Depot. Your Qianmen Locomotive Depot is a national model locomotive depot and a role model for us to learn from."

"That's all thanks to the section leaders and staff. Section Chief Liu, where are those drivers?" After a few pleasantries, Li Aiguo got straight to the point.

Section Chief Liu was well aware of the urgency of the situation, so he skipped the usual welcoming ceremony and led the group into the locomotive depot.

He explained the situation as he walked.

"There's some trouble now. Those comrades in charge of secrecy are not letting us meet with the drivers."

Li Aiguo asked, "What about the damaged carriage?"

"They've protected it too, but it's parked in our section. I can show you around first. As long as you don't get too close, those comrades shouldn't stop you. Look, it's over there."

Li Aiguo then realized that the group had arrived at the station, where several trains were parked on the tracks, and a lone train car was parked in the northeast corner.

There were people on duty nearby, and another person in a gray Zhongshan suit was pointing at the train car, talking about something.

As the group approached, the officer on duty stood up to stop them, but did not draw his pistol.

Hearing the noise, the man in the gray Zhongshan suit turned around.

"patriotic?"

"Comrade Cat?"

Li Aiguo's eyes widened.

That's right, standing in front of him is the cat leader of the weather station.

Old Cat was clearly also taken aback by Li Aiguo's appearance, and then, looking at Section Chief Liu beside him, he immediately understood.

"I was just thinking of inviting you over to see what was going on, but I didn't expect the leaders of the Jijie Locomotive Depot to make the first move." Old Cat waved to the comrade on duty, "Have them come over."

Upon hearing this, not only was Section Chief Liu stunned, but even Ma Dele was so shocked that he couldn't close his mouth.

It's obvious that the person in front of me is a leader of a classified unit. How does he know Li Aiguo?
Zhou Ke explained with a smile, "Comrade Aiguo has carried out some missions before, you understand?"

"Understood." Section Chief Liu and Ma Dele exchanged a glance, already imagining the scene of Li Aiguo driving a special train.

Li Aiguo was also helpless. He really wanted to drive a special train, but the key was that the leaders wouldn't give the order.

It's easier to get things done when you know someone, and with Team Leader Cat in charge of the case, Li Aiguo was secretly relieved.

He stepped forward, offered a cigarette to the cat team leader, and inquired about the whole story.

The cat team leader received the report from here a few days ago and felt that the matter was of great importance, so he took a transport plane here that same day.

"Patriotism, the parts being transported this time are intended for use inside the giant mushroom. The weather station suspects that someone has already set their sights on the giant mushroom, which is why they've gone to such lengths."

The cat leader's words also explained why the weather station was keeping a close eye on this matter.

That's how it is in the work of maintaining secrecy; you don't let any suspicious point go unnoticed, and starting with a small case often leads to a big one.

Especially now that the giant mushrooms are about to mature, the enemy dared to attack the train cars. Has the enemy already discovered the location of the mushroom base?
They even knew the location where they planned to plant mushrooms?

Or perhaps the enemy has already infiltrated the mushroom cultivation workshop and tampered with the mushrooms?
At this crucial juncture, we must be cautious.

Li Aiguo felt that since he joined the weather station, he had become as sensitive as the old cat.

However, there is no other way. Any mistake, no matter how small, could lead to huge losses, as there are precedents to prove.

“We cut off a section of the trachea and sent it for testing. There were no signs of aging, and we even found footprints at the location of the hook pin.”

Old Cat pointed to the connection point at the front of the wagon and said, "We can now basically conclude that there was a mole in the driver's crew who colluded with them. They arranged for someone to sneak onto the wagon at a small station in advance and sabotaged the air pipe and the tail pin at the connection point. Their goal was to delay the parts and slow down the development of the Big Mushroom!"

As soon as these words came out.

Li Aiguo's expression turned serious.

A red flag fluttered in the wind not far away.

(End of this chapter)