The train driver in the courtyard

When Li Aiguo pushed open the door to Section Chief Xing's office, Section Chief Xing was talking on the phone in a deep voice. The person on the other end was from Linxi Mine.

Section Chief Xing looked somewhat serious. When he saw Li Aiguo come in, he raised his chin to indicate that he should sit down first.

Li Aiguo pulled up a chair, sat down, took out his cigarette case, and lit a cigarette.

Section Chief Xing spoke on the phone for another two minutes before finally letting out a long sigh of relief after hanging up.

"Section Chief, how's the situation?" Li Aiguo handed Section Chief Xing a cigarette.

As Section Chief Xing lit a cigarette, he frowned and said, "It was the leaders of Linxi Mine who called. Our coal cutter was working when the mine suddenly collapsed. Zong Xianfeng was protecting the coal cutter and didn't evacuate immediately, so he was injured by falling coal chunks."

Yu Shu was also injured. Both have been taken to Linxi Coal Mine Hospital; they are not in life-threatening condition for the time being, but the specific extent of their injuries is still unclear.

Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo's fingers, which were holding a cigarette, trembled slightly.

The reason why the Ministry of Coal Industry chose Linxi Mine as the test site for large coal cutting machines, rather than Jixi Mine which was closest to Jixi Plant, was clear: there were two reasons.

Firstly, the lignite from Linxi Mine is a hard coal, which is more difficult to tunnel and can better test the cutting performance of the coal cutter.

Secondly, Linxi Mine is close to Beijing, so if the coal cutter breaks down, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot can send someone over to repair it as quickly as possible.

But no one expected that a mine collapse would happen.

It is important to know that there are strict safety regulations for coal cutting machine operation. Engineers will conduct mine safety checks in advance, and the coal cutting machine itself is also equipped with reinforcement and protection equipment, which should be sufficient to cope with the risk of collapse.

Now something has actually happened.

Is there something wrong with the machine?
Or is there a problem with the person?
"Section Chief, I'm going to Linxi Mine!" Li Aiguo suddenly stood up.

Section Chief Xing nodded in agreement: "Chief Engineer Liu from Jixi Factory also thinks so. It seems that the situation at Linxi Mine is quite complicated. You can't go alone. Pick a few people from the section and form an accident investigation team."

He didn't say it explicitly, but it revealed how much he valued the matter.

He knew all too well that the equipment Li Aiguo tinkered with rarely had any problems, so this matter was probably not simple.

The attitude of Linxi Mine is particularly intriguing; it seems they do not want Qianmen Locomotive Depot to send anyone over.

Li Aiguo understood what Section Chief Xing was thinking, so he turned around and went back to the studio, where he told him about the accident at Linxi Mine and Zong Xianfeng's injury.

The studio fell silent for a moment, then erupted in excitement as everyone stood up, raised their hands, and volunteered to go and see for themselves.

Li Aiguo ultimately chose Chen Baiya, along with two other skilled comrades, and told them to hurry back to their dormitories to pack their belongings.

Just as things were getting chaotic, Zhou Ke rushed into the studio.

"Aiguo, I heard there was an accident at Linxi Mine. Can you take me with you?" Zhou Ke's expression was very excited.

No wonder. Although he was catching thieves at the railway police station and his research team was not the same group, they were both railway workers and got along like brothers. He couldn't sit still when he heard that his brother was injured.

"Bring two more people, and bring guns."

He never fights a battle unprepared. The situation at Linxi Mine is unclear, so it would be safer to bring more people with him.

"Alright!" Zhou Ke replied, then turned and ran towards the railway police station to pick out capable assistants.

In an instant, the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop and the railway police station were both busy.

After finalizing the team list, Li Aiguo went to report to Section Chief Xing.

"You will be the leader of the accident investigation team, and Zhou Ke will be the deputy leader. You must find out the cause of the accident." Section Chief Xing stood up and shook hands with Li Aiguo.

"Section Chief, please rest assured."

The dispatching office has also confirmed the departure time; there is a freight train heading to Linxi Mine to transport coal at around 3 a.m.

After agreeing on a departure time, Li Aiguo rode his mountain bike back to the courtyard house.

It was nearly evening when Chen Xueru was busy cooking at home. She was shocked to hear that Zong Xianfeng had an accident.

Only after confirming that there was no danger to his life did he breathe a sigh of relief.

“Dasha came to visit us the day before yesterday, and we talked about her and Zong Xianfeng. She planned to bring Zong Xianfeng home to meet her parents in the second half of this year, so she was probably planning to get married. But now this has happened. I wonder how serious her injuries are?”

Chen Xueru brought the food to the table.

"It's not clear yet." Li Aiguo sat down and ate a few mouthfuls of rice, his mind completely on the accident. After eating only a few bites, he got up and went into his study to take out the relevant blueprints of the coal cutter and check them again.

Chen Xueru didn't disturb him much and quietly went to help him pack his luggage.

Linxi Mine is nearby, and coal trucks frequently come and go, so they can bring things along. I didn't prepare much, just two sets of clothes, a few pairs of socks, toothpaste, and toothbrush—the essentials.

At 2:30 a.m., Li Aiguo woke up on time and got out of bed very quietly, but he still disturbed Chen Xueru beside him.

"Are we leaving already?" Chen Xueru rubbed her eyes.

Chen Xueru still put on a coat and followed him to the entrance of the courtyard house.

Zhou Ke was already waiting there in his large SUV, its headlights shining in the night.

"I'm leaving." Li Aiguo waved to Chen Xueru, opened the car door, and got in.

When they arrived at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, Chen Baiya, two technicians, and two comrades from the railway police station were already waiting at the entrance.

The coal truck driver was Mr. Liu from the freight workshop. He had drunk heavily with Li Aiguo several times. When he learned that Zong Xianfeng was injured, his face turned very grim.

"The Linxi Mine has been going all out for the past two years, and the atmosphere is too restless, resulting in chaotic management," Master Liu sighed.

Li Aiguo was genuinely unaware of this situation, and Section Chief Wu hadn't mentioned it either. After getting into the car, he casually asked a few questions.

Linxi Coal Mine is a major coal mine in China. Currently, all factories and mines are increasing production, and all coal enterprises under the coal sector are implementing the strategy of "taking steel as the key link and using coal to protect steel."

Linxi Mine is no exception.

Linxi Mine established a production increase team and launched a labor competition. In just two years, the number of mines doubled, and a large number of miners were temporarily recruited.

The skill levels of these miners varied greatly. Some did not like to follow safety regulations, and some even went down the mine without wearing mine clothing (short overcoats made of water-coated cloth), causing quite a few incidents, though they were all minor safety accidents.

Master Liu wasn't from Linxi Mine; he just chatted with the workers a few times while transporting coal, so he didn't know much about them.

"It must be caused by the illegal operations of the people at Linxi Mine!" Zhou Ke said angrily, slapping his thigh after hearing this.

"Zhou Ke, the matter hasn't been investigated yet, so don't jump to conclusions."

Li Aiguo glanced at his watch; it was almost 3:30 a.m. The stove in the driver's quarters was burning, making it warm but stuffy. He then told a few of his team members to find a corner in the water truck, lay down straw mats, and make do with a rest for a while.

When I woke up again, it was already daylight.

Li Aiguo stretched, feeling a soreness in his lower back. He walked into the driver's cabin and glanced out the window at the rows of mining buildings, knowing that he had arrived at Linxi Mine.

After two track adjustments, the coal train finally made a temporary stop at a station.

"Thank you very much, Master Liu."

Li Aiguo offered Master Liu a cigarette.

"Hey, what are you saying! We're all family, no need to be so polite!" Master Liu waved his hand, his tone particularly cheerful. "I'm only heading back this afternoon, I'll just stay at the coal yard over there. If you need my help, just let me know!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and called over the stoker, and the two of them opened the side door of the train together.

As soon as Li Aiguo, Zhou Ke, Chen Baiya, and the others got off the coal truck, they saw two jeeps parked in the yard.

Standing in front of the locomotive was Section Chief Wu from the Linxi Mine Security Department.

"Aiguo, you've finally arrived." Section Chief Wu spotted them at a glance, and his expression changed instantly when his gaze swept over Zhou Ke and the others.

But then I thought about it again and felt relieved.

The situation in the mining area is complicated. Even if he is the head of the security department, he can't guarantee that Linxi Mine is absolutely safe. It's perfectly normal for them to bring a few people and weapons when there is an accident there.

"This is Deputy Section Chief Ma from our Coal Production Section. He's leading the investigation into this accident," Section Chief Wu said, pointing to the middle-aged man beside him.

Deputy Section Chief Ma immediately stepped forward and warmly shook Li Aiguo's hand: "Comrade Aiguo, it's normal for the coal cutter to have a minor problem; we're all upset about it! Don't worry, your people have been sent to the hospital and are receiving the best treatment. Once the mine is cleared and the survey is conducted again, we can continue the coal cutter experiments!"

Upon hearing this, Li Aiguo frowned, but instead of replying, he asked, "Deputy Section Chief Ma, has the mine been sealed off?"

"It's sealed off!" Section Chief Wu quickly replied. "As soon as the accident happened, Engineer Liu from Jixi suggested that we seal off the scene first. Engineer Liu is currently there with our security team guarding it."

"That's good." Li Aiguo nodded. "We can talk about the investigation later. Let's go to the hospital first."

Deputy Section Chief Ma paused for a moment, then turned his gaze to Section Chief Wu.

Deputy Section Chief Ma was stunned on the spot and subconsciously looked at Section Chief Wu.

It should be noted that after receiving the notice from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot that an investigation team was to be sent, Linxi Mine held a special meeting and specifically asked him to be in charge of receiving them, just to "straighten out" the matter first.

But they didn't follow the usual procedure at all and went straight to the hospital.

"Listen to Brother Aiguo." Section Chief Wu agreed with Li Aiguo's approach, saying that he would make the same decision if his own subordinate were in trouble.

Deputy Section Chief Ma and the others went back to the office first, while Li Aiguo, Zhou Ke, and Chen Baiya got into Section Chief Wu's car.

Once they were in the car, Section Chief Wu realized that Li Aiguo's visit to see Zong Xianfeng was not just a simple matter.

"Brother Wu, is Deputy Section Chief Ma here to frame me?"

Section Chief Wu was driving when he heard this and was so startled that he almost drove the car onto the curb.

"How do you say this?"

“After the accident, it was supposed to be your Coal Mine Safety Technology Department that was responsible for the investigation, but now it’s the Production Department that’s taking the lead. Before the investigation has even started, the Production Department is already blaming our coal cutter.” Li Aiguo’s face turned icy.

Section Chief Wu remained silent for a long while, then sighed heavily: "Aiguo, we're brothers, I won't lie to you."

The mine already has a plan: to classify this accident as an "accident caused by an unexplored geological fault collapse during a coal cutter test," not a genuine accusation that your coal cutter is defective, but rather a minor issue.

Zhou Ke was stunned: "Aren't they all accidents? What's the difference?"

Li Aiguo sneered: "There's a big difference. Handling accidents is very simple. The coal mine can investigate on its own, supplement exploration equipment, revise the mining plan, and there's no need to wait for a long investigation or hold anyone accountable."

Production accidents must be reported directly to the Ministry of Coal Industry. Once verified, the consequences range from dismissal and public reprimand to criminal prosecution.

Coal mine management in those days was far less strict than in later years, but the necessary rules and regulations still existed. In 1950, a major accident occurred at the Yiluo Coal Mine. The Central and Southern Industrial Department first sent people to investigate, and subsequently the Ministry of Coal Industry and the Ministry of Labor also formed an investigation team. The investigation lasted for several months and caused a great stir.

Section Chief Wu continued, "To be honest, it's fortunate that Engineer Liu reacted quickly after the accident and immediately notified our security department. We quickly led people to seal off the mine. Otherwise, those people from the production department would have already rushed in, 'investigated,' and determined the nature of the accident. We'll just say this privately; we can't let it get out."

Li Aiguo understood Section Chief Wu's predicament.

It was already quite an achievement that he was able to preserve the accident scene under pressure. "Brother Wu, don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"These people are really bullying us."

"Yes, they're trying to pin the blame on us before they've even figured things out," Zhou Ke and Chen Baiya both said indignantly.

Li Aiguo, on the contrary, admired the calculations of the production department of Linxi Mine.

Now is the crucial time for the labor competition. If the accident is classified as a production accident, the mine will definitely have to stop work and production, and all the previous competition results will be wasted.

However, it's not so easy to pin this blame on the Qianmen Locomotive Depot.

Li Aiguo is usually kind and gentle, but he is by no means a pushover.

As they were talking, the jeep drove into the Linxi Coal Mine Hospital.

This hospital was built before liberation. It was very large and took on the heavy responsibility of providing medical care for the three mines of Linxi, Zhaogezhuang, and Tangjiazhuang.

After emergency treatment, Zong Xianfeng was placed in the surgical ward on the second floor, where there were only two beds.

Li Aiguo pushed open the door and went in, just in time to see a nurse taking Zong Xianfeng's temperature, while the wild car expert was leaning against another hospital bed.

He was also injured; his right arm was broken by a rock and was in a sling around his neck.

Zong Xianfeng's condition was much more serious; his forehead was wrapped in bandages and his right arm was in a sling, making him look like a mummy at first glance.

When he saw Li Aiguo and the others come in, he became excited and struggled to sit up.

The nurse, quick-witted and agile, glared at him: "Lie still! What are you doing moving around?"

"Don't worry, we'll wait here." Li Aiguo said, looking Zong Xianfeng up and down to confirm his general situation.

"The patient's condition is very poor. You only have half an hour for visiting hours," the nurse said after taking the patient's temperature.

"Don't worry, we will definitely not disturb his rest," Li Aiguo promised.

The nurse then turned and left, closing the ward door behind her.

Zhou Ke stepped forward, circled around Zong Xianfeng, and clicked his tongue twice, jokingly saying, "Comrade Zong, your look is pretty cool, you've turned into a 'zongzi' (rice dumpling)?"

Zong Xianfeng opened his mouth as if to speak, but Zhou Ke quickly stepped forward, placed a pillow behind his back, and slowly helped him sit up straight.

Zong Xianfeng leaned against the pillow, took a breath, and said with a bitter face, "Brother Zhou, stop teasing me. I never want to experience this kind of suffering again."

Seeing that he seemed to be in good spirits, Li Aiguo leaned closer and asked, "How are you feeling? What did the doctor say?"

"It's nothing serious, it just looks scary. It's all superficial injuries, it'll heal after a while."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the wild car expert chimed in: "Aiguo, this time he really had a lucky escape! When the landslide happened, he happened to hide under the coal cutter, otherwise, he would be dead by now."

Li Aiguo pulled up a chair and sat down, getting straight to the point: "How exactly did the accident happen?"

Zhou Ke immediately took out paper and pen and prepared to take notes.

Zong Xianfeng frowned and thought carefully: "I can't quite explain patriotism. At the time, I was in charge of operating the coal cutter, Yu Shu was measuring data in front, and Engineer Liu and the others were recording it in the back. Everything was going smoothly. We even reinforced the top of the mine while we were digging. Who knew the collapse would come so suddenly?"

Li Aiguo frowned: "Suddenly?"

The expert on the unlicensed vehicle nodded emphatically: "It was so sudden! I had just finished checking the hardness of the excavation point and was about to go back to call Pioneer to start the machine when the top of the mine collapsed with a 'bang'!"

Section Chief Wu hadn't uttered a word since entering the ward, but suddenly realized what was happening and pressed for an answer: "You mean, the coal cutter wasn't even running when the landslide occurred?"

"Of course! Engineer Liu and the others are still recording data, how could they possibly be operating the machine?" the unlicensed car expert said emphatically.

Section Chief Wu then asked, "Have you reported this situation to the production department?"

"I reported it. At that time, Xianfeng was still unconscious when the long-faced deputy section chief from the production department arrived, and I told him everything."

The automotive expert, realizing something was amiss, stood up and asked, "Does the production department think our machines caused the mine collapse?"

Section Chief Wu didn't respond, but Zhou Ke sneered, "They've already held an internal meeting and are going to..."

Li Aiguo interrupted him: "Zhou Ke, Zong Xianfeng and Yu Shu are both injured, let them rest well."

"No, Aiguo, I have to go and get to the bottom of this with them." The wild car expert was anxious and stood up to walk outside.

"stop!"

Li Aiguo's voice came from behind, and the wild car expert's steps froze on the spot.

"Now that we're here, we'll definitely investigate this matter thoroughly, so you two can rest assured!" Li Aiguo said.

The voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a strange power, and the wild car expert couldn't help but nod.

Zong Xianfeng lay back down on the hospital bed.

Li Aiguo stood up and said, "We're going up to the mine now. You all get some rest. We'll come see you again in a couple of days. If you need anything, just have the nurse call the security department."

Zong Xianfeng and the wild car expert both nodded heavily.

After the ward door closed, Zong Xianfeng and the wild car expert lay back down on their beds, recalling Li Aiguo's words.
An involuntary smile appeared on my lips, and the unease and anxiety in my heart dissipated considerably.

They knew that with Li Aiguo around, they could overcome any difficulty.

At this very moment, inside the production department of Linxi Mine.

Deputy Section Chief Ma reported the news that Li Aiguo and others had gone to the hospital to Deputy Team Leader Liu of the production increase team.

"Boss, something seems off about this. These guys from the Qianmen Locomotive Depot are acting aggressively. Do they want to investigate thoroughly?"

“These people have no sense of the bigger picture. This coal mining is, after all, an experimental project. Even if something goes wrong, we won’t hold them responsible. Now they’re pushing their luck!” Deputy Team Leader Liu stood up, his face darkening.

He paused for a moment, then looked at Deputy Section Chief Ma: "Old Ma, is there really no problem with that mine?"

“I guarantee there will be no problem. Other mines may have violated regulations, but this No. 6 mine is used for coal mining experiments. The Ministry of Coal Industry is watching it closely, and experts from the Jixi plant are also there. I will definitely arrange the best mine and the best mining team to assist.”

"So the problem lies with the coal cutter!"

Deputy Team Leader Liu slammed his hand on the table and stood up: "Old Ma, since there's nothing wrong with the mine, the problem must be with the coal cutter! If the Qianmen Locomotive Depot wants a thorough investigation, we'll see it through to the end! You take some men and go into the mine right now to check that coal cutter inside and out!"

Upon hearing this, Deputy Section Chief Ma's expression turned somewhat grim: "Team leader, Section Chief Wu's men are guarding the wellhead, and we can't get in."

“This old Wu thinks he’s done something right and has a good relationship with the mine manager. He’s never taken our production increase team seriously. Here, take my order and bring more people. We must get into the mine before the people from the front gate locomotive depot arrive.”

"Do you understand what to do once you're inside?"

Deputy Section Chief Ma was just wondering why they didn't know anything about coal cutters and couldn't find anything wrong with them even after inspection.

Hearing Deputy Team Leader Liu's words, I suddenly understood.

He has a million ways to make a machine look like it's malfunctioning.

"I understand, I'll do it right away!"

After Deputy Section Chief Ma left in a hurry, Deputy Team Leader Liu sat back down in his chair, leisurely poured himself a cup of tea, and took a couple of sips with a contented air.

"These idiots, I didn't want to make things difficult for you, but since you're not going to give me any face, don't blame me for being impolite."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Deputy Team Leader Liu quickly suppressed the sneer on his face, sat down, and put on a serious expression.

When he saw who it was, Deputy Team Leader Liu narrowed his eyes into slits.

"Xiao Pan, what brings you here?"

The newcomer was Pan Jinyue, a logistics officer at Linxi Mine. This woman was probably in her early twenties, unmarried, and incredibly beautiful. Her slender waist was a stark contrast to the other women at the mine, and her swaying motion almost stole the soul from Deputy Team Leader Liu.

"Is this still my cousin's problem? How did he get arrested?" Pan Jinyue didn't treat Deputy Team Leader Liu as a leader at all, and walked over directly, scolding him.

“He’s my only cousin. If anything happens to him, I won’t live anymore.” Pan Jinyue grabbed Deputy Team Leader Liu’s arm and shook it.

"I forgot to tell you, there was an accident at Mine No. 6, and it's under investigation right now. Your cousin is a member of the mining team, so he'll also be under investigation."

Upon smelling the face cream, Deputy Team Leader Liu couldn't help but swallow hard and said, "Don't worry, the investigation will be over soon, and your cousin will definitely be fine."

"Then I'm relieved. You know I'm timid and easily frightened. My heart was pounding in my chest."

"Really?"

"Don't believe me? Come and touch it."

Before Deputy Team Leader Liu could react, Pan Jinyue grabbed his hand and pressed it to her chest.

Even through the clothes, Deputy Team Leader Liu could still feel the body temperature, and his face flushed instantly.

This Xiao Pan is good in every way, the only downside is his background, otherwise he could get rid of his wife.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside. Deputy Team Leader Liu quickly sat up straight: "Officer Pan, I have some documents here. Could you please take them to the logistics department?"

"Yes!" Pan Jinyue glanced at him, took the documents, turned around, and a cold smile curled at the corner of her lips.

"Dealing with such a lecherous old man is a piece of cake, but I wonder what the situation is like at the mine, whether that machine has been damaged."

Thinking about all this, Pan Jinyue wiggled her hips and went out the door.

Li Aiguo and Section Chief Wu were driving a jeep when they heard a commotion ahead of them, before they even got close to the No. 6 wellhead.

"We are here to inspect on the orders of Team Leader Liu from the production increase team. Get out of our way immediately!"

(End of this chapter)