Chapter 52: Cao Wenzhi Arrives

Inside the Passenger Workshop Director's office.

The atmosphere was inexplicably heavy.

The thin old man pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Old Jia, I think we should still seek Comrade Li Aiguo's opinion."

Director Jia hadn't expected Deputy Section Chief Zhao to meddle in their business. After a moment of hesitation, he decided not to clash with the veteran comrade.

He turned to look at Li Aiguo. "Comrade Aiguo, what do you think?"

In his view, being a regular driver was the dream of countless assistant drivers; Li Aiguo certainly wouldn't refuse.

Never mind Li Aiguo—even if he had encountered such temptation back in the day, he wouldn't have been able to resist.

However.

Li Aiguo's next sentence made his jaw drop.

"Director Jia, Section Chief Zhao is right. I am a novice driver; I should start as an assistant train driver."

"The older generation said that we should not blindly follow superiors or books, but only follow reality."

"We must come from practice and go back to practice."

"I want to be down-to-earth, embodying the spirit of 'not fearing hardship and not fearing death,' and becoming a regular driver one step at a time."

Director Jia couldn't help but swallow hard.

It was one thing to refuse.

But this guy had recited so many political slogans in one breath.

And he had tied them so closely to the actual situation.

He couldn't even find the words to argue now.

The thin old man gave Li Aiguo an appreciative glance.

He had also been about to use Director Jia's usual routine; it was truly impressive that this kid had sensed it in advance.

Just then.

*Bang!*

The worn wooden office door was burst open, sending dust falling from the ceiling.

A burly man, smelling strongly of coal gas, rushed in and gave Li Aiguo a massive hug.

"Good disciple, you're finally here!"

This man was none other than the driver leader of the Train 131 crew and Li Aiguo's master—Cao Wenzhi.

After Li Aiguo passed his exams with perfect scores, Cao Wenzhi had preemptively announced that he would take Li Aiguo as his final disciple.

Cao Wenzhi was a veteran driver with excellent technical skills and an upright character; he was a famous "good master" on the railways.

Even Zhou Tiehu spoke highly of him, and Li Aiguo had formally become his disciple on the spot.

Cao Wenzhi was skilled and good to his disciples, but his only flaw was that he was too enthusiastic.

And his way of expressing emotion was to give someone a vigorous hug.

Standing at 1.7 meters tall, Cao Wenzhi's muscles were as hard as iron, and he possessed immense strength.

Fortunately, Li Aiguo had trained; otherwise, he would be gasping for breath right now.

Seeing Cao Wenzhi enter, Director Jia's expression instantly dimmed. He gave an awkward smile, seemingly forgetting the proposal he had just made.

"Master Cao, I was just about to inform you. Since Comrade Li Aiguo is your disciple, he will be assigned to your Train 131 crew as an assistant train driver. With an experienced driver like you leading him, he can grow much faster."

"What do you think?"

Cao Wenzhi let go of Li Aiguo and grinned. "That sounds great! Old Jia, my disciple is new here and doesn't know anything. As his elder, you need to guide him and make sure you don't lead him astray."

"That's impossible! I am the Workshop Director of the Locomotive Depot and am responsible to all drivers. How could I do such a thing!" The fat on Director Jia's face wobbled.

"Alright, since the work is already arranged, I'm taking my disciple and leaving."

With a boisterous attitude, Cao Wenzhi waved his hand. "I need to take my disciple to meet the crew members now."

After saying that, he shot a fierce glare at Director Jia and pulled Li Aiguo out of the room.

Once the two had left, a shadow passed through Director Jia's eyes. Pointing at Cao Wenzhi's retreating back, he gave an awkward laugh. "Section Chief Zhang, that Old Cao... he just has such a stubborn temper."

The thin old man shook his head with a bitter smile and left with his hands behind his back.

As the footsteps outside grew distant and eventually faded, Director Jia's face turned grim.

He turned, grabbed his canvas bag, and rode his bicycle out of the Locomotive Depot.

Half an hour later, he appeared in a secluded house near Xizhimen.

Pushing open the door.

A voice that was almost a whisper reached his ears: "Changyi, how did the matter go?"

Director Jia's body stiffened slightly upon hearing this.

Liu Chunhua seemed to sense something. She released her arms, walked coldly to the bedside, sat down heavily, and crossed her arms.

Looking at Liu Chunhua's frost-covered face, Jia Changyi felt a faint ache in his heart.

"That kid was taken away by Cao Wenzhi. There was nothing I could do..."

Liu Chunhua gave a light snort and rolled her eyes. "The day before yesterday, you were so certain you'd make it impossible for Li Aiguo to stay in the Locomotive Depot. A man's word is as unreliable as a ghost; you all just say those things to trick me into bed."

Since they were at home, Liu Chunhua was wearing only a thin, floral short-sleeved shirt. The top button was undone, and she wasn't wearing a binder underneath.

A wave of numbness surged through Jia Changyi's bones, and he explained patiently.

"I originally planned to assign him to Train 142."

"That train has been poorly maintained for years, and the tracks are from before the Liberation."

"Even most veteran drivers can't handle it; he certainly wouldn't have been able to manage."

"That kid is too cunning; he didn't agree on the spot. Then Old Cao showed up. You know what Old Cao is like."

"If things had truly turned sour, he would have gone straight to the Depot Manager."

Liu Chunhua's beautiful brows furrowed. She impatiently brushed his dirty hand away and said coquettishly, "Speak properly! Why are you touching me?"

"Hehe, I just missed you." A wicked smile played on the corners of Jia Changyi's mouth.

A hint of annoyance appeared on Liu Chunhua's blushing face. "Don't touch me! You can't even handle a small matter. Are you even a man!"

"Now, now, didn't I arrange for your brother to be in the Dispatching Workshop?" Jia Changyi grabbed her wrist.

He chuckled, staring intently into her eyes. "I owe Old Zhang from Dispatching a huge favor for this. Shouldn't you thank me properly!"

Liu Chunhua deftly dodged away from him, gave a sly smile, and lightly punched his back.

"I already thanked you the day before yesterday with twenty catties of food coupons."

Jia Changyi's eyes widened. "Twenty catties? Wasn't it ten before? Can these things even go up in price?"

"I used to have a job; now I don't. Of course the price goes up. Otherwise, what would I eat? What would I drink?" Liu Chunhua placed her hands on her hips, speaking with righteous indignation.

Jia Changyi pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's not right. Has Deputy Depot Manager Liu not visited lately? He's a generous man."

"Don't mention him. That old man has a heart smaller than a rabbit's. Afraid of being caught by me, he's hiding in one of the sub-depots now and doesn't dare show his face."

Liu Chunhua grew somewhat impatient.

She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and leaned back against the bed.

Stretching out a slender finger to beckon him, she said with a flirtatious smile, "Are you giving them or not? If not, get lost. Don't keep me from my sleep."

Twenty catties of food coupons was not a small amount for Jia Changyi; it truly pained him.

However, although Liu Chunhua was in her thirties, she looked like a girl of seventeen or eighteen.

With bright eyes and white teeth, she was exquisitely beautiful, more radiant and moving than a peony.

Jia Changyi gritted his teeth and pulled twenty catties of food coupons from his canvas bag, slapping them onto the table.

(End of Chapter)