Chapter 28: Full Marks

The first step in starting a steam locomotive: shoveling coal.

The stoker received the signal from Li Aiguo.

He scooped up the coal shovel, spun 180 degrees, bent down, and with a sharp *clack*, filled the shovel to the brim.

Turning back around, he pressed the furnace switch with his left foot.

The moment the furnace opened, he positioned his left hand in front and his right hand in back.

Gripping the handle tight, he thrust it forward and flicked his wrists; like a shower of celestial flowers, the coal flew into the furnace in a steady, fan-shaped arc.

With a *whoosh*, a flame leaped out.

The stoker lightly lifted his foot, and the furnace door snapped shut instantly.

His movements were elegant and fluid—a grace that could only be mastered through a decade or more of practice.

Before Li Aiguo could offer a word of admiration, he suddenly noticed that the light in the cab had dimmed considerably.

The once-clear gauges became hazy.

Sniffing the air, he caught the pungent scent of coal smoke.

Looking back, he saw that as the stoker continued to shovel coal, thick clouds of smoke were billowing out of the furnace.

The cab was soon shrouded in smoke, looking much like Taishang Laojun’s alchemy furnace.

Li Aiguo looked out through the left window, only to find everything a blur; he couldn't see a thing.

The middle-aged driver, however, was long accustomed to this, puffing on a cigarette amidst the thick smoke.

The two examiners also looked as if this were perfectly normal.

Well.

The working environment for a train driver was indeed this harsh.

Since he was here, he might as well make the best of it.

Li Aiguo stood up and pulled the whistle. Once seated firmly, he gripped the ring handle located at the upper left, and the bottom of the train let out a series of rhythmic *huff, huff, huff* exhaust sounds.

Instantly, thick white smoke billowed from both sides of the train.

Enveloped in the swirling mist, the massive locomotive looked like a mount from a world of immortal cultivation.

Except it couldn't fly.

As the train moved, the smoke in the cab dissipated somewhat, and his vision gradually cleared.

Li Aiguo took a deep breath, pushed the lever forward, released the small brake, and pulled the steam valve...

Feeling the push against his back from the steel-piped seat, Li Aiguo’s concentration reached its peak, and he stood up from time to time to scan the tracks ahead.

He was especially vigilant, standing up in advance whenever they approached a level crossing.

Seeing Li Aiguo's conduct, the middle-aged driver nodded with satisfaction. "You're a kid who values his life, aren't you?"

"I have no choice. I haven't seen the country become prosperous and strong, nor have I seen imperialism fall. Naturally, I have to keep my little life intact," Li Aiguo joked while skillfully manipulating the valves.

"..."

The middle-aged driver fell silent for a moment, then turned to the two examiners behind him. "Xiao Wang, is being talkative a point-deduction item?"

"Master Zhang, that's not on the checklist. Please bear with him," the young examiner said, his mouth twitching as he fought back a laugh.

The middle-aged driver shook his head with a bitter smile. This young man, Li Aiguo, hadn't made a single mistake since boarding.

His demonstrated driving skill was even higher than his own, despite him being a veteran driver who had served on the Korean battlefield.

Every operation was decisive and perfectly timed.

However, there was no precedent for a perfect score in a practical exam.

But there was no need to rush; once it came to stopping and disembarking, there would surely be an opportunity to dock some points.

Li Aiguo’s mind, however, was not as relaxed as he appeared.

Though he possessed superb driving techniques in his mind thanks to the help of the System, translating those thoughts into physical action through his hands was no simple matter.

It was what people called

The Brain: "I know how to do it!" The Hands: "No, you don't."

A skyscraper is built from the ground up; to become a true train driver, he still needed to improve through actual practice.

The ten-kilometer journey passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. After rounding a bend through a switch, the train sped toward the starting point.

Hearing a roar from the distance, all the candidates on site looked up simultaneously.

The middle-aged driver straightened his posture and, along with the two examiners, fixed his gaze on Li Aiguo.

Now had come the most critical step—stopping the train.

Throughout the entire journey, they had failed to find a single thing to penalize him for.

Now, they could only pin their hopes on the most difficult part.

Li Aiguo gave a faint smile, stood up to look ahead, and instantly calculated the braking distance in his mind.

His hands, already poised and ready, decisively gripped the two brake handles.

A piercing screech of wheels grinding against the rails erupted from beneath the train, and its speed began to drop.

Slower and slower...

Everyone's eyes were glued to the front wheels.

The pitch-black wheels drew closer to the white lime line.

Inch by inch...

Stopped.

*Whoosh!*

The crowd erupted like boiling water.

The front wheels of the train had come to a perfectly steady halt exactly on the white lime line.

"Impossible, that's absolutely impossible!" Liu Erfeng rubbed his eyes.

Liu Chunhua frowned deeply. "This kid's luck is truly something else."

The happiest of all was Zhang Dahua.

She sprinted to the front of the locomotive and shouted at Li Aiguo, "You're treating us this time!"

Li Aiguo: "..."

Inside the locomotive.

The two examiners looked at each other in disbelief.

Could it be that the first perfect score in the General Workshop's practical exam was about to appear?

The middle-aged driver gave them a strange smile and a meaningful glance, signaling them not to rush.

Straightening his collar, he stood up, fished a cigarette from his pocket, and handed it to Li Aiguo.

"Here, young comrade. You did well. Have one."

Li Aiguo declined with righteous dignity, waving his hand. "I'm sorry, I am a train driver. According to the driver's code, one must not smoke while operating the vehicle."

"..."

The middle-aged driver fell silent for a moment. "That's not what you were saying a moment ago."

"Just now, I hadn't passed the exam yet. I wasn't an official train driver, so I didn't need to hold myself to the standards of one," Li Aiguo replied, sounding perfectly justified.

Fine. This kid was a slippery one; he had just passed through another point-deduction trap.

No matter, there would be more chances.

The middle-aged driver took a deep breath, calmed himself, and said kindly, "Young comrade, congratulations on passing the practical exam. You may disembark now."

"Thank you!"

The moment Li Aiguo pulled the door open, the middle-aged driver and the two examiners stared at him with wide eyes.

They were waiting for him to jump straight off the train so they could grab their pens and dock ten points.

But Li Aiguo did not jump.

Instead, he grabbed the two handles in the cab and swung himself down like a monkey.

The moment his feet hit the ground, he faced the locomotive.

The middle-aged driver: "..." The two examiners: "..."

Li Aiguo smiled at them. "My apologies. My father taught me that when a train driver disembarks, he must never turn his back to the locomotive. Do you think my manner was appropriate?"

"Appropriate..."

The middle-aged driver suddenly burst into loud laughter. "I never expected the first perfect score in our workshop to be born from my hands, Zhang Shan!"

"Zhang Shan, oh Zhang Shan, you've become too caught up in appearances! If your skill is high, what does a perfect score matter!"

*Zhang Shan.* Li Aiguo savored the name, his heart skipping a beat. He looked up at the middle-aged driver.

"Are you... the Great Driver Zhang who was sent to the Korean battlefield by our General Workshop back then?"

Li Aiguo had heard his father tell stories.

When the war broke out, to ensure the rapid transport of supplies, the General Workshop had drafted a large number of excellent train drivers from various workshops to go to Korea.

Li Aiguo's father had bitten his finger to write an application, but because Li Aiguo was still young and needed companionship, the request was rejected by the higher-ups.

Twenty train drivers were selected.

In the end, only five returned.

Of those, only Zhang Shan was physically fit and capable.

Furthermore, he had returned with medals of valor.

From then on, Zhang Shan became a legendary figure within the General Workshop.

Hearing this, Zhang Shan fell silent for a moment. He looked at Li Aiguo and said, "What 'Great Driver Zhang'? The real Great Driver Zhang died on the battlefield with those old comrades of mine. My name is Zhang Shan, just an ordinary train driver."

His weathered face, illuminated by the golden sunset, appeared exceptionally solemn and desolate.

(End of Chapter)