Chapter 26: Practical Operation

Amidst Cao Wenzhi's "bang-bang" knocking on the door.

Li Aiguo woke from his slumber and hurriedly got out of bed to open the door.

"Li Aiguo, why are you still sleeping? It's almost three!"

It was already 2:30 PM. Liu Chunhua had stipulated that everyone should assemble in front of the main depot at 2:00 PM, then head to the practical examination site together to take the exam at 3:00 PM.

If one failed to sign and fingerprint the logbook before 3:00 PM, they would be unable to participate in the practical exam.

Cao Wenzhi was also anxious now, and he began to scold him immediately.

Late... Li Aiguo snapped awake instantly.

He gritted his teeth secretly; needless to say, this was another trick by Liu Chunhua!

At noon, to ensure every candidate could rest well, the main depot had specially arranged for them to stay in the depot's guesthouse.

Cao Wenzhi, worried about his children at home, had returned temporarily, leaving the task of leading the group to Liu Chunhua.

Logically speaking, Liu Chunhua should have woken up every candidate before the assembly, taken roll call, and only led the team to the practical exam site once everyone had arrived.

The exam was almost here, yet she hadn't even called him. A surge of anger rose in his heart, but he suppressed it and said, "Master Cao, Director Liu Chunhua promised before that she would call me before the exam."

"She didn't call you? Before I left, I specifically instructed Liu Chunhua to take roll call during assembly to ensure every candidate was present." Cao Wenzhi frowned.

He had long noticed that Liu Chunhua targeted Li Aiguo at every turn, but he hadn't expected her to dare play such tricks on such a critical matter.

If Li Aiguo truly missed the practical exam and was unable to smoothly take over his post, he would certainly go to the depot to find the Section Chief or even the Bureau Chief.

When that time came, did Liu Chunhua really think her Deputy Section Chief could protect her?

This woman was truly all bust and no brains!

"No one called me at all!"

"Now is not the time to argue about that. I will report the situation to the depot. Go take your exam first; don't waste any more time," Cao Wenzhi said, changing the subject.

Li Aiguo dressed and put on his shoes at top speed, sprinted to the washroom, splashed his face with water, and then ran all the way. In less than ten minutes, he reached the practical exam site.

The so-called practical exam site was actually a series of intersecting tracks next to the main workshop, where three "August 1st" steam locomotives were parked.

Under the sunlight, the steam locomotives shimmered with a metallic luster, looking like beasts poised for action.

By this time, the candidates for the practical exam had already arrived and were lining up to sign in and draw numbers.

Seeing Li Aiguo running over in a frantic rush, Zhang Dahua waved to him: "Aiguo, didn't Liu Chunhua say you arrived at the exam site early? Why are you only getting here now?"

Li Aiguo ran over, signed his name, took his number, walked over to Zhang Dahua, and said through gritted teeth

"That wench lied to you. If Master Cao hadn't knocked on my door, I definitely would have missed the exam."

"Lied to me?"

Even with Zhang Dahua's slow reactions, she understood now: "She must be doing it for her brother. That woman is truly wicked. When you get first place later, you'll make her die of anger!"

"You don't even have to tell me that. I came here this time specifically to win the Driver Skill Model Award!" Li Aiguo straightened his chest.

The practical exam was simple: as long as one could drive the train for seven or eight kilometers on the tracks, it would suffice.

However, whether one could achieve a high score depended on the candidate's operational proficiency.

The steam engines used in this era had no automated electronic equipment.

Every operation had to be manually controlled by the driver. The process was tedious and difficult, requiring twelve-tenths of one's concentration.

Zhang Dahua was fifth in line. Hearing the examiner call her name, she pulled a steamed corn bun from her canvas bag and began to gnaw on it greedily.

The fist-sized bun was stuffed into her mouth in a few bites.

Zhang Dahua wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth and glared at the stunned young examiner: "What? Am I not allowed to eat a corn bun during the exam?"

The young examiner, who was in his twenties, was clearly inexperienced and was instantly intimidated by Zhang Dahua.

He scratched his head and gave an awkward smile: "There is no such rule..."

"Then why are you just standing there dazed? Hurry up and open the cab door."

"Ah, oh..."

As the young examiner reached out to pull the door, an older comrade nearby couldn't stand to watch.

"Zhang Dahua, don't mess around. Careful, if your father finds out, he won't let you eat dinner tonight."

"Always tattling..."

Zhang Dahua shrunk her neck, pulled the door open herself, and climbed into the locomotive cab.

Standing below, Li Aiguo could not see what was happening above.

Three to five minutes later, plumes of black smoke began to billow from the locomotive's chimney, followed by two crisp whistle blasts.

The train moved slowly, gradually accelerating, roaring along the tracks like a monster before disappearing into the tracks obscured by the woods.

According to the exam regulations, each candidate had to drive the train for five kilometers under the assistance of the co-driver and then return, making the total distance approximately ten kilometers.

For a train traveling at a speed of up to 40 km/h, a ten-kilometer journey took only about twenty minutes.

If a candidate significantly exceeded the time limit, they would certainly fail.

While chatting with several other candidates, Li Aiguo kept an eye on the nearby timer.

Sure enough.

When the time hit 20 minutes, a roar came from the distance, and the ground began to vibrate.

Accompanied by two whistle blasts, the train began to decelerate and finally came to a gradual stop not far ahead.

Li Aiguo saw two examiners take out rulers and run over to measure the train's stopping position.

Only then did he realize that in the designated stopping area, comrades from the depot's Education Department had previously marked a line on the tracks with white lime.

The closer the train stopped to the lime line, the higher the driver's stopping proficiency.

Li Aiguo had studied this in the technical manual.

For a locomotive like the "August 1st" used in the exam, the engine weight was as high as 92.07 tons, and the empty weight of the carriages was 66 tons.

Today, the locomotive was pulling a total of fourteen carriages.

The total weight of the train reached as high as 1,000 tons.

Trying to stop a thousand-ton behemoth accurately within a designated area was a difficult task in itself.

Furthermore, the braking system of the locomotive and the braking system of the carriages were not the same thing.

As the train decelerated, the driver had to operate both sets of braking systems simultaneously based on the train's weight and speed; the difficulty of this was unimaginable.

If reversing a large semi-trailer into a bay could test the skill of a heavy truck driver, then a train's precision stopping was enough to demonstrate the level of a train driver.

"Fifteen meters from the mark! Excellent result!"

Hearing the number announced by the examiner, Zhang Dahua, who had just jumped down from the train, excitedly pumped her fist.

"This girl is amazing; only fifteen meters off. That should be the best score today."

"That's for sure. I heard that Zhang Dahua's grandfather was a first-generation driver around here."

"It runs in the family; no wonder a young girl dares to drive a train."

The surrounding candidates and the instructors also couldn't help but applaud.

For an eighteen-year-old girl to accomplish something that many veteran drivers struggled with was truly remarkable.

The practical exam results were announced on the spot. Out of a perfect score of one hundred, Zhang Dahua ultimately received ninety-two points.

If her academic scores weren't too poor, she would be a strong contender for the top three.

(End of Chapter)