Chapter 1262
Xu Damao brutally beats up Yi Zhonghai, Yi Zhonghai suffers a setback, a car accident o
"Yi Zhonghai, you only do dirty things, no wonder you will be childless."
early morning.
Li Aiguo had just woken up when he heard a commotion outside.
Pushing open the door, one could see Xu Damao standing by the pool in the central courtyard, jumping up and down and cursing Yi Zhonghai, surrounded by a number of residents washing up.
Yi Zhonghai was so angry that his face turned red and his neck bulged: "Xu Damao, what nonsense are you talking about? Who did anything dirty?"
"Pah! Didn't you complain to Director Yang? My promotion has been frozen! You old bastard who gave birth to a child without skin!" Xu Damao gritted his teeth.
Xu Damao has truly gone mad this time.
He was about to become a cadre, a momentous event that would bring glory to his ancestors, but overnight his dream vanished, and he was brought back to reality with a single blow.
This is not just losing his official position, it's taking his life.
However, Xu Damao was still a bit too inexperienced compared to Yi Zhonghai.
Yi Zhonghai's lips curled up slightly: "Xu Damao, catch a thief red-handed, catch an adulterer in the act. I'm the old man of this compound, I'm upright and honest."
You accuse me of sue? Do you have any evidence? Without evidence, it's slander!
"If you're not satisfied, let's go to the factory right now and confront Director Yang, and ask him if I'm the one who reported you!"
This is what a scoundrel is.
Yi Zhonghai was certain that Xu Damao wouldn't dare confront the factory manager, and he was also certain that such a matter couldn't be verified.
This is a blatant conspiracy, a brazen act of oppression.
Xu Damao's face gradually turned red.
With a strange howl, he suddenly grabbed the enamel basin from the sink and smashed it, water and all, at Yi Zhonghai!
"Fuck your confrontation! I'll fight you to the death, you old bastard!"
With a "splash," Yi Zhonghai was soaked to the bone.
Before he could react, Xu Damao had already charged at him like a mad bull.
Yi Zhonghai instinctively tried to run, but a sharp pain shot through his right leg; Li Aiguo had broken his leg.
Xu Damao was very fast. He rushed to Yi Zhonghai in a few steps and grabbed Yi Zhonghai's hair.
Several hard slaps landed on his genitals, making Yi Zhonghai see stars.
The people around were stunned.
By the time Yi Zhonghai realized what was happening, Xu Damao had already kicked him to the ground and kicked him several times.
"Da Mao, what are you doing? Don't hurt him. Cough cough, stop hitting him." Seeing that he had no choice but to step in, the Third Uncle quickly went up.
Liu Lan, Nan Yi, Qin Huairu, and Yan Jiecheng quickly stepped forward, pulled Xu Damao back, and helped Yi Zhonghai up.
Xu Damao was indeed ruthless; in no time, Yi Zhonghai's face was already bruised and swollen.
Yi Zhonghai had never been so humiliated before. He shouted, "Call the police! We must call the police! This is outrageous! Call Captain Wang from the police station. I want Xu Damao to rot in jail!"
"Hey, old man, getting all worked up already?"
After finishing his melon, Li Aiguo slowly said, "Didn't you used to always say 'The compound's affairs are the compound's business'?"
What? When Xu Damao was being beaten by Sha Zhu, you said it was just "neighborly squabbles" and told Damao to just endure it.
Now that you've been hit twice, you're going to call the police and have someone arrested?
Isn't this double standard a bit too much?
"You're being so hypocritical!"
These words were like a sharp sword, even more ruthless than Xu Damao's slap, piercing directly into Yi Zhonghai's heart.
The scene fell silent instantly, and everyone's gaze became intrigued.
Li Aiguo didn't give Yi Zhonghai a chance to catch his breath and continued, "We've been neighbors for many years, and we see each other all the time."
Sir, you are a moral exemplar and should set an example for others.
It's truly good when everyone is happy; one shouldn't only think of oneself.
I think we should have Da Mao apologize to you, and then we can call it a day.
Everyone agrees, isn't that right?
Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
These lines are so familiar; aren't they the same stock phrases he uses to suppress others?
The residents in the compound all knew the reason, and they all nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
"Yes, Xu Damao was also holding back a lot of anger, which is understandable."
"Yi Zhonghai is always strict with others but lenient with himself. I think it would be better to let Liu Haizhong take over this old man's job."
"Hypocritical! False morality! Yi Zhonghai is this kind of person."
Liu Haizhong, with his hands behind his back, said, "Old Yi, I think the patriotic suggestion is good. As an old man, you should be tolerant."
Qin Huairu now has a good relationship with Liu Haizhong and Liu Lan, and she also advised, "Master, when my Dongxu was still around, he caused a lot of trouble, and you always managed to suppress it."
Yi Zhonghai's face was ashen, and his chest heaved violently.
report?
That would confirm his double standards and cause his public image to collapse.
Not reporting it to the police?
Was all that beating for nothing?
In the end, Yi Zhonghai gritted his teeth and swallowed his anger, squeezing out a few words through his clenched teeth.
"Okay...okay! Aiguo is right. I...I'm magnanimous! As long as Xu Damao apologizes, this matter...can be let go!"
Xu Damao was a bully who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. He was furious just now, but now that he's calmed down, he's afraid of ending up in jail.
Knowing when to stop, Xu Damao immediately put on a playful smile and cupped his hands in a salute to Yi Zhonghai:
"Sorry, sir. I didn't expect your health to be so fragile. Haha!"
Xu Damao apologized, then turned and ran away.
Yi Zhonghai's vision went black, his body swayed, and he almost passed out.
An older woman rushed over to help him up, and amidst a chorus of pointing fingers and whispers, he slunk back into the house.
As soon as he entered the room, Yi Zhonghai sat down in a chair and began cursing: "Li Aiguo! That damned little beast! If it weren't for him causing trouble today, I would have killed Xu Damao!"
"Old Yi, did you really report Xu Damao?" An older woman asked cautiously as she applied medicine to his wound.
"Nonsense! Do you think I'm that kind of person?... Hmph, but a scoundrel like Xu Damao would be a menace even if he became a leader, he deserves it!"
Yi Zhonghai grew angrier the more he thought about it. He had been beaten and couldn't even pursue the matter. He vowed that he would not be a human being if he didn't get his revenge.
the other side.
When Xu Damao returned home, he was scolded by Liu Lan.
"Do you have any brains? If it weren't for my patriotic brother, you'd probably be in jail by now."
Xu Damao hung his head: "Wasn't I angry?"
"What's the use of getting angry? Use your brain more in the future and learn from patriotic brothers."
"understood."
"Go, didn't you bring back some red dates from the countryside yesterday? Hurry up and take them to Brother Aiguo."
When Xu Damao arrived at the Li family's house carrying red dates, Li Aiguo had already come out pushing his mountain bike.
Upon seeing the red dates, Li Aiguo waved his hand immediately: "Brother Da Mao, I don't like dates, you should take them back quickly."
Xu Damao was a little confused. He got these dates from an old man, a wealthy man, who said they were medicinal dates that could prolong life.
"My patriotic brother really doesn't know what's good for him." Xu Damao shook his head and turned to go back into the house.
When Li Aiguo arrived at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot workshop.
Chief Engineer Su and Chief Engineer Liu have already gotten busy.
Now that the manufacturing of wind tunnel components is on track, Li Aiguo only needs to provide technical support.
In my spare time, I would wander around the station and chat with the veteran drivers.
Just as they were having a lively conversation, Section Chief Xing came looking for them in a great hurry.
"Aiguo, the batch of parts from Factory 62 is finished and needs to be shipped over today. This shipment is large and valuable, and the section has arranged two trains for it. After thinking it over, I think you should take on the lead car."
“Sure,” Li Aiguo readily agreed.
Li Aiguo understood Section Chief Xing's concerns.
The components in the wind tunnel laboratory are all precision parts, and even experienced operators may encounter problems if they are not familiar with them.
Li Aiguo was an experienced driver and the head of Project 62, making him perfect for this kind of task.
Besides, Li Aiguo hadn't touched a car in a long time, and his hands were itching to get back in.
Huang Jing was on her day off today. As soon as she heard that her master was going to drive, she jumped into the passenger seat without saying a word and offered to help.
The section is extremely efficient, and the dispatch order came down very quickly.
The No. 1619 freight train was driven by Li Aiguo, with Huang Jing as the co-driver and Lao Chen as the stoker, who was also an experienced stoker.
The freight train that followed was driven by Zhang Dahua's team of drivers.
Li Aiguo, holding his deputy's hand, went up to the driver's building, plopped down on the steel throne, and blew the whistle.
The fire was burning in the furnace, the gas was accumulating in the boiler, the piston was moving rapidly, and the whole locomotive was trembling slightly.
This is the unique flavor of steam locomotives.
cough cough.
The smells of coal ash, engine oil, and scalding steam.
"Master, dispatch order: reverse into the parking space for the trailer!" Huang Jing leaned out halfway to confirm the signal before pulling back to report.
Li Aiguo flicked his wrist, pushing the valve forward. A plume of black smoke suddenly shot out of the roof chimney, accompanied by a muffled hum from the connecting rod, and the train slowly crawled backward.
He stared at the pressure gauge while silently counting the beats in his mind.
Feeling that the time was right, I decisively pulled the lever.
*Crack!*
The train came to a smooth stop, the sound of the couplers striking each other crisp and pleasant.
The rear trailer was parked perfectly positioned under the hook.
"This technology is amazing! Who drove this train?" The workers stared wide-eyed, knowing that if the train couldn't be reversed into position, lifting the crane would be very difficult.
"I don't know who the driver is, but the co-driver is Ms. Huang Jing."
Huang Jing is now a female train conductor at the Qianmen Locomotive Depot. Her skills are no less than those of veteran drivers, and she is well-known in the depot. She has also received commendations from higher authorities.
"That's Li Dache! No wonder Huang Jing can work as his assistant."
When the workers heard that it was Li Aiguo, they immediately felt it was only natural.
At the Qianmen Locomotive Depot, no matter how high your rank, once you're on the train, the one with the best skills is the boss.
I heard there's a driver in Shijiazhuang who's the son of a leader, and he still has to earn a living with his skills.
Li Aiguo jumped out of the car, took out a cigarette and offered it to everyone, then laughed and said, "Brothers, please handle with care during the hoisting."
"Don't worry, Li Dache, you don't need to explain. We know this belongs to our locomotive depot."
"Look at Li Dache's awareness, he has no airs at all, he deserves to be a model worker."
"Who can argue with that?"
Nowadays, the division of labor within the section is detailed, with dedicated personnel responsible for each hoisting operation.
The vehicle rumbled to life, the steel cables taut, and the huge wooden crate slowly lifted off the ground.
Li Aiguo, along with Huang Jing, helped by placing tattered mattresses and other materials underneath, and then jumped up to tie them with straps.
Everything was in order, and the sun was high in the sky. Li Aiguo checked the time, jumped up to the driver's cabin, sounded the whistle, and drove the train to the station.
The dispatcher jogged over and handed over the order: "Li Dache, special transport, using a dedicated line. There are no block sections. The time difference between you and train 218 is forty minutes. Please be very careful."
Regular transportation usually requires reporting to the railway network, but the dedicated line for Project 62 base is a single track.
When there are no cars, there is no need for complicated road network scheduling; just controlling the time difference is sufficient.
Forty minutes was enough, so Li Aiguo nodded, signed his name on the dispatch form, and started the train.
The train roared out of the Qianmen Locomotive Depot and headed towards Fengtai. The tracks near Beijing have now been repaired and run smoothly.
Li Aiguo also took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth, and Huang Jing lit it for him with a match.
"Master, how has your wife been feeling lately?"
"My fever is all gone now, I'm fine," Li Aiguo said, smoking a cigarette as he chatted with Huang Jing.
Huang Jing would occasionally peek her head out.
After passing Hujiazhuang switch station, the train officially entered the dedicated line.
This was a newly laid track, hugging the foot of the mountain, with complex terrain and many bends. Li Aiguo put aside his leisurely thoughts, and his gaze sharpened.
Sudden.
"Report to the driver, there's heavy fog ahead on the bend," Huang Jing shouted.
Li Aiguo didn't care; as an experienced driver, he had seen all sorts of situations.
Li Aiguo immediately reduced his speed and sounded the horn, blaring it long to alert road maintenance workers and pedestrians at the crossing.
At the same time, the co-driver and stoker must keep a close watch, stick their heads out of the window, and must not stay inside the vehicle.
If you're near a station, you also need to keep a close eye on the traffic lights and stop when you see a red light, no matter what the reason.
This is a dedicated line, so there's not much to it; the speed just needs to be reduced to the minimum.
The fog covered a wide area, enveloping the entire foot of the mountain.
The train resembled a long, black dragon, moving slowly through the thick fog.
"Stay calm, no problem..." Huang Jing was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw that the car was stable.
The words had barely left his mouth when... *crack*.
A piercing sound came from under the train.
Immediately afterwards, the locomotive jolted violently, and the steam locomotive, which had been moving slowly forward, came to an abrupt stop. Steam from the boiler hissed out from the gaps.
"Oh no!" Li Aiguo reacted quickly, pulling the brake valve all the way down.
After the train has come to a complete stop and it is confirmed that the anti-derailment measures are in place.
Huang Jing's face had turned deathly pale: "Master, the car behind us is only forty minutes behind! In this thick fog, if they can't see us..."
Huang Jing dared not continue.
The consequences could be disastrous.
A rear-end collision can result in a fatal accident.
Li Aiguo grabbed the safety helmet from his head and put it on, then tugged at the tool bag at his waist.
"Huang Jing, guard the locomotive, apply the brakes, and do not operate the locomotive without authorization! Stoker, come with me to check the fault!"
The fog outside was even thicker, with visibility less than ten meters.
Li Aiguo jumped off the train's running board, his feet landing on the cold, slippery gravel beside the rails. He bent down and began to investigate, following the rumbling and steam leaking sounds from under the locomotive.
This freight train also uses the Patriot model steam engine, which no one is more familiar with than Li Aiguo.
"Stoker, shine the flashlight here, drive slowly, don't sway!" Li Aiguo squatted down beside the locomotive's drive wheel and shouted, pointing to the connection between the axle and the frame.
When the flashlight beam shone on it, Li Aiguo immediately saw that the Babbitt alloy of the locomotive's guide wheel bearing had melted and fallen off.
Once this thing melts off, the bearing shell will directly rub against the journal, instantly seizing up due to high temperature.
It's an old problem with steam locomotives, but it just so happens to flare up at this critical juncture.
The underlying principle of the fault is simple, but repairing it is extremely difficult.
We have to remove the bearing shells, disassemble the journals, and also take apart that whole bunch of connecting rod parts.
To give an example, this workload is as inhuman as changing the air conditioning filter in a Mazda 3 (don't ask, it's just the author's blood and tears).
Old Chen was an experienced hand, and seeing this, he broke out in a cold sweat: "Li Dache, this... this won't be taken down in less than an hour!"
The car behind us is less than forty minutes away, what should we do? Should I try to flag it down?
After saying that, he wanted to slap himself.
In this desolate wilderness, how can you possibly stop them?
Old Chen felt like his heart was about to jump out of his throat.
"I'll fix it. You go find some branches nearby and light a campfire. Hopefully, the car behind can see it."
"Hey! Hey! I'm going right now!" Old Chen seemed to have grasped at a straw. He first notified Huang Jing, then scrambled over to find firewood and piled it up, and then shoveled a few shovelfuls of coal from the furnace and threw it in.
The campfire quickly roared to life, billowing black smoke that stood out starkly against the white mist.
Although he knew that the car behind might not see him, and even if it did, it might not brake, it was still better than waiting to die.
It's not that Old Chen is being overly suspicious.
It is one of the training courses that many train drivers receive.
If you encounter an emergency unrelated to driving, try not to stop, especially in remote areas, and leave as quickly as possible.
These experiences were gained through bloodshed.
The key depends on Li Aiguo's side.
Old Chen ran back to report: "It's on fire! Li Dache, what's the next step?"
"Shut down the steam pipes leading from the locomotive to the guide wheel bearings! Quickly!"
"Huh? Closing it now? You're going to demolish it already? That's fast..." Old Chen was stunned.
"Enough with the nonsense! Go now!" Li Aiguo shouted.
Every second counts; every minute that's a delay increases the chances of being hit by the car behind.
Startled, Old Chen scrambled up into the driver's cab using both hands and feet.
This time he didn't get off. Huang Jing told Lao Chen to guard the motorcycle, and she crawled under it.
"Master, let me help you." As a train driver, women are used like men. Huang Jing wasn't afraid of getting dirty and took the wrench from the inside to get busy.
Once the bearing is removed, the most crucial step begins.
The remaining alloy residue inside the bearing shell must be thoroughly scraped clean with a scraper, and the inner wall must be polished until it is as smooth as a mirror in order to ensure that the new Babbitt alloy can fit tightly.
This step is the most time-consuming and technically demanding; normally, this is the kind of work done on machine tools in the workshop.
Huang Jing knelt on the rubble, holding the bearing.
Li Aiguo took a deep breath, steadied himself, and slowly extended the scraper in his hand.
Little by little, layer by layer, the inner wall of the bearing became visibly clean.
More importantly, there was no damage or scratches.
Huang Jing's eyes widened.
She always thought her skills were pretty good, but now she realizes she's still far behind her mentor.
"Alright, the bearing is done." Li Aiguo didn't find it too difficult. His mechanical skills have now surpassed those of many engineers, and his hands-on ability is comparable to that of an eighth-level master craftsman.
After cleaning the bearing, it is re-grinded and then lubricated.
Inside the driver's cabin.
Old Chen would occasionally raise his wrist to check the time.
"It's impossible to fix; there's no equipment for it here."
"What do we do? What do we do? The train behind us is coming!"
Old Chen thought of countless solutions, but he rejected them all.
However, he never considered jumping off the car.
Just then, a voice rang in Old Chen's ears: "Old Chen! Increase the pressure! Start the engine!"
Old Chen saw two figures walking towards him from behind through the thick fog, carrying tool bags. They were Li Aiguo and Huang Jing.
"Li Dache, is it... is it fixed?" Old Chen stammered, hardly believing his ears.
"Okay, let's hurry up." Li Aiguo said as he climbed up to the driver's cabin.
Old Chen then seemed to wake from a dream, let out an excited shout, grabbed a shovel, and frantically fed coal into the furnace.
Li Aiguo sounded the whistle twice short and once long, then steadily pushed the valve.
The connecting rod rotates, and the wheels grind against the rails, making a friction sound.
The train slowly started moving, getting faster and faster, without any hesitation or unusual noise.
"It's really fixed!" Old Chen then realized that a chill ran down his back.
Li Aiguo's face, however, showed no sign of happiness.
The train has been repaired this time, but what if a different driver were assigned?
On this long railway line, if something goes wrong, there's no one to turn to for help.
There must be a device that can contact the rear, the station, or even the locomotive depot at any time!
"Snapped!"
Li Aiguo suddenly slapped his forehead: "Isn't that a wireless dispatch telephone?!"
"What's wrong, Master?" Huang Jing turned around and looked at Li Aiguo with a blank expression.
There are mosquitoes.
"Huh? Mosquitoes?" Huang Jing was wiping her face with a towel when she heard this and turned around in a daze.
"Master, where did these mosquitoes come from in this freezing weather?"
“I said I have it, so I have it!” Li Aiguo glared at her irritably, but his mind was racing.
When the train was first invented, people realized the importance of communication. In the beginning, railway telegraphs were used.
Later, dispatch telephones gradually appeared.
Back in the day, the Japanese South Manchuria Railway also experimented with 2MHz and 40MHz dispatch telephones.
That thing looks impressive in the movies, with Japanese officers standing in front of the big box yelling and shouting.
Actually, that wasn't what they wanted to shout; the interference was too great, the static was deafening, and they couldn't hear anything at all, so they could only make do within the station.
Now, both the Americans and the Russians are using medium and shortwave tube train radios.
We also imported the ЖР1/ЖР2 type from our elder brother.
This is a 40MHz medium-shortwave circuit, sealed in an iron frame box, with a transmission power of only 2.5W. It is greatly affected by weather, terrain, and locomotive sparks, often resulting in noise, crosstalk, and intermittent transmission, making it completely impractical.
In addition, the price of a dispatch radio could buy hundreds of cattle, so the locomotive depot did not promote it.
"Now that the transistor technology at the Red Star Computer Research Institute is mature, it is entirely possible to develop a transistor dispatch telephone, and with the addition of analog train dispatch, to create a 450MHz wireless train dispatch system."
"Wide coverage, interference resistant, and can also form a network..."
Li Aiguo became more and more excited as he thought about it, and couldn't help but swing his fist forcefully.
"This is it."
"Master, there are still mosquitoes?" Huang Jing asked in surprise.
(End of this chapter)