The train driver in the courtyard

Night falls.

The lights in every household in the courtyard were turned off, and the entire courtyard was plunged into darkness.

Only in the Li family's side room in the backyard was the orange light still on.

In the middle of the night, Chen Xueru put on her clothes and came to the side room. Seeing Li Aiguo still working at his desk, she poured him a cup of brown sugar tea and handed it to him.

He said with concern: "Brother Aiguo, it's already midnight, if you have any work, just do it tomorrow."

Li Aiguo stretched and said with a smile: "There is no other way. The client is in a hurry. You should go to sleep first."

Chen Xueru understood Li Aiguo's personality. He would work hard without regard for his life, so he would definitely not listen to advice at this time.

I was no longer sleepy now, so I just stood behind him and massaged his shoulders.

As the night deepened, two figures were reflected on the glass window under the light.

Alternate up and down.

Three days later.

Li Aiguo came to Director Xing's office with dark circles under his eyes.

Andre had been waiting there for a long time. When he saw Li Aiguo take out the drawings from the canvas bag, he widened his eyes in surprise.

"Driver Li, have you really completed the design?"

"Our train people's spit is like a nail."

Li Aiguo didn't say anything more. He spread the drawings on the table and pointed at them, saying, "Because the waste heat provided by the thermal power station is very large, the greenhouse I designed this time has five floors, using the heat diversion method and the world's most advanced soilless cultivation technology.
It can increase production by 50%, save energy by 20%, and achieve a growth factor of up to 10%."

Although Li Aiguo has never been a salesperson, he has been fooled by a young lady selling cars in his previous life, and has also been baptized by the company's PPT.

One after another high-sounding words popped out of his mouth, leaving Andre stunned.

He raised his hand and said, "Driver Li, what on earth is this iron-carbon alloy austenite pipe you mentioned? Why does it sound so impressive?"

Li Aiguo was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Iron-carbon alloy is steel, and manganese is an austenite stabilizing element. After being added, it helps to generate a texture structure, increase firmness, strength, and wear resistance."

Section Chief Xing interjected: "It sounds like the water pipes in our locomotive section."

Li Aiguo said: "It's the water pipe in our locomotive section."

Andre: “.”

Duan Chang Xing: "."

People these days are too picky.

In later generations, stainless steel was referred to as austenitic 304, and no one thought there was anything wrong with it.

Greenhouse design is complex.
In addition, Andre was a layman, so Li Aiguo spent a whole morning to finish introducing the drawings.

"I don't understand it either, but it sounds pretty impressive. Don't worry, I will discuss it with your leader as I promised you." Andre put the drawing away and handed it back to Li Aiguo.

He was about to leave, but suddenly stopped and asked, "Driver Li, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, we are already the closest friends." Li Aiguo put the drawings into the box.

Andre waved his hand, asking the bodyguards to leave the room. After closing the door, he asked, "Can you tell me why you don't want rubles or positions, but give the power of negotiation to your superiors?

You should know that with my position there, I can get you everything you need."

Thinking of what Li Aiguo had done, Andre found it a little unbelievable.

In the greenhouse, after Andre realized the importance of the waste heat greenhouse, he immediately realized that he had been too active under the guidance of the train driver.

He was already prepared to pay the rubles, bring Li Aiguo to Moscow, and even help him get a high position there.

However, what he never expected was that Li Aiguo did not raise these requests at all, but instead handed over the power of negotiation to his superiors.

Facing Andre's doubts, Li Aiguo straightened his chest and said slowly: "I am a train driver. From childhood to adulthood, my food, supplies, and housing are all provided by the state. I don't need anything personally."

Li Aiguo's words were not empty talk.

He is now a train driver and can earn more than 100 yuan a month. He does not have to pay for medical treatment and his housing is provided by the locomotive depot.

When I have a child with Chen Xueru in the future, the maintenance section will give me a subsidy every month, so I don’t have to pay for the child’s schooling.

When Li Aiguo gets old, he will receive a pension.

Even if I pass away in the future, the maintenance depot will help with my funeral arrangements.

It can be said that his life, from birth to death, is completely covered. What else does he need?
On the contrary, they can use Andre's identity to obtain some materials and even technology that the country urgently needs.

But this kind of thing should be decided by the ministry.

Li Aiguo's words were plain, but they contained extraordinary power.

The incandescent light bulb in the office flickered twice.

There was silence in the office.

Andre was stunned for a long time before he let out a long sigh.

He patted Li Aiguo's shoulder heavily and said, "My father and his generation were just like you, working hard for their beliefs. How did it become like this now?"

When Andre was young, he also wanted to do something.

But he found that although he had elders in high positions and a strong background, he could not make any progress when he wanted to do something real.

The fiery red outside had long been covered by the mud.

If you want to live longer in the mud, the best way is to become a part of the mud.

"Driver Li, I actually envy you for being able to fight for your beliefs and ideals."

Andre opened the door and walked out, leaving a word.

Li Aiguo also let out a long sigh.

Big Brother at that time was in its golden age, with an average economic growth rate exceeding that of any other country in the West.

The monthly salary of a coal miner can be converted to US$1200-1500, and the annual salary is US$14400-18000, which is three to four times that of an American steel worker.

Linxi Coal Mine once sent college students to study in the Donbass coalfield of the Russians.

The college students heard that it was very cold over there in the Russians, so they brought seven or eight packages of thick bedding.

When we got there, we found that the accommodation was fully equipped with carpets, wall rugs, bedding and other living facilities.

Although it was cold outside, it was warm as spring inside, and the bedding was not unpacked until the end of the study period.

The college students thought they were receiving special treatment and were staying in a guesthouse for international students. Later, when they inquired, they found out that it was a workers' dormitory.

(According to the old Russian regulations, all college students who go there for further studies, regardless of their level, need to start as the lowest-level workers.

That is, working as a worker for half a year (two and a half months for tunneling and two and a half months for coal mining), working as an assistant to a section chief for half a year, and working as an assistant to a chief engineer for one year.
The college student who had become a section chief said: "We must also work very hard to ensure that all workers in the country can live a good life like the workers in the old Russian countries."

Li Aiguo still remembers the confidence on his face and the desire in his eyes.

Who could have thought that such a powerful country like the Russians would one day fall apart.

However, Li Aiguo could already see some clues at this age.

It’s not that people like Andre don’t want to change, but the general environment has already been created and cannot be changed.

The alarm bell is ringing!
The dark clouds that had covered the capital for several days dissipated.

The bright sunshine shone across the capital city, and shone through the crack in the door onto Li Aiguo, giving him a golden edge.

Andre's identity is special, and even the Qianmen Locomotive Depot cannot negotiate this deal.

After Section Chief Xing reported the matter, several leaders in the Ministry of Railways were a little confused.

Greenhouse to change equipment and technology? Can they change?
After careful investigation, I found out that the super-large greenhouse with an annual output of tens of thousands of tons of vegetables only consumes the electricity required by metal halide lamps, and the heat is completely dependent on the waste heat from thermal power plants.

This is a very profitable business.

Moreover, we can build ten or even hundreds of these super-large greenhouses.
Upon further inquiry, it turned out that the person who purchased the technology for the residual temperature greenhouse was the son of a state leader, who had connections with the Russians.

"Minister Teng, I think it's a pity to use such a good opportunity to exchange for railway equipment. After all, the patriotic steam engine we have developed has reached the international advanced level."

"You mean to give it to other departments?"

"Yes, our railway is the big brother. Now that we have meat to eat, we should also show our style."

"Let me contact Mr. Qian from the Fifth Academy of National Defense now. I remember that he has always been envious of the Russians' aircraft engines and missile technology."

".Minister, are we overthinking this a bit?"

"What are you afraid of? You can bargain with the sky and pay it back on the ground. No matter what, you can always get something good back."

Minister Teng touched the letter in his pocket and finalized the deal, which was transferred to the Fifth Academy of National Defense.

The full name of the Fifth Academy of National Defense is the Fifth Research Institute of the Ministry of National Defense. It was established this year and is an institution specializing in the research of fighter jets and missiles.

Mr. Qian was appointed as the dean, and Chief Engineer Liang was responsible for the research of missile control systems.

The letter was sent by Li Aiguo and contained several equipment and technologies.

There are railway equipment, as well as technologies such as tanks and aircraft, all of which are urgently needed in the country.

"This kid actually put railway equipment up there. Do you really think I, Old Teng, am that narrow-minded?" After muttering a few words in his mind, Minister Teng announced the end of the meeting.

The meeting was about to end when a leader raised his hand and said, "Minister, driver Li Aiguo, who invented the greenhouse, should we also give him a reward?"

Minister Teng felt a bit of a headache. This guy had produced a lot of good things over the years and received a lot of rewards. He lacked nothing.

"How about this, give him a reward first, and then we can discuss it after the result comes out."

Those leaders also knew that this transaction was particularly wild because of Andre's special identity.

The lower limit is very low, maybe you can just exchange it for some small bits and pieces like tanks.

The upper limit is also very high.

As the saying goes, a son will not feel sorry for selling his father's land. For a second-generation rich man like Andre, the engine drawings gathering dust in the warehouse are less useful than a bottle of vodka.

This time, maybe we can really exchange it for fighter jet engines and missile technology.

It's a bit too early to discuss the credit now.

Li Aiguo didn't know about these things, and even if Qing knew, he wouldn't pay attention.

Because at that time he was entertaining his big enemy at home. No, it was his big money donor Mr. Andre.

Duanchang Xing felt a little unbelievable when he saw Andre sitting on the sofa and struggling with Li Aiguo.

After we finished discussing the matter, it was already noon. We are a country of etiquette, so we should let Andre stay in the maintenance section for a meal.

Director Xing has ordered the fat chef to prepare all the precious ingredients, including mutton, beef, dog meat, and donkey meat (the meat killed by the No. 1267 train yesterday).

He also asked his superiors for help and sent a chef from the State Guesthouse.

A grand banquet is about to be held.

However, Andre suggested going to Li Aiguo's house for a home-cooked meal.

Li Aiguo didn't think the matter was a big deal and actually nodded in agreement.

What delicious food could there be in his house?

Oh, hot pot, that’s okay.

It was not the first time that Miss Chen met the Russian. She was no longer as awkward as she was last time. She greeted Andre politely and went into the kitchen to start cutting meat and vegetables.

Fortunately, most of the hot pot ingredients prepared at noon were left, so there was no need to buy extra. Captain Xing also brought 20 kilograms of fresh mutton and 10 kilograms of beef, which was enough for dinner.

"Gududu!" The soup in the copper hot pot kept steaming.

Some ingredients such as mutton, tofu, and vegetables were rolling inside, emitting a rich aroma.

The fragrance floated out through the crack in the door. Jia Zhang squatted at the door and sniffed, her face suddenly turning gloomy.

"Damn Li Aiguo, he's eating meat again."

She seemed to remember something, turned and went back into the house, and pulled out a piece of paper from under the mattress.

There are three little pigs drawn on the paper.

Jia Zhang counted with her fingers: "Li Aiguo used to eat only three stews every month. He has eaten it three times this month. This is the fourth time. This means that Li Aiguo must have done something bad. He might be a bad element."

Qin Huairu was wandering around the house holding the stick, and she didn't pay any attention to Jia Zhang's strange behavior.

Now hearing this, I was shocked.

"Mom, Li Aiguo is a train driver, how can he be a bad guy? If you go looking for trouble, he will deal with you."

"Hey hey hey"

Jia Zhang laughed sinisterly, squinting her eyes and said smugly, "Daughter-in-law, you are really stupid. How could I not know that Li Aiguo is not a bad element?"

"Then what are you doing..." Qin Huairu was a little confused.

Jia Zhang took Qin Huairu's arm and asked her to sit down.

“Our subdistrict office has stipulated that if any suspicious points are found among residents, they should proactively investigate the suspicious points and report them.

Li Aiguo ate meat one more time, is that suspicious? "

"." Qin Huairu felt that since Jia Zhang was sent to the health task force, she had become more and more adept at taking advantage of loopholes.

"But this is not good for us."

"You are still too stupid." Jia Zhang felt it was time to show her abilities.

"Recently, that damn Yi Zhonghai has been very close to Xu Damao and has been ignoring our family.

If I have a conflict with Li Aiguo later, what do you think Yi Zhonghai will do?"

After hearing these words, Qin Huairu took a breath of cold air.

Everyone in the compound knew that Yi Zhonghai had always regarded Li Aiguo as his biggest enemy, fearing that Li Aiguo would usurp his position as the eldest uncle.

By then, even if he knew that Jia Zhang was making trouble, Yi Zhonghai would firmly stand on Jia Zhang's side in order to attack Li Aiguo.

"You've figured it out, right? I can take this opportunity to repair my relationship with Yi Zhonghai." Jia Zhang patted Qin Huairu on the shoulder and said proudly, "You should learn more from your mother in the future. If you don't rely on your heart, you won't be able to survive in this compound. Don't just coax the children all day long."

Jia Zhang stood up, left the house and rushed into the cold wind.

When Qin Huairu reacted, she had disappeared.

"Mom, when have you ever gotten anything good?"

Although Qin Huairu felt that Jia Zhang was cunning and treacherous, she knew that Li Aiguo was not easy to deal with.

"No, I have to follow."

Qin Huairu grabbed Banggeng's arm and rushed out of the house in a hurry.

"Auntie Jia, what are you doing in such a hurry?" The third aunt was washing small fish by the pool. Seeing Jia Zhang's angry face, she greeted her.

Jia Zhang didn't want to pay any attention to the third aunt. The third uncle caught a lot of small fish while ice fishing these two days, but he didn't even offer to give her some.

But she rolled her eyes and suddenly stopped.

"Li Aiguo is a bad guy, and there are serious suspicious things about him."

"what?!"

"This is the fourth time he's eaten meat this month. I have to go see what's going on."

After figuring out the whole story, the third aunt wanted to stop Jia Zhang, but Jia Zhang had already run away.

The three aunts could only run towards Yi Zhonghai’s house.

Along the way, Jia Zhang kept calling Li Aiguo a bad element. Li Aiguo ate four meals of meat, which attracted the passers-by to follow him.

When they arrived at the backyard, a group of people were already following Jia Zhang.

"Just wait, I, Jia Zhang, will perform the duties assigned to me by the subdistrict office."

Jia Zhang was very proud of being surrounded by the crowd. She straightened her collar and walked towards Li Aiguo's door with square steps.

Before he got close to the door, the four Russian guards standing at the door drew their pistols.

It was still snowing at the time, and the snowflakes obscured the view. In addition, the four guards stood there motionless, so Jia Zhang didn't see anything at all.

When she got up to them, Jia Zhang looked up and saw those pairs of green eyes staring at her. Jia Zhang screamed "Ghost!", took two steps back, and sat down in a snow pit.

She calmed down and realized that the person in front of her was a living person. Then she breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed her sore calves, and climbed up from the ground with difficulty.

"You, what are you doing? Why are you blocking the road? I am Jia Zhang, and I want to talk to Li Aiguo about something. Please get out of the way."

Unlike Andre, Neiwei couldn't understand Beijing dialect at all.

When they saw the old woman rushing over with an angry look on her face, they naturally thought that she was going to harm Andre.

The internal security guard shouted a few words in Russian, indicating that important matters were being discussed inside and asked Jia Zhang to leave.

However, Jia Zhang was illiterate and could not understand Russian.

"What do you say?"

"What's that?"

"What's all that?"

"Jiliguala."

"Ah, I want to go in, you know? Go in!!"

"Jiliguala."

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Jiliguala."

The two sides talked at cross purposes for a while. The inner guard became angry, raised his pistol high, and pointed the black muzzle at Jia Zhang.

Humans may not have the same language, but their actions and expressions are the same.

Even though Jia Zhang didn't understand Russian at this time, she understood what the other party meant.

She quickly took a few steps back, trying to retreat.

But when I thought about the fact that I couldn’t even get into the door and there were so many people staring at me, it was so embarrassing.

So, somewhat unwillingly, he went back to the door.

It was the first time for the four guards to see such a brave old woman.

If it were in Russia's country, they might have already opened fire by now.

But now Andre obviously wants to have a good relationship with Li Aiguo. If something goes wrong, wouldn’t it be troublesome?

One was unwilling to give in, the other was worried about causing trouble, and for a moment the two sides were in a stalemate.

The residents who were watching were happy.

"Look at how green her eyes are. If you pluck them off and string them together, they can be used as a necklace."

"."

At this time, the third aunt had already arrived at Yi Zhonghai's house and told him about Jia Zhang's plan to go to Li Aiguo's house to cause trouble.

After the third aunt left, Yi Zhonghai murmured, "It seems that Jia Zhang has really become smart this time. She is using the tiger skin to pull the flag. I have to go and see it."

An old lady held him back and said, "Old man, didn't we agree to stay with the Jia family for a while?"

"What do you know? Our conflict with the Jia family is an internal conflict. Our conflict with Li Aiguo is an enemy conflict. We have to prioritize!"

Yi Zhonghai threw down a sentence and hurried to the backyard.

As soon as he walked through the crescent gate, he saw the four inner guards.

Yi Zhonghai was stunned for a moment, then turned and left.

Jia Zhang finally waited for Yi Zhonghai, so how could she let him leave like that? She rushed over and grabbed his arm.

"Uncle, Li Aiguo has eaten too much meat in recent months. As the uncle in charge, you have to keep an eye on him."

"Ms. Jia Zhang, these people are armed personnel from the Russians. If you want to die, don't drag me into it." Yi Zhonghai shook off Jia Zhang's arm and left in a hurry.

I was afraid that if I was late, I would be spotted.

The steel rolling mill is one of the large factories. Once an important expert from the Russians visited the mill, and this kind of person was following the expert.

At that time, the security department of the steel rolling mill reminded them not to provoke these internal guards.

He ran home in one breath, picked up the enamel pot and drank the hot tea in gulps. The hot tea washed away the coldness on his body and the panic in his heart.

With trembling hands, Yi Zhonghai placed the enamel pot on the table and let out a long sigh.

It was the first time that the aunt saw Yi Zhonghai lose his composure like this, and she asked with concern, "Old Yi, what happened? Did Li Aiguo kick you out? Or did he act tough again and pull out a gun?"

"I didn't even see Li Aiguo."

"and you."

"Four Russian guards are standing at his door!" Yi Zhonghai still felt incredible at this moment, his brows twisted into knots: "How did this kid Li Aiguo hook up with the big shot over there?"

The old lady found it funny when she thought of Yi Zhonghai's aggressive look just now.

Didn’t you want to crucify Li Aiguo just now? Now you’re scared and run back without even seeing him.

"What internal guards?" Jia Zhang was still a little confused after Yi Zhonghai left.

Qin Huairu noticed something and rushed up from behind, grabbing her arm.

"Mom, let's go back."

"I haven't fulfilled the duties assigned to me by the subdistrict office yet."

Qin Huairu leaned close to her ear and whispered, "They made Yi Zhonghai escape without saying a word. Where do you think these people came from?"

After these words were spoken, Jia Zhang finally came to her senses.

Yi Zhonghai has no other talents, but his ability to adapt to changing circumstances is first-rate.

Besides, he was an old man and a senior worker in the steel rolling mill. Even if the leaders from the street came, Yi Zhonghai would not be so scared.

Could it be that the old Russian is more powerful than the leaders of the subdistrict office?
A gust of cold wind blew, and Jia Zhang couldn't help shivering. She didn't care about Qin Huairu and ran away.

Qin Huairu: "."

She looked at Jia Zhang's back, then at the guards at Li Aiguo's door, and felt a sigh in her heart.

Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhang were such powerful figures in the past, but now they ran away without even seeing Li Aiguo.

Li Aiguo has grown to this extent.
Qin Huairu felt a little regretful.

(End of this chapter)