Chapter 26: Practical Application

Amid the rhythmic pounding of Cao Wenzhi’s knocking, Li Aiguo jolted awake from his sleep and scrambled out of bed to open the door.

"Li Aiguo, how are you still sleeping? It’s almost three o'clock!"

It was already 2:30 PM. Liu Chunhua had mandated that everyone gather in front of the main section office at 2:00 PM to head to the practical examination site for a 3:00 PM start. Failing to sign the registry before 3:00 PM would disqualify a candidate from the practical exam. Cao Wenzhi was frantic, and he began scolding the moment he opened his mouth.

Late... The realization hit Li Aiguo like a bucket of cold water, instantly clearing his mind. He gritted his teeth in the dark—there was no doubt about it; this was Liu Chunhua’s doing.

At noon, in order to ensure every candidate was well-rested, the main section had arranged for them to stay at the section’s guesthouse. Cao Wenzhi, worried about his children at home, had returned temporarily, leaving the leadership duties to Liu Chunhua. By all logic, Liu Chunhua should have woken every candidate, taken attendance, and ensured everyone was present before leading the group to the exam site.

The exam was nearly upon him, and she hadn’t even called him. Anger surged in his chest, but he suppressed it and asked, "Master Cao, Director Liu Chunhua promised she would call me before the exam."

"She didn’t call you? When I left, I specifically instructed Liu Chunhua to take attendance during the assembly to ensure every candidate was present," Cao Wenzhi said, frowning. He had long noticed that Liu Chunhua was targeting Li Aiguo at every turn, but he never expected her to pull such a dirty trick when it mattered most. If Li Aiguo missed the practical exam and couldn't secure his position, he would surely go to the section chief or even the bureau chief. Did that woman really think her deputy section chief could protect her? She was truly all brawn and no brains!

"No one called me at all!"

"Now is not the time to look into this. I will report the situation to the section office. Go take your exam; don’t waste any more time," Cao Wenzhi said, changing the subject.

Li Aiguo dressed and put on his shoes in record time, sprinted to the washroom to splash his face, and then ran at full tilt. In less than ten minutes, he reached the practical site.

The site consisted of several crisscrossing tracks next to the main workshop, where three "August 1st" steam locomotives sat. Under the sunlight, the engines shimmered with a metallic luster, resembling beasts poised to strike. The other candidates were already there, queuing up to sign in and draw their numbers.

Seeing Li Aiguo dash over in a panic, Zhang Dahua waved at him. "Aiguo, didn't Liu Chunhua say you had already gone to the exam site? Why are you only just getting here?"

Li Aiguo signed his name, grabbed his number plate, and leaned over to Zhang Dahua, gritting his teeth. "That treacherous woman lied to you. If Master Cao hadn't knocked on my door, I would have missed the exam."

"She lied to me?" Even the slow-witted Zhang Dahua understood now. "She must be doing this for her younger brother. That woman is truly wicked. Once you get first place, you'll show her!"

"You don't need to tell me that. I came here specifically to win the Driver’s Skill Medal!" Li Aiguo puffed out his chest.

The practical exam was straightforward: one had to operate a train along the tracks for seven or eight kilometers. However, achieving a high score required superior operational skill. In this era, there were no automated electronic devices on steam locomotives; every operation had to be managed manually by the driver. It was tedious, difficult, and required absolute concentration.

Zhang Dahua was fifth in line. When she heard the examiner call her name, she pulled a steamed bun from her canvas bag and took a massive bite. She shoved the fist-sized bun into her mouth in a few quick motions, wiped the crumbs from her lips, and glared at the stunned young examiner. "What? Is eating a bun not allowed during the exam?"

The young examiner, only in his twenties, was clearly inexperienced and was momentarily intimidated by Zhang Dahua. He scratched his head and smiled awkwardly. "Well, there isn't a rule against it..."

"Then why are you just standing there? Open the cab door!"

"Ah, oh..."

As the young examiner reached for the door, an older comrade nearby couldn't take it anymore. "Zhang Dahua, stop causing trouble. Be careful, or your father will hear about this and won't let you eat dinner."

"Always tattling..." Zhang Dahua shrank her neck, opened the door herself, and climbed into the cab.

Li Aiguo stood below, unable to see what was happening inside. Three or five minutes later, black smoke billowed from the locomotive’s chimney, followed by two sharp blasts of the whistle. The train slowly began to move, gradually accelerating like a monster as it roared along the tracks, disappearing into the wooded area.

According to the rules, each candidate, assisted by an apprentice, had to drive the train five kilometers out and then return, covering a total of about ten kilometers. For a train with a top speed of 40 km/h, the trip should take about twenty minutes. Failing to meet the time limit would result in a failing grade.

Li Aiguo chatted with the other candidates while keeping one eye on the timer. Sure enough, as the clock hit twenty minutes, a roar sounded in the distance, and the ground began to tremble.

With two blasts of the whistle, the train slowed, eventually coming to a stop a short distance away. Li Aiguo watched as two examiners grabbed measuring tapes and ran over to check the train's stopping position. He realized then that the education department had marked the tracks with white lime beforehand. The closer the train stopped to the lime line, the higher the driver’s skill rating.

Li Aiguo had learned in his technical manual that the "August 1st" steam locomotive weighed 92.07 tons, with empty carriages weighing 66 tons each. Today, the engine was pulling fourteen carriages, bringing the total weight to 1,000 tons. Bringing a thousand-ton behemoth to a precise stop in a designated area was a feat in itself. Furthermore, the braking systems of the engine and the carriages were separate. To slow the train, the driver had to operate both systems simultaneously, taking into account the total weight and speed—the difficulty was self-evident.

If reversing a truck into a bay tested the mettle of a lorry driver, then the precision stopping of a train was the ultimate proof of a train driver’s caliber.

"Fifteen meters from the mark! Excellent grade!"

Upon hearing the examiner’s score, Zhang Dahua, who had just hopped down from the cab, waved her fists in excitement.

"That girl is incredible. Only fifteen meters off—that has to be the best score of the day."

"That’s for sure. I heard her grandfather was one of the first generation of drivers here."

"A family legacy; no wonder a young girl has the guts to drive a train."

The surrounding candidates and the team leaders couldn't help but applaud. For an eighteen-year-old girl to accomplish what many veteran drivers could not was truly impressive.

The practical exam scores were announced on the spot. Out of a possible one hundred points, Zhang Dahua received ninety-two. If her academic test scores weren't too abysmal, she would be a strong contender for a top-three finish.