Chapter 38

The news of the first technical champion in the Songjiang Railway Bureau's passenger transport system was a big story, and the fact that the champion, Xiao Yuanhang, was only 18 years old added even more interest to the story. The reporter from the Songjiang Railway Workers' News had already arranged an interview with Xiao Yuanhang before he went up to receive his award, and Xiao Yuanhang naturally agreed without hesitation.

The winners of the top three places in each category all wore red sashes and flowers as they went up to receive their awards. The nine winners lined up on the stage, with Xiao Yuanhang, as the technical champion, standing in the center. To his left was Zhao Lina, the first-place winner in the train conductor category, and to his right was Li Shuzhen, the first-place winner in the staff category, followed by the second and third-place winners from the three categories.

Deputy Director of Transportation Yu Wenhai personally presented the award certificate and prize money to Xiao Yuanhang. Although it was not under his direct jurisdiction, the young and handsome Xiao Yuanhang left a deep impression on him. Even two years later, when he met this likable young man again, he recognized him immediately!

Director of Passenger Transport Zhang Jianguo presented the award certificates and prize money to the technical role models Zhao Lina and Li Shuzhen. Deputy Director Wu Chuanting presented the award certificates and prize money to the winners of the technical proficiency titles. Then, the three bureau leaders and the winners took a group photo together.

Next, the awards for the top three teams were presented. As Sun Hai Ping had predicted, the Tongshui Branch won the first place in the team competition, with the Chun Cheng Branch and Yang Cheng Branch taking second and third place, respectively. The Songjiang Branch, which had won five consecutive championships in the Songjiang Railway Bureau's passenger transport system, only placed fourth, which was the second-to-last position!

The team awards did not include prize money, only award certificates and prizes. The first-place prize was a blanket for each member, including the coaches. Although a blanket seemed inexpensive, costing around 30 to 40 yuan, it was equivalent to half a month's salary for a conductor who earned only about 70 yuan a month.

Sun Hai Ping's excitement was evident. His highest goal before the competition was to secure third place in the team competition, and he had brought many specialties from Changbai Mountain to try to build relationships. After facing rejection, his mood became even more gloomy, and he dared not even think about the top three places. However, the new director, Zhang Jianguo, introduced a new approach by inviting experts from the Liaodong Railway to set the questions, which helped the Tongshui Branch win first place, much to his delight. His face was filled with joy as he went up to receive the award.

Xiao Yuanhang was deeply moved. First, he felt incredibly lucky to have met such an outstanding director as Zhang Jianguo. If it weren't for Zhang Jianguo inviting experts from the Liaodong Branch to set the questions, Xiao Yuanhang knew he wouldn't have won the technical championship. This was evident from Director Zhang's speech before the competition and the expressions of the Songjiang Branch participants before and after the competition. Second, the railway bureau was indeed generous, with the prize money for the technical champion being 150 yuan, more than twice what the Tongshui Branch offered. Although 150 yuan might not seem like much today, it was equivalent to about 10,000 yuan in today's terms, making it a significant reward!

As soon as the naming and commendation ceremony ended, Sun Hai Ping immediately ran to the staff university's mailroom to make a phone call, reporting the good news to Deputy Director Zhang Chaorong of the Tongshui Branch. The Tongshui Branch won the first place in the technical performance competition of the railway bureau's passenger transport system, with four individuals placing in the top three. Moreover, they secured the most prestigious technical championship, a first in the branch's history. Such a significant achievement needed to be reported to the deputy director immediately.

Director Zhang was both surprised and delighted to hear about the Tongshui Branch's outstanding performance. He asked detailed questions about the competition, and Sun Hai Ping reported that Director Zhang of the Passenger Transport Department had advocated for fairness and invited experts from the Liaodong Railway Bureau to set the questions. Director Zhang understood that this reflected the true level of the Tongshui Branch participants, which made him very pleased.

After listening to Sun Hai Ping's report, Director Zhang thought for a moment and said, "Hai Ping, are you staying at the railway bureau guesthouse?"

Sun Hai Ping replied, "Yes, I'm in room 306."

Zhang Chaorong said, "I'll report this to Director Xue and see what instructions he has. You'll hear from me this afternoon."

"Okay, Director!" Sun Hai Ping quickly responded.

Zhang Chaorong was referring to the current director of the Tongshui Railway Branch. The branch's outstanding performance was not just a matter for the passenger transport system but a source of pride for the entire branch. Such good news needed to be reported to the top director.

After the interview with the Songjiang Railway Workers' News, Xiao Yuanhang returned to the guesthouse with everyone else. After lunch, Sun Hai Ping allowed everyone to have free time but warned them not to go far, as there would be an important announcement later. He then returned to his room to wait for the call.

Xiao Yuanhang felt that they should report their excellent performance to the section, but as a train attendant, it wasn't appropriate for him to do so. Among the three of them, Tang Jing had the highest position as a train conductor, so he approached her with his idea. Tang Jing responded enthusiastically, as this was an opportunity for her to shine, and Xiao Yuanhang's request showed that he respected her, which made her very happy.

They used the guesthouse's house phone to call the section. At that time, long-distance calls on the railway network required the operator to connect them. When they called the education office, no one answered. They also tried calling Deputy Section Chief Tang Xue Mei's office, but no one was there. They had no choice but to call Section Chief Wu Fengshan, whose phone was quickly answered.

Tang Jing said carefully, "Hello, Section Chief, this is Train Conductor Tang Jing. I would like to report to you about our participation in the technical performance competition at the railway bureau."

"Hmm?" Tang Jing was familiar to Section Chief Wu, but he was very busy and had forgotten the exact date of their competition. When Tang Jing mentioned it, he recalled it and responded with a surprised "Hmm?"

Hearing Section Chief Wu's tone, Tang Jing thought he was unhappy with her reporting directly to him and quickly explained, "Section Chief, I tried calling the education office and Deputy Section Chief Tang, but no one was there. They might be on a train, so I called you."

Section Chief Wu realized Tang Jing had misunderstood and laughed heartily, saying, "Tang, I'm not blaming you. Your participation in the railway bureau competition is a big deal, so it's right to report directly to me. Deputy Section Chief Tang and Director Tian are on a train inspection. You must have done well, right?"

Tang Jing respectfully replied, "Thank you, Section Chief. This time, the Tongshui Branch won the first place in the team competition. Xiao Yuanhang won first place in the train attendant category and became the first technical champion of the railway bureau. I came in second in the train conductor category, and Song Chunli did well, placing fourth in the staff category."

"Ah?" Wu Fengshan was very surprised. He knew that the Songjiang Branch had dominated the railway bureau competitions in recent years, but he hadn't expected their section's participants to win first place, let alone the only technical championship in the entire bureau. He quickly asked, "Tang, are you sure?"

Tang Jing hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes, Section Chief, how could I dare to joke with you!"

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{Piaotian Literature}