Chapter 58

Not long ago, the railway bureau issued a notification about a conduct incident. It reported that a soft-sleeper attendant from the Songjiang train segment had accepted a 50-yuan gratuity from a foreign passenger when providing a soft-sleeper upgrade. The passenger's relative later reported this to the railway bureau. In this era, any incident involving foreigners was considered a major issue. After the incident was verified, the railway bureau classified it as a conduct incident for the Songjiang train segment, fined them 20,000 yuan, and directly dismissed the soft-sleeper attendant from the railway service!

Actually, accepting gratuities for upgrading berths is like walking a tightrope. However, due to the huge profit and the difficulty of being caught, many train conductors take the risk to make money. For example, on the Guhuang line where Xiao Yuanhang works, a conductor can earn anywhere from a few hundred to over a thousand yuan per shift. Compared to their monthly salary of 70 to 80 yuan, this amount is insignificant.

Karl Marx once said in "Capital," "When profit reaches 100%, some will dare to take risks; when profit reaches 200%, they will dare to risk the gallows. When profit reaches 300%, they will trample all laws underfoot." This vividly describes the mindset of these people. Driven by huge profits, they take risks with a侥幸 (侥幸 means侥幸, but in this context, it means "侥幸" or "侥幸") mindset. Even if they are caught, they use the money they have earned to smooth things over, often resulting in a light punishment like a demotion or transfer. Such examples are not uncommon in the entire railway passenger system.

Xiao Yuanhang knew very well that he should not get involved in such matters. Even if he managed to smooth things over afterward, his life would be ruined. As someone who has been reborn, it is easy for him to earn money legally and reasonably. It would be foolish to stumble over such matters. However, even if he didn't do it for profit, he had to assert his authority. Zhang Yaping's actions were simply too excessive. He didn't want to conflict with the regular conductor right after joining the team, but some things won't be given to you if you don't fight for them!

At this point, Xiao Yuanhang had already made up his mind, so he didn't mention Lin Zhigang to Zhang Yaping. He needed to bring it up at the right time and place. For matters like accepting gratuities for upgrading berths, the conductor usually doesn't handle it personally. Instead, they delegate it to a trusted subordinate, who then gives the majority of the money to the conductor and keeps a small portion. Lin Zhigang was undoubtedly this person, and no one dared to say anything about his behavior in the team.

After eating, Xiao Yuanhang headed to the sleeping car. When he reached carriage 12, he remembered that journalist Tang Wanjun was in this carriage, in the middle berth of compartment 18. When he went to check, she was already asleep on her berth. Considering how tired she must have been, he didn't wake her up. He found a conductor, checked her ticket, and saw that her destination was Liaocheng. He then returned to the sleeping car and told the duty conductor to wake him up 30 minutes before they arrived at Liaocheng.

Xiao Yuanhang didn't tell the conductor why he needed to be woken up, as it wasn't necessary. For those who frequently travel on trains, journalists are very important. While a positive report might not bring much benefit, a negative one could be disastrous, possibly leading to a conduct incident and the end of a conductor's career.

Xiao Yuanhang felt that although Tang Wanjun was low-key, she might be a big shot. At that time, newspapers were scarce, and even prefecture-level cities rarely had their own newspapers. Provincial newspapers were also few, so he assumed she was at least a provincial newspaper journalist. Given the effort she had put in, it was only right for him to see her off and express his gratitude. If he could build a relationship with her, it would be an unexpected bonus.

Train 292 arrived in Liaocheng at 00:50. The conductor woke Xiao Yuanhang at 00:20. Although being woken up at this time was unpleasant, Xiao Yuanhang quickly washed his face, dressed neatly, and went to carriage 12. By then, Tang Wanjun had already been woken up by the conductor, had her ticket changed, and was waiting in the aisle for the train to arrive.

Xiao Yuanhang smiled as he approached and said, "Sister Tang, you're up? The train is about to arrive. I came to see you off."

Tang Wanjun, seeing it was Xiao Yuanhang, smiled and said, "Hello, Conductor Xiao. Why are you up so late? I don't even know the way."

Xiao Yuanhang replied, "Sister Tang, you've helped me so much, and I haven't had the chance to thank you. It's only right for me to see you off!"

"Hehe, Conductor Xiao, you're too polite!" Tang Wanjun had a good impression of the tall, handsome 18-year-old conductor. He had shown great responsibility in handling the emergency with the pregnant passenger. Although she didn't fully understand railway procedures, she thought his approach was excellent after listening to his explanation.

As they talked, the train entered Liaocheng station. Liaocheng, the capital of Liaodong Province, was also its economic and cultural center. Xiao Yuanhang guessed that Tang Wanjun might be a journalist for a provincial newspaper in Liaodong. Although local newspapers had little influence on the railway, he knew that in 1986, the Songjiang Railway Bureau would be merged into the Liaodong Railway Bureau, which was headquartered in Liaocheng. At that time, provincial newspapers would have a significant impact on the railway.

Xiao Yuanhang carried Tang Wanjun's bag and escorted her to the platform. She shook his hand and said with a smile, "Thank you, Conductor Xiao, for seeing me off. See you later!"

"Goodbye!" Xiao Yuanhang watched her leave the platform before returning to the train. He had to take over the shift at 2:00 AM, so he could sleep for another hour. However, when he returned to the sleeping car, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. By the time he finally fell asleep, it was already time to get up.

The rest of the trip went smoothly without any significant incidents. On the third morning, Xiao Yuanhang's team returned to Guhe. After reporting to the dispatch office, the entire team gathered in the meeting room for a debriefing and routine study session.

First, the regular conductor, Zhang Yaping, summarized the trip. Conductors are usually very eloquent and can talk for an hour about a small matter. Zhang Yaping spoke for over half an hour, focusing on minor issues and deducting points from various team members. She didn't mention the incident with the pregnant passenger, possibly to avoid giving credit to Xiao Yuanhang or to prevent him from bringing up the issue with Lin Zhigang's missed note.

Xiao Yuanhang, sitting in the front, was extremely angry. He felt that Zhang Yaping had gone too far. Even if she just mentioned the incident and praised the team members who helped, it wouldn't threaten her position and would boost their morale. Why not do it?

After Zhang Yaping finished, as if suddenly remembering Xiao Yuanhang, she turned and asked, "Conductor Xiao, is there anything you'd like to add?"

Her question was meant to silence Xiao Yuanhang. Normally, she should have said, "I've finished. Now, please let Conductor Xiao comment on this trip." Instead, her implication was that her summary was comprehensive and didn't need any additions, and that a new conductor should just listen to her.

This woman was too devious!

Xiao Yuanhang smiled at Zhang Yaping and said, "Conductor Zhang has summarized the trip very comprehensively. I have nothing to add. This is my first trip as a conductor, and I am very grateful for everyone's support and help. I sincerely thank you all!" With that, he stood up and bowed deeply to the team.

Xiao Yuanhang's sincerity earned him a round of enthusiastic applause...

After sitting down, he faced the team and, once the applause died down, said, "Everyone has been working hard for three days. I don't want to take up too much of your time, so I'll just talk about one thing today!"

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PS: Third update, please click, collect, and recommend! Thank you to the readers "Wuxinmutou," "Ben," "Dunjiesellkiss," "XinVhan," and "srjx" for your support!

I recommend "Tongtian Guanlu" by Doctor Da, a monumental work about the political career of Yang Xueguang, who rises from humble beginnings through countless hardships, showcasing extraordinary political talent. One day, he discovers a shocking secret about himself...

A smooth and steady rise to the top of the political ladder!