Chapter 347: Going to Attend the Ribbon‑Cutting Ceremony

The old Lu family here is all dressed neatly, and Lu Beitang specifically goes to call Zhao Daye.

Zhao Daye, pulled out of the house, holds up his hands and refuses: "I'm not going; as long as you all have a lively gathering, that's enough."

"That won't do; you have to go. Xu Erye is also here, so you two brothers can have a drink together, and later I'll call Wu Laoshi."

Zhao Daye can't argue; the old Lu family is happy today and specifically called him, so he doesn't want to lose face and has to go with them to a restaurant.

Yue Min's wife leans against the doorframe, cracking sunflower seeds, and pouts: "They're calling our dad, but not me! As if I'm not part of this courtyard!"

Yue Min is squatting, fixing a bench: "Going to the state-run hotel to eat isn't cheap, it's too crowded, and besides, you don't even drink."

Yue Min's wife turns and glares: "When will you become a Deputy Section? Then we can go to the restaurant and have some fun."

Yue Min opens his mouth, but finally swallows the words; being a Deputy Section isn't a high rank, and you can't just become one whenever you want.

Old Sun Shu, who's worked at the public bath for over twenty years, has only managed to become a Deputy Section.

So he's puzzled inside, thinking that back then Lu Cheng was just a street loafer, not even as good as him, yet now this kid is doing better and became a Deputy Section while still young.

The key is he also went to university, so after this he should at least be promoted to a division‑level officer.

Yue Min thinks that and is startled; after searching all these alleys, there isn't a single division‑level cadre.

……

Because Lu Cheng became a police captain, Xu Erye is thrilled; his most unsuccessful disciple finally made him proud.

During the meal, he inevitably got drunk again, and Lu Cheng sent him home.

Zhao Daye also had a few more drinks and was escorted home by Lu Beitang and Wu Guiwen.

On the way they talk about the daughter's return to the capital; Lu Ying reassures him that she's already spoken with the Street Office there, and within a month or two she can return and get a job arranged.

That makes Wu Guiwen overjoyed; the weight in his heart finally lifts.

He also said that when his daughter returns to the capital, he'll treat everyone to a restaurant next time.

Lu Ying pouts, "I only act when I see a rabbit, not a hawk. If it weren't for Sister Gui Yun, I'd be too lazy to bother with this."

After seeing Xu Erye off, Lu Cheng returns to the courtyard, grabs the half‑written Speech Draft from the day, and heads to the Siheyuan over there.

Lu Beitang sees him and shouts: "Lu Cheng, it's time to sleep; where are you going now?"

"Dad, I'm going to the north courtyard to sleep."

Lu Beitang frowns: "What, now that you're a police captain, you can't stay here to sleep? Why do you keep running over there?"

Lu Cheng feels helpless; that north Siheyuan already belongs to him, yet his father stubbornly won't let him live there.

"Dad, I'm going there to feed the fish, and I also have to write the Speech Draft at night; it's quieter there."

Hearing his son say that, Lu Beitang drops his objection.

That night Lu Cheng finishes the draft and hands it to Lei Zhan Ge the next day.

Lei Zhan Ge reviews it once, is very pleased, noting the speech's depth, even containing suggestions and explorations on railway reform.

"Hmm, not bad. I knew you'd always keep things hidden; this shows your true ability. When you're on stage, speak well, show some presence—don't embarrass the Railway General Bureau."

"Yes, Captain Lei." Lu Cheng stands: "By the way, Captain Lei, when will I start riding the train on duty?"

As far as Lu Cheng knows, the other police captains have already taken up their posts.

Lei Zhan Ge had already arranged: "Don't be anxious; focus on your studies for now. The train you're responsible for will be temporarily overseen by Ding Jingzhang, and for the near future just see to the completion of the Snow Removal Machine Project."

The Snow Removal Machine Project was Lu Cheng's own initiative, so he naturally has to see it through.

The Ribbon‑Cutting Ceremony is set for May 12, and the Capital City already feels the onset of summer.

Some fashion‑loving girls can't wait, swapping into long skirts; when they sway, the occasional flash of fair calves always draws a few boys' lingering glances.

And this year, the crowd on the main street wearing sturdy cotton shirts visibly increased.

The fabric is wear‑resistant and brighter in color, so compared with the dull blue‑white‑gray cotton, the street now has many more vivid hues.

Although many like it, this polyester blend isn't cheap; a sturdy shirt costs 15 to 20 yuan, plus fabric coupons, not counting pants.

Considering that an ordinary person earns only forty to fifty yuan a month, a set of clothes consumes most of a month's wages.

Thus owning a sturdy shirt becomes a status symbol; many young women love to wear them, and Lu Cheng enjoys watching.

The fabric's only flaw is poor breathability; sweat sticks and the flesh tone shows through.

To attend the Ribbon‑Cutting Ceremony in Shencheng, Lu Cheng departs two days early, accompanied by several people from the Railway Science Institute, while the leaders each have a dedicated car.

Lu Cheng travels by train, and it's his first time as a police captain riding the Jingha Line.

Lu Cheng first greets the passenger‑section chief Yang Xing, and then, under Yang Xing's guidance, meets the locomotive‑section driver Lao Feng.

Later these people will share responsibility for the same train, becoming brothers in the same 'trench'.

The onboard crew all know Ding Jingzhang is temporarily in charge; in fact, their real police captain is currently at university and won't be on duty regularly.

Today is the first time they've seen Lu Cheng, and they're surprised by his youth, whispering and chuckling.

"Hey Xiao Ye, look—that's the new police captain we've never seen before, still looks pretty young and quite the talent. Isn't your family arranging a marriage for you soon? Why not get to know this captain a bit."

Xiao Ye's face instantly flushes: "Sister Xiao Qin, what are you saying? How could I possibly get close to him? I haven't heard—he's divorced."

"Is that so? I really didn't know!"

"I heard it from our broadcaster Zhou, who heard it from broadcaster Jiang."

"That Jiang Mengmeng? If she said it, it's probably true; her sources are the most reliable… What a pity, such a qualified police captain is divorced—he must have some health issue, right?"

"Most likely, probably can't have children…"

It's Lu Cheng's first time riding the train on duty as a police captain, and he already finds a few crew members gossiping about him.

After meeting the team, Lu Cheng boards the train.

Besides Da Kui and his three companions, three intern team members are added, making a total of eight train police under his command to safeguard the train's safety.

This assignment is called 'riding the train on duty,' but it won't go to the final station; Lu Cheng must get off early at Shencheng to attend the Ribbon‑Cutting Ceremony.

So he gathers the crew in the dining car and emphasizes the upcoming tasks.

Liu Jian'an and the others have been veterans for nearly two years, know how to handle emergencies on the train, and mainly need to guide the three interns properly.

In the early stage everything went smoothly, except that a passenger was helped catch a runaway chicken and another passenger was helped find a runaway child; after that nothing else happened.

Until we passed Shanhai Pass, the train suddenly performed an Emergency Braking, causing passengers to scream and shout in panic.

No one knew what had happened, Lu Cheng could only have his team members assist the Train Staff in maintaining order.

He then hurried to find the train captain to learn the situation; from the news transmitted by the locomotive, he learned that someone was lying on the tracks.

Lu Cheng sighed inwardly, thinking that this was truly an inauspicious start.