Chapter 38: Your Demands Are So Many

After leaving Hu Tong, Lu Cheng first took a round at the Wangfujing Department Store building.

He still remembers that he must deliver a pair of leather shoes for Comrade Song Ling of the Coal Capital Station Railway Branch, and a promise to someone must be kept.

Especially when it comes to promises to women, this is also the excellent quality that allows him to repeatedly succeed as a Pick‑up Artist.

But after circling around, he couldn't find that kind of square‑toed women's leather shoes; it's not that they weren't there, they were sold out.

At that time, leather shoes were a high‑end consumer good, costing about 22 yuan per pair—equivalent to thirty jin of pork—requiring nearly half a worker's wages.

Ordinary people simply can't bear to buy them, and they need industrial coupons or shoe vouchers; yet even so, the moment they arrive they sell out, and without connections to reserve them you can't purchase them.

No matter how expensive the item, there always seems to be buyers.

There was no other way, so Lu Cheng could only first go to the Railway Bureau to return the bike.

In the Grand Courtyard, Team Captain Zhou was gathering three Train Police, and when he saw Lu Cheng riding his bicycle wobbling in, he hurriedly shouted.

"Lu Cheng, we've been waiting for you; hurry over and assemble."

Because the Three Ministries held a meeting yesterday and resolved to capture a hostile spy, they will take a train from Beijing Station.

Other Train Police units in the Capital City will also dispatch personnel to cooperate with Beijing Station's joint law enforcement.

Including Lu Cheng, Team Captain Zhou is sending out a total of four people.

After Lu Cheng parked his bicycle, he jogged to the assembly point; Team Captain Zhou looked at the four and began speaking.

"This time the General Bureau has decided on joint law enforcement, cooperating with Beijing Station to capture a hostile spy. You three are the most outstanding Train Police of our Xizhimen Railway Branch, representing our team..."

Lu Cheng slowly raised his hand: "Team Captain Zhou, may I interject? It's four people, the four most outstanding Train Police of our team."

Team Captain Zhou inhaled: "Ah, let's say four then!"

"In short, you all represent our Train Police unit; when you reach Beijing Station, you must display our unit's spirit of not fearing hardship nor death, and must not let other Train Police units make a joke of us. Understand?"

The three stood at attention and said: "Understood!"

Only Lu Cheng raised his hand again: "Team Captain Zhou, I'd like to interject once more."

Team Captain Zhou inhaled again: "Speak!"

"You see, we're not Beijing Station people; for this cooperative mission, shouldn't the Beijing Station Railway Bureau give us some subsidies, like for meals..."

Team Captain Zhou nodded: "Hmm, there should indeed be some subsidy; later I'll apply to the higher‑ups for you."

The other three Train Police, upon hearing this, silently gave Lu Cheng a thumbs‑up.

What they wanted to suggest was in their hearts, but they didn't dare speak.

So Lu Cheng said it out loud; you see, once it's mentioned, it takes effect.

Lu Cheng's hand hadn't lowered: "Team Captain Zhou, I have another small request—can the round‑trip ticket be reimbursed by our team?"

Team Captain Zhou couldn't help but frown: "Isn't your request a bit too much?"

"It's not that many, right? If that's not possible, then the team could assign us a jeep."

"What? Give you a vehicle as well?"

"Team Captain Zhou, please don't rush; I think this mission is important, and taking the bus could get stuck in traffic. If we waste precious time, it would embarrass our Xizhimen Train Police unit."

Seeing Team Captain Zhou about to speak, Lu Cheng cut in: "And if we get a vehicle, the four of us heading to Beijing Station would make Xizhimen look very prestigious."

"Actually, I wasn't really after a vehicle; I was mainly afraid we'd look shabby. If people see us without any transport, they'd think Team Captain Zhou lacks concern for his subordinates. I'm looking out for you so they won't scold you."

Team Captain Zhou nodded: "That does make some sense. Fine, you four can later take the jeep from the bureau."

"Thanks, Captain Zhou!"

Lu Cheng stood at attention while calling out to the other three.

The three, realizing, also stood at attention and said: "Thanks, Captain Zhou."

"Ah, you're welcome." Team Captain Zhou was silent for a moment, feeling he had acted rashly and shouldn't have promised a vehicle.

Mainly because Lu Cheng rushed his words earlier, giving him no chance to react.

…

After finalizing the personnel, they need to meet at Beijing Station to get acquainted, facilitating the upcoming work schedule.

Lu Cheng was to drive; originally one of the Train Police could drive and was worried Lu Cheng wouldn't handle it, so they planned to drive themselves. Yet once Lu Cheng took the wheel, his driving skill turned out to be surprisingly good.

Thus Lu Cheng volunteered and became the driver.

In these days, being able to ride a Phoenix‑brand bicycle makes one feel a smug sense of pride.

Not to mention driving a jeep on the street—it looks downright flashy.

If you drove it out to pick up women, a single swipe would net at least ten.

No wonder his previous attempts at picking up women always lost to the Grand Courtyard youths; his basic hardware just couldn't match theirs.

There's no solution; the girls would rather sit crying in a jeep than laugh on an Old two‑wheeled cart.

Driving is convenient, and without much trouble they arrived at Beijing City Train Station.

Beijing Station, as the Capital City's main station, is unquestionably the era's landmark building.

Its exterior uses Soviet‑style architecture as a framework, with a central axis symmetry; towering clock towers flank both sides, each face embedded with massive clocks displaying bold white‑on‑black numerals visible from afar.

The overall structure looks grand and solemn, with various revolutionary slogans painted on the walls.

The plaza in front of the station is even livelier, with crowds inside and out, a mix of southern and northern dialects, adult shouts, children's cries, and high‑pitched loudspeakers broadcasting ticket‑checking notices and missing‑person announcements…

In front of the ticket windows, a long queue is always waiting.

On site, Public Security officers in blue uniforms patrol, while nearby stalls push carts selling cigarettes, sunflower seeds, and Beibingyang soda.

The jeep parked behind a bus; the three inside looked at the bustling scene outside and the station building, unable to help but sigh.

"It has to be Beijing Station. If I could be transferred here as Train Police, my mother would be overjoyed."

"Hey, hey, we're here to cooperate in law enforcement; why are you acting like a traitor? Our Xizhimen station may not have Beijing Station's grandeur, but a dog doesn't mind a poor home; if you want to come, they still won't take you."

Hearing the 'dog doesn't mind a poor home' remark, Lu Cheng felt inexplicably insulted and quickly urged the others to get out of the vehicle.

One comrade said, "Then let's hurry and look for Captain Lei at Beijing Station."

Captain Lei is named Lei Zhan'ge, nicknamed Leigong, a former soldier, and his temper is extremely fiery.

So as soon as they rushed to Beijing Station, they feared being a step late to report and getting scolded, and they were all urgently heading straight to the Jingzhan Transit Police.

Lu Cheng wasn't in a hurry; before coming, Team Captain Zhou had told him that arriving at the place by half past nine was fine, and it was only nine o'clock now.

Having finally gotten out on work business, he decided to wander around the train station a bit more.

"No rush, there's still half an hour, let's just stroll around nearby first."

One Comrade was eager to have fun, but also feared Lei Zhan'ge.

"Is it doable? I heard Captain Lei has a particularly bad temper, flares up at the slightest thing; if we're late, we'll probably get scolded."

Lu Cheng patted his shoulder: "As long as we aren't late, he has no reason to lose his temper at us. Come on, we finally made the trip, let's wander around; consider it a chance to learn about Beijing Station's experience."

When we got back and saw Team Captain Zhou, he asked what we had learned, and I had a report to give.

The three of us exchanged glances and all thought it made sense.

In truth, the three of us genuinely admired Lu Cheng; how could his mouth be so persuasive?

It was clearly just pure fun, but after his words it turned into a mission-like learning outing; hey, the guilt vanished instantly.

The four of us roamed the shops along the square, spotted a Comrade from Public Security in a blue uniform, and went up to chat, as if we were truly there to learn.

"Big Bowl Tea! Delicious and cheap Big Bowl Tea, only two cents a bowl."

While Lu Cheng was chatting with the Public Security Comrade, he heard that loud, rugged vendor's cry and suddenly felt it was familiar.

He turned his head toward a fixed little stall and asked, "Da Huang?"