Chapter 389: Let the Old Man Go Meet Them

Lu Cheng really fell asleep, and when he was shaken awake by a shout on his shoulder, a small plastic mirror was pressed against his face.

When he blinked and saw clearly the person inside, Lu Cheng couldn't believe for a moment that it was himself.

The whole face was a bit sallow, as if he hadn't fully woken, looking considerably haggard, and this condition actually made him look older.

At appropriate spots on the eyebrows and cheeks, a few age spots were also painted, and at a glance he truly resembled a fifty‑year‑old.

But the skin was still that of a youngster, so on close inspection he looked roughly thirty‑to‑forty.

"How's it, Lu Jingzhang, still okay? Take a look and tell me if anything needs readjusting?"

Watching the three young girls bending over to do makeup for a long time without stopping, now pinching waists and massaging backs, they were clearly exhausted.

After all, given material and technique limits, achieving this state was already quite good.

Lu Cheng said satisfied, "Not bad, good work, we'll have breakfast later, my treat."

"Then Lu Jingzhang, we want meat buns."

"No problem, order whatever you like."

Lu Cheng stood up, brushed his face, and smoothed his clothes; he had arrived in a hurry and hadn't had time to change out of his police uniform.

The clothes on him were also those a young person would wear; later he'd ask the Train Captain if he could borrow a Zhongshan suit, which would make him look more aged.

Lu Cheng left the Bunk Car, ready to test the effect.

It was already daylight, many passengers had woken; on the train, forget washing face or brushing teeth, they made do, pulling out the dry rations they carried and started chewing.

First he found the on‑duty Liu Jian'an and his group; Lu Cheng pretended to be an ordinary passenger passing by them, and Liu Jian'an didn't notice.

Only Da Kui turned his head for a glance, then after a while shook his head.

This time Lu Cheng only pretended to be an ordinary passenger passing by, and wasn't wearing a police uniform, so it was normal that no one paid attention.

To test the effect better, Lu Cheng suddenly walked up to Chang Jinbu and stopped.

Chang Jinbu looked up, felt a strong sense of familiarity for a moment, but after thinking realized it couldn't be, and prepared to leave to eat from the side.

Lu Cheng stepped to the side with him, Chang Jinbu moved to the right side, and was blocked again.

"Hey Comrade, where are you actually going?"

This time Lu Cheng spoke, "Take a good look at me."

Hearing the voice, Chang Jinbu was startled, stared closely at Lu Cheng; his appearance was familiar, but the voice even more so.

"You're… Lu Jingzhang?"

As Lu Cheng nodded satisfactorily, Chang Jinbu called out with a puzzled face.

"You, how did you become like this?"

"I had Xiao Zhou and the others do the elderly makeup on me; how's it, do I look a lot older?"

"Yeah, you look a lot older; the point is, why did you turn yourself into this?"

Except for Xiao Zhou and her crew, nobody else knew about this; Lu Cheng led Chang Jinbu and a few others to the Dining Car.

He sat opposite Deng Hairong and Jiang Yuanchao, who were eating, and the two didn't recognize him.

When Lu Cheng spoke, Deng Hairong spat out a mouthful of rice and said, "Pfft, not Lu Jingzhang. You didn't say anything; I thought some uncle was coming to eat. No, what kind of act are you putting on?"

Lu Cheng first had Chang Jinbu call the Train Captain over, then in front of everyone he laid out his plan.

The few listeners looked at each other; Train Captain Yang Xing asked, "Will it work? Impersonating a state official is no small matter; what if the higher‑up leaders find out…"

Lu Cheng wasn't worried about that; no matter how big a mess he caused, Captain Lei was backing him up anyway.

"Train Captain Yang, right now we just want to find a way to hold back these Educated Youth and first get the transport line back to normal."

Yang Xing still had reservations: "But even if we hold them, how long can we hold them? Their goal is to return to the city, so ultimately a policy change is needed to curb the Educated Youth from continuing the trouble."

It seemed everyone realized the crux: only by returning to the city would the Educated Youth stop causing trouble.

Lu Cheng said, "Train Captain Yang is right, so our current task is to hold back the Educated Youth as long as possible until the policy changes. I believe it shouldn't take long—about within a year."

Yang Xing asked with doubt, "How do you know when the policy will change?"

Lu Cheng couldn't say it was because of memories from a previous life; within a year the state will adjust its policy regarding the Educated Youth returning to the city.

He could only blurt out, "I heard it in school from a professor who specializes in sociology: the Educated Youth are a massive group, and whatever demands they have, the state will certainly take seriously."

Hearing Lu Cheng say that, Yang Xing wasn't sure whether to endorse what that sociology professor claimed, but he hoped it was true.

Otherwise, if the Educated Youth kept causing trouble, the Railway would be paralyzed.

At present there truly was no good solution, only proper communication with the Educated Youth; seeing Lu Cheng's confident demeanor, Train Captain Yang had to let him try.

Heading toward the Northeast, the train roared along, passed Chuncheng, and at the next Platform the train had to stop.

Having received advance notice, they learned that along the railway near Da Jiagou there were many Educated Youth gathered.

Passengers who frequently rode this line, realizing why it stopped, couldn't help but complain inside the carriage.

"Why did it stop again? When will we get home?"

"Seems like the Educated Youth are causing trouble, shouting they want to return to the city."

"If they return to the city, what will they eat? Where are the jobs arranged for them?"

"You haven't heard? They're just staying idle in the city and don't want to stay in the countryside."

"Why do they want to block the Railway to get back to the city…"

Deng Hairong and Jiang Yuanchao, with Train Police and Train Staff, together pacified the passengers.

"Everyone, rest assured, we'll dispatch people to negotiate right away; service will resume soon, please be patient."

Some dissatisfied passenger complained, "Aren't they trying to lie on the tracks? I don't believe they're not afraid of death; they'd just drive over them and see if they let us go."

Passengers were impatient, so saying that was natural, but as Railway personnel, no one dares to actually order a direct run over.

Lu Cheng, now dressed in the Zhongshan suit, was ready, handed over to the nearby Railway Bureau, requisitioned two jeeps, then took Deng Hairong and the others and rushed to Da Jiagou.

Across the nation there are over ten million Educated Youth; the entire Northeast Region has several million, and the Da Jiagou area alone has gathered tens of thousands of Knowledgeable Youth.

Thinking of having to face so many Educated Youth, Deng Hairong, in the jeep, couldn't help but start to back out.

Later they asked if communication could go well? Later they asked again, what if communication fails, what will they do if they act again? Later they said, perhaps we should just go back. If it really doesn't work, we could bring out several more vehicles, preferably armed, to intimidate a bit.

Lu Cheng remained silent the whole time; before getting on the vehicle, he even went to the Railway Bureau's barbershop and attached some gray‑white hair.

At this moment, sitting in the back seat, he, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, looked extremely dignified,

At first glance, he really resembled a high‑ranking leader coming to inspect the work.

Listening to Deng Hairong's muttering, Lu Cheng said in a deep voice, "Sergeant Deng, there's no need to worry; with me here today, one man can stand against ten thousand troops."