PDLP Chapter 112 Fierce Local Customs
Chapter 112 Fierce Local Customs
Chapter 112 Fierce Local Customs
"Young man, are you treating us like we're blocking your way?"
"Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding!"
The old man driving the oxcart quickly waved his hand and explained, "I'll drive the oxcart away right away; I wouldn't dare block the road!"
However, although the old man said that, the oxcart didn't move an inch.
Wang Chenggong sighed and said, "Old comrade, this vehicle is on a mission. If we delay the mission and the higher-ups investigate, then—"
"What did you say? I'm hard of hearing, I'm seventy-three!"
The old man's voice was very loud.
Wang Chenggong was also impressed.
Sports cars are most afraid of encountering this kind of thing.
The people blocking the road were not young and strong, but elderly people with a group of women and children. They couldn't use force or reason with them, so they could only pay money to avoid trouble.
If you encounter someone who is easy to talk to, then everything is easy to negotiate.
If you encounter someone who doesn't pay attention to these things, you'll be in trouble.
"Sir, let's be frank. Tell me, how can you make way for me?"
"What did you say? You said you'd give us thirty yuan?"
The old man revealed the truth.
His behavior reminded Shen Zhishou of the deaf old lady in the courtyard house, who pretended not to hear what others were saying and kept talking in her own words.
This unreasonable and sophistry is exactly the same!
"Grandpa, this is all I have. We're all poor drivers. If we all had thirty yuan on us, what would we be doing as drivers?"
"You said you'd give us coal? You're a good person!"
Finally, the true colors are revealed!
These people really were after the coal on the truck.
Wang Chenggong sighed and got back into the car.
"Xiao Shen, what do you think we should do?"
This was certainly not the first time Wang Chenggong had encountered something like this, or rather, everyone in the transportation department would encounter such a situation, and there must be a set of routine ways to deal with it.
Shen Zhishou didn't know the usual practices in the transportation department, so he could only smile wryly and say, "Section Chief, you're putting me in a difficult position!"
There's only one road here; there's no way to take a detour!
As for driving the car to the fields by the roadside?
With that slope, once the car goes down, it'll have a hard time getting back up.
Most importantly, with all this commotion, the coal inside the car is bound to spill out.
Seeing that Shen Zhishou was at a loss, Wang Chenggong patted his arm and said, "Our standard practice in the transportation department is to do nothing and just wait!"
"Are you just going to wait like this?"
"Yes, wait!"
Wang Chenggong smiled calmly, "They want coal, but these people alone can't get much. We'll wait for the able-bodied men to come!"
"We can't lay a hand on the elderly, women, or children, but if it's a young, strong man, then we have to take action!"
'
"Should we use guns?"
"No, I'll take the beating!"
Wang Chenggong looked utterly frustrated. "This is Beijing! You can't just pull off a gun whenever you want!"
"Section Chief, are you serious? You really want to get beaten up?"
"Otherwise what?"
"Our truck carrying coal was robbed on the road, but we returned unscathed. If you told me that, would the leader believe us?"
"Or are we going to use guns and kill one or two?"
Wang Chenggong leaned back, looking utterly helpless.
It's not worth risking a life for a little bit of coal!
Shen Zhishou had to admit that Wang Chenggong's words made sense.
But he didn't become a driver to get beaten up.
Everyone says being a driver is glamorous; not only do you earn a lot, but it's also respectable.
As a result, when they encountered someone blocking their way, even though they had guns, they couldn't fight back and had to be beaten to settle the matter. Where the hell can they go to seek justice?
At this moment, Shen Zhishou couldn't help but wonder if he had made a mistake by choosing to change careers and become a driver.
After waiting for more than ten minutes, a group of strong young men came over in a grand procession, pushing several wheelbarrows loaded with willow baskets of various sizes.
Judging by their posture, these guys are ready to go all out.
"Xiao Shen, hold back a bit, don't act impulsively!"
"Things will change once guns are used!"
"Section Chief, this isn't just about us using guns anymore. The other side is armed too, with long guns, several of them!"
The sharp-eyed Shen Zhishou had already noticed, while Wang Chenggong was speaking, that among the people who had arrived, several of the people at the back were carrying guns on their shoulders.
Upon hearing Shen Zhishou's words, Wang Chenggong also saw the situation of the people behind him.
"Passed!"
Wang Chenggong immediately pushed open the car door, took out his firearm, and fired two shots into the sky!
Shen Zhishou didn't hesitate either. He got out of the car and unlocked the Colt M1911.
Once the gunshot rang out, things really changed.
First, the old ox blocking the road got startled and, ignoring the old man driving the cart, rushed straight out.
The elderly, women, and children on the bus fell off, and everyone on the bus screamed.
The able-bodied men quickly formed a battle formation, with the gunmen pointing their weapons at Wang Chenggong.
"Which village are you from?"
"These are coal trucks from the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill. Are you trying to rebel?"
"If you delay the factory's steel production, and the higher-ups investigate, let's see how many of you can afford to take the blame?"
If the enemy doesn't have guns, it's not appropriate for Wang Chenggong and Shen Zhishou to use firearms, but since the enemy does have guns, they have no choice but to draw their weapons.
Otherwise, if they investigate further, Wang Chenggong will have to take responsibility.
The factory provided us with guns, but they were completely useless, which made us a laughing stock.
The young men opposite huddled together and whispered for a while. One of them spoke up, saying, "We only have a little coal, not much. There's no need to make a scene. If a fight breaks out, you two will both die here. At worst, we'll find someone to pay with their life!"
Upon hearing what the other person said, Shen Zhishou had only one thought: "Wow, that's really something!"
At worst, they'll have someone pay with their life!
This shows how little regard for human life!
"impossible!"
Wang Chenggong pointed his gun at the person opposite him, "The factory issued us guns. If you guys rob the coal, I'll lose my job!"
"In that case, you might as well just kill me. At least I could be a martyr, and someone would take care of my wife and kids!"
Shen Zhishou remained silent, simply standing beside Wang Chenggong, his gaze fixed on the group of men with guns opposite them.
It's not like we really have to go to war over a little bit of coal, is it?
Although he thought so, Shen Zhishou had no confidence at all.
Having gone through days of hunger, people nowadays are, to say the least, a little crazy, and that's perfectly reasonable.
While they were in a standoff, the oxcart finally stopped, and the person who had fallen off was helped up. He was alright, just a little frightened.
When the old man returned in his oxcart and saw the scene, he immediately kicked a young man with a gun.
"Who gave you permission to bring guns?"
"What did I tell you before?"
"Is there something wrong with my words?"
The old man, who had looked frail and old just moments before, was now surprisingly agile, kicking and hitting people with remarkable speed and agility.
Shen Zhishou leaned closer to Wang Chenggong and whispered, "Section Chief, what do we do if all those armed men go back?"
"have no idea!"
Wang Chenggong gave a wry smile.
When you're out driving, you might encounter all sorts of unexpected situations, and often you still have to rely on your own judgment to adapt.
The goal is to preserve the supplies on the vehicle as much as possible while ensuring our own safety.
"Young man, our people are behaving unruly today. You'd better leave!"
After kicking a few young men with guns, the old man looked at Wang Chenggong and told him to let him pass.
Hearing this, Wang Chenggong breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sir, I'm so sorry, I startled the oxcart. An old lady fell off. Please use this money to buy her some nutritional supplements to help her recover!"
Wang Chenggong handed over the handful of small bills and cents in his hand once again.
This time, the old man accepted the money.
Shen Zhishou only breathed a sigh of relief after the car was back on the road and far away from the group of people behind.
That driver did something really exciting!
It's true that a slight mistake can lead to a major disaster!
"Section Chief, why did you still give me money in the end?"
"Practice makes perfect. If we make a good connection, they won't have the nerve to rob us next time we meet!"
"This works?"
Shen Zhishou felt that he had really learned a lesson from this incident!