Chapter 7: Digging Dog Holes
"Indeed, this is a good deal." Zheng Xuehong's squinting eyes sparkled with a cunning light
The two chatted casually as they made their way to the ticket office. Just as Song Weiyang was preparing to take the opportunity to slip away, Zheng Xuehong was left completely bewildered.
The young lady said, "It is not our carriage's turn yet; a conductor just came by to register."
The dining car seems to have been deliberately cleared out, reserved for the heroes to hold a celebration banquet, and the other passengers have no objections to this. Some have already disembarked in advance, including Song Weiyang, leaving 14 brave individuals remaining.
The final tasks are quite tedious, and the train police have cleared out the dining car to set up their office, notifying other passengers to come and retrieve their stolen belongings
"Little brother, what a coincidence," Zheng Xuehong said with a smile as he took out a cigarette, "Would you like one?"
It is quite a coincidence. Song Weiyang tucked the cigarette behind his ear
Song Weiyang pointed outside and said, "I have no connections, but there are certainly others who do."
Damn it, going back like this, I might as well be laughed to death by those bastards in the bureau! Zheng Xuehong sat down on the ground, not wanting to get up.
"It's nothing, just a few cuts," Zheng Xuehong said while walking, with his arm around Song Weiyang's shoulder
Zheng Xuehong muttered: "It really looks like a dog hole"
No one told me! Zheng Xuehong was so frustrated that her entire body shook with excess fat
Not far from the train station, several vans have been parked by the roadside for an extended period, with people occasionally getting in and driving away, while passengers often carry large and small pieces of luggage.
Song Weiyang immediately followed suit, as he too needed a travel companion to prevent being ambushed and robbed along the way. In these times, anything could happen, so it was essential to be prepared. At the very least, this plump director was someone capable of fighting back
Get lost! The driver doesn't even have the mood to negotiate.
When Song Weiyang and the strong man returned to their carriage, they were immediately greeted with hero-like adoration. The passengers spontaneously stood up and applauded, stuffing various snacks and fruits into their arms
"Not going, not going." The driver repeatedly waved his hand, indicating that they have a stable source of goods and do not easily accept casual customers
It is merely a leave of absence without pay; even if Zheng Xuehong encounters difficulties in the Special Administrative Region, he can still return to continue his official duties
The young woman named Chen Tao was carrying a suitcase and seemed to want to say a few words to Song Weiyang, but she was quickly swept away by the crowd
Song Weiyang said in silence: "Did you come without knowing?"
"Well said, well said, come, let's drink!"
Song Weiyang had no choice but to get up with his bag and asked, "Is your injury alright, brother?"
As cups are pushed and replaced, and in a state of drunkenness, there are a few who have directly missed their stops, joyfully taking the free train back home
During the period of strict crackdown, committing crimes in defiance of the law is enough to warrant the execution of a large number of offenders
Zheng Xuehong rubbed her chubby face and said irritably: "Nonsense, otherwise why would I be here?"
The two individuals, tacitly understanding each other, walked out of the train station with their bags, casually smoking and wandering about, soon discovering an unusual situation
Song Weiyang returned to his seat and chuckled, "It's just average, just average, I didn't exert myself at all; the truly impressive ones are the comrades of the People's Liberation Army. By the way, you have retrieved your money, right?"
"Where is that comrade from the People's Liberation Army?" Song Weiyang asked again
To enter the Special Zone, the general process is as follows: First, obtain a letter of introduction from your original unit or neighborhood committee, then apply for a pass at the relevant local department. If you have no connections and no money, it may take at least three to five months for the application to be approved. After obtaining the pass, take a train to Huadu, and at the special window, purchase a ticket with your certificate, thus embarking on the train to Shenzhen City
Brothers, raise your cups
The atmosphere in the dining car quickly became lively, as strangers became close friends through their shared struggles
Brother Ma, well done! Liu Bin gave a thumbs up
Song Weiyang also felt completely weak and sore, crammed into a small van with more than ten people along with their luggage, unable to move his hands and feet for most of the day, resembling a can of sardines, and it was a stroke of luck that they didn't suffocate.
"Then you all wait to receive the money, I will take a nap first." Song Weiyang was indeed feeling a bit drowsy
Song Weiyang walked to the platform with a backpack, and to his surprise, he ran into the chubby director again after just a few steps
Zheng Xuehong handed over a cigarette and said: "Just doing a favor."
The plump director tumbled out of the car, feeling exhausted, hot, and hungry, and said with his tongue out: "Damn it, this feels like being treated like an enemy agent."
"600, if you are unwilling, then get lost!" the driver said irritably
Brother, this is my business card, let's keep in touch often
"Then let's go, I assure you I can take you there," said Song Weiyang
Under the cover of night, the guide led them through winding paths to a secluded location, lifting a small section of barbed wire and saying: "Crawl through here and you will reach the special zone"
"Go and ask over there," Zheng Xuehong said as he threw away his cigarette butt
Song Weiyang and Zheng Xuehong exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously: "Deal!"
Around 4 a.m., the train stopped in a certain prefecture-level city, and more than twenty criminals were handed over to the local railway police
Before long, a snakehead arrived with a group of people, and without any explanation, they were all shoved into a van, leaving Song Weiyang and the chubby director unable to move.
All passengers rushed down; this is the final destination. To go to Shenzhen, one must purchase a ticket and transfer.
Zheng Xuehong quickly said: "300"
When the celebration banquet was held, everyone had already become quite familiar with each other. This plump director was also in Shenzhen to make money. It is quite normal in this era for someone to choose to leave their position as the deputy director of the county sports bureau to venture into business.
Hearing his accent from outside the area, the driver thought he was most likely not an undercover police officer, and after a moment of consideration, said: "800 per person, I guarantee you will pass through."
"Little brother, let's go to the dining car for a meal," said the chubby director Zheng Xuehong with a cheerful smile
Get out of the car, get out of the car, follow me, and don't make a sound! There are people waiting here.
... ...
Considering the bond formed from their past battles, Song Weiyang decided to offer assistance and smiled, "Do you really want to go to Shenzhen, brother?"
The young woman cast a disdainful glance at Manager Liu and turned to say with admiration, "Brother Ma, you are truly impressive!"
The driver quickly started the car and sped out of the city, only stopping in the wilderness late in the evening
In fact, they also have a way to save money, which is to take a vehicle to the outskirts of Shenzhen and then look for an opportunity to crawl through the barbed wire. However, this is too time-consuming and carries certain risks. Song Weiyang does not want to delay, and Zheng Xuehong is also someone who dislikes trouble
Song Weiyang said: "800 is too expensive, how about 100?"
... ...
Song Weiyang certainly does not have a pass either
Zheng Xuehong directly reached out to pull someone: "Come on, the brothers who fought last night are all here, let's open a few bottles of wine to celebrate."
Approaching a van, Zheng Xuehong knocked on the window and asked, "Brother, are you going to the special zone?"
"Do I still need to apply for a border pass to go to Shenzhen?" Zheng Xuehong asked foolishly
... ...
After a day and a night, the journey concludes as the train arrives in Huadu
Not just one or two people like Zheng Xuehong are bewildered; in front of the special ticket window for entering the Special Economic Zone, many passionate young people appear disheartened. Moreover, some unfortunate individuals, having chosen to resign and venture into the sea of opportunities back home, arrive in the Special Zone with all their savings, only to be robbed along the way. They also encounter obstacles at the Huadu train station, lacking even the qualifications to enter the Special Zone, and are left with no choice but to leave in disgrace. Furthermore, some unfortunate individuals, having chosen to resign and venture into the sea of opportunities back home, arrive in the Special Zone with all their savings, only to be robbed along the way. They also encounter obstacles at the Huadu train station, lacking even the qualifications to enter the Special Zone, and are left with no choice but to leave in disgrace
Song Weiyang was in a deep sleep, and when he woke up, it was already 7:30 in the morning. Upon opening his eyes, he saw a round, chubby face.
Zheng Xuehong stood up, completely devoid of the bulkiness of over 200 pounds. He asked in a low voice, "Do you have any connections, little brother?"
Song Weiyang said: "I won't go, I'll just make do with a can of food."
Zheng Xuehong said: "He got off at the previous station; he is returning to his hometown to visit relatives"
A uniformed train attendant smiled and said: "On behalf of all the staff and passengers of this train, I would like to thank all the heroes! Enjoy your meal and drinks, everything is free. Our leader has stated that expenses can be reimbursed upon return. Also, for those who have not registered, please remember to register after your meal, and we will send a letter of appreciation to your organization or neighborhood committee."
Despite his reluctance, Song Weiyang was forced to drink several cups of alcohol and received a multitude of contact information, with those who did not have business cards directly writing their addresses on paper for him
"Drill on." Song Weiyang said
Of course, it is not the case that you will receive the amount you report immediately; you also need to present your ID card to register your unit and address. Under such conditions, basically no one dares to falsify the situation, and the discrepancy is usually only a few hundred yuan, mostly due to individual passengers misremembering.
How polite, too polite!