Chapter 5: Making connections
Chapter 5: Making connections
When I returned to the transport team, I happened to meet Lu Wenjiang.
Lu Wenjiang is also Zhang Jinwu's apprentice. He came six years earlier than Li Kailang. He has been a truck driver for a long time and is now a fourth-level driver with a monthly salary of 48 yuan.
"Xiao Lu, come here." Zhang Jinwu shouted.
"Master, is there anything wrong?" Lu Wenjiang asked.
"Your junior brother Xiao Li will be the driver's assistant from today on. There is no mission for him today, so you can help him get familiar with some routes." Zhang Jin said
"Really? Congratulations! Xiao Li has finally become a driver's assistant! He's not far from becoming a truck driver." Lu Wenjiang said happily.
"Okay, that's almost it. Your task today should be a little easier. Take him out for a look and bring him back before noon. He has to treat us to a meal." Zhang Jinwu said directly.
"Don't worry, Master. I will complete the task successfully." Lu Wenjiang assured, "Let's go, Junior Brother."
"Master, I'll leave first." Li Kailang followed Lu Wenjiang to the truck.
The truck looks a bit beat up, but it's still drivable.
"Junior brother, push the car first, we will get out right away." Lu Wenjiang took Li Kailang to his own truck.
Lu Wenjiang took out a joystick weighing nearly ten pounds from the car and handed it to Li Kailang.
Today's trucks cannot be started by simply turning the key; the engine is started by shaking the joystick.
Cranking the engine is no small task, it requires a certain amount of strength and skill.
When rocking the engine, not only must the rocker arm be connected smoothly to the engine's crankshaft, but it must also remain stable during the rocking process to ensure that the truck does not move or vibrate.
In addition, you need to pay attention to safety when shaking the engine. If the rocker is accidentally stuck in the engine, it may cause serious safety accidents.
Therefore, for those who are new to trucking, they should first try to crank the engine on a scrapped car to familiarize themselves with the techniques and tips involved.
When cranking the engine, remain calm, steady and forceful, and gradually increase the number of cranking circles until the engine starts normally.
After successfully connecting the joystick to the engine and starting to crank the engine, Li Kailang took a deep breath and used all his strength to turn the joystick round and round.
Gradually, the engine began to respond.
"Rumble--"
The GAZ-51 engine started immediately with a roar, and Li Kailang quickly took out the joystick.
"Not bad, it worked." Li Kailang knew the car started well just by hearing the sound.
"Xiao Li, not bad." Lu Wenjiang praised.
“By the way, take a look at this too. You will see it later.” Lu Wenjiang handed the papers to Li Kailang.
Li Kailang took a look at it, including the task list, goods receipt form, etc.
The task order means that Lu Wenjiang has accepted the task, and the goods receipt form is a signature confirmation with the receiving unit.
"Let's go to the warehouse and load up the things first." Lu Wenjiang said.
The two then got in the car and drove towards the warehouse.
At this moment, several trucks also drove into the warehouse, and a dozen people were sitting in the rest area nearby. These were porters who made a living by working hard.
Although the monthly salary is basically fixed, food is essential, otherwise it would be impossible to move so many goods.
"Old Qin!" Lu Wenjiang saw a staff member on duty sitting at the door of the warehouse, looking like he was doing nothing.
Seeing this, he took out a Pegasus cigarette from his chest and handed it to him.
A pack of Pegasus cigarettes costs 3 yuan, which is still relatively expensive, but for Lu Wenjiang, who has more than or yuan a month, he can still afford it.
"What is this?" Qin Bingwu asked when he saw Li Kailang.
"Ah, this is my junior brother, Li Kailang." Lu Wenjiang explained to Qin Bingwu.
"Xiao Li, also known as Brother Qin, is the boss of the warehouse." Lu Wenjiang introduced Li Kailang.
"Brother Qin." Li Kailang shouted.
"Oh, no, no, I'm just an ordinary staff on duty in the warehouse, not a boss. Don't lead Xiao Li astray." Qin Bingwu defended.
"Give it here, take the things and leave quickly." Qin Bingwu said immediately, anxious to send Lu Wenjiang away.
"You are still so hard to joke with." Lu Wenjiang said with a smile, and handed the task list to Qin Bingwu. Qin Bingwu glanced at the content on the paper and immediately said, "The warehouse on the far left should be found by Ma Qian." After that, he handed the task list back, along with a shipping list.
Lu Wenjiang took a delivery note and went to the warehouse to look for Ma Qian.
"Lao Ma! Lao Ma! Where are you?" Lu Wenjiang shouted loudly.
"What are you yelling about? People who don't know would think I'm dead. Damn, if you yell like that again I'll beat you up." Ma Qian sat in the corner and cursed unceremoniously.
As he spoke, he snatched the delivery note from Lu Wenjiang's hand, glanced at it, and shouted loudly: "The goods have arrived!"
Immediately, seven or eight people rushed to Ma Qian from all directions. Ma Qian pointed at the steel piled on the side and said, "Take all those things away."
As soon as he finished speaking, the group of people immediately started moving the steel.
Seeing this, Li Kailang was about to step forward to help, but was stopped by Lu Wenjiang.
Before long, all the steel was loaded onto the truck.
"Count it and see if there is anything missing." Ma Qian said, turning his shoulders.
"We are so familiar with each other, there is no need to count it." Lu Wenjiang said bluntly.
"Hey, don't say that. If it's less, I'll lose my job." Ma Qian said seriously.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Lu Wenjiang nodded and checked casually, "Nothing is missing."
Upon hearing this, Ma Qian signed the delivery note and handed it back to Lu Wenjiang.
"Okay, Lao Ma, I'll go first." Lu Wenjiang called Li Kailang to follow.
The truck started up again and left the warehouse.
At this time, Lu Wenjiang said to Li Kailang in a deep tone: "Xiao Li, don't be so impatient in the future."
After hearing this, Li Kailang asked with a little confusion: "What do you mean, Senior Brother?"
Lu Wenjiang smiled bitterly and said, "Hey, you are really just like what the master said."
Li Kailang thought to himself, "This is not to maintain the original owner's previous behavior." But he asked, "What did the master say about me?"
Lu Wenjiang didn't seem to want to talk more, and only said: "They say you are impatient and only seek temporary pleasure without considering the consequences."
Li Kailang remained silent after hearing this. He was indeed a little too impulsive and wanted to appear capable and proactive in front of Lu Wenjiang.
Lu Wenjiang continued, "Let me tell you something. I saw you were planning to help them transport the goods. This is not wrong, but it is inappropriate."
"Moving goods is their job. If you help them, why wouldn't you help them next time? We need strength too. If we don't have the strength to turn the steering wheel on the road, something bad will happen."
“Finally, Ma Qian asked me to order the goods, just for you to see.
Remember, if there is a mistake anywhere, don’t take the blame yourself. I didn’t point it out because I counted them one by one as they were loaded onto the truck, and I said that because there was no mistake.”
"Remember this, Xiao Li." Lu Wenjiang said earnestly.
Li Kailang nodded solemnly after hearing this: "I understand, Senior Brother, you are right."
Lu Wenjiang nodded with satisfaction.
The car slowly drove to the gate of the steel mill, and the security guard came forward to ask questions as usual.
Lu Wenjiang first handed over a cigarette, and then handed the task list to the security guard for review.
"Okay, go out!" The security guard took a look and waved his hand.
Lu Wenjiang drove out.
"Xiao Li, when you have nothing to do later, you can spend more time with the security department."
While driving, Lu Wenjiang said to Li Kailang, "Sometimes, if you don't build good relationships, you can't take away some of our own benefits."
"Of course, sometimes the people in the security department will ask us to bring some things. We will take what we can, and refuse what we can't. It's okay to refuse, and they understand. But we will try to take what we can." Lu Wenjiang added.
"Got it, brother." Li Kailang responded.
"Okay, hold on tight, let's go!" Lu Wenjiang stepped on the accelerator, and the GAZ truck rumbled away from the steel mill.
(End of this chapter)