The old man lowered his voice.
"See those? Those are all procurement vehicles from government agencies. With his brother-in-law protecting him, all the state-owned enterprises in Beijing have to come here to buy groceries."
Just then, a jeep pulled up in front of the shop, and several people in uniform got out.
Ma Sanbao immediately greeted them with a beaming smile, bowing and scraping as he ushered them into the shop.
Su Jianguo's eyes lit up.
This is a good opportunity.
He paid for the tea, pretended to be passing by, and slowly approached the shop, eavesdropping on the conversation inside.
"My brother-in-law instructed that when you go to 'Su Ji' at Dongdan Market, you must..."
The fragmented words drifted into Su Jianguo's ears.
He quietly walked around to the side of the shop and peered inside through the crack in the window.
Ma Sanbao was handing cigarettes to the cadres, and there were several bulging envelopes on the table.
"Don't worry, my brother-in-law said that as long as we get that store on board, you'll get all the benefits you want!"
Ma Sanbao patted his chest and guaranteed it.
A cold glint flashed in Su Jianguo's eyes.
He was about to leave when he suddenly noticed several stacks of receipts behind the counter.
The top one is the waybill, which clearly reads "Guangzhou-Sijiucheng Express Train".
"I see..."
Su Jianguo had a sudden thought and quietly wrote down the train number and date on the document.
Just then, a shop assistant suddenly pushed open the door and looked at Su Jianguo suspiciously.
"Old man, what are you doing sneaking around here?"
Su Jianguo immediately put on a simple and honest smile, speaking in a thick Hebei accent.
"I...I just want to see what southern vegetables look like..."
"Go away, get out of my way!"
The shop assistant waved his hand impatiently.
"Don't look if you can't afford it!"
Su Jianguo pretended to be scared, hunched over, and quickly left.
As soon as he turned the corner, he straightened his back.
"Freight documents...express train..."
Su Jianguo walked and pondered.
"In this cold weather, ordinary freight simply can't keep goods fresh. They must have used refrigerated trucks, but those are only for transporting special supplies..."
A bold plan gradually took shape in his mind.
If Ma Sanbao did indeed violate regulations by using special transport vehicles to transport vegetables, then that would be a serious case of abuse of power for personal gain.
During this special period, this is enough to give Deputy District Chief Liu a hard time.
Su Jianguo quickened his pace and walked towards the train station.
He needs more evidence, and the freight station is the best entry point.
Su Jianguo arrived at the train station.
The square in front of the station was bustling with people, farmers carrying loads on shoulder poles, passengers with large and small bags, and tricycle drivers calling out to solicit customers, creating a busy scene.
Su Jianguo thought about the acquaintances he had at the train station.
An image of a young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes came to mind: Chow Tai Fook.
That was his junior high school classmate, who later became a train driver. It had been about twenty years since he last saw her.
Su Jianguo tightened the collar of his worn-out cotton-padded coat and pulled his dog-skin hat down to make himself look more like an honest countryman.
In places like train stations, dressing too well can actually draw attention away from you.
"Comrade, I'm inquiring about someone."
Su Jianguo approached a young man in a railway uniform who was shoveling snow.
"Does Chow Tai Fook work here?"
The young man shook his head.
"He's newly transferred; I don't know him."
After saying that, he hurriedly ran into the station.
Su Jianguo then stopped an old man selling roasted sweet potatoes.
The old man lifted the quilt covering the stove, and a mixture of heat and sweet fragrance wafted out.
"Chow Tai Fook? That sounds familiar... Isn't it that tall guy with the mole on his left cheek?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Su Jianguo nodded quickly and took out two cents to buy a sweet potato.
"I quit being a driver a long time ago!"
The old man broke open the scalding hot sweet potato.
"I heard he was transferred to a government agency the year before last, but I don't know exactly where."
Su Jianguo thanked him and walked towards the freight depot while munching on a sweet potato.
In the warehouse area filled with goods, he stopped a worker pushing a cart.
"Chow Tai Fook?"
The worker wiped the sweat from his brow.
You mean 'Big Zhou'?
He lowered his voice.
"You can't call him that now. He's the deputy director of the freight department, in charge of more than twenty trains. What do you want with him?"
"I'm from the same hometown as him. I came to the city on business and stopped by to see him."
Su Jianguo, speaking with a heavy Hebei accent, pulled out a half-pack of crumpled "Da Qianmen" cigarettes from his pocket and handed one over.
The man took the cigarette, and his attitude became noticeably more amiable.
"Director Zhou is very busy these days, he might not have time to see you."
Su Jianguo was secretly pleased. It seemed his old classmate was doing quite well.
"I'll just see him once, say a few words, and then leave."
Su Jianguo smiled ingratiatingly.
Could you give me directions?
"The dispatch office is on the second floor, the one with the 'Transportation Department' sign."
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