Substitute Driver's Notes

Chapter 63 The Eccentric Master Chen

Li Wei's words only startled him. Master Chen still left, leaving Li Wei to face the situation alone.

The forklift roared and soon removed the top layer of one side of the truck. The forklift driver turned off the engine and stopped beside the truck, shouting in a language that Li Wei couldn't understand.

"Huh? What did you say?" Li Wei ran over and asked in Mandarin, "Can you speak Chinese?"

"Woo-li-wa-la woo-li-wa-la ji-li-gua-la!" The forklift driver was furious, his face red and his neck bulging as he insisted that he was speaking Chinese.

"You can't even speak Chinese. Just wait! When Master Chen comes, you can talk to him." Li Wei wasn't in a hurry and looked at him with an innocent expression.

The guy got impatient and started gesturing wildly, demanding that Li Wei move the car.

The large rope on the vehicle had been untied, and the four-and-a-half-meter-high template trembled precariously with every movement, looking quite terrifying.

Li Wei resolutely refused to go, saying, "I definitely won't understand foreign languages ​​today, and gestures won't work either. I'm too stupid to understand."

The forklift driver yelled for a long time, but no matter what he said or gestured, Li Wei remained unmoved, clearly showing an attitude of "I won't listen, I won't listen, I won't listen." In the end, the forklift driver got so angry that he turned off the engine, got out of the truck, and ran back to the warehouse.

It's good that he's gone. Li Wei also went to cool off in the shade. He saw the "No Smoking" sign on the wall, strolled out the door, and went to smoke.

After a long while, Mr. Chen, clutching a wad of cash, was counting it with a broad smile when he suddenly noticed the goods on the truck. He quickly pocketed the money and called out to Li Wei, "Mr. Li, why aren't you moving the truck?"

"Nobody said anything?" Li Wei walked back, offering an innocent-looking explanation.

"Didn't the forklift operator tell you to move your forklift?"

"No, he mumbled something in some gibberish and then ran off. I don't know what he meant."

Mr. Chen sighed, moved the truck to the other side, turned off the engine, and went to chat with the forklift driver.

Standing far away, Li Wei watched as the large truck moved, causing the template to sway wildly from side to side. Even Master Chen was slightly turning the wheel, afraid of the truck tipping over. He couldn't help but admire his own resourcefulness.

A short while later, Master Chen came out with the forklift driver. The guy pointed at Li Wei and yelled, shaking his head to indicate that he wouldn't unload the truck.

Master Chen pulled him along and handed him ten yuan when no one was watching. The forklift driver was immediately revitalized and never complained again, driving the broken forklift back and forth.

While the forklift was unloading, Mr. Chen came over to keep Li Wei company, smoking and chatting. Li Wei deliberately said, "You actually understand what they're saying? That's amazing!"

A smile appeared on Master Chen's dusty face: "Who can understand that? Just use gestures to explain! It's just a matter of giving the car owner ten yuan so he can understand."

As the old saying goes, "Money makes the world go round." Master Chen only spent ten yuan, and the forklift driver was like he was on steroids, driving the small forklift with great skill and cooperation, and the truck was unloaded in no time.

After the two finished packing their things, Li Wei directed them from behind as they emptied the cramped warehouse.

Mr. Chen was still driving. After driving dozens of kilometers to reach the destination, Li Wei found that all the logistics companies were in the suburbs, and there were only trucks and trucks everywhere.

Master Chen drove the car to the logistics parking lot, took Li Wei to the Langya Express Line, went into the office to ask what number to wait in line, and after waiting in line, he sighed and told Li Wei, "Oh no, oh no, there are three or four cars ahead of us in line, we'll have to stay for two or three days."

Li Wei sighed first, then suddenly remembered that he was paid by the day, and immediately laughed, "I'll stay for as many days as I want! I'm not in a hurry."

"But the boss is worried!" Master Chen said with a worried look on his face. "If I don't complete enough trips, I won't get my bonus."

Li Wei patted him on the shoulder: "It's okay, I don't have any bonus, so I'm not worried about the hotel."

"You..." Master Chen paused for a moment, then angrily returned to his car, packed a large bag of things, and got out. He watched as Li Wei followed him into the car, got out with his bag, locked the car, and walked slowly behind him.

The two arrived at a small, unnamed inn; surprisingly, this run-down place only had rooms on the fifth floor.

Li Wei followed him upstairs, looked around, and sighed. The small hotels near the logistics company were usually converted from private homes.

The staircase was narrow and steep, and the room was pitifully small. Besides two beds, a table, and a 17-inch cheap TV, there were only two plastic stools and a bedside table against the wall.

Looking under the bed, there were two pairs of dirty slippers, half a bag of laundry detergent under the table, and a plastic trash can between the two beds, thoughtfully filled with a little bit of water.

A small building of about 100 square meters has ten rooms on one floor, one of which is a public toilet.

If two big fat men were to walk towards each other, one of them would be squeezed to death in the passageway.

Mr. Chen actually seemed to enjoy it. He put down his things, turned on the air conditioner, and asked Li Wei who wanted to shower first. He told Li Wei that the water heater was small and that it would take about half an hour for the next person to finish showering.

Li Wei cursed the lousy place in his heart for a while, and then went to take a shower and do laundry without any politeness.

After fussing around for a while, Li Wei first washed his slippers, then took a shower and did his laundry. After changing his clothes, he sat on the bed looking refreshed, waiting for Master Chen to come back and invite him to a restaurant for dinner.

(Note: Substitute drivers have no autonomy and usually can only wait for the lead driver to arrange their food and lodging.)

More than an hour later, Mr. Chen returned, shirtless and wearing only a pair of shorts.

Faced with Li Wei's hopeful gaze, Master Chen pulled over the bedside table and took out pancakes, pickled vegetables, and other dishes from his bag and placed them on the table.

He then proudly pulled out two large bowls of instant noodles, boasting, "We have plenty of time tonight, let's eat instant noodles!"

"Huh? You're still eating even though the car's parked?" Li Wei asked, his eyes wide.

"That's right! Eating out is too expensive, and if you don't finish the pancakes, they'll get moldy." Master Chen said in a matter-of-fact manner.

Li Wei organized his thoughts and asked, "How does the boss calculate our food expenses?"

"There's no standard for this. I'm trying my best to save the boss money." Master Chen blinked, lying without batting an eye.

Li Wei chuckled: "You think I'm a novice? Tell me, which car doesn't have standards these days?"

"Oh! Our boss only pays fifteen dollars a day for smoking, and deducts wages if it exceeds that. I go through all the trouble of cooking some pickled vegetables just so you won't feel wronged by having to cover my shift. It's not easy to earn money, and I can't let the boss deduct my pay again!" This guy continued to talk nonsense.

Li Wei retorted angrily, "Master Chen, do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I'd believe something like that?"

"That's just how it is, believe it or not," Master Chen said firmly.

"Give me the boss's phone number, I'll call and ask."

Master Chen feigned anger and said, "You don't believe me? The boss doesn't give his phone number to anyone. He's busy as hell every day and doesn't answer anyone's calls."

Li Wei sneered, "Do you think I'd believe that?"

The guy looked extremely grim and refused to give Li Wei his phone number, insisting that this was the boss's decision, take it or leave it, he had no money, but he could take Li Wei's life.

Finally, when she was pushed to the limit, she told Li Wei that as long as he didn't have to pay for the meal, she was willing to agree to anything.

Looking at Master Chen's appearance, Li Wei couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. How did he end up with such a tough guy? As long as he didn't ask for money, he was willing to be beaten up, and he promised not to fight back or talk back.