lcionline Chapter 434 A short-sighted and unfortunate child! An unexpected encounter with his first love, Lin
Chapter 434 A short-sighted and unfortunate child! An unexpected encounter with his first love, Lin
The train sped along.
Crossing fields and rivers.
The scenery outside the window flashed by.
On the highway, cars traveling in opposite directions were quickly left far behind.
"Wow! That's fast!"
"It's practically flying right up to the ground!"
"So this is the legendary high-speed rail! It's really fast!"
"354, 359, 363... My God, it can still accelerate!"
"Not bad, not bad at all. It's going so fast, yet the carriage is still very quiet and doesn't shake at all!"
"Wow, that's fast! It's incredibly fast! At this speed, we'll probably reach Jingzhou in half an hour!"
"Yes, it's about 200 kilometers from Luzhou to Jingzhou. Even if you drive on the highway without traffic, it still takes about two hours!"
"Wow, once this high-speed rail line opens, traveling between the cities it passes through will be so convenient, creating a huge urban cluster!"
……
Dong Tian'ao and Leng Lifei, experiencing high-speed rail for the first time, were incredibly excited and kept exclaiming in amazement.
Zhao Ruilong sat quietly in his chair, watching the two of them smile like children without saying a word.
No matter how rich or powerful someone is, or how wicked they may be, they are still human at heart.
As human beings, we have human nature, emotions, desires, curiosity, and a thirst for knowledge...
People who are detached from ordinary people and have no interest in anything are not impossible, but they are extremely rare.
Moreover, after visiting the turbofan engine that embodies countless high technologies, it was Dong Tian'ao himself who suggested experiencing the high-speed rail.
The couple borrowed so much money from me, how could I not repay them?
Not only should their needs be met, but they should also be given preferential treatment.
Although the high-speed rail has not yet been officially opened for operation, the comprehensive testing train is running every day to conduct joint commissioning and testing.
So Zhao Ruilong made a phone call and had the train stop at Luzhou South Station, then took the two of them straight to Luzhou South Station, which was built together with the airport terminal.
Forget about buying tickets and going through security, one Land Rover M9 after another drove directly onto the high-speed rail platform at Luzhou South Station through a special channel, seamlessly transferring to the comprehensive inspection train.
While countless people were curiously anticipating the high-speed rail, the two were able to directly enter the station, board the train, and be among the first to experience the high-speed rail's ground-hugging speed...
Such special treatment naturally maximized the emotional value for the couple.
Make them feel that lending them money is absolutely 'great value for money'.
And at this moment.
Seeing their excited expressions and listening to their conversation, Zhao Ruilong showed no disdain whatsoever.
He recalled the first time he rode the high-speed rail, and he was just as surprised, finding it incredible.
Having grown accustomed to slow, green trains that were similar to cars, riding a high-speed train at nearly 350 kilometers per hour for the first time was an experience that left me speechless with surprise and awe.
Especially at very high speeds, the carriage remains surprisingly smooth and quiet, which is naturally amazing and incredible for first-time riders.
Since you yourself have been amazed, why laugh at Leng Lifei and her husband for being unsophisticated?
As time went by...
The train continued its smooth journey, and the scenery outside the window wasn't particularly interesting.
The initial excitement between the couple gradually faded, and they were no longer as excited as children.
"Ruilong, how much did you invest in this high-speed railway again?"
Leng Lifei suddenly turned her head and asked with great curiosity.
Zhao Ruilong answered truthfully: "Including station construction, vehicle purchase, and personnel training, the total cost is 30 billion yuan, which translates to approximately 100 million yuan per kilometer!"
"You really do get what you pay for! This high-speed rail, which costs 100 million yuan per kilometer to build, is both fast and comfortable!"
As Leng Lifei spoke, she took out a pack of cigarettes from her handbag and offered them to Zhao Ruilong.
Zhao Ruilong quickly stopped him.
"Fei-jie, please put away your cigarettes! Smoking is not allowed on high-speed trains!"
"Huh? Why?"
Leng Lifei frowned in confusion and asked:
"Are you worried that our smoking in the back will affect the work of the engineers in the front?"
"Is it because there's so much advanced equipment on this comprehensive testing train that's currently undergoing joint commissioning and testing? Would smoking interfere with their work?"
Zhao Ruilong shook his head decisively.
"This is because, in order to ensure high-speed operation and provide passengers with a quiet and comfortable riding environment, the entire high-speed train is designed as a relatively enclosed space."
“If we smoke on the high-speed train, the smoke will spread to all the carriages through the air conditioning. Once the smoke alarm is triggered, it will cause the train to automatically slow down or even stop in an emergency.”
"If a train brakes suddenly, subsequent trains will be unable to run on time, affecting many passengers. Moreover, high-speed trains travel at high speeds, so if a fire breaks out, it will burn extremely rapidly..."
"Then why is it allowed to smoke in the connecting areas between carriages on old green trains?"
Dong Tian'ao suddenly interrupted and asked.
Zhao Ruilong smiled faintly.
"Because the old green trains are slow and not airtight!"
"When the train is running, the connection between the two carriages is like a draft from all sides."
"When passengers smoke there, the smoke is less likely to spread into the carriage and affect other passengers."
"Moreover, traditional green trains are pulled by locomotives, and the passenger carriages do not have power units, so there is no need to install smoke detectors to monitor for fires."
"High-speed trains, on the other hand, adopt a distributed power design in order to achieve high operating speeds. This means that each carriage has its own power unit, so fire prevention is crucial!"
Leng Lifei smiled and put the cigarette box away.
"Since there are all sorts of potential problems, then let's not smoke!"
"However, countless ordinary people have long been accustomed to riding green-skinned trains and being able to smoke in the connecting areas between carriages."
"If smoking is suddenly prohibited on high-speed trains, many people will probably find it hard to get used to it, and some heavy smokers might even hide and smoke secretly."
Zhao Ruilong nodded somewhat helplessly and said:
"You're right. No matter how much we promote education or how strictly we investigate and punish, there will always be people who secretly smoke!"
"But you have to get used to it, otherwise you'll cause a big problem. Even if you fine the person involved until they're bankrupt or even put them to death, it won't help!"
As a time traveler, Zhao Ruilong was well aware of the problems that would arise after the high-speed rail opened.
In a large country with over a billion people, not everyone has basic moral character.
Some people are selfish, harm others for their own benefit, have low moral character, or are mentally unstable...
In the era of self-media where information spreads rapidly.
Every now and then, some bizarre events that defy human understanding will emerge.
The world may be different, but human nature is the same.
Therefore, Zhao Ruilong is 100% certain that the bizarre events that happened on the high-speed train in another world will eventually happen in this world as well.
Speaking of smoking alone, there will inevitably be people who will ignore others' objections and smoke directly in the carriage, or take a chance and secretly smoke in the restroom.
As for those who occupy other people's seats and refuse to give them up, ignore noisy children, eat food with pungent smells, talk loudly on the phone, prevent others from adjusting their seat backs, have smelly feet and take off their shoes and socks, or block the doors and affect the operation of the high-speed train...
Besides these uncivilized behaviors that will inevitably occur sooner or later, there will certainly be some extremely harmful behaviors as well.
For example, there will definitely be people holding umbrellas on the platform, ignorant and fearless, unafraid of being electrocuted.
Even if the platform is equipped with intelligent lifting safety railings, there will always be people who climb over them to commit suicide.
Regarding such behaviors...
There is no other way but to legislate as soon as possible to ensure that there are laws to follow, and to increase publicity and education, patrols and surveillance, and punishment for violations.
Because of the large population, no matter how much eugenics is practiced, there will inevitably be some people who will not listen to reason and will do stupid things to commit suicide.
In particular, some people may appear normal, but in reality they lack common sense, moral character, and are not very bright.
There are also some people who have a lot of fallacies, such as children are too young to understand, the elderly should be infinitely tolerant, and you are petty if you don't give in, etc.
"It's almost time for the trial operation to start, so the ticket prices should be out by now, right? For example, how much will it cost from Jingzhou to Tianhai?"
After putting away her cigarette, Leng Lifei asked with great curiosity.
Only by knowing the ticket prices can she calculate how long it will take for this high-speed rail project, which has an investment of 30 billion yuan, to break even.
Upon hearing this, Dong Tian'ao looked at Zhao Ruilong with curiosity, also eager to know just how expensive the ticket price was for the fast and comfortable high-speed rail.
Faced with their curious gazes, Zhao Ruilong patiently answered:
"The ticket pricing for our high-speed rail line uses a base price plus a floating mechanism."
"The base price is 0.3366 yuan per person per kilometer for first-class seats and 0.2805 yuan per person per kilometer for second-class seats."
"We can adjust the price based on actual operating conditions, with a fluctuation of no more than 10% above or below this level..."
Dong Tian'ao impatiently urged:
"Just tell me how much you want. Why all the explanations?"
Leng Lifei immediately turned her head and glared at Dong Tian'ao.
"How do you talk?"
"That's just my personality; I don't like beating around the bush. Ruilong understands, right?"
Dong Tian'ao looked at Zhao Ruilong with a cheerful smile.
Zhao Ruilong laughed and said, "I understand. Then I'll be frank. From Jingzhou to Tianhai, the price for a first-class seat is 102, and for a second-class seat it's 74."
"It's so expensive!"
Dong Tian'ao asked incredulously:
"I remember taking a hard seat on a green-skinned train only cost around twenty yuan, right? A luxury bus is a bit more expensive, but it shouldn't cost more than sixty yuan!"
"Your second-class seat costs 74 yuan, which is far too expensive. Aren't you worried that not many people will be willing to take it after the line officially opens?"
Before Zhao Ruilong could even speak, Leng Lifei immediately launched into a rebuttal.
"What are you talking about?"
"Those green trains and long-distance buses are cheap, but what about the time?"
"It takes three or four hours to get there by those two things, while the fastest high-speed train will probably only take an hour!"
"Spending a few dozen yuan more can save you more than two hours. Isn't that a good deal for business travelers?"
"Moreover, the high-speed rail is quiet and comfortable. I think that once it opens, the business travel flow alone will make every train fully booked!"
"Besides, the investment, construction, and operating costs of high-speed rail are all higher than those of regular trains, so it's reasonable for it to be more expensive!"
"If you think it's too expensive and your time is worthless, then just take the old-fashioned green train or bus. Those two things haven't stopped running, you can still ride them!"
Leng Lifei's rebuke did not completely shut Dong Tian'ao up.
After glancing out the window, he turned back and said sourly:
"Even if a high-speed train can carry more than a thousand people, with an average ticket price of one hundred yuan per person, the total cost for one trip would be around one hundred thousand yuan."
"From morning till night, we schedule dozens of round trips a day, and every trip is fully booked. The gross income is several million a day, and it's only two or three billion a year."
"After deducting vehicle wear and tear, maintenance, staff salaries, water and electricity bills, etc., even if the net profit is over a billion a year, wouldn't it take twenty years to break even?"