ChinesementorLiLi(R)andhisLaoapprenticeBounyadethThepvongsadotrackmaintenanceworkatMeuangxayStationoftheChina-LaosRailwayinMeuangxay,Laos,July30,2026.(PhotobyPuHongsi/Xinhua)

VIENTIANE,Aug.2(Xinhua)--IntheearlyhoursofSaturday,atMeuangxayStationontheLaosectionoftheChina-LaosRailway,stationlightsshoneonthetracks.BounyadethThepvongsa,aLaotrackworker,movedsteadilyalongtherails,measuring,inspecting,andrepairingequipmenttoensurethesafeandsmoothoperationoftherailway.

"Master,theheightandalignmentdeviationsattherailjointshaveexceededthemaintenancestandards.Whatshouldwedo?"BounyadethaskedhisChinesementor,LiLi,inChinese.

LiandBounyadethareamentor-apprenticeteamattheMeuangxayComprehensiveMaintenanceWorkshop.Althoughtheycomefromdifferentcountries,theirlifejourneysshareremarkablesimilarities.Bothonceservedinthemilitarytodefendtheirrespectivehomelands.Today,theyshareanewmission--safeguardingtheChina-LaosRailway,asymboloffriendshipconnectingthetwonations.

Afterretiringfromthemilitary,Bounyadethlearnedthattherailwaywasabouttobeginoperationsanddecidedtoapplyforaposition."Laosnowhasitsfirstmodernrailway,andIwantedtobepartofit,"hesaid.

Toachievethatgoal,hebeganlearningChinesefromscratch.In2021,aftersuccessfullypassingtherecruitmentexamination,hebecameoneofthefirstLaoemployeesoftheLaos-ChinaRailwayCo.Ltd.(LCRC),whichoperatestheLaosectionoftherailway.

Whenhefirstjoinedthecompany,hefacedthreemajorchallenges:understandingChinesetechnicalterminology,masteringtheprinciplesofrailwayequipment,andmemorizingoperatingstandards.Libecameoneofthekeypeoplewhohelpedhimovercometheseobstacles.

AhighlyexperiencedrailwaymaintenancespecialistfromtheKaiyuanEngineeringSectionofChinaRailwayKunmingBureauGroupCo.,Ltd.,Lihasmorethan20yearsofexperienceinrailwaytrackmaintenance.InMarch2025,hewasassignedtotheMeuangxayComprehensiveMaintenanceWorkshopasforemanofthetrackmaintenanceteam.AfterlearningthatBounyadethhadalsoservedinthemilitary,thetwoquicklydevelopedastrongrapport.

Fromidentifyingtoolsandequipmenttoanalyzinginspectiondataanddevelopingmaintenancesolutions,Liturnedtheworksiteintoaclassroomandeverytaskintoapracticallesson.Hewasalwaysexceptionallymeticulouswhencheckingthequalityofassignments.

"Whydidthisproblemoccur?""Whatwouldhappenifatrainpassedoverthissection?"Facedwithhismentor'squestions,Bounyadethlearnedtocarefullyanalyzeeachsituationbeforeresponding.

Whilemaintaininghighstandards,Lisharedhisknowledgegenerously.Whendealingwithcomplexfaults,hewouldcrouchbesidethetracks,patientlyexplainingthetechnicalprinciplestimeandagain.Duringcriticalmaintenanceprocedures,hedemonstratedeverystepaccordingtostandardoperatingpractices.Underhisguidance,Bounyadethgraduallygrewintoaskilledtechniciancapableofindependentlycarryingouttrackmaintenanceworks.

Atwork,Liwasastrictteacher.Outsidework,hebecameaclosefriendofBounyadeth,whohadtaughtLieverydayLaophrasestohelphimadaptmorequicklytolifeinLaos.Duringtheirfreetime,thetwooftentalkedabouttheirhometowns,cultures,andthedevelopmentoftherailway.Overtime,theirrelationshipevolvedfrommentorandapprenticeintotrustedcolleaguesworkingsidebyside.

"Before,Iworeamilitaryuniformtoprotectmyhomeland.Now,Iwearaworkuniformtoprotecttherailway,"saidBounyadeth.

Lisharedthesamesentiment."Ensuringthesafetyoftherailwaymeansprotectingthejourneysofpeopleinbothcountriesandsupportingsocialdevelopment,"hesaid.

Asnightgavewaytodawn,severalhoursofintensivemaintenanceworkcametoanend.Allidentifiedequipmenthazardshadbeeneliminated,andnormalrailwayoperationsresumed.Afterputtingawaytheirtools,thementorandhisapprenticewalkedsidebysidealongthetracks,readytocontinuesafeguardingtherailwaytheybothproudlyserve.■

ChinesementorLiLi(R)arrangestoolswithhisLaoapprenticeBounyadethThepvongsaattheMeuangxayComprehensiveMaintenanceWorkshopoftheChina-LaosRailwayinMeuangxay,Laos,July30,2026.(PhotobyPuHongsi/Xinhua)

ChinesementorLiLi(R)andhisLaoapprenticeBounyadethThepvongsaarepicturedattheMeuangxayComprehensiveMaintenanceWorkshopoftheChina-LaosRailwayinMeuangxay,Laos,July30,2026.(PhotobyPuHongsi/Xinhua)