The heavy rubber wheels of the Class-Five high-pressure hand-truck squeaked in steady beat as Shen Shitou jogged down the center upkeep aisle.
The young ironworker had the massive steel cart slung behind him with one hand. It carried four three-inch-wide, heavy-duty ratchet tie-down straps over his opposite shoulder.
“Class-Five hand-truck on site, Master!” Shitou rumbled proudly, setting the steel nose plate onto the bronze pipe hub with a heavy CLANG. “Rated for fifteen metric tons. Dual high-pressure lifting rams, cast-iron caster wheels, and polyurethane tread.”
Frank stepped forward, inspecting the cart with a practiced nod.
“Good equipment,” Frank said, testing the high-pressure pump lever with his boot. “Always inspect your lift metal tube seals before rigging a dense, packed load. Fourteen tons of solid gold sitting on a narrow balance point will blow out a cheap O-ring in two seconds flat. And remember: when we strap this thing down, two straps over the shoulders, two across the hips. Cross-brace the tie-downs to prevent lateral roll during transport.”
Princess Ling’er and Niu Mang stepped up to help, their denim gloves catching the golden reflections of the statue.
“We’ll chock the wheels before loading, Master,” Niu Mang said, kicking two heavy three-sided rubber wedges behind the hand-truck tires. “Zero roll-away risk on the slope.”
