China Connection

Here's a story in the second smallest city - Yamada City, whose population is just 8000. Once the city was prosperous only because it was the largest coal-mining centre at a time still coal was considered one of the major energies, which later replaced in oil. In order to carry the coals the country built railways a lot. One of them ran across the city, but it was already abolished in 1989. Now we could only see the ruins of it, at least by last October.
Three guys started taking away the rail where tunnel covers- which lasted 2 months then they could remove the rail of 3,600 metres. People who witnessed the scene just thought that the city officials' getting rid of them in the hope of reconstructing something, but actually it was not.
It was not untill someone called the city whether to have removed the rails that they realised the rail was stolen by somebody. For them concerned, it was completely out of the blue once in a blue moon. Just they were amazed - total sum of 170 tons of steel over 3,600 metres where tunnel covered was disappeared.
Shortly after the police search, three men were arrested. They live near the site.
According to the sources concerned, the price of steel has been jumping up from twice to three times, because China has been importing so many oils and steels in order to catch up with its one of the most amazingly fast rapid rising economy, 9.5% in 2004, so 1 ton of scraps of steel can be bought around $210, besides the steel of rail is so fine that they can be sold more than $210. Actually three men carried 170 tos of 'fine' steel which could be sold in $40,000 ($230 per ton, slightly more than average price of scrap), which was not a bad idea for three men to 'work' in two months. Their work was done in a daytime, so noboby felt it's strange. But what we consider it's strange was they carried the rail inside the tunnel. At least it shows they had realised they were doing something wrong, reflecting a piece of conscience anyway.
It was a crime for three men to remove the rail, but it was a deserted rail. Their deed was against the criminal code, but it was in accordance with how to make use of the deserted facilities left unused, indeed it is a great idea to remove the deserted rail in order to sell China which has been desperately in need of steel.
We'd better not send three men to jail, instead, why not send them to a city congress to be representatives of city's benefit. This incident also shows how city officials know nothing to utilise their asset left untouched. It would be a great idea for them to embrace three men's 'good' idea on how to utilise assets like this.
Their removed rail was to connect with destination China, only to find them in jail, but in fact their idea is to connect with China in future. - Their China connection starts now.