Chapter 279 It's About to Emerge!
On the seventh day of the lunar new year, Li Tang returned to Yanjing.
Niu Fu, Qin Jianshe, and Zhao Hepu had already been waiting for him.
"Before the holiday, we negotiated with Huaye Group. They've been confirmed as the general contractor for the Taleguo copper-gold mine construction. Other related projects, such as railways, power plants, and water resources, will be subcontracted to domestic companies."
Niu Fu handed Li Tang a report and briefly summarized the situation: "For heavy mining equipment, we've initially settled on Dalian Heavy Industries' equipment, using their 220-ton mining trucks. Our domestic technology is still somewhat behind foreign alternatives, and the price isn't significantly cheaper. But I still prefer domestic equipment, especially for the tires. Each tire costs around 500,000 yuan and is a major consumable. Purchasing domestically is more cost-effective in terms of transportation and price."
"I agree," Li Tang replied readily, preparing to take a hands-off approach regarding the Taleguo project, given his numerous other responsibilities.
"You're the leader and cornerstone of Zhongcheng Mining. What exactly are your thoughts on this project?" Niu Fu sensed Li Tang wasn't fully focused, which worried him.
"Of course, I fully support investing immediately in the Taleguo copper-gold mine!" Li Tang laughed lightly.
Niu Fu handed over a financing proposal: "Zhongcheng Mining holds 100% of the Taleguo mine's rights. Although we haven't conducted a formal economic evaluation, based on market conditions, we've initially valued Zhongcheng Mining at 10 billion yuan to raise 10 billion in financing. If you can't provide your 3.4 billion yuan share, your stake would be diluted down to 17%."
"Who's providing the funds?" Li Tang quickly scanned the critical data.
"Several shareholders are willing to invest. Those who put in more money will obtain more shares. The details can be finalized later." In truth, Niu Fu desperately wanted Li Tang's diluted shares but coming up with an extra 3.4 billion yuan was exceedingly difficult.
"Let's proceed according to this financing plan," Li Tang agreed. "I have another suggestion. It's now basically clear I'm no longer the largest shareholder."
"But you still hold veto power on the board," Niu Fu reminded.
"I won't misuse my veto. As long as decisions are reasonable and beneficial to all, I'll support them." Li Tang turned towards Qin Jianshe sitting next to Niu Fu. "It's clear I won't have much time this year to focus on the Taleguo project."
"You still consider the iron mine project in South Australia more important?" Niu Fu was puzzled by Li Tang's decision. "Or perhaps the copper exploration in the Magnesium Nation?"
"All projects are important. It's just a question of limited energy," Li Tang clarified, pointing towards Qin Jianshe. "Given I'm no longer the largest shareholder and can't actively participate, I propose resigning as Zhongcheng Mining's General Manager and recommend Minister Qin Jianshe for this position."
Upon hearing this, Qin Jianshe instinctively wanted to decline. Managing a project worth 15 billion yuan was an immense responsibility, carrying enormous risk.
Zhao Hepu also stared in astonishment. The position Li Tang was relinquishing was extraordinarily significant, carrying immense potential. If successful, Zhongcheng Mining could become a titan comparable to the Wukuang Group, producing 500,000 tons of copper annually with a turnover surpassing 10 billion yuan. Privately, discussions had already begun about replacing Li Tang, who was clearly overextended.
Yet nobody expected Li Tang to nominate Qin Jianshe. Within Zhongcheng Mining and among its major shareholders, Li Tang's opinion carried enormous weight. His suggestion essentially finalized the decision, especially since no other strong candidate existed.
Qin Jianshe, just a year prior, had risen from Deputy General Manager at Wukuang Exploration to the Technical Department Head of the entire Wukuang Group. Now, just a year later, he was being elevated yet again, a remarkably rapid ascent that left everyone amazed. If appointed, Qin would directly engage with industry giants like Niu Fu, Chen Jinghe of Purple Mining, and Lai Xiangrong of Hualü Group.
Zhao Hepu felt a pang of envy. Although he considered himself one of Li Tang's close friends, Qin clearly held a more intimate connection, dating back to introducing Li Tang to Wukuang and having been classmates with Li Tang's father.
Niu Fu finally broke the silence: "Are you truly stepping back?"
"I'm not fully stepping away; I remain the chairman. I'll always be ready to help whenever needed," Li Tang reassured. He looked at Qin Jianshe, then at Niu Fu. "Minister Qin currently holds a significant position within Wukuang Group. Zhongcheng Mining, strictly speaking, is private—even though only one shareholder is private and the others state-owned. Moving him over needs your approval."
Turning to Qin, he added, "Minister Qin values his status within Wukuang. Completely leaving the group wouldn't be wise. Maybe there's a win-win solution?"
"After the financing, Wukuang Group will become the largest shareholder of Zhongcheng Mining, effectively making it our subsidiary," Niu Fu acknowledged. "Minister Qin can retain his position in Wukuang Group and serve concurrently as General Manager of Zhongcheng."
"Then that settles it."
The finalized plans were communicated to all major shareholders, who quickly convened, voted, and approved the decisions.
Meanwhile, exploration continued in South Australia's iron ore region, particularly in the Hamori Mountains, yielding promising initial results. He Runqi led dozens of workers from his hometown, boarding a plane once again to tackle the vast, red earth.
The main task for Shazhai Molybdenum was securing its mining license—a complicated process repeatedly delayed. A small team would suffice for this administrative work, regularly updating and resubmitting applications.
Exploration at Gongcun Copper-Gold Mine had mostly halted, with key mineral deposits thoroughly mapped. Further exploration had become economically unjustifiable due to low returns.
Headquarters operations remained stable under Dai Yingchi and Zhou Zhihan's supervision. With all projects arranged, Li Tang gathered several multilingual technicians and flew directly to Magnesium Nation.
Meeting Kristo, Alice, and Collier at the port, he boarded a small yacht bound for Alaska. Following closely behind was a small cargo ship loaded with thousands of tons of necessary exploration and drilling equipment.
Li Tang spent nearly the entire voyage miserably seasick, vomiting continuously. The boat's incessant swaying proved too much for him during his first prolonged sea journey.
"You don't need to personally attend every project," Alice gently scolded while patting his back.
Bent over the railing, Li Tang rinsed his mouth, unable to straighten up without another wave of nausea hitting him. He had nothing left in his stomach to expel, and was barely able to speak.
Kristo, arms folded, faced the sea breeze effortlessly, mocking lightly, "He made a bet with Collier. If they fail to find a copper deposit exceeding ten million tons, he'll resign from the board and sell all his shares in Northern Dynasty Mining. If this project fails, his shares will be worthless. Of course, he has to come."
Alice, having endured her father's relentless teasing, sharply defended Li Tang, "He made that bet precisely because he has the expertise and confidence to win!"
"Let's hope so," Kristo replied dryly. Terrence assigned him here due to his supposed rapport with Li Tang. Internally, Freeport Copper-Gold Company had little enthusiasm for this exploration project. Their strategy traditionally favored acquisitions over high-risk exploration.
Fortunately, calm seas persisted until their arrival at Bristol Bay in southwestern Alaska, home to the world's largest salmon fishery, renowned for the spectacle of salmon migrating upriver each year.
Traveling northward by boat along the river, the group reached the Pebble Project area. As Li Tang finally set foot on firm ground, he felt life return to his weary body.
Picking up a rock, he recognized the mottled reddish-black coloration typical of intrusive rock, formed from magma surging upward from deep within the Earth, gradually cooling at the surface.
Beneath their feet, wherever bedrock peeked through Quaternary sediments, it was invariably intrusive rock. Situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire, this landscape had once hosted active volcanoes spewing molten rock and smoke into perpetually darkened skies, creating unique geological conditions ideal for ore deposits—particularly porphyry copper deposits, currently the industry's most coveted geological formation.
Collier led Li Tang to a prominent fault running north-south across the central project area. "Here's the fault I mentioned."
"Is it normal or reverse?" Li Tang inquired.
"A normal fault, with the hanging wall displaced downward," Collier confidently replied, fully familiar with the local geology.
"Then that makes sense," Li Tang nodded.
"What exactly makes sense?" Kristo asked, puzzled.
"The geological layer to the east of the fault is the hanging wall. During geological activities, this hanging wall moved downward. If I'm right, the mineral-bearing layers must have slipped downward as well, hidden beneath the surface." Li Tang pointed downward. "That's why I've been insisting we focus exploration efforts to the east side of the fault—there should be even more undiscovered ore bodies down there!"
"That possibility exists, but it's not guaranteed," Collier remarked cautiously. He agreed with Li Tang's reasoning to some extent but wasn't entirely convinced. After all, geology was always about probabilities rather than certainties.
"Possibility?" Kristo, more experienced in mining development than exploration, frowned. "How probable is it that we'll find the ore?"
"It's hard to say," Collier admitted, pointing eastward. "To the east of the fault, no mineral outcrops are visible on the surface. We can't be certain the ore deposits exist deeper underground, displaced by the fault."
"So what should we do now?" Kristo asked impatiently.
"The only way is to drill," Collier replied. "We conducted geophysical surveys, but the results couldn't conclusively confirm underground deposits."
"Then start drilling!" Li Tang decisively intervened. "Has the cargo ship delivering the drilling rigs arrived? Is the equipment unloaded?"
"The rigs have already been moved to the camp," Collier said. "But we need to carefully select the best location for our first drilling hole."
Though Collier had a bet with Li Tang, his professional integrity prevented him from deliberately drilling in pointless locations. At this stage, it was undeniable that Magnesium Nation's exploration technology was far ahead of China's. While domestic companies still transported heavy drilling equipment by hand into mountains, here specialized tracked machinery easily carried several tons of equipment through rugged terrain.
The first drill began operating, its diesel engine roaring day and night, echoing through the quiet wilderness. After several days, a technician hurried into camp shouting excitedly at Collier, "We've hit ore! Measurements confirm copper and gold grades significantly higher than those to the west. Copper content is consistently over 0.5%, and gold averages around 0.4 grams per ton!"
"Really?" Collier was slightly taken aback.
"Most importantly, the ore body appears extremely thick—it's massive!"
"I'll go check immediately!" Collier rushed out, glancing at Li Tang's tent but saw nobody inside. He hurried to the drilling site. Examining the rock cores, he confirmed the east side indeed contained ore bodies richer and thicker than those previously identified in the west.
To the west, the discovered copper-gold deposits had been minimal, showing only slight mineralization with no real economic value. Now, finding richer deposits east of the fault meant the potential orebody could extend broadly in both directions, possibly creating a vast continuous deposit.
Kristo had grown bored at camp. Seeing Collier return covered in dirt yet glowing with excitement, he asked, "What's happened, Collier?"
"We've found ore on the east side—far superior to the west!" Collier declared confidently. "Li's guess was right. There are indeed hidden deposits below ground, richer and thicker!"
"Is that so?" Kristo shared his excitement. Nothing was more exhilarating than discovering ore in the desolate wilderness.
"We haven't completed the first drilling hole yet, but this is already an astonishing discovery," Collier explained, gesturing widely. "The mineralized layer could be several hundred meters thick or even more. Below the surface cover, the entire underground area might be ore-bearing."
"That's truly remarkable," Kristo laughed.
"We've worked here over a year, and Teck Resources explored the western side for more than a decade, yet never encountered such promising deposits," Collier clenched his fists excitedly. "I think we've finally found something big!"
"Where are Li Tang and Alice? Didn't they go with you?" Kristo had glanced toward their tent earlier and found it empty.
"I didn't see them," Collier shrugged.
"So where did they go?"
"Maybe they're having a romantic moment in the woods," Collier joked crudely, a habit developed to relieve monotony. "Li sure knows how to enjoy himself—bringing a beautiful secretary into the wilderness while the rest of us won't see women for months."
The technicians following Collier chuckled quietly.
"Alice is my daughter—I won't allow such jokes," Kristo snapped, irritated by the conversation. He stomped away, heavy boots crunching on the rocky path, heading eastward. After passing the drilling site, he continued further, finally spotting Li Tang and Alice by a small river several kilometers away, along with a few women from the logistics staff.
They were fishing.
Kristo silently approached, bending down to scoop some river water in his hands. Finding it shockingly cold, he quickly abandoned his plan to drink it. These rivers flowed southward from northern glaciers into Bristol Bay, icy-cold year-round.
"Dad!" Alice had been resting her head on Li Tang's back, visibly tired, when she suddenly noticed her father and startled upright.
Li Tang, seated on a larger stone holding a fishing rod, turned his head and offered a bright smile. Kristo felt his anger flare but managed to contain it, calmly asking, "Caught any fish?"
"Not yet," Li Tang shook his head regretfully. "Perhaps it's too cold, and the fish aren't biting."
"Then my preparation of wasabi was wasted," Kristo grumbled, feeling annoyed—not so much about missing sashimi but out of deep sympathy for his daughter. Unrequited love was painful; he'd experienced it himself, understanding Alice's silent struggle.
"Why did you come here?" Alice stood up, no longer leaning against Li Tang.
"Collier says the drilling hit ore—it's high-grade and thick," Kristo shared the news.
Suddenly, Li Tang's rod jerked. "Oh, here we go!" he exclaimed joyfully, pulling up his line to reveal a tiny thumb-sized fish thrashing on the hook.
"Wow!" Alice clapped excitedly at this modest success after waiting all morning.
"Unfortunately, too small," Li Tang gently unhooked the fish and released it back into the river.
Kristo felt awkwardly unnecessary. Frustrated, he raised his voice slightly, repeating, "Did you hear me? We've discovered ore!"
"Yes, I heard," Li Tang nodded calmly.
"Your reaction is infuriatingly mild!" Kristo had expected Li Tang to be thrilled, but his cool demeanor was frustrating.
"Did Collier mention his next plans?" Li Tang set his rod aside, finally giving Kristo attention.
Still annoyed, Kristo relayed Collier's plans, "He's already moving additional drilling rigs from camp to the east. Clearly, the eastern side holds far greater exploration potential."
"He made the right decision," Li Tang stood up, stretching lazily. "Let's head back to camp."
"No more fishing?" Alice asked, disappointed. At camp, boredom dominated; she mostly stared at the sky or accompanied Li Tang fishing, time passing slowly. Leaning against Li Tang, listening to his steady heartbeat, she often drifted into a pleasant drowsy state.
"We should pack up," Li Tang said seriously, glancing toward Kristo's retreating figure. "Life out here is too boring."
You find this boring? Kristo nearly exploded, inwardly furious at what Li Tang might have done with his daughter.
As they walked back, carrying several fish caught by the logistic women, Alice asked curiously, "You're not staying here for the exploration?"
"Not me—you," Li Tang replied seriously. "A pretty girl among so many men is risky. At first, everyone restrains themselves, but over time, someone might do something dangerous."
"Exactly what I've been thinking!" Kristo snapped irritably.
"Tomorrow, when logistics staff leave to resupply, go with them and fly back to Australia," Li Tang instructed gently. Alice had come mainly to experience field exploration and fully grasp the company's operations, but her presence distracted and worried Kristo too much.
"Alright," Alice reluctantly agreed, understanding her role back home required her attention.
After Alice's departure, camp life became even more monotonous. Yet news of ore discoveries from drilling came frequently, each more exciting than the last. In this isolated, icy wilderness, something extraordinary was slowly being revealed—an ore deposit potentially rivaling the Taleguo copper-gold mine.
Due to its strategic location and favorable investment environment, the Pebble Project would undoubtedly capture global mining giants' attention. This was a deposit so significant even the Magnesium Nation's presidents would take notice.
It was finally about to emerge before the eyes of the world.
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