Chapter 206: A Get-Rich-Quick Legend
"What's the matter with you—did you take gunpowder for breakfast?"
He Feiyang was genuinely surprised. He knew Director Lai Xiangrong well—this old colleague had always been cautious, composed, never the fiery or emotional type. But now he was storming in with thunder in his eyes and a triumphant look. What had gotten into him?
"See for yourself." Lai slapped a folder onto the desk, practically glowing with satisfaction and just a hint of vengeance. His look said it all: revenge is sweet.
He Feiyang, puzzled, picked up the file and began flipping through it.
What he read made his eyes widen in disbelief.
"This Zhongcheng Mining… and this Taluge Copper-Gold Project… This is a Chinese company?"
"Of course it is!"
Lai finally felt vindicated, finally had his moment. He had endured a humiliating afternoon of scolding, but now he could fight back with facts. "It's a company invested in by Hualü General Company."
"But the front page says the report was submitted by Li Tang, and the license belongs to Zhongcheng Mining. Since when did it become your company?" He Feiyang asked, genuinely confused.
"We invested in Zhongcheng. We're one of the major shareholders!" Lai replied, brimming with confidence. He was no longer the same man who had been hunched over under pressure earlier that day.
"Not bad!" He Feiyang stood up, hands behind his back, and began pacing. "This is the kind of story that could shake the world. And you guys were in on it before anyone else. So the rumors were true."
"We invested fifteen million yuan!"
Lai couldn't exactly produce the bank receipt on the spot, but he didn't need to. "Director He, you spent all afternoon criticizing me for poor financial planning, especially for making large investments. But look at this—fifteen million into a world-class deposit. Isn't that a brilliant move?"
Well, damn.
He Feiyang looked at Lai with a mix of resignation and awkwardness. It was clear he had been overly harsh earlier in the day.
Now? His earlier criticism looked like a bad joke.
He had egg on his face.
But taking back what he'd said would be even worse.
"You should've told me earlier that you had such a promising investment. I've been completely in the dark!"
He suddenly recalled how during their earlier conversation, Lai looked distracted—half-asleep even. Turns out, the man had been holding an ace the whole time!
"Temporary losses mean nothing in the big picture," Lai said righteously. "With a mine like Taluge, even if we lose 100 million in a year, we still have to invest. We can't let short-term numbers cloud long-term vision."
Who is he calling shortsighted now? He Feiyang thought, rolling his eyes.
Lai was now rubbing salt in the wound.
He showed no signs of old age as he rode this wave of triumph.
"You win," He said with a laugh, shaking his head. "Maybe I went too far this afternoon. If I said anything inappropriate, I apologize."
"Oh no, no, no—Director He doesn't need to apologize to us," Lai said graciously, though his face clearly enjoyed every second. He unscrewed the lid of his thermos and took a big gulp of strong tea before offering a carefully rehearsed conclusion: "Your guidance has always been invaluable to us. At Hualü, we take your criticisms to heart. Your direction is what helped us make the wise choice to invest in Zhongcheng Mining!"
"Now you're talking my language," He Feiyang chuckled, finally feeling a bit better.
"So tell me," he added, "is Hualü the controlling shareholder?"
"No," Lai said, shaking his head.
Luo Qinzhong added, "We hold six percent."
"Six percent?" He Feiyang raised an eyebrow. "You've been bragging all this time, and it turns out you're just a small shareholder?"
"The majority stake belongs to Li Tang and Wukuang Group," Luo clarified.
"You mean the same Li Tang who discovered the Yunshang Bauxite deposit?" He Feiyang asked, eyes lighting up.
"That's him. He also found the Qulong and Qinglong copper deposits," Lai confirmed.
"I knew he was a young guy in his twenties… I didn't think he'd stay this good," He Feiyang said with a sigh. "I've heard his name so many times. I've never met him, but I really need to. I want to see for myself if this young man has three heads and six arms."
…
At the banquet that night, Qian Hao—as usual—entered his element. He was always at his best in noisy, lively environments.
Of course, he didn't want to enjoy it alone. He immediately picked up the phone and called Luo Yi Molybdenum's general manager, Cui Mingyuan.
"Cui! What are you doing?"
"I'm in the office. The meeting's over?"
Qian Hao had a direct line. Even though Cui was his boss, he never stood on ceremony.
"You're still working? Get to Yanjing now! You can still make it if you leave immediately!"
"I'm in Luoyi. If I drive to Yanjing, I won't get there till after midnight."
"This celebration's missing you, Boss!"
"What's the big deal? You sound like someone won the lottery."
"I'm telling you—our 25 million yuan investment? The return is maxed out!"
"What investment?"
"The Zhongcheng Mining shareholder meeting. What do you think I'm talking about? Don't tell me you forgot. The one where I begged you to invest!"
"Oh, that." Cui's tone turned serious. "What did they say? You're so hyped, I'm afraid if I don't tie you down, you'll float into the sky."
"If Zhongcheng Mining were a listed company, its stock would've gone up 100 times today!"
"They found a deposit at Taluge?" Cui guessed instantly.
He had approved the 25 million yuan investment at Qian Hao's insistence. It had been a huge sum for Luo Yi Molybdenum. If anything had gone wrong, Cui would be the one held accountable—not Qian.
So he had kept close tabs on the project, even though news had been scarce.
"If it were just a deposit, I wouldn't be calling you like this," Qian laughed proudly. "They found a world-class deposit!"
Cui fell silent.
"23 million tons of copper. 760 tons of gold," Qian finally said. "Li Tang says that with further drilling, copper could hit 30 million tons. Gold over 1,000 tons!"
A long silence followed on the other end.
Then Cui said slowly, "That's a big mine."
"A world-class mine!" Qian cackled. "We're about to make a killing!"
"I have an important engagement tonight. I can't make it to Yanjing."
Cui sounded genuinely regretful. "Give Li Tang three toasts for me."
"Three? I'll give him thirty!" Qian was practically bouncing with joy.
"Oh—and ask him if he has time to help us find a molybdenum deposit."
"I've been meaning to. If Li Tang agrees, I guarantee we'll find a world-class moly deposit too! China has some of the best molybdenum geology in the world. If he takes charge, it's only a matter of time."
"If he's willing to help, you name the price."
"If you trust me, Boss, I'll go through fire for you."
…
Night fell across China.
Meanwhile, in the distant Western Hemisphere, dawn broke over Toronto, Canada.
Early birds were out hunting worms.
Elvin had just returned from Kulun and arrived early at the Financial Post headquarters.
Editor-in-Chief Joseph had just opened his office door when Elvin bounded in like a rabbit.
"Elvin, you've been gone so long I thought you'd disappeared!" Joseph joked.
"I've been in Kulun, in Mengguo. You knew that."
"No small talk. Let's get to it. Remember the guy I told you about?" Elvin asked, clearly holding something big.
"Who?"
Joseph dealt with too many names to remember every single one.
"That miraculous young man from China!" Elvin said, visibly excited.
"From China?" Joseph laughed. "What is he, a kung fu master?"
He tried lifting his leg but nearly pulled a muscle. Age had clearly caught up.
"No, he doesn't know kung fu."
"Then why should I care? He's not a Hollywood action star. Our readers don't care about some Chinese guy unless he's punching through bricks on screen."
Joseph was ready to dismiss it until Elvin said,
"This man's story has everything our readers love: money, mystery, power—and an unbelievable twist."
Elvin dropped his notes and photos on the desk. "It's a story about getting rich overnight. I promise you—people will buy newspapers for this!"
"Really?" Joseph leaned in. "Tell me the story."
"His name is Li Tang. He bought an exploration license in Mengguo from BHP Tuo for $8 million…"
Joseph's ears perked up. "Now that's a good start. Everyone loves a David-vs-Goliath story—especially when BHP is the Goliath."
Elvin continued, "Then he launched exploration and discovered a world-class copper-gold deposit. A massive one."
Joseph blinked. "How much did he make?"
"The company isn't public, and the exact profits are unclear."
"Then how do we report it?"
"I consulted some mining analysts. They estimate the value of that single license is already in the billions."
"Eight million in, billions out? From under BHP's nose?"
Joseph clutched his head. "It's like a hyena stealing a gazelle from a lion!"
"This is madness. Glorious madness!"
"It's all true," Elvin said firmly. "It's a rags-to-riches story that could make headlines across the world. And it ties directly into BHP—a name every investor knows."
"Is the data confirmed?"
"Yes," Elvin said confidently. "I brought back firsthand reports from Mengguo's Mineral and Petroleum Authority."
"This story's gold. If we don't publish it now, someone else will beat us to it."
And they both knew—news is all about timing.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime scoop.
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