Chapter 214: Lofty Ambitions
This interview had been a false alarm.
Li Tang finally felt relieved. Before going, he had feared he had made some kind of serious mistake.
Back at the Yunding Building, he found that Cui Mingyuan and Qian Hao had been waiting for a long time.
"You're finally here!" Qian Hao was clearly excited to see him.
Cui Mingyuan also stood up to greet him. "At last. We were getting worried."
They had agreed to meet earlier that morning, but after arriving, they had not seen Li Tang.
"Sorry, I got a last-minute call from the Mineral Resources Administration. They asked me to come in for a talk, so I was delayed."
Li Tang looked apologetic. It was true he had broken their appointment at the last minute.
He shook hands with Cui Mingyuan and Qian Hao one by one.
Today, Qian Hao was dressed in a solemn black suit, a rare sight. His usual playful expression was gone. Clearly, this meeting was important—or maybe there was something more going on.
What surprised Li Tang even more was that Cui Mingyuan and Qian Hao's positions in the room clearly suggested they were flanking another man—a stranger—as if offering him deference.
"And this is...?" Li Tang looked curiously at the unfamiliar man standing between them.
"Yu Yong," the man replied, extending his hand.
He was a sharp-eyed, bespectacled young man in his thirties.
"Yu Yong?" Li Tang was caught off guard, assuming he must be a senior figure in Luoyi Molybdenum.
From the posture of the others, it was clear that this man held high status.
"I'm a board member of Kunshang Group," Yu Yong introduced himself.
"Kunshang Group?" Li Tang was even more puzzled.
"Right now, Luoyi Molybdenum is in talks with Kunshang Group. We've already signed a cooperation agreement. Within a year or two, Kunshang will take a controlling stake in Luoyi Molybdenum, and the company will be restructured," Cui Mingyuan briefly explained.
"Oh—"
Li Tang still felt a bit foggy, but vague memories began to emerge in his mind.
"To be frank, Luoyi Molybdenum has been struggling in recent years. It's not as successful as it appears from the outside," Cui said, not trying to hide the company's difficulties.
"The 25 million yuan we invested in Zhongcheng Mining actually came from Kunshang Group, though it was done under Luoyi Molybdenum's name," Qian Hao added, suddenly serious in tone.
These few sentences clarified everything—Luoyi Molybdenum had a major backer.
And more importantly, it meant they had deep pockets.
Li Tang looked at Yu Yong, who was also studying him intently. "Looks like I underestimated you, Mr. Yu. I've heard of your reputation."
"No, I've heard all about you."
Yu Yong seemed more surprised than Li Tang was. "You really are as young as they say!"
"You're young too," Li Tang said politely.
Seeing that everyone was still standing, he motioned for them to sit down, his gaze lingering on Yu Yong.
At that moment, more and more memories began to surface.
Yu Yong—could he be that future capital tycoon known as the "Invisible Merchant"?
As the puzzle pieces fell into place, everything made more sense.
If he was right, then a year from now, Kunshang Group would officially take control of Luoyi Molybdenum, restructuring its shares and holding 49%.
Three or four years after that, the company would go public in Hong Kong.
This string of moves would see Yu Yong invest just over 100 million and walk away with a net worth of 30 billion.
This deal had once shocked the entire investment world.
And it was this legendary investment that made Yu Yong the long-term richest man in Huazhou Province.
Because of his low profile and the secrecy surrounding his background, he earned the nickname "Invisible Merchant."
"Back in the summer, President Cui and Qian Hao told me about your story—how you founded Zhongcheng Mining and started exploration in Mongolia. We at Kunshang Group immediately held a board meeting and unanimously approved the 25 million yuan investment!"
Yu Yong recalled their past interactions, quickly establishing rapport. "I must say, Qian Hao has a good eye."
"Looking at it now, that was a brilliant investment," Cui Mingyuan added.
Li Tang smiled slightly, his thoughts complicated.
He had assumed Luoyi Molybdenum was a state-owned enterprise—which it still was, technically. He just hadn't realized it was slowly transitioning into a private firm.
At this moment, his feelings about collaborating on a molybdenum project with them began to shift.
"You're here today to talk about launching a molybdenum project?" he asked, puzzled.
After all, Kunshang Group was investing heavily in taking over Luoyi Molybdenum. That required a lot of money.
Now they wanted to start a new exploration project on top of that. In Li Tang's mind, that seemed risky.
Moreover, Luoyi Molybdenum already controlled the largest molybdenum mine in the country—they weren't lacking in resources.
"Of course, if we can get your help, Luoyi Molybdenum is definitely willing to invest!"
As general manager, Cui Mingyuan certainly hoped the company could acquire more mineral resources. "You helped Huazhou Aluminum discover the Yunshang Bauxite Mine. That proves you're very familiar with the region's geology. Plus, Huazhou is the top molybdenum-producing province, with 30% of the country's resources. If you lead the search, our chances of success are high."
"Our goal is to help Luoyi Molybdenum become the industry leader," Yu Yong added with confidence.
Clearly, their acquisition of Luoyi Molybdenum was part of a bigger plan.
In the domestic molybdenum industry, Luoyi Molybdenum was already among the top three.
Just then, Alice entered and handed Li Tang a report. "Here's the project feasibility study you requested."
"Thank you."
Li Tang glanced at the cover but didn't place it on the table. He kept it rolled up in his hand.
His original intention had been to reveal his plans today and share the feasibility study to kick off their cooperation.
However, the project wasn't based in Huazhou Province, as Cui had hoped. It was in Huizhou Province.
Noticing Li Tang's hesitation, Yu Yong remained calm and asked, "Mr. Li, do you have concerns about our identity or our capabilities?"
"Neither. I have full confidence in all of you, especially in President Yu," Li Tang replied, realizing his expression had probably revealed too much.
As he said, he had no doubt about Yu Yong's strength—especially his financial power.
Here was a true investment predator. Someone this young, already investing over 100 million and stepping into a resources giant, clearly had deep backing.
But that's exactly what made Li Tang wary.
Yu Yong's reputation as an "Invisible Merchant" came with a history—he had fought and won many lawsuits, taken over shares, and even seized control of companies.
This was a group that made its living through massive acquisitions.
"I know you have a strong background in state-owned enterprises," Yu Yong said kindly, trying to build rapport. "But private companies can shine in the mining industry too. You're a technical expert and now an entrepreneur—an all-rounder. If you collaborate with Kunshang or Luoyi Molybdenum, you're bound to reach even greater heights."
"I admire your ambition and your vision."
After thinking for a moment, Li Tang asked, "Forgive the question, but why does Kunshang want to invest in Luoyi Molybdenum?"
"Because it owns the largest molybdenum deposit in the country—that's reason enough," Yu Yong chuckled. "You're the expert in mineral resources. You understand its potential better than we do."
"Luoyi has just one mine, but with reserves of two million tons of molybdenum. That's number one in China, and number two globally," Cui Mingyuan added.
"So if we work together on a molybdenum project, do you have any expectations or investment plans in mind?" Li Tang asked.
"We've already discussed this. We want to follow the same model as your successful project with Huazhou Aluminum," said Cui.
They clearly had done their homework. Back then, Huazhou Aluminum paid just under 3 million yuan and ended up with a large-scale bauxite mine.
That project was now a case study in geological circles.
But Li Tang's perspective had changed since then.
Back then, he was still an employee at Wukuang Group, earning 800 yuan a month.
Now, things were different. His lifestyle was secure. Every project he took on now involved major financial interests.
"What exactly is the cooperation model you're proposing?" he asked.
"We heard that with Huazhou Aluminum, you were paid 10,000 yuan for every 100,000 tons of bauxite discovered."
"For molybdenum, we propose 100,000 yuan for every 10,000 tons," said Cui.
"A deposit of 10,000 tons already qualifies as a small mine," Li Tang chuckled.
"Huazhou Province has rich molybdenum reserves. With your expertise, I believe we could find a large, or even a super-large deposit," Cui said.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Li Tang said, his smile fading. Then he shook his head. "To be blunt, I'm no longer interested in 100,000- or million-level projects. You're also shareholders in Zhongcheng Mining, so you know we're still actively exploring at Talego. We're extremely busy."
Hearing this, Cui Mingyuan and Qian Hao exchanged awkward glances.
But Yu Yong wasn't discouraged. On the contrary, he became more intrigued by Li Tang. "People say you're precocious, and now I see it myself. Sounds like you have something bigger in mind?"
"A company like Luoyi Molybdenum was built on a two-million-ton deposit," Li Tang said, eyes gleaming with confidence. "What if I told you I plan to build another company of that size? Would you still think a hundred-thousand-yuan deal means anything?"
"Another Luoyi Molybdenum?" Yu Yong had been sitting calmly, arms folded. Now his posture changed, clearly shocked.
"You came to talk about cooperation, and I thought we shared the same grand vision," Li Tang said with a sigh. "Now I see you only see me as a regular technician."
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