Chapter 79: We Can't Just Give Up
Li Tang returned to his office at the company and sat for a while. Around him, the talk was all about Zhou Tianqi's upcoming retirement and speculation over who the next general manager would be.
After a night of consideration, he went to the hotel where Han Dexun and Zhou Zhenxing were staying—just across the street from Wukuang Group.
Inside their hotel room, the mood was tense. Han and Zhou stared at the ceiling, anxious and helpless.
They were like ants on a hot pan, desperately wanting information, yet terrified that the news would be bad.
When they heard that Li Tang had finally arrived, they arranged to meet on the third floor of the hotel café. They didn't actually drink coffee—it was just the quietest spot to talk.
"Li Tang's here!"
They pressed their faces to the window, watching him enter through the hotel's main doors. Each of them instinctively straightened their clothes and stood up—as if they were about to greet a high-ranking official.
"Director Han, Captain Zhou." Li Tang walked over and greeted them calmly.
After a few brief pleasantries, Han Dexun couldn't wait to speak. "When I first arrived in Yanjing, I had some good conversations with President Zhao. Thanks to him, I even got to meet General Manager Niu and President Ou. They were very warm. But then… I don't know what went wrong. Suddenly, I couldn't get in touch with anyone. I called President Zhao multiple times—he kept saying he was busy, couldn't meet. I'm starting to worry Wukuang Group has already handed the project to another unit…"
"Director Han, you don't need to say any more. I know what's going on," Li Tang interrupted gently.
Han and Zhou exchanged glances.
So he really did know. That meant Li Tang had access to internal information they couldn't even begin to touch. It confirmed their suspicion—he was much more connected to the upper levels of Wukuang Group than he appeared.
This young man—definitely not ordinary.
"Have they already signed with someone else?" Han asked, his face tightening as he braced for bad news.
"No." Li Tang didn't sugarcoat anything. "So far, the only organization that's had in-depth talks with Wukuang about the Qulong detailed exploration project is yours."
"Then why are they suddenly ghosting us?" Han's expression shifted from despair to cautious hope.
"It's complicated—like looking through fogged glass. Even I can't see it clearly," Li Tang replied.
He paused for a moment and then said directly, "This situation has to do with internal power struggles within Wukuang Group."
"Power struggles?" Han blurted out, then immediately realized it might've been too blunt.
"Exactly. Let's just say… the gods are fighting, and we mortals are caught in the middle." Li Tang gave a helpless smile. "I'm just a low-level employee. I don't know everything."
Zhou Zhenxing let out a long sigh. "So what do we do now?"
They had placed all their hopes on Li Tang—to pull off a miracle and secure the project.
It might have seemed desperate to put so much faith in one person, but they honestly had no other options.
Now that Li Tang had returned, they hoped he'd bring good news—but what he brought was uncertainty.
Everyone's spirits sank.
"I suggest you return to Guizhou for now," Li Tang said.
"We can't just give up like that!" Zhou snapped. "No, absolutely not. We have to fight to the last second, until there's absolutely no chance left!"
Han was clearly distraught. "Li Tang, to be honest, this year our department barely has any projects. This 30-million-yuan project is crucial. No matter how hard it gets, we have to try our best. Everyone at the bureau—and the entire 101st Team—is waiting for us to come back with good news! We can't back down."
Li Tang understood their position.
If they landed the detailed exploration contract, it would be a lifeline for Guizhou's Geological Bureau. Benefits and salaries at the 101st Team would improve significantly.
For a leader, there's no more meaningful accomplishment.
Still, Li Tang gently urged them: "Staying here won't help you. There's nothing more you can do at the moment."
"We can't just leave with our tails between our legs!" Zhou argued, face flushed with frustration.
"Wukuang's internal struggles go back a long time. It's a mess of competing interests—not something that'll be resolved quickly," Li Tang said seriously.
In big state-owned enterprises, these kinds of turf wars could drag on for months. Endless infighting, posturing, and passive resistance were common. People spent more energy figuring out their coworkers' intentions than they did on actual work.
Looking at the downcast faces of Han and Zhou, Li Tang couldn't help but feel sympathy.
"Listen to me," he said gently. "Go back to Guizhou for now. I'll keep an eye on things here. If anything happens, I'll update you right away. That's better than waiting in this hotel, doing nothing."
"The snow in Tibet is melting. It's the perfect season to begin fieldwork. If we wait too long and the weather turns, the mountains will be snowed in again, and we'll have to wait until next year!" Zhou urged, still unwilling to go.
"We don't have control over this," Li Tang said flatly.
"You're right," Han finally admitted.
They'd spent days holed up in the hotel, staring at the ceiling in despair—completely powerless.
Having someone like Li Tang to relay inside information was better than being completely blind.
At last, Han seemed to come to terms with it. "We'll follow your advice and head back to Zhucheng. Director Wang," he said, turning to the admin officer, "book train tickets home for today. We leave tonight!"
They had flown in, hoping for quick success. Now, having achieved nothing, they couldn't justify flying back. The budget wouldn't allow it. So it was back to the slow green train—a trip that would take over 24 hours.
Having made the decision, Han seemed calmer. He managed a weak smile. "Li Tang, when you return to Zhucheng, stop by the bureau and visit us."
They hadn't touched their coffee. But having paid for it, they didn't want to waste it either. One by one, they raised their cups and drank the bitter brew—most had skipped the sugar.
Zhou Zhenxing winced after one sip. Setting down the cup, he asked, "Li Tang, your father mentioned you recently went to Huazhou Province to work on a bauxite project. Is there any way we can get involved?"
The other members of the bureau all looked up. Was this a chance to succeed elsewhere if Qulong didn't pan out?
"No."
Li Tang's answer was firm—and once again crushed their spirits.
"Huazhou Aluminum is tightly partnered with the provincial geological survey," he said. "That project's already underway. You wouldn't be able to get in."
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