Chapter 81: The Times Create Heroes
"Jianshe, why don't you share your thoughts?" Ou Pingguo's earlier comments had primarily been aimed at outlining the current situation to Qin Jianshe.
Qin Jianshe looked up and swept his gaze across the room, his eyes finally landing on Li Tang. For some reason, his resolve wavered slightly.
In his heart, nothing was more important than advancing his position.
But seeing Li Tang sitting beside him, a pang of guilt struck—guilt over the hard work Li Tang had put into the Qu Long Copper Mine project, and guilt for breaking a promise he once made to his old classmate Li Zaiqiang.
After a long silence, he chose not to state a clear stance. "I'll follow Director Ou's opinion."
Ou Pingguo nodded. "Given the current situation, we'll continue to observe without taking sides. We aim to gain support from both ends without making concessions on either."
Everyone else nodded in agreement. In situations like this, whichever side backed down first would reveal their impatience, and that side would fall into a disadvantage for all future negotiations.
"Jianshe, how's the work going at the Qu Long Copper Mine in Tibet Province?" Ou Pingguo asked again.
"The preliminary survey results are already clear to everyone. The scale of that copper deposit is absolutely real," Qin Jianshe said with no reservations when it came to project discussions. "Recently, multiple mining companies from across the country have come to inspect the site. Some companies are already urgently planning exploration operations in Tibet. I suspect that in two or three years, the Gongka County area will be saturated with mining claims from every major company and institution."
Ou Pingguo understood the implication—Wu Mining Group had the early advantage, but due to internal instability, it would now be difficult to secure additional approvals or funding to expand their land rights.
"For now, focus on doing the job well at Qu Long. We'll deal with everything else later."
"It really is a pity." As someone with a technical background, Qin Jianshe understood better than anyone what finding a major deposit truly meant.
Prospecting was often like a "vulture feast"—when one finds something valuable, everyone swarms to it.
Take diamond mines as an example. For a long time, people believed that De Beers of South Africa had a monopoly on all major diamond mines. But later, a drilling company discovered kimberlite in the northern wilderness of Canada, which proved to contain high-grade diamond ore. In just a few years, hundreds of exploration firms rushed into the surrounding areas and successfully discovered multiple new diamond-bearing deposits.
Prospecting near known discoveries was often highly effective.
Qin Jianshe believed Qu Long would not be the last giant copper deposit in Tibet. During his time working with Li Zaiqiang, they had many discussions and concluded that traditional prospecting theories in Tibet were likely wrong. There could be another entirely new mineral belt—an area with huge unexplored potential.
If he had the funding, he would definitely initiate theoretical research and expand exploration efforts in Tibet.
Unfortunately, not everyone came from a technical background. Not everyone truly wanted to find ore.
Differences in personal and group interests inevitably led to different working styles.
The meeting itself was short, meant only to unify opinions. Soon, everyone dispersed.
Li Tang said his goodbyes and walked straight out of Ou Pingguo's office.
Just after he left, someone questioned his presence. "Who was that young man just now? Who invited him?"
"I asked Jianshe to bring him in," Zhao Hepu replied. "Director Ou also approved it."
"Is that kid trustworthy? What if he starts blabbing about this meeting outside? That could seriously hurt us."
"Don't worry. He's very reliable."
Hearing Zhao Hepu's reassurance, no one else voiced further objections.
Recently, Zhao had gained significant influence through his involvement in several major projects. The higher-ups all recognized his rising status. Unless he made a major mistake, his promotion was all but guaranteed.
This was what people meant when they said: The times create heroes.
Qin Jianshe quickly caught up with Li Tang in the stairwell. "Come to my office for a bit—let's chat."
Once inside, they sat down for tea.
"The detailed exploration phase of the Qu Long Copper Mine is out of our hands now. I hope you understand our position," Qin Jianshe said proactively.
"It's fine. You leaders see farther and think more comprehensively than I do. Your decisions are surely the right ones."
Li Tang's face remained calm, giving no hint of inner turmoil.
Only he knew what he was really thinking.
Qin Jianshe didn't dwell on the matter. "How's the project over at Huazhou Aluminum Plant?"
"Alright. Just getting started."
"Before I left, Luo Qinzhong called me and said you're young but carry yourself with authority." Qin Jianshe looked concerned. "Are you dealing with difficult characters?"
"No one particularly difficult. It's just work. Disagreements happen."
"You're right." Qin Jianshe smiled.
Apparently, Luo Qinzhong hadn't told him the full story. He didn't know that at Huazhou Aluminum Plant, Li Tang was already being labeled a fraud—rumors and gossip swirling everywhere.
After some casual chatting, Li Tang didn't return to the office. Instead, he left early and returned to his single dormitory. Sitting alone in the living room, he dazed off for a long time.
He was thinking about the current situation at Wu Mining Group. The internal friction, the power struggles—others treated him as a junior with no leverage.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became: the most reliable thing he could do was use his knowledge to make more money.
The next morning, after informing Qin Jianshe, he bought a ticket and traveled alone to Huazhou Province—far away from the center of conflict.
Upon arrival in Luoyi City, Luo Qinzhong personally drove him to the bauxite project in Tiemu Town, County A.
While Li Tang had been away, the provincial geological survey had secured the exploration rights for the area and had already begun surface mapping work.
At the same time, the team led by Zhang Zhongyu, consisting of students, had started conducting high-precision gravity measurements throughout the hills.
The western part of Luoyi was mountainous, while the east was mostly hilly. The Yunyue Bauxite Project was located in the central area—right where the hills met the mountains.
Compared to the plateau environment of Tibet, this field environment was much better.
At least in terms of accommodation, the conditions were considerably more comfortable.
Both the geological survey team and Zhang Zhongyu's student team were staying in the nearby Tiemu Town.
Tiemu Town was just over ten kilometers from Luoyi City.
Li Tang arrived at Tiemu Town, and it wasn't until nightfall that he saw Zhang Zhongyu and over a dozen students returning from the field, exhausted.
"Li Tang!" He Runqi had been following Zhang Zhongyu for days doing fieldwork. Seeing Li Tang arrive was a pleasant surprise.
At the entrance of the local farmer's home they were renting, there was a large water vat. Zhang Zhongyu dropped his canvas pack, opened the lid, and drank heartily from a ladle.
The other students trickled over to drink too. Everyone was drenched in sweat—some wore straw hats, while others had grass and twigs tangled in their hair.
"Everyone," after quenching his thirst, Zhang Zhongyu called out to the students, "this is the role model I told you about—the outstanding senior from the year above yours: Li Tang!"
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