Chapter 91: It's Not Easy to Meet You
If Zise Mining were to discover a deposit even larger than the Qu Long Copper Mine under Li Tang's guidance, the upper management of Wu Mining Group wouldn't just sit back and ignore it.
Such a massive cake being taken away by someone else—how could they remain indifferent?
Li Tang wasn't afraid of the senior leadership's anger. He had nothing to lose; if push came to shove, he could leave. If Wu Mining wouldn't have him, others would.
But Qin Jianshe was different. He had spent over twenty years at Wu Mining Group, climbing the ladder one step at a time, and he deeply valued his reputation.
Now that the conversation had reached this point, there wasn't much else to say.
Over the next few days, Li Tang remained in close discussions with Zise Mining regarding the specifics of the partnership. In order to operate more formally, he flew to Yanjing and registered a company—Zhengguan Geological Exploration Technology Co., Ltd.—at the office building he had previously purchased.
The contract with Zise Mining was signed officially between the two companies.
At the same time, a separate technical consulting agreement was signed between Zise Mining and Wu Mining Exploration Company. This contract, for a fee of 20,000 yuan, was merely a formality—it served as Li Tang's justification within Wu Mining.
With the cooperation settled, Li Tang finally visited the Wu Mining Exploration office in Tibet.
Despite being in the province for some time, he hadn't contacted Liu Kaisheng, his direct supervisor. Strictly speaking, Liu should've been the one he reported to, but Li Tang had always dealt directly with Qin Jianshe.
Fortunately, Liu Kaisheng hadn't made an issue of it. He knew full well that Li Tang was operating on a different level—directly liaising with senior executives. It was only a matter of time before Li Tang surpassed him.
He was idly sitting in the office when he saw Li Tang walk in. Surprised and pleased, he stood to greet him. "When did you get back?"
"I've been around for a few days—just busy with other things."
Li Tang found an empty corner, sat down, and opened his laptop.
He was there for one reason: to use the office's computer.
After a moment of thought, he typed a title onto the document: Feasibility Study Report for Qinglong Copper Mine, Gaizhe County, Tibet Province.
His fingers danced across the keyboard, making a sharp, rapid tapping sound.
The last time he wrote a feasibility report for the Qu Long Copper Mine, it had taken a long time. He had to recall and analyze every detail with excruciating care.
But now, with that experience under his belt, drafting the Qinglong Copper Mine report went much more smoothly.
He completed a ten-plus page report in just a few days.
Of course, there were still some rough edges—no report is perfect. But in terms of exploration direction, he was confident: it was another porphyry-type copper deposit.
After finishing, he printed three copies and sent them by post to Zise Mining's headquarters in Jian'an Province. This would take time—there were no courier services in the area.
"Li Tang, you free tonight?"
Whether or not there was an actual reason, Liu Kaisheng always invited Li Tang to work late. He never failed to ask this question at the end of the day.
Seeing Li Tang packing up early today, he asked again.
"Why so enthusiastic today, Director Liu? Do you need something from me?" Li Tang smiled. "You're the boss—just give the order."
"You've been here a while now, and I've gotten to know the area pretty well. There's a restaurant with amazing dapanji (big plate chicken). You've been working late every day—I figured I'd treat you to a good meal. Let's have a drink together."
"Alright, since Director Liu insists, I'll gladly accept."
Li Tang shut his laptop, packed his things, and got in the car. Under Liu's guidance, they arrived at a well-known local dapanji restaurant.
Liu hadn't invited the three other office staff. Including the driver and Li Tang, there were only three people. Yet he reserved a large private room meant for ten—extravagantly spacious.
"Director Liu, there's no need to be this formal."
Li Tang had assumed they'd be eating at a simple diner—he hadn't expected such an elaborate arrangement.
"There are a few friends who haven't arrived yet. I want to introduce you to some big names." Liu Kaisheng's tone was cryptic. "These guys are something else—filthy rich!"
Big names?
"What kind of big names?" Li Tang asked curiously.
Still, he settled into his seat with ease. It was just dinner. He wasn't overly concerned about who would show up.
Building connections wasn't really his thing.
"You'll see soon. Meeting people like this could be a huge opportunity."
After that, Liu went out to place the order. About half an hour later, he returned—with several burly, fierce-looking men trailing behind him.
"Boss Xiao, come in, please. This meal's on me." Liu greeted them respectfully.
The group entered, all smiling warmly at Li Tang.
"This is the rising star of our group—his name is Li Tang!" Liu gestured proudly, then pointed to the new arrivals. "This is—"
"I know Boss Xiao."
Li Tang rested his elbow on the table, gave Xiao Yongyue a glance, and looked back at Liu Kaisheng with a faint, amused smile. "Didn't expect you to be so close with Boss Xiao."
"You know each other?" Liu was stunned.
"We've shared meals and drinks."
Xiao Yongyue sat at the head of the table like he owned the place, his aura bold and uninhibited. "Li Tang is a friend—a brother!"
"Really?" Liu looked embarrassed.
He couldn't help but feel frustrated with Xiao Yongyue. If you're such good friends, why make me jump through hoops to set this up?
He'd been proud to introduce Li Tang to some 'big names,' only to realize he was the outsider all along.
"I'll go tell the kitchen to bring out the food sooner," Liu said, finding an excuse to slip out and ease the awkwardness.
"Brother Li Tang, it's not easy to meet with you!"
Xiao Yongyue sighed, seemingly emotional.
"I already made a whole trip to Huazhou, and you're still hanging around Tibet. Business must be good if you can afford to take it easy," Li Tang replied with a half-smile.
"The fertilizer business is running smoothly now—I barely need to manage it."
Xiao adjusted his posture, trying to appear more friendly. "Last time, I threw money at you and gifted a car. Looking back, that was crude. I'm just a rough guy—I should learn from you educated folks."
After Li Tang had abruptly left last time, Xiao had reflected on his approach. His usual tactic—throwing money around—had failed with Li Tang.
To deal with cultured people, you needed cultured methods.
"No need to change," Li Tang said with a smile. "You're a bold northwest man. Just be yourself."
"No, no."
Xiao gestured to his men. "Bring out the gift. Let Brother Li Tang have a look."
Two of them went to the car and carefully carried in a beautifully crafted wooden box. They set it on the table, and Xiao personally opened it.
"Take a look—do you like it, Brother Li Tang?"
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