Chapter 107: Entering a Knowledge Blind Spot
Since its founding, Huazhou Aluminum Plant had never paid such a massive bonus to an individual.
Just thinking about it made Lai Xiangrong feel both proud and regretful. Why hadn't he agreed to pay Li Tang the 100,000 yuan honorary consultant fee at the beginning?
It was a bittersweet problem to have.
To discover a high-grade, large-scale bauxite deposit—even hiring a hundred experts would be worth it. But now that all the money was falling into one person's hands, he couldn't help but feel a little stingy.
Still, when he thought it through: finding a major deposit was priceless. Spending a few million was a small price to pay.
Looking back, when he rejected the 100,000 yuan consultant fee for Li Tang, he later called Niu Fu to verify Li Tang's background. From Niu's tone, it was clear that Li Tang wasn't just anyone.
That was what finally convinced him to trust Li Tang and approve what seemed like an outrageous exploration plan.
All because of Niu Fu's reputation. He had made that decision to give Niu face.
Now, in hindsight, that accidental act of support turned out to be brilliant.
A beautiful misunderstanding.
He set the contract down, picked up the landline, flipped through the special contact directory, and dialed Niu Fu's number.
"Hello, this is Niu Fu."
Even just from the voice, Lai could picture Niu's curly hair and imposing demeanor.
"Director Niu, it's Lai Xiangrong."
"Ah, Director Lai—what can I do for you?"
"We've found a new deposit at the Huazhou Aluminum Plant. It's very likely a large-scale bauxite deposit!"
"…"
Silence on the other end. Niu was confused—sure, it was good news, but why the call? Was Lai showing off?
"Congratulations," Niu said flatly.
"I need to thank you. And thank Wu Mining Group."
"…"
More silence. Niu was baffled.
"What do you mean?"
"We owe it all to Li Tang—his unconventional exploration methods. Not only did he suggest using high-precision microgravity and CSAMT techniques, but he also used unknown methods to locate a deposit no one else could find!"
Lai's words sounded mysterious, but he himself didn't quite understand how it had happened. Earlier, when he asked Bi Junjie about it, the renowned expert couldn't explain it either.
That alone was worthy of reverence.
"Li Tang?"
Niu chuckled on the phone.
"So he really found bauxite?"
"Not just any bauxite—a major deposit."
"Well then, congratulations to Huazhou Aluminum Plant."
"You have a good eye, Director Niu. Talents like Li Tang are invaluable to companies like ours."
"Is Li Tang still with you?"
"Yes, and rest assured—we won't overwork someone like him. We'll take good care of him here."
"Glad to hear it."
…
The next phase of the project required high-level approval from Huazhou Aluminum Plant's leadership, so Ding Shaoying, Li Tang, and the others were temporarily put on hold and assigned to the plant's guesthouse. It was effectively a short break.
One evening, Bi Junjie dropped by Ding Shaoying's room. The door was open, and after calling out and receiving an answer, he walked right in.
"I was just asked something by Director Lai," Bi said without wasting time.
"He wanted to know: Why was Li Tang the only one who believed there was ore in Tiemu Town? Why did all of us experts conclude that it was barren?"
Ding Shaoying understood exactly how Bi felt.
For seasoned experts like them, being proven wrong so quickly brought not just embarrassment—it shook the very foundation of their professional confidence.
Their survival had always depended on their experience and technical prowess. And that expertise, which had always been reliable, had failed them at the Yunyue Bauxite Project.
So… where had they gone wrong?
"I don't know," Ding admitted after a long pause. Then he shook his head.
"I've tried analyzing the core samples to understand the deposit's genesis, but I just couldn't explain it using the theories and knowledge I have. This is a type of bauxite deposit I've never encountered before. I've combed through every book I own, and I couldn't find any answers."
And that wasn't a small library—he had an entire wall full of geological and exploration texts.
But none of them had answers.
They had entered a knowledge blind spot.
"I can't figure it out either,"
Bi admitted. He had hoped Ding might shed some light on it, but now even he was at a loss.
"Maybe Li Tang just got lucky—used some geophysics to find an anomaly, drilled in the right spot, and struck ore."
"Absolutely not."
Ding shook his head firmly.
"Think back. Every time Li Tang made a decision, he was confident—never hesitant. And of all the places on Earth, why did he so accurately choose Tiemu Town? Not to mention, he applied microgravity surveys from the outset—a method most experts wouldn't even consider. I think he always knew what he was doing. What I don't understand is how he knew."
"What, he can see two to three hundred meters underground now?"
Bi chuckled at the absurdity of his own joke.
After all, in their decades of experience, there hadn't been a single missed surface clue in the area.
"Let's not guess blindly. I'll go talk to Li Tang myself," Ding said.
He didn't see it as groveling—he genuinely wanted to learn.
Meanwhile, Bi didn't follow. Instead, he went to the aluminum plant's main office, borrowed a landline, and started calling colleagues from the Geological Association.
"President, got a minute?"
"Come to County A in Luoyi City. Bring whoever you can—this is something you need to see!"
"Trust me—there's a geological marvel here like you've never seen before!"
"There's a large bauxite deposit—64% grade, found at depths of 200 to even 600 meters!"
"Never seen anything like it, have you?"
"Oh—and there's a very sharp student here, from Yanjing Geological University. I think one of their professors must've figured out a new method for locating bauxite in Huazhou Province!"
"If we can get that professor down here, it could completely transform bauxite exploration in the region!"
"I'll be waiting for you!"
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