Chapter 198: Not a Simple Man
"It truly is unbelievable. We feel exactly the same—absolutely amazed," Bayar said, satisfied with the journalist's response.
"This is a high-grade deposit that could shift the balance of the global copper market!"
Despite his excitement, Elvin didn't forget his professional instincts. He grabbed Jirigela's arm with intensity and asked, "I'd like to know… is the man who discovered this deposit still here?"
"Who?" Jirigela, grimacing in pain from the grip, was momentarily confused.
"Li Tang. The man who found the Taluge Copper-Gold deposit!" Elvin was pacing excitedly, eager to speak with the Chinese geologist. "He's an extraordinary individual! Believe me—he's going to change the world!"
Bayar and Jirigela exchanged looks. They quickly realized that this foreign reporter wasn't just excited about the discovery—he was obsessed with Li Tang.
Indeed, they were both also surprised by the young Chinese man.
Barely twenty-three years old and already in charge of a project worth tens of millions of dollars.
And he didn't just throw money around—he actually found a deposit. A world-class one.
That meant he wasn't just rich. He had real skill.
"He…" Jirigela scratched at his head, which hadn't been washed in two weeks. "After submitting the project data, they asked if we had any additional tasks. I said no. So they said they'd be returning to China."
He glanced at Bayar and added, "They mentioned they'd come back after the snow melts next spring."
"I've been waiting for him this whole time. When he visited your bureau, why didn't anyone tell me?!" Elvin scolded, clearly upset.
Mengguo officials had long held deep respect for Westerners, especially white journalists. Even being berated like this, they didn't take offense—only guilt.
"The documents were in Chinese. We had to find a translator, which took time… so we were delayed," Jirigela said helplessly. "At first, we didn't even realize Taluge was a world-class deposit."
"In the future, all Chinese submissions must be translated into English," Bayar said firmly, scolding Jirigela.
Offending a Western journalist was no small matter.
Elvin sighed and asked where Li Tang was staying. After getting the name of the hotel, he rushed over.
But when he arrived, Li Tang was already gone. His room was empty.
…
At Wukuang Group Headquarters, in the general manager's office—
BANG!
Niu Fu slammed the desk with his palm. His broad, naturally stern face now radiated fury.
The loud noise startled Secretary Xiao Wang, who shrank back, too afraid to speak.
"Go get Ouping Guo and Zhao Hepu. Now," Niu said coldly.
The secretary scurried out.
Moments later, Guo and Zhao arrived, hurried and nervous. They had heard Niu was furious and dared not delay.
"Director Niu, is something wrong?" Guo asked, glancing at Zhao.
Niu's eyes were blazing. He said coldly, "That dinner I promised… I'm afraid we'll have to cancel it."
Zhao's heart skipped a beat. He thought he'd made some major error. "Did our division make a mistake?"
"Not at all," Niu replied, tamping down his anger. "A few days ago, we discussed hosting BHP Tuo's CEO Gores for dinner. After all, we've worked with them—and their predecessor, Broken Hill—for years. A dinner would be polite. There's no reason for them to decline."
"I remember. You mentioned it when I reported on the TC/RC negotiations," Zhao said cautiously.
"I wanted to use the occasion to help you secure an extra one million tons of copper concentrate for next year," Niu continued, voice heavy. "So I asked Xiao Wang to contact Gores…"
"Dinner invitations are part of our cultural etiquette," Guo added, unsure why Niu was so angry. "What happened?"
"Xiao Wang told me that when he reached out to Gores' representative, Wu Yan, the response was: dinner would require an appointment."
"Typical Western formality," Guo muttered.
"Our own General Manager Niu sends an invitation, and they say it needs to be scheduled? Outrageous!" Zhao added.
"Then today, Xiao Wang tells me Wu Yan did make the appointment… but Gores is too busy to meet me," Niu said, trying not to slam the table again—his hand still hurt from the last time.
"I didn't expect Gores to be this busy," Niu grumbled.
Anyone in his position would have been offended.
As the general manager of a major Chinese state-owned enterprise, he'd extended a personal invitation. Not only did they make him wait, they outright rejected him.
To put it bluntly, Gores didn't even consider him worth meeting.
Come when you're needed. Disappear when you're not.
Zhao and Guo exchanged awkward looks. The situation was delicate.
"That Gores—so arrogant!" Guo said, trying to break the tension.
"Is he still in Yanjing?" Zhao asked, puzzled.
"Yes. Wu Yan just called to apologize. Gores is out sightseeing with his family and can't spare the time," Niu said with a bitter laugh. "Wu even offered to host us himself. I refused. That meal? We can't afford it."
"Unacceptable," Guo muttered again.
"In my experience, Gores has always looked down on the Chinese," Zhao added.
"There's not much we can do. BHP Tuo is one of the world's largest mining giants," Niu said, sighing. "To them, Wukuang is just another customer. If we want respect, we have to earn it."
He looked at his two loyal subordinates, voice firm. "One day, Wukuang will stand shoulder to shoulder with companies like BHP Tuo. And when that day comes, they'll ask us for meetings."
Zhao and Guo nodded.
"Yes, we're at a disadvantage now. But prejudice from the West won't disappear on its own. Still, you have to admit—we do envy companies like BHP Tuo."
"Even so, Gores' behavior was plain rude," Guo said.
"The only solution is to grow stronger ourselves," Niu declared, voice full of resolve. "Can Chinese companies rise to the international stage? That depends on us."
"Guo, Zhao—we've still got a long road ahead."
…
Meanwhile, Li Tang, Alice, and Qin Jianshe were on a plane. An hour later, they landed in Yanjing.
Qin didn't follow Li Tang to Yunding Tower. Instead, he went straight to Wukuang's headquarters.
He hadn't seen the top leadership in months. He had made brief phone calls during the busy project period but hadn't had time to share detailed updates.
Now that the project had wrapped up for the season—and with such impressive results—he wanted to report in person.
He first informed Deputy GM Wei Chaoyin, and the two of them headed upstairs to meet Zhao Hepu. They soon learned Zhao was in the general manager's office.
So they headed straight to Niu Fu's office.
Knock knock.
"Come in," came the deep voice from inside.
As soon as they entered, they sensed the tense atmosphere.
Niu, Guo, and Zhao all lifted their eyes. Their stares were so sharp it was as if fire danced behind them.
What happened?
Qin's heart tensed. Had something major gone wrong while he was away?
From their expressions, it couldn't be good news.
Still, he stepped inside.
"Jianshe, you're back!" Zhao stood to greet him, gesturing for him to sit nearby.
Wei Chaoyin, having stayed at headquarters during this period, was more at ease. He took a seat without hesitation.
Niu's anger faded as a smile formed. "You've been in the Mengguo wilderness for months. We worried about you daily. It's good to see you safe and sound!"
"It was a large team. Not too dangerous," Qin said, nodding politely to everyone.
"And Li Tang? He didn't come with you?" Niu looked toward the door expectantly.
"His father's still in Yanjing. He went to see him first," Qin replied. "But he said he'd come soon to report in person."
"That brat just doesn't want to see us old guys," Niu joked. "He'd rather stare at pretty girls than our wrinkled faces."
Everyone laughed. The heavy mood lightened.
Zhao glanced at Qin's uniform—still covered in grass and dust. He knew Qin wasn't careless about appearances. If he showed up like this, it meant he had important news.
"Did you just return from Mengguo?" he asked.
"Yes. Just flew in from Kulun. Came straight here," Qin replied.
"You didn't have to rush. You could've rested for a couple of days," Niu said, clearly concerned.
"I couldn't wait," Qin said. He couldn't keep the good news to himself any longer.
"What's the rush?" Niu asked, intrigued.
"The Taluge Copper-Gold Project has wrapped up for the year," Qin said.
"Snow's falling here. I imagine it's even colder in Mengguo. Makes sense to pause work," Niu nodded.
But Zhao noticed something odd.
He had known Qin Jianshe for years. The man was always composed and steady.
Yet now, he was clearly agitated—he couldn't even sit still.
That meant something big had happened.
"Was there a problem at the site?" Zhao asked.
"No. Not a problem," Qin said, grinning ear to ear. He stood up and waved his arms as he declared, "Something great—something huge!"
"What kind of good news makes you this excited?" Guo laughed.
"We found a major deposit at Taluge!" Qin's voice boomed across the room like a thunderclap.
He had never spoken so boldly before Wukuang's top brass. Always measured, always professional.
But today? He couldn't hold it in any longer.
Today, he broke character—because this was monumental.
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