Nanking Avenue, Southeast Street, Yaohua Building, First Floor.
"Third Great Uncle, here's the situation. I'm looking to acquire a batch of petroleum and was hoping to go through your channels," Li Dong said succinctly to the energetic black-haired old man across from him.
The black hair was obviously dyed.
After all, how could a man in his seventies or eighties still have such glossy, jet-black hair?
"Have you heard some news about petroleum prices skyrocketing? Why invest now of all times?" Third Great Uncle gave Li Dong a puzzled look.
Everyone knew the country was pushing hard for clean energy these days. Investing in petroleum now seemed like a sure way to lose big.
"No, I just have a feeling it's worth investing in," Li Dong said after a moment's thought.
"Without solid certainty, relying just on feelings could lose the entire fortune your father left for you and your brother. But never mind, I won't try to talk you out of it—it's your choice." Third Great Uncle shook his head after studying Li Dong's expression.
Truth be told, Li Dong's great-uncle had retired over a decade ago, but his mind remained sharp. Decades of experience and his grasp of global trends still served him well.
If not for the coming disasters, investing in petroleum now would indeed be unwise.
But when catastrophe struck, no energy source would prove more valuable than oil.
With surface-level petroleum extraction machinery destroyed by nature's fury, only well-preserved oil reserves would remain as precious, irreplaceable resources—consumed bit by bit without replenishment.
Between the Glacial Wasteland, radioactive environments, and threats from Radiation Monsters, humanity might never again operate freely on the surface to extract resources as recklessly as before.
"I've been retired for over ten years now—long out of the business. Here's what I'll do: if you want to invest in oil, go see Jiadong, your uncle. But let me be clear—business is business. There's only so much I can intervene."
"How many tons of oil do you need? Spot or futures?"
"At least 200,000 tons. Spot transactions."
"When did you start trading oil spots?"
"This would be my first time..."
"First time? Have you even studied petroleum trading? The worst mistake in business is jumping into unfamiliar industries—you could get fleeced before you know it... I really should lecture you properly..."
What followed was a long conversation over tea.
Mostly it involved Third Great Uncle admonishing Li Dong while grilling him on countless details.
From the old man's perspective, as long as Li Dong avoided reckless investments and startups, the Li family's current assets would keep them securely among the wealthy class.
The Jiadong mentioned by Third Great Uncle was actually his second son—Li Dong's uncle—and chairman of Lianhai Petroleum Shipping, a subsidiary under the Lianhai Group conglomerate valued at over a trillion yuan.
(Though the group did have some state capital investment.)
As the name suggested, Lianhai Petroleum Shipping specialized in oil transportation, though they also dealt in spot oil trading.
At current prices, 200,000 tons of oil would cost around 800 million yuan—nearly draining half the Li family's total assets.
Since this was strictly business, the agreed funds would have to be transferred once terms were settled.
All procedures must be normalized.
In the future, Li Dong would purchase even more crude oil, as its price would continue to rise.
The Great Xia Kingdom must have had whistleblowers predicting the impending disaster; otherwise, they wouldn't have issued restrictions. The kingdom would undoubtedly stockpile vast amounts of petroleum resources, and it was itself a major oil-producing nation.
However, no matter how large the production numbers, when divided among 1.7 billion people, it would never be enough.
Thus, Li Dong planned to sell a portion of his oil at high prices during the price surge and use the profits to acquire other resources.
He also intended to sell off most of his real estate holdings. With the apocalypse approaching, what use were piles of concrete and steel buildings?
A single major earthquake or meteor strike could wipe them out.
"What about natural gas and coal? Are you interested?"
"Third Great Uncle, do you have connections?"
"Of course! Are you underestimating me?"
...
Coal and natural gas were also crucial resources.
During the Glacial Wasteland Era, aside from oil, these two resources would be equally indispensable.
After parting ways with Third Great Uncle, Li Dong met with several local factory owners to see if they had any resources he needed—such as high-power generators, large oil storage tanks, medical equipment, long-term food supplies, pre-made meals, compressed biscuits, nutrient soil, and more.
The list of necessities was extensive.
In the afternoon, Li Dong suddenly received an invitation from a friend to attend an evening gathering, which would include several prominent business owners.
Naturally, Li Dong agreed. During the event, he subtly hinted at his intention to sell several buildings in the downtown area of Pengcheng.
This immediately caught the attention of many powerful business owners.
Although property values weren't as high as they once were, owning a building in the heart of an international metropolis still held significant appeal.
Purchasing one could serve as a family asset—even if a company went bankrupt, it would provide a safety net, preventing a drastic fall in social standing.
It might even pave the way for a future comeback.
Buildings in the city center were expensive, requiring substantial capital to acquire.
In downtown Pengcheng, even an ordinary building started at over a billion. For most business owners, this was an astronomical sum.
Moreover, the real estate market was sluggish, far from the frenzy of a decade ago.
But buying property in a major city was generally a safe bet, and one might even strike it rich if timing aligned with market trends.
Li Dong's father had risen to prominence by capitalizing on such trends, investing in real estate and factories to grow the family fortune. Unfortunately, he died in a car accident, cutting short what could have been an even greater legacy.
At the gathering, Li Dong didn't reveal too much. Loose lips could lead to others seizing the initiative and driving a hard bargain.
Around 9 p.m., a slightly intoxicated Li Dong called a designated driver to take him back to his suburban villa.
After arriving home, he took a shower to wash off the alcohol.
Then, he turned on the TV to watch the news while texting his mother, Xu Yajun, asking about her day and whether she'd enjoyed her outings.
After chatting for about ten minutes, he finally got through to his younger brother Li Tiang on the phone.
"When are you coming back?"
"Tomorrow morning."
"Do you need someone to pick you up? I can arrange for someone."
"No, that won't be necessary."
"I told Mom that you're bringing Weiwei back tomorrow. She immediately booked a flight to come back."
"What? Wasn't she vacationing in Qingkang Province?"
"Exactly. So she booked a ticket right away to come see her future daughter-in-law. She's hoping Weiwei will give her a whole bunch of grandchildren—at least enough for a soccer team."
As for Li Dong, Xu Yajun had completely given up hope of seeing grandchildren from him, so she pinned her hopes on her second son.
"Brother, do you think I'm a pig? That many children?"
Song Weiwei, who had been eavesdropping on the brothers' conversation, couldn't stay silent any longer and immediately retorted, her face showing clear irritation.
"Haha, so my sister-in-law is there too? My bad, my bad," Li Dong chuckled awkwardly upon hearing Song Weiwei's voice.
"Mom wants grandchildren, and as the eldest brother, you're not doing your part. Aren't you ashamed?"
Song Weiwei didn't let Li Dong off the hook and pressed further.
"You think I don't want to? I just haven't found true love yet."
"Excuses, all excuses. Do you think I don't know about your little scandals? Yuanzhou told me everything—how you change women like clothes and live a messy private life."
"Cough, Yuanzhou, why did you tell Weiwei about that?"
"You think I wouldn't find out just because he didn't tell me? Hmph~~"
After being roasted by his sister-in-law, Li Dong waited until Song Weiwei had walked away before getting down to serious business with Li Tiang.
"Today, I placed orders with two suppliers for ten thousand tons of edible salt and five thousand tons of steel. But how can you prove this is real?"
"I'll recommend two stocks to you now. These two will definitely surge within the next five days. You can make a huge profit by buying low. Don't worry, even with your involvement, there won't be any issues," Li Tiang said after a brief pause.
He needed to provide more evidence to prove that the apocalyptic disaster he spoke of was real.
Otherwise, Li Dong definitely wouldn't risk their entire family fortune—and they'd have to keep it from their mother, too.
After all, this was the wealth their family had built over two or three generations, though the times had certainly played a role.
Li Tiang remembered these two stocks vividly. In his memories, at the Shanghai Shelter, he had met the bosses who controlled these two companies. Even in the apocalypse, those who controlled vast production resources didn't live well.
At the Shanghai Shelter, Li Tiang's status wasn't much lower than those two bosses, so when they bragged about this part of their history, he remembered it clearly.
"Alright," Li Dong finally smiled and said.
"When I get home tomorrow, I'll tell you more about the future. Don't worry—I'm 99% certain everything I've said is true."
"Mm."
The topic of the apocalypse was too heavy.
Compared to that, they'd much rather live in peaceful times.
At least then they wouldn't have to live in fear.
"Deep Sea Vision Pharmaceuticals and Skycraft Technologies?"
Soon, Li Dong received the names of the two stocks from Li Tiang.
These two stocks will surge in the next five days.
"In that case, I'll take the gamble. It's fine even if I lose."
Li Dong made up his mind and prepared to go all in on these two stocks for a bottom-fishing strategy.
Compared to making a huge profit, he actually hoped to lose.
Right now, the Li family still hadn't sold several buildings in Pengcheng, so even if he lost money now, it wouldn't matter.
This could precisely serve as proof that the apocalyptic disaster was fake, allowing Li Dong to send Li Tiang to the psychiatric department for treatment.
But if he made huge profits instead, then they'd be doomed.
After all, when disaster strikes, can any egg remain unbroken?