Chapter 68: Gotta Make Money!
As dusk fell, Li Zaiqiang shouted from a distance, "Come back now, it's time to head back!"
By the time they walked from the project site back to Gongka County, night had already fallen.
There were no hotels in town, so they had to drive all the way back to the provincial capital.
It was a journey of roughly 100 kilometers. They drove for three hours, arriving in the city late at night.
Everyone was exhausted from a full day of hiking, but thankfully, Norbu had arranged a dinner with food and drinks already prepared.
After eating their fill, they returned to their hotel rooms to rest.
Li Tang, having had a few drinks, felt dizzy. Without even changing his clothes, he collapsed onto the bed. Just as he was dozing off, his phone began ringing non-stop.
When he picked it up, he saw it was an unknown number—and at this hour, it was already midnight.
He answered.
A sweet female voice quickly followed: "Hello, I'm Zhang Xiaoman, a reporter from CCTV. I'm really sorry to bother you at this hour. I wanted to ask, would you be willing to help coordinate an interview tomorrow?"
"CCTV?" Li Tang frowned. Calling someone this late just for an interview?
If they wanted an interview, why not just come over and do it now? Have a late-night conversation while you're at it.
"Yes, that's right."
"I'm busy."
Li Tang hung up immediately.
Being featured on CCTV News would be a big deal—something that brought great prestige.
And as someone now deeply entangled in the pursuit of reputation and profit, this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
But the kind of fame he wanted wasn't public celebrity status—he didn't want to be a household name to everyday people.
What he aimed for was influence within the mining industry.
The reason he pushed so hard for the Qulong Copper Project was to make a name for himself within this specialized field.
The truth is, the domestic mining industry is a very small circle. The only people who could move real money or influence industry policy were figures like Niu Fu and Lu Shenyin.
His goal was to stand out to these major players.
Once he built a reputation that carried weight, the wealth would come naturally.
The next morning, Li Tang woke up in a state of mild anxiety.
Previously, in order to seize the opportunity of soaring real estate, he had gritted his teeth and bought a 400-square-meter office unit. At the time, he was thrilled. But when the monthly mortgage bills came due, the stress hit hard.
His monthly payment was over 8,000 yuan. At that time, his monthly salary was just 810 yuan—nowhere near enough to keep up.
His savings had already been wiped out.
Although his salary had since increased thanks to seniority and performance bonuses, there was no hope of another raise in the near future.
And today, another mortgage payment was due.
8,000 yuan was more than most people made in a year.
Where could he get the money?
With no other choice, he picked up the phone and called his mom.
"Hi Mom, sweet and beloved mother. Are you at home relaxing this Saturday?"
"Yes, I'm home. Is your dad with you?"
"We just got back from the mountain to rest for a day. The sun up here is brutal. I got sunburned so badly the skin on my neck is peeling!"
"Oh no! That sounds awful!" Tang Chuqiu's voice was full of worry, even through the phone.
"It's not too bad. Anyway, Mom, I need to ask you for some money."
"How much? I'll go to the bank and transfer it."
"10,000 yuan."
"Ten... what?!" Tang Chuqiu had only ever sent Li Tang 200 yuan a month before. Hearing him ask for 10,000 was beyond comprehension. "What do you need that much money for?"
"I'm just short on cash."
"That's a lot of money. Don't waste it—money isn't easy to earn."
"If you don't want to give it to me, fine…"
"How could you say that to your mother! You think I'd abandon you?" As soon as she thought of her son suffering on the high-altitude plateau, she softened. "I'll go to the bank and send it over shortly."
With this month's mortgage payment covered, Li Tang chatted with his mother for a while longer before hanging up.
Problem solved for now—but what about next month?
He couldn't keep borrowing from his mom forever. Asking for 10,000 yuan every month was out of the question.
"I have to make money."
He felt helpless.
Outside the mining industry, his knowledge was too limited. He couldn't think of another way to earn a quick buck.
So all he could do was wait—like a fisherman by the river, hoping a big fish would bite.
That very evening, the 7:00 p.m. CCTV News broadcast featured a full one-minute segment on the Qulong Copper Mine discovery.
Later that night, the extended news program ran a five-minute special:
"For years, we've focused on hydrothermal deposits. We've searched everywhere, never expecting to find a major copper deposit. But when the 101st Geological Team from Guizhou Province arrived in Tibet for the first time, they were set on looking for porphyry-type deposits—and they succeeded.
Besides the surface-exposed ore body, the second and third deposits are partially buried. I don't know whether it was sheer luck, or whether their porphyry exploration techniques are simply top-notch. Honestly, I admire them. They've made an outstanding contribution to mineral exploration in Tibet."
—A senior expert from the Tibet Geological Bureau, in a televised interview.
"Are we proud of this discovery? Of course! This is the pinnacle of a geologist's career. The Qulong Copper Mine has, to some extent, shattered the long-standing belief among Chinese experts that we lack super-large domestic copper deposits. One day soon, a Chinese copper mine will appear on the world's list of top 20 super deposits."
—Li Zaiqiang, speaking boldly in front of the camera.
"Our work has just begun. There's still a lot more to do."
"Great people often go their own way! Li Tang is extraordinary—I'd call him China's Hancock. Who's Hancock? He was a national pioneer in Austria. When no one believed Austria had iron deposits, he discovered a massive one. As it turns out, Austria has some of the world's best iron ore!"
—Niu Fu, after praising Li Tang, made sure to credit the entire team:
"Qulong Copper Mine is the result of everyone's effort. I'm grateful to every hard-working individual—and especially to our national leadership for their unwavering support."
"Wukuang Group is a company with a true sense of national mission."
—A spokesperson from China's State-Owned Enterprise Administration
…
After returning to Yanjing, Niu Fu immediately reported to Chairman Lang Hemin. After a board meeting, the 30-million-yuan budget for detailed exploration was unanimously approved.
However, 30 million was no small sum.
So who would pay for it?
Technically, the mining rights for Qulong Copper Mine belonged to the Mining & Metallurgy Company, so they should shoulder the expense.
But for the past few days, Zhao Hepu had been running upstairs non-stop to plead poverty.
He argued that Demen Copper Mine was still hemorrhaging money, that new refinery construction would require massive investment, and that recent copper processing contracts were operating at razor-thin margins.
In short—he hoped that the Group headquarters would cover the bulk of the 30 million.
After all, the glory belonged to Wukuang Group, not just the Mining & Metallurgy Company.
Top leadership held meeting after meeting.
Finally, Niu Fu made a decision:
The 30-million-yuan budget would be split equally by Group HQ, the Mining & Metallurgy Company, and the Trading Company—10 million each.
The funding issue was resolved.
But when it came time to execute… a new problem emerged.
Wherever there's money, there will be conflict.
Rumors swirled internally that this was yet another showdown between the Wukuang faction and the Mining & Metallurgy faction.
Some believed that since the mining rights were held by the Mining & Metallurgy Company, the Trading Company had no business paying—and thus shouldn't have a say.
If that's the case, they argued, the Mining & Metallurgy Company shouldn't be allowed to manage the project.
And so, a new conflict began:
Who would oversee the detailed exploration phase?
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