Chapter 67: A Great Man?
"Ten million tons of copper…"
Lately, Niu Fu had been brushing up intensively on copper mining. Now that he was certain Wukuang Group had discovered a super-large copper deposit, he was immensely satisfied—yet he couldn't help but think further, and dream bigger.
That's how human desire works—never truly satisfied.
"According to international standards, a deposit with over 20 million tons of copper is considered a 'super copper mine.' At its current size, the Qulong Copper Mine still wouldn't make the top twenty on the global rankings," he said with a hint of regret.
They had now basically confirmed that Qulong would become China's largest copper deposit.
But for him, that wasn't enough.
If they were going to do something, why not aim to be the best in the world?
Who said China couldn't have a world-class super copper mine?
Li Zaiqiang, speaking from a technical standpoint, began to explore this idea. "After we finish detailed exploration down to 1,000 meters, the next phase would be deep-mineral exploration. We could start drilling to depths of 2,000 to 4,000 meters. Of course, that kind of work presents huge technical challenges, and the financial investment would be massive."
"So you're saying… there's still a chance this deposit could reach 20 million tons?" Niu Fu asked, almost unable to contain the wild ambition forming in his mind.
"There's hope," Li Zaiqiang said with a nod.
"Good!" Niu Fu suddenly started clapping.
Once the applause quieted, he turned and looked in a specific direction. "Li Tang, what's your opinion?"
No one replied.
The officials, experts, and staff on-site all started looking around anxiously—where was Li Tang?
With so many senior executives present—alongside CCTV reporters and cameras—this was a very serious and formal moment.
And Li Tang… had disappeared!
"Where is Li Tang?" Niu Fu asked again, this time calmly, though with visible annoyance. The cameras were still rolling. He didn't lose his temper—instead, he quipped, "History proves that great people always stand apart from the crowd."
Then, turning back to Li Zaiqiang, he said, "Chief Engineer Li, as for that 30 million yuan detailed exploration budget, I can't approve it on the spot. But once I return to Yanjing, I will personally report to the chairman and the board to push for swift approval of the funds!"
"Understood," Li Zaiqiang replied. He was already sure the project was secure.
"You all continue your excellent technical work. As for the rest—you have my full support."
Niu Fu stood up from the grass and dusted off his pants. Looking around once more, still slightly irritated by Li Tang's absence, he shook his head.
With the formal presentation wrapped up, a stylish young CCTV reporter waved at the camera crew to follow and stepped forward with a microphone. "General Manager Niu, would you be willing to give us a quick interview?"
"Of course. Go ahead."
Niu Fu was not camera-shy. Given the importance of this project, he was more than willing to appear on national television.
Being featured on CCTV—especially for a landmark achievement like this—was a huge honor.
This wasn't some blink-and-you-miss-it clip from a policy meeting.
This could be aired nationwide, even on prime-time news.
For a man like Niu Fu, who had an instinctive nose for opportunity, this was not something to pass up.
"You said earlier, 'Great people always stand apart from the crowd.' Can you tell us—who were you referring to?" the reporter asked with a warm smile.
"Li Tang," Niu replied.
The reporter seemed confused, so he elaborated, "Internally, everyone knows that Li Tang is the project initiator. Without his application and his bold vision, the Qulong Copper Mine might still be buried beneath the earth for a thousand years, never to be discovered. This mine will be a historic breakthrough for China's mining industry—and a point of pride for Wukuang Group."
Hearing this, the reporter's curiosity about Li Tang only deepened. "Could you tell us more about this… great man?"
A great man?
Niu Fu had only used that phrase as a casual joke. Now that the reporter was taking it seriously, he felt it had been misunderstood. "He's just a twenty-year-old young man—very talented, that's all."
"I see."
Seeing that Niu wasn't interested in elaborating, the reporter redirected the conversation. "We've interviewed many experts recently. Most of them said they never believed such a large copper deposit could be found here. Even your company had no prior operations in Tibet. What inspired Wukuang to suddenly apply for mining rights and invest so heavily in exploration?"
"As I mentioned earlier, this project was proposed by Li Tang. Our company trusted him, and we supported his vision with a 5-million-yuan investment to launch the search."
"And what are your hopes for the future of the Qulong Copper Mine?"
"We hope to establish China's largest copper mining operation right here. With a steady flow of copper and molybdenum, we'll strongly support the development of the nation's industrial sector. Wukuang Group exists to ensure China's economic progress has the resources it needs."
"Discovering a deposit of this size will undoubtedly attract national attention. General Manager Niu, on behalf of Wukuang, how do you feel at this moment?"
"Our motherland is blessed with vast natural beauty and abundant resources. Under the wise leadership of our nation, we are confident that China will prosper. And I'd like to especially thank…"
…
While the leadership gave interviews and posed for cameras, Li Tang had quietly wandered away from the crowd. He now stood at the edge of the valley, gazing at the mountain ridges in the distance.
On the horizon, he saw a line of shadows—wolves, moving gracefully along the ridge.
They were mountain spirits.
He instinctively reached for his phone to take a picture—only to remember that his expensive "senior phone" didn't even have a camera.
Part of the reason he'd walked away was to see the wolf pack.
But another part was that he simply couldn't sit through all the chatter. He already knew far more about Qulong Copper Mine than anyone else present.
His father's belief that the deposit might hold 20 million tons of copper was something they had already discussed—and he agreed.
In fact, from another perspective, after many years of continued exploration, the total resource volume of Qulong Copper Mine would approach 20 million tons—if they included the deep zones down to 3,000–4,000 meters.
But reaching that level of exploration would require astronomical investment.
From what he remembered, the total cost of exploration at Qulong had eventually exceeded 150 million yuan.
Their current 35-million-yuan investment—for both shallow and mid-depth work—was just the beginning.
For Qulong Copper Mine, the road ahead was still long and arduous.
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