Chapter 131: You Really Believe in the Mining Industry That Much?
Li Tang tilted his head and looked up at her, confused. "Hello, can I help you?"
"Why did you lie?" Alice asked, switching to a foreign language.
She knew Li Tang's foreign language skills were good—they'd spent a whole night awkwardly chatting.
"I didn't lie," Li Tang replied, but in Mandarin.
"Why did you intentionally sabotage our acquisition project?" Alice pressed, refusing to back down.
"And why are you standing there acting like you're above me, pointing fingers?"
Li Tang was getting annoyed. Looking up at her while she spoke angrily meant her spit was landing right on his face.
"I'm not standing above you," Alice said, stepping down one stair to be level with him. Hands on her hips, she still stood a little taller.
At least now Li Tang didn't have to look up anymore. But seeing that standard Western face so close brought a moment of reflection.
What kind of feed do Westerners grow up on? Even the women are so tall!
Girls of her height were rare in China.
"Do you need something?" he asked, not angry, but curious.
Alice kept her hands on her waist, visibly fuming.
She had been sitting nearby during his conversation with Guo Fengchun and heard everything.
The acquisition deal had fallen through—largely because of this man's objections, which had swayed Wukuang Group's top leadership.
He was the culprit!
"Why did you say those things just now?" she asked again, this time in heavily accented Mandarin.
She had been in China long enough to learn an important rule: When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
"What did I say?" Li Tang asked, playing dumb.
"You said that the railways and power stations built by big mining firms like Rio Tinto are private property and that we can't use them!" Alice glared at him. "You could have applied for access! You're from China, and you have trade relationships with Rio Tinto. They would definitely agree!"
Seeing her puffed-up cheeks and hearing such naïve optimism, Li Tang couldn't help but feel a bit of pity.
Local Australian junior mining companies had tried everything to get access to infrastructure owned by Rio Tinto, BHP, and others.
They offered to pay, wrote repeated petitions, involved state government mediators—and even took the issue to court.
Despite years of effort, nothing changed.
Eventually, a joint lawsuit by several junior miners forced the court to rule that the major companies had to make their railways available when not busy.
But what does "not busy" even mean?
And among so many small firms, who gets access first?
It was a tangled, unsolvable mess.
Even Fortescue Metals Group—the now-famous fourth-largest iron ore producer—had to battle the big boys in court before it could get limited access to their private railways to ship its first load of ore.
Its founder, Andrew Forrest, was already a heavyweight in the mining industry and had deep political connections.
Only someone with his influence and iron will could squeeze crumbs from the mouths of giants.
Could Wukuang Group afford to be that aggressive in Australia?
Likely not. Before they could even try, public opinion would destroy them. At best, they'd be sent home. At worst, they'd be labeled as spies.
"You know you were wrong, don't you?" Alice pressed, misinterpreting his silence.
Li Tang wasn't guilty—he just didn't feel like explaining. There was no need.
"I said nothing wrong. Sorry, but I have other things to do. Please move aside."
He stepped past her and started climbing the stairs.
"You were wrong!" Alice called after him angrily, but she didn't chase him.
After all, she had no authority to reproach him.
She had stopped him only to vent her frustration—she had nowhere else to direct it.
Li Tang's mood remained unaffected. He knocked on the general manager's door and, hearing a response, walked in.
"You're here," Niu Fu greeted him, standing and gesturing toward the lounge area. "Sit."
"President Niu, you wanted to see me?"
"Have some tea first."
Niu Fu poured two cups personally before speaking. "Having you on the South Australia trip turned out to be the right call. Your comments earlier—especially your understanding of Australia's railway policy—were very impressive. You really did your homework."
"I happened to know a little." Li Tang sipped his tea. It was fragrant and smooth—clearly good stuff.
Top-level treatment indeed.
"Most people have no clue about these regulatory details. But often, the success or failure of a project hinges on such specifics."
Niu clearly understood the difference between China's public rail network and Australia's privately owned systems.
He spoke slowly, sipping his tea. "Many Chinese companies want to go abroad—or are being pushed to.
Take iron ore, for example. Domestic iron ore is typically 10% more expensive than imports. And even then, domestic ore tends to be of lower quality and higher cost."
"I've read some reports about that," Li Tang nodded.
"Most domestic mines have shut down or been sold. The few still operating are owned by major steelmakers. They don't care about losses in mining because they make up the profits in steel production."
"In recent years, not just iron—nearly the whole mining industry has been struggling." Li Tang had firsthand understanding. "But I believe every industry has its cycles. After a downturn, there's always an upturn. The good days are coming back—soon."
"You really believe in the mining industry that much?"
Seeing Li Tang's teacup was empty, Niu smiled and lifted the pot.
"I've got it," Li Tang said, taking the pot. He poured tea into Niu's cup first, then into his own.
Placing the pot back, he sat up straight and answered, "The mining industry is already recovering. Prices for copper, gold, and iron are all on the rise."
"Even so, poor management or bad timing will still lead to losses."
"That's true. But with China's continued economic growth, demand for minerals will rise sharply."
The two sat there—one older, one younger—sipping tea and discussing the industry's future. They each had different perspectives but found common ground. The conversation was pleasant and engaging.
"President Niu, is the Coastal Resources acquisition really off the table?" Li Tang finally asked. He still felt a bit responsible after realizing his comments had derailed the entire project.
"It's over," Niu said, shaking his head.
"Just because of what I said about infrastructure?"
"Yes—and no."
Niu thought for a moment. "What you said was important and insightful. But there's also the fact that Coastal Resources seemed too polished.
Think about it—why did their stock suddenly crash, and why is it still falling? It might even get delisted or go bankrupt. And we have no idea why."
"That definitely warrants deeper investigation," Li Tang agreed.
"They've been evasive—just trying to trick us out of our foreign exchange. No sincerity at all."
Niu set down his teacup. His wavy hair and broad face exuded authority.
Li Tang agreed. Better to walk away than partner with shady players.
After several rounds of tea, the pot ran dry.
Knock knock.
The secretary peeked in. "President Niu, your meeting at the ministry starts in twenty minutes. We should head out soon."
"Alright," Niu replied, turning back to Li Tang. "Speaking of the ministry, I almost forgot—there's a recognition ceremony planned for the end of the year. A few days ago, Lai Xiangrong from Huazhou Aluminum called me. He submitted your name, along with the Yunshang Bauxite project, for an award."
"Really?" Li Tang hadn't heard anything.
"I rejected it on the spot," Niu grunted. "You're with us. Letting Huazhou Aluminum submit your name—what's that about? You led the Qulong Copper Mine discovery, helped them find Yunshang Bauxite, and even supported Demen Copper when they had resource shortages. One after another, your achievements are worth celebrating."
"I don't deserve such praise," Li Tang said modestly.
"We've submitted your name ourselves. Let's see what the ministry decides."
"Is there anything I need to prepare?"
"Nope. Just show up when they announce the award."
Niu smiled. "The ministry leadership talks about your contributions often. Keep it up—you've got a bright future ahead."
"I'll work even harder."
Li Tang stood up. "President Niu, if you're busy, I won't take more of your time."
"I've got to head to a meeting." Niu also rose, grabbing his notebook and pen. "Let's go down together."
In the elevator, they stopped on the Exploration Company's floor. Li Tang said goodbye to the executives and stepped out.
As the doors closed, the remaining vice presidents looked at Niu curiously.
"What did Li Tang do this time?" one asked.
The others were just as curious. They had seen Niu and Li Tang walk out of the general manager's office chatting and laughing like old friends.
"Nothing special. Just had a chat," Niu replied vaguely.
"President Niu, you've really got a young mindset—able to click with the younger generation. I can't even get my grandkids to talk to me. They're glued to their games."
"It's not that I'm young at heart. It's Li Tang—he's someone I can talk to."
"He really knows how to have a conversation."
"He was just discussing the future of mining with me—and he's really optimistic. He's not only insightful but bold in his thinking."
Niu Fu saw Li Tang as someone who truly thought deeply—something rare among young professionals.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Johanssen