Chapter 175: The Timing Is Just Right
"Alright then."
Liu Jianglong didn't press further. Instead, he handed Li Tang a business card. "If one day you change your mind, give me a call anytime."
After seeing Liu Jianglong and his group off, Li Tang immediately took out his phone and dialed Xiao Yongyue.
"Someone from Hongda Group in Yizhou just came to see me. They want to acquire our mining rights," he said directly.
"I know," Xiao replied calmly on the other end of the line, as if he had anticipated this. "Before coming to you, Liu Jianglong called me. I've dealt with both Liu brothers—Liu Shanlong and Liu Jianglong."
"He offered 50 million for the mining rights. What do you think?" Li Tang asked.
"I'm not short on money, and I definitely won't be selling my shares," Xiao answered firmly. Then he asked, "Did you agree to sell?"
"No."
"If you were thinking about accepting that price, wait. I could offer you that much myself."
"You're not worried about offending Hongda Group?" Li Tang asked honestly.
Standing firm was one thing. But when someone came swinging an axe, it wouldn't matter how brave you were—you could still lose your head.
He couldn't afford to take such risks lightly.
Especially not with someone like Liu San possibly showing up.
So far, the negotiation had been polite. But if Liu San came knocking… there would be no negotiating.
"What exactly did you two talk about?" Xiao asked.
"We discussed pricing. My guess is Liu Jianglong came just to sound me out."
"The Liu brothers play by the rules," Xiao replied after a moment's thought. "They're big enough now to be cautious in their dealings. You said you were worried about offending them—but I doubt it'll be a big issue. Business is business. Buying and selling should be voluntary."
"I hope you're right," Li Tang said. But truthfully, he couldn't read Liu Jianglong well and asked again, "Are you sure he won't resort to force?"
"Only if he's truly desperate. And if he did, it wouldn't be him personally. They'd send someone else."
"I'm starting to feel like I'm holding a treasure I can't protect."
"Want me to arrange some people to keep you safe?" Xiao asked.
He always traveled with an entourage. While that might look flashy to some, it was essential in the wilderness and remote provinces where rule of law could be… flexible.
Li Tang considered it, then declined. "No need. I can't have someone shadowing me every time I eat or use the restroom. If someone wants to make a move, they'll wait for the right moment anyway."
"Then I'll reach out to Liu Jianglong. If he's still in Tubo, I'll go talk to him directly. I don't have much going on these days. Might as well drop by and check on the project too."
After hanging up, Li Tang sat for a moment, thinking.
Hongda Group was big—far too big to resort to brute force over a deal like this.
Still, he couldn't completely shake his unease.
But life had to go on.
What Li Tang hadn't expected was how quickly "accidents" could happen.
One morning, Li Tang, He Runqi, and two technicians were driving to the project site. They had just parked along the roadside and hadn't even gotten out of the vehicle when a group of people suddenly surrounded them.
"That's the gold mine boss!" one of them shouted in an odd accent. Clearly, they had recognized Li Tang.
Crap.
That was Li Tang's only thought in the moment.
His mind flashed to his meeting with Liu Jianglong. Had he been targeted by Liu San?
The group—about a dozen men—wore ragged clothing. Their faces were dirty, bodies thin, and they looked rough around the edges.
"Grab them! Don't let a single one escape!" the leader yelled enthusiastically.
Li Tang stared at him. He looked to be in his thirties, face smeared with black soot, like some roadside bandit.
They were armed—but not with guns or knives. Instead, they wielded shovels, hoes, and pickaxes.
"What are you doing?" Li Tang asked, trying to keep his voice calm. "If it's money you want, just say so. No need to get violent. I'm warning you—lay a hand on us, and you'll regret it. If you go to jail, who's going to feed your parents? Who'll raise your kids?"
"Shut up!"
The leader waved a hand dismissively, then asked, "I heard there's gold in the mountains around here. Take us to the site. If you don't cooperate, I'll beat you!"
"Dig for gold?" Li Tang blinked.
"Don't play dumb. Take us there quietly, and you won't get hurt."
"You're not Liu San, are you?" Li Tang asked.
"Who's Liu San?"
"Never mind."
Left with no choice, Li Tang agreed to take them up the mountain. Meanwhile, he was discreetly texting Xiao Yongyue, praying someone would help.
The ragtag group marched him and his companions to the exposed vein near the project area and started digging—swinging their hoes like madmen.
About an hour later, Damba arrived with officers from the local police station. The entire gang was arrested on the spot.
It turned out they were local drifters—jobless, idle, and easily stirred by rumors.
They had heard there was a gold mine on the mountain and assumed they could dig up shiny nuggets to sell.
They didn't understand that real gold mining wasn't like the stories. There was no glittering treasure lying under the topsoil.
It was just a false alarm.
Right after Liu Jianglong had left, Li Tang got a surprising phone call from the general manager of Huajin Group.
"You're Li Tang, right?" came the voice from the other end.
"Yes." Li Tang was puzzled—he had never met this person.
Huajin Group was the national leader in gold mining and smelting, and a key unit in China's Gold Association.
"I'm Cheng Muyan, General Manager of Huajin. I had to dig around to find your number. I hope you don't mind the sudden call," Cheng said warmly. "I read the Nonferrous Metals News story recently—sounds like you've discovered a 100-ton gold deposit in Tubo."
"Uh…" Li Tang was taken aback by how far the news had spread. "Mr. Cheng, is there something you need?"
"No, no. But I did read that you've run into some funding difficulties. You're well-known in our field, Li. We at Huajin would be happy to help."
"Funding difficulties?" Li Tang thought back—maybe the Nonferrous Metals article had hinted at that, or maybe Damba had mentioned it during the interview.
"If you need funding, just say the word. By the way, are you in Yanjing? Our headquarters is here. If you have time, drop by for tea."
"Funding is no longer an issue," Li Tang replied, realizing Cheng's call was less about helping and more about trying to get a piece of Gongcun.
He politely declined.
"I see. Well, best of luck with your project. You're always welcome to visit us. I've heard great things about you. I'd love to meet you one day."
"Thanks. I'll stop by if I get the chance."
As soon as he hung up, another call came in.
"Li Tang, you in Tubo?" asked a familiar voice—followed by the sharp snap of a lighter. It was Zhao Hepu, unmistakably smoking while talking on the phone.
"Director Zhao, you're a busy man. What brings you to me?" Li Tang laughed.
"Just missing you!" Zhao chuckled. "You've been gone half a year. Didn't even drop by during the New Year. What gives?"
"I've been swamped. Running all over these mountains like a rabbit. Haven't had time to visit Yanjing."
"Yeah, I can tell. The newspaper laid it all out—how you found another big mine in Tubo."
"Why does everyone know about this now?" Li Tang sighed.
"News like this doesn't stay quiet. With a discovery that big, you should've called me!"
"I told the company when I left. Talked to General Manager Niu and Chairman Lang about the Gongcun project. They didn't show much interest, so I didn't push."
"They really said no?" Zhao perked up. "When I see them later, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind. Two of the sharpest leaders in the industry, and they let a goldmine slip through their fingers!"
"It's not that serious," Li Tang said, smiling. "They were very kind. Offered two million to help. I just turned it down."
"Listen to you! Two million is pocket change to you now," Zhao said. Then, more seriously: "I read that you're short on funding."
"We were. Not anymore."
"How much do you need going forward?"
"In the next year or two, at least 40 or 50 million," Li Tang answered frankly.
"Forty or fifty million? Never mind I asked. When are you coming back to Yanjing? Let's talk face to face."
"Sounds good."
While they were still on the call, another unknown number rang through.
At this point, spam calls and scammers didn't exist—so Li Tang called back.
"Li Tang?" asked the unfamiliar voice.
"Yes. Who's this?"
"I'm Wu Yan, from the Yanjing office of BHP-Billiton."
"BHP-Billiton?" Li Tang was stunned. "The merger between Broken Hill and Billiton is done?"
"Yes. The BHP-Billiton China branch has officially been established, with offices in Yanjing and Haiport. I manage the Yanjing side. We heard about your Gongcun project and are very interested. I also understand you've had some funding challenges. Can we meet?"
Li Tang was silent for a moment—then nodded.
"Sure. Let's talk."
He had just turned down Huajin. Had politely pushed back on Zhao Hepu. But now, with just a few words from Wu Yan, he agreed to a meeting.
Not because he wanted to sell Gongcun.
He had something else in mind.
During his talk with Xiao Yongyue, they had discussed the BHP-Billiton merger—a massive restructuring that would inevitably involve internal cuts and asset reallocation.
And among those so-called "worthless assets," Li Tang believed…
He might find treasure.
And the timing?
Was just right.
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