Chapter 217: A Profit-Sharing Agreement
"Go ahead," Liu Shanlong said politely.
"To be frank, I value this project highly—I see a lot of potential in it," Li Tang said, straightforward and sincere. "My condition is that I hold 51% of the company's shares."
He glanced around the table at the others. "I want majority control."
"According to your proposal," Liu Shanlong said, raising the document in his hand, "this project requires a total investment of thirty million yuan. If each of us puts in ten million, and you contribute nothing, yet you want to be the controlling shareholder?"
"You initiated the idea, you're providing the technical expertise, and you'll be in charge of project execution and oversight. You definitely deserve a reward," Yu Yong added. "But to contribute no capital and still control the company? That seems a bit much."
"This is a small project. A ten-million-yuan investment for any of you is child's play. If it doesn't interest you, you don't have to invest."
Li Tang's tone was confident, but not disrespectful. "In all my work, I've always aimed for mutual benefit and common prosperity. Whether it was the Qinglong Copper Mine or the Talego project, that's how I've always operated. I believe my ability and expertise are worth that much."
Xiao Yongyue hadn't expected Li Tang to ask for such a large share. Even though he had a close relationship with Li Tang, he couldn't help but calculate how much his own share would shrink.
Besides, all three men at the table were kings in their respective domains. It was a bold move for Li Tang to make such a demand in front of them.
"You're asking for majority control of a project that hasn't even begun, and which currently holds no actual value. Technical equity is invisible and hard to evaluate," Liu Shanlong said. "If you asked for 5% or even 10%, that's negotiable. At 10%, your technical equity would be worth three million. But at 51%, that's fifteen million—half the total."
Yu Yong offered an idea: "What if we brought your company, Li Tang Shengshi Holdings, into the deal and structured it as a profit-sharing agreement? If…"
"No need to even consider that!" Li Tang interrupted firmly. "If you're trying to use this thirty million to get a stake in the Talego Copper-Gold Mine, forget it. If I were going to part with that equity, I wouldn't be asking you to invest thirty million in the first place."
They were seasoned veterans—clearly eyeing what was most valuable about Li Tang: his 34% stake in Zhongcheng Mining through Li Tang Shengshi Holdings.
He cut off their thoughts before they gained traction.
If he allowed them to use this investment as leverage, it would no longer be about cooperation—it would become scheming and infighting, maybe even lead to legal battles.
"Your demand is really too high," Xiao said with a frown.
Li Tang knew that the wealthier a person was, the less they wanted to suffer a loss. He paused, then offered a compromise: "I'm not insisting on holding 51% up front. As Liu just mentioned, this is an early-stage project with no proven reserves, so it's hard to justify that share. I've come up with a solution: let's structure the shares as options, under a profit-sharing agreement."
"Profit-sharing agreement?" Yu Yong looked at Li Tang curiously.
"From a technical perspective, a deposit of 100,000 tons qualifies as a large molybdenum deposit. At current market rates, finding even one would make the thirty-million investment worthwhile."
Li Tang gestured to Alice.
She understood immediately and distributed pre-drafted copies of the profit-sharing agreement to each investor.
"This is our preliminary draft," Li Tang explained calmly. "Equity options will be granted based on the results of exploration."
"If the deposit reaches 100,000 tons, I receive a 1% equity option. At 500,000 tons, I get 11%. At 1 million tons, 31%. And at 2 million tons, I receive 51%."
Xiao scanned the document—the terms were clear and straightforward.
"To date, the only known molybdenum deposit in China with over two million tons is the one under Luoyi Molybdenum," Li Tang said, turning to Yu Yong. "I've said it before—this project aims to create another Luoyi Molybdenum."
"Your terms are actually quite attractive," Liu Shanlong nodded. "If you really discover a deposit of two million tons, it'll be incredibly valuable."
"I hope you all see the opportunity."
Li Tang took a sip of tea to moisten his throat. "If we wait until the project is complete and the deposit is proven, it won't be a matter of investing ten or twenty million to get a decent stake. You'd be talking about hundreds of millions."
It was a compelling argument.
To replicate a company like Luoyi Molybdenum—that was an ambitious and exciting pitch.
Yu Yong flipped through the agreement again, then looked up. "What if there's no deposit?"
"That's the risk," Li Tang replied without flinching under Yu Yong's scrutinizing gaze. "Whether it's worth taking—that's a decision for each of you to make."
This young man's ability to pitch grand visions and tell compelling stories was on par with the best in the business.
Raising capital and discussing projects is, at its core, about giving investors a beautiful dream.
Yu Yong put down the agreement and smiled faintly.
He had heard bigger boasts—even people claiming they would launch rockets to mine on Mars.
But somehow, after hearing Li Tang out, he couldn't help but feel genuinely interested in the project.
"I'm in for ten million," he said, the first to commit.
Ten million wasn't a huge sum. Even if it failed, the loss was manageable.
He only regretted that the investment would grant him just 18% of the shares.
Liu Shanlong didn't care much about ten million either—he'd already sunk over a billion into the Caiyun Province mine. Losing ten million wouldn't faze him.
"I'm in too," he said, nodding. "I've heard your name for a long time, and now I finally have the chance to work with you. I'll support you no matter what. Succeed or fail, you've earned my respect."
"Thank you, Mr. Liu," Li Tang said with a slight bow.
"As you said—let's build another Luoyi Molybdenum."
Liu Shanlong laughed, then turned to Yu Yong. "If Luoyi Molybdenum ever needs more investment, let me know."
"We're not short on funds," Yu Yong replied bluntly.
"Big spender, eh?" Liu chuckled awkwardly.
But who didn't know how valuable Luoyi Molybdenum's deposit was?
It was the largest in the country, with a grade of 0.1%—well above industrial thresholds—making it extremely profitable with low extraction costs.
With 2.06 million tons in reserves, it ranked first in China, first in Asia, and second in the world.
From a branding perspective alone, its value was astronomical.
If only there were a way in—he'd jump at it.
But every enterprise has its own "territory," and outsiders don't get in easily.
"Li Tang's my brother. I promised him already—I'm investing!"
Seeing that neither Liu nor Yu objected to Li Tang's terms, Xiao also joined in.
Of the three, Xiao had the weakest financial standing. But ten million was still within reach.
And his earlier 22-million-yuan investment in the Gongcun project had proven worthwhile.
Having already tasted success by following Li Tang, there was no reason to stop now.
With a basic framework in place, Li Tang prepared to travel to Huizhou with He Runqi, Alice, and the team.
The key to making this collaboration a reality was securing the mining rights from the provincial geological bureau.
Without that, everything else was just a castle in the sky.
But Li Tang felt confident. Provincial geological teams were financially strained these days. If someone showed up with money—and only wanted the rights to an unproven deposit—it would be hard to say no.
Li Zaiqiang was still sorting documents in Yanjing. Upon hearing that Li Tang was about to launch a new project and head to Huizhou, he quickly stopped him. "You're going to Huizhou to talk with the geological bureau?"
"Yes. I want to negotiate a molybdenum project there."
"Your aunt works at the Huizhou Geological Bureau—she's a clerical officer."
That caught Li Tang by surprise. "I'd forgotten. She visited us for New Year's a few years ago."
He hadn't been to Huizhou in years. Communication had been rare. His parents were the ones who kept in touch.
Li Zaiqiang had two older sisters who only came home every few years. Luckily, their parents were in good health.
There was no phone at the house. Letters were the only connection, and they came infrequently.
When he was a child, he had looked forward to his aunts' visits—always bringing gifts and toys.
But as time passed, those visits became rare.
"Your aunt used to work at our provincial geological bureau. She met your uncle from Huizhou, got married, and moved there. With our bureau's referral and some help from an old colleague of your grandfather's, she got a job in Huizhou."
The memories made Li Zaiqiang emotional. "We haven't seen them in years. She wrote recently—your uncle had a stroke, and she's had heart issues too. They can't travel anymore. Your grandparents are old too. It's hard for the family to reunite."
"I miss them too," Li Tang said genuinely.
"Take them some gifts on our behalf. If their health allows, invite them to spend New Year's with us. Your grandparents miss them dearly."
Family ties grow stronger with age. Decades of affection had become deeply rooted.
Li Zaiqiang's voice cracked. "You're young. You should visit them more—your cousins too. Even if the distance is far, the bond is still deep."
"I understand."
That day, Li Tang and his father went shopping around Yanjing—buying clothes, supplements, and small appliances. They stuffed the luggage full and shipped it all by plane.
Soon, Li Tang, Alice, and He Runqi landed in Huizhou.
While snow blanketed Yanjing, Huizhou was still sunny—but the damp chill in the air hit them as soon as they stepped off the plane.
At the hotel, after settling in, Li Tang took out the paper with his aunt's address.
She lived in the housing compound of the geological bureau. He'd been there once as a kid and vaguely remembered it.
After some asking around, he found the place.
A five-story old building. The hallway was dark and eerie.
He knocked on the door on the second floor. A wooden door opened behind a security gate.
An elderly man with a wrinkled face peered out. He looked familiar but couldn't quite place Li Tang. "Who are you looking for?"
"My aunt…" Li Tang glanced at the note. "Her name is Li Xiuhui."
He studied the man's face again. It had to be his uncle. But he'd aged so much.
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