Chapter 228: Boss Li Has a Spirit of Exploration
As the funding party—Party A—
and also a nationally renowned geology expert,
Li Tang's opinion naturally carried weight at the meeting.
Granted, this so-called geology expert didn't even have a mid-level engineer certification—just a junior engineer's license—but that didn't stop everyone from taking his words seriously.
"Honestly, before coming here, I was really looking forward to you giving us a fresh perspective or new method for mineral prospecting," said Peng Dezhi, his tone sincere.
Even though he was old enough to be Li Tang's grandfather, he didn't dismiss the younger man's ideas. "Tell us, what special idea do you have?"
"My idea's a little far-fetched," Li Tang admitted.
He'd mentioned his thoughts briefly before the New Year. But now that the exploration work was officially starting, he had to speak up—to help avoid wasted time and money.
He pointed at a spot on the map.
"I want to drill an exploratory borehole right here."
"Hm?"
Peng Dezhi and the other technicians looked closely. The spot Li Tang pointed to was a blank space on the geological map—no planned work there.
They couldn't make sense of it.
That particular area had no visible ore points at all—no molybdenum, no lead, no zinc, no copper, not even trace polymetallic mineralization.
The experts looked baffled. They puzzled over it for a bit but ultimately couldn't understand Li Tang's reasoning.
"All of our surface work and the next phase of drilling is planned around known mineralization belts," Peng Dezhi said.
"To drill in that spot, right now, seems to have no basis. I don't understand this choice. Why?"
"Because…"
Li Tang found himself at a rare loss for words.
The Shazhai molybdenum deposit, once fully revealed, would no doubt reshape the history of molybdenum exploration. It would be China's largest molybdenum deposit and the second-largest in the world.
But no one could've predicted it.
As that overseas-educated expert from Hongda Group, Lu Shengwen, had previously pointed out, Huizhou Province had never yielded a major molybdenum deposit. It simply wasn't considered a molybdenum-producing region.
Even the local geological bureau, after decades of work, had never prioritized molybdenum as a target mineral.
Still, generation after generation of geologists had never given up on Shazhai. They believed in the area's potential.
And yet, it took more than forty years to finally uncover the deposit.
That fact alone was proof:
This mine was hard to find.
Very hard.
Dozens of exploration programs. Countless shifts in focus.
Decades of changing the main target minerals.
Before the first ore was uncovered, no one had ever dared to guarantee success.
Why?
Because the Shazhai molybdenum deposit is a fully concealed deposit.
What does that mean?
It's buried underground, with no surface exposure—not even the slightest sign.
The polymetallic belts discovered over decades were actually nearby—not within the deposit itself.
And rather than helping, they misled generations of prospectors—focusing everyone's attention on areas adjacent to the real target.
This deposit was like a black cat hiding in the dark.
It crouched silently while wave after wave of geologists walked right past it—never seeing where it truly lay.
That's how hard it was to find.
Yet ironically, once the first borehole finally hit it, they discovered something shocking:
The deposit itself had a simple geological structure.
Unbelievably simple.
It was one massive, solid block—like a cat curled into a ball.
Find the spot, and you'd found the whole thing.
If someone had pointed the geological bureau in the right direction thirty years ago, maybe they wouldn't have wasted all that time wandering in circles.
Li Tang felt he had to be that guide now.
He had real money on the line—he couldn't afford to waste years or tens of millions of yuan walking the wrong path.
According to the bureau's current exploration plan, they were using either "blind sampling" or a blanket grid strategy.
Under those methods, even if their luck was phenomenal, it would still take three to five years to find the ore.
He couldn't wait that long.
And he didn't need to create that kind of trouble for himself.
So he stepped up and pointed directly at the heart of the deposit.
Drill here. If they hit ore, the rest of the work would speak for itself. The bureau's experts would know what to do next.
Seeing that Li Tang had gone silent, lost in thought, Director Zeng Yuhua spoke up to ease the tension.
"Since Party A wants to drill at this location, Old Peng, let's follow the client's request. It's just one hole—won't cost much."
"No problem drilling."
Peng Dezhi had been in the field for decades. He wasn't hotheaded—he wouldn't argue with Party A's instructions.
He just didn't understand the logic.
"I just can't see the rationale for choosing that spot."
There was no rationale.
If there were any signs of ore in that area, they wouldn't have spent 40 years without finding it.
Li Tang was silent not because he wanted to look mysterious, but because he honestly didn't know how to justify his reasoning in a way they would accept.
Still, with everyone's eyes on him, he finally bluffed:
"I reviewed the regional aeromagnetic and gravity anomaly maps. This area shows some anomalous geophysical responses. I just want to drill down and see what's there."
"Aeromagnetic surveys are low-resolution. The scales are usually 1:50,000 or even 1:100,000. You really think you can spot small-scale anomalies in that kind of data?"
Clearly, not everyone was buying it.
Peng Dezhi thought Li Tang's claim was unbelievable.
"Like I said," Li Tang replied, his tone steady despite the weak excuse,
"I have a rather unconventional idea. I mainly just want to satisfy my personal curiosity."
Just to satisfy curiosity?
Was he serious?
Spending 100,000 or even 500,000 yuan for one hole—just to look?
Everyone started to give Li Tang that look—the one people reserve for rich brats wasting money for fun.
Still, Peng Dezhi didn't say much.
If you're footing the bill, you get to call the shots.
With enough money, you could probably drill through the entire Earth and no one would stop you.
"Boss Li clearly has a strong spirit of exploration!"
Director Zeng laughed and broke the awkward silence.
"Many of the world's greatest scientific discoveries have come from curiosity. I think Boss Li has that rare, research-driven spirit!"
Li Tang didn't blush or feel embarrassed. He simply nodded and said,
"Please follow my instructions and drill that borehole as soon as possible."
The mobilization meeting concluded, and the next day, the bureau's team set off for Shazhai County to begin fieldwork.
He Runqi and several senior technicians, along with ten new hires, began preparing gear and vehicles.
As the client, they weren't technically required to send so many people.
But Li Tang had them all come so the new recruits could get a better sense of how the company operated on real projects.
Inside Shazhai Molybdenum's freshly renovated office space, things were still quiet.
The place looked clean and modern, but there weren't many people yet. It felt a little empty.
In the hallway, Lin Feiming arrived in a wheelchair, pushed by his wife.
They glanced around at the vast, well-lit space.
Only a dozen or so people were in sight, all busy organizing luggage. No one looked up to greet them.
"Double-check the address, will you?" Feiming asked.
Feeling a bit unsure, Lin Feiming glanced around nervously.
"I think we might've gotten the wrong floor. This place doesn't look like an operational company—hardly anyone's here."
His wife quickly pulled out the address Li Tang had written down for them earlier and checked it again.
"No, it's correct. I've triple-checked."
"Really?" Lin still looked uneasy.
"Yes."
She gathered her courage and walked over to someone packing documents.
"Excuse me, is this Shazhai Molybdenum Company?"
"Yes. Who are you looking for?"
"We're looking for Li Tang."
"He's in that big office over there—the one with the 'General Manager' nameplate on the door."
The technician glanced over the couple with curiosity.
"What's your business with Mr. Li?"
"Uh, we're here about a job."
"Li Tang is my cousin!" Lin Feiming suddenly puffed up with pride. The earlier nervousness vanished. They had come to the right place.
"Come, I'll take you to him."
The technician led them to Li Tang's office.
"…Some of the technicians will be officially transferred to Shazhai Molybdenum and receive their salary here," Li Tang was saying to Dai Yingchi as they entered.
"We also need to assign finance staff. As for drivers, we're short for now. Some of our tech staff can drive, so they'll double as drivers when needed. We'll calculate fieldwork driving as extra paid duty."
"No problem. That can all be arranged quickly," Dai replied.
To him, none of this was difficult—just tasks to be handled one by one.
"Our main goal is to keep the project running smoothly. We can't afford disorder in management."
Li Tang was concerned. Many of the staff were new and lacked experience. But with Dai's steady presence, a lot of that pressure was eased.
Knock knock!
Lin Feiming and his wife, who had been standing outside for a while and had already spotted Li Tang inside, finally knocked.
Li Tang looked up, then immediately walked over and greeted them. He took the wheelchair handles from his sister-in-law and pushed Lin in himself.
"I was just waiting for you guys."
"We've been here a while. We looked around and thought we were in the wrong place—it's so big and empty," Lin chuckled.
"The company's just getting started. We're understaffed, which is why I wanted you here as soon as possible."
Li Tang gestured for his sister-in-law to sit.
"No need to be nervous—please, make yourself comfortable."
But his words had the opposite effect. She tightened her grip on the wheelchair, clearly more nervous now, and sat primly beside her husband.
Feiming, meanwhile, looked around the spacious office with its shiny floors, wide-eyed.
"I thought you were just a technician. The young guy outside said you're the general manager—your name's on the door!"
"I am." Li Tang smiled.
"Oh my god, I've made it! Nobody in this company is going to dare mess with me now, right?" Feiming laughed, feeling a rush of exhilaration.
"We're a professional company with formal systems. There's no such thing as bullying here. We prioritize mutual respect."
Li Tang explained with a grin.
"I was just joking, don't take it seriously."
Feiming chuckled and tested the leather sofa with his hand, then climbed out of his wheelchair and collapsed onto it, sighing in satisfaction.
"This is the life. Back when I worked in the mines, the managers used to sit like this, drinking tea and chatting while we sweated outside."
He felt like he had finally achieved the dream.
"What are you doing!" his wife scolded, giving his leg a swat to keep him in check.
Feiming sat up, grinning sheepishly.
"Sorry, got a little carried away."
"It's fine," Li Tang said kindly.
"Our company culture is about creating a relaxed, happy environment. You're welcome to rest here whenever you want."
Feiming wasn't a total fool. He waved his hands.
"I was just trying the sofa. I won't make a habit of it. Even though I only know how to drive, I understand rules and boundaries."
Li Tang turned to Dai.
"He's our new HR Director, Dai Yingchi. You can call him Director Dai."
"Hello, Director Dai!" the couple greeted politely.
"No need to be formal."
Dai smiled and got straight to the point.
"Mr. Li already informed me you'd be coming today. We've prepared your contracts. Mr. Lin, you'll be hired as a company driver, primarily responsible for vehicle operation and project transport. As for your wife, she'll join as a support staffer—handling file management, office safety and cleanliness. For now, we don't have janitors, so cleaning duties fall on you, but once we hire cleaners, you'll just supervise."
Wait—supervise?
Her eyes widened. Was she going to be managing staff one day?
She suddenly felt anxious and pressured, unsure what to say.
"We understand," Feiming replied, relieved to have Li Tang nearby and visibly relaxed.
"As for salary," Dai continued,
"Drivers earn a base of 1,200 yuan per month, plus meal and travel allowances. You'll also get a daily fieldwork bonus of around 30 yuan when driving to remote sites. Support staff receive 1,000 yuan base, plus the same meal subsidy. Overtime for cleaning will be paid extra."
At that time, the national average monthly salary was around 1,000 yuan.
Even "iron rice bowl" jobs paid about the same.
The couple stared in stunned silence.
"This much?" Feiming blurted out.
Before coming, they had estimated maybe 800 yuan for driving, 500 for cleaning.
Dai looked at them seriously.
"Do you have any concerns about the pay or duties?"
"No… no," they said in unison, overwhelmed with gratitude.
"Then let's sign the official contracts."
Dai had everything ready. They signed quickly, and he reminded them,
"Mr. Lin, since you're still recovering, no rush to start. Come in once you're healed. But your pay starts this month. Mrs. Lin, can you report tomorrow?"
"I can."
"I don't want to collect a salary without doing any work," Feiming said sincerely.
He knew this opportunity came entirely because of Li Tang—and now that he knew Li Tang was the GM, he felt even more uncomfortable freeloading.
"How about this—I'll take half-pay until I recover. In the meantime, I can come in and act as security. I'll sit at the elevator and press buttons for people," he offered.
Li Tang had already brewed tea and poured everyone a cup. He laughed.
"If you do that, people will think we're exploiting an injured man!"
"I get bored at home. Let me come in and help. I'll do anything—serve tea, mop the floors. It's easy to roll around in a wheelchair on these smooth floors."
"Fine. If that's what you want."
Li Tang nodded at Dai.
"You're in charge of office management. I'll leave this to you."
Feiming's ears perked up.
"You're leaving?"
"I'm a field tech. This afternoon, I head to Shazhai for the project. I won't be in the city much."
"Need a driver?" Feiming asked eagerly.
"With your leg? You can't even press the brake! You'll land us in a ditch!"
Li Tang joked.
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Happy New Year, friends! I hope you have a great time.