Chapter 257: You're Not a Man to Be Provoked
At the Erenhot city bulk loading yard, many workers had been idling for quite some time. The days dragged on with boredom.
Compared to previous years, when this season would've been their busiest, now everything had come to a standstill.
"Hey, bro, have a smoke."
"Been so bored my mouth tastes like dust."
"When are we starting work again?"
"Who knows? We don't know what's happening up top. The foreman just told us to stay ready and be on standby."
"It's meaningless getting just the base wage with no real work."
As the workers chatted idly, a sudden announcement blared from the loudspeaker: "All personnel, report to the iron ore warehouse immediately. Start loading! Let's clear the storage yard today!"
The Mongolian workers who had been waiting sprang to life the moment they heard the broadcast.
"It's really back to normal?"
"No idea what this was all about—suddenly stopped for over a month, and now it's suddenly restarting again."
"What about our copper concentrate? When is that being loaded? That's the most urgent! We need to ship that to the port immediately!"
Some were excited; others still wore worried expressions.
They were only a small cog in the broader mineral trade machine, responsible for specific tasks and largely unaware of the bigger picture.
To them, the timing of these events felt completely inexplicable.
One order shut things down. Another order started it back up.
They couldn't guess what the upper levels were planning.
But at least for iron ore, trade at the Erenhot border crossing had fully resumed.
All the iron ore that had been backed up in warehouses and yards was quickly loaded and sent off within just three days.
Meanwhile, employees from Edente Copper sat squatting at the bogie exchange depot, eyes fixed on the gates.
They finally spotted Director Wang arriving for work and hurried over.
"Director Wang, long time no see! Here, have a smoke."
But Wang waved it off. The situation was still unclear. He couldn't accept favors. "No thanks, my throat's dry."
"Director Wang, when can we get our trains back on track?"
"No orders yet. The start date's still unknown. You saw the notice—slope collapse on the line. It won't reopen anytime soon. You'll just have to wait."
"We can't wait! This shipment's already overdue by a month! Even if we get it out now, the penalty clauses alone make this a losing deal!"
"We get it. But the reality is what it is—nothing we can do."
"At least change the wheels on our train first. That way, once the rail line is fixed, we can depart right away!"
"No rush. No rush. As we say—haste makes waste."
"But your workers are just sitting here. Might as well do something."
"They're using this time to rest and recharge. Work-life balance, you know."
…
News of the trade restart at the port quickly reached Ulaanbaatar.
Hada and Belinsky stormed into Agula's office, visibly furious.
"Iron ore trade has completely resumed. Why hasn't our copper concentrate seen any progress?" Belinsky demanded.
"Wukuang and the other companies have resumed iron ore trade. But they're still refusing to do any copper deals," Hada added, baffled by what was going on at Erenhot.
"Copper concentrate is the most important of all!" Belinsky shouted in frustration.
Agula was fully aware of how critical copper sales were—not only to Edente but to the entire economy.
But there was nothing he could do.
He'd met with Li Tang recently, and the young man had promised to help mediate a partial trade resumption that very day.
And judging by what had happened—he kept his word.
Which only confirmed one thing: Li Tang was the one pulling the strings.
It was his words that had halted over a month of iron ore trade.
And it was his words that restarted it.
Clearly, if he said the entire mineral trade could resume, it would.
There was no doubt—this young man held the key to their economic fate.
"It will resume soon," Agula said, trying to reassure them.
"When exactly?" they demanded.
"We don't know yet."
"We're out of time!" Hada protested. "We can see this isn't about rail or warehouse maintenance—it's deliberate!"
"Be ready to resume full production. I believe the answer is coming soon."
"If this drags another month, we'll end the year in the red!" Hada warned. "We won't be able to explain this to our board."
Agula was anxious too, but what could he do?
"I'll follow up," he finally said.
Not with Bayar—but with the final decision-maker.
…
Li Tang was relieved to see progress, but he still couldn't relax until the mining license was in hand.
Others found major mines and were celebrated, treated as honored guests.
But for him, the path was full of traps and games.
Still, he wasn't a helpless lamb waiting for slaughter.
After nearly a week of waiting, Bayar finally gave him the news: the mining license was approved.
Given Mongolia's usually glacial pace, he expected it to take one to two months. He hadn't thought it would come so quickly.
Clearly, begging wouldn't have worked.
But force—they understood.
At Bayar's office, Li Tang noticed that Agula was also present.
After brief pleasantries, Bayar handed him a document. "This is your mining license. It includes the plot boundaries and registration number."
He also handed over a policy document. "You're required to adhere to environmental protection protocols and conduct mining responsibly."
Li Tang took the license and reviewed it—his face relaxed into a smile.
After so many years in exploration, this was the first time he had secured a mining license.
The road had been bumpy, but he'd made it.
"Thank you, Minister Bayar, Mr. Agula, and everyone here," he said with a respectful bow.
Now that the deal was done, there was no need for cold faces—future cooperation would be inevitable.
"This was handled through a special process. We made an exception for you," Bayar admitted, though he looked troubled.
He would face criticism and possibly even impeachment at the next parliamentary session.
Agula, watching Li Tang beam with joy, couldn't bring himself to smile.
"Mr. Li, we kept our promise. We expedited your license."
In truth, Bayar's signature alone wouldn't have been enough.
What really pushed it through was Agula.
Because mineral trade impacted the entire nation's economy.
And he bore that responsibility.
A fully operational mine could generate foreign exchange.
But the Talego license—until now—was just a golden egg.
A shiny egg wasn't as good as a hen already laying.
He looked gravely at Li Tang. "When will copper and molybdenum trade resume?"
He no longer doubted Li Tang.
He just wanted a clear promise.
Then he could finally breathe.
"I'll make the call today," Li Tang said, smiling. "I've heard the railway repairs finished yesterday. Your copper shipments shouldn't face any more issues. Trust me—everything should resume today."
He said it so lightly!
But they had endured incredible pressure just to hear those words.
The stress might have lifted, but they couldn't celebrate.
The economic loss and wasted time were still real.
This year's trade volume would inevitably take a hit.
"I hope you keep your word," Agula said. "I won't sleep tonight. I'm waiting for the confirmation. Our copper stockpiles must move!"
His sharp gaze pierced into Li Tang, as if daring him to go back on his word.
"I'll make the call now."
Li Tang handed the license to Qin Jianshe and stepped out to call Niu Fu.
"The license is secured."
"Understood."
"They're pushing hard to ship out the copper and molybdenum stockpiles."
"Tell them not to worry. Today we'll clear all backlogged shipments—and payments will be settled too."
"Got it."
"This whole situation may have strained relations. Getting development approvals in the future might be harder."
"I know. But just getting the license is a huge win. Without pressure, they could've delayed it for years."
"It was a necessary move. But business thrives on harmony. These confrontations come with a cost."
"They chose confrontation," Li Tang said, remembering Bayar and Agula's grim faces. "They're upset—but we got the license. That's what matters."
"You seem pleased."
"Of course."
"We'll talk development plans when you're back."
"Sure."
"I'll restart all mineral trade now. Let them know."
After hanging up, Li Tang looked out at the low buildings of Ulaanbaatar—and beyond them, the outskirts where the poor lived.
This land was rich in resources.
But most people never shared in its wealth.
He never felt his actions were wrong.
As for Bayar and the rest—they'd brought this on themselves.
They tried to sell out to Western capital to grab a bigger piece of what Li Tang had found.
Back in the office, Li Tang sat down and said calmly, "Chairman Agula, no need to stay up tonight."
"What do you mean?" Agula asked, puzzled.
"The copper trade has resumed," Li Tang said, flatly.
Just then, Agula's phone rang—it was Hada from Edente.
"Chairman, Erenhot has resumed full operations!" Hada's voice was full of excitement.
"Good."
"Everything's running again! More trains have been dispatched. In a week, all our copper and molybdenum stockpiles will be cleared!"
"Excellent."
"I've already ordered full production to resume. We'll try to recover the month of lost output."
"Make sure safety is a priority."
After hanging up, Agula looked at Li Tang again.
What could he say?
A few words from this man had turned their entire economy upside down.
Hada had been elated.
But Agula couldn't smile.
Because he didn't know if this would happen again.
Still, the crisis was over—for now.
Had the trade war dragged into winter, he might've had to resign.
Fortunately, the damage was still manageable.
But he wondered—Wukuang and the others, they must have suffered losses too.
They were penalized for breach of contract. They lost money too.
Yet Li Tang sat there, relaxed and unbothered—as if none of it mattered.
How much power stood behind this man?
What kind of force did he truly represent?
He seemed like a mystery—impossible to decode.
"I hope nothing like this happens again," Agula said, standing and offering a hand.
Li Tang stood as well and shook it. "Let's work together from now on—for mutual success."
"Yes, mutual success." Agula looked at him with deep meaning. "You're not someone to be provoked."
"I'm just a businessman," Li Tang replied modestly. "I never wanted to be your opponent, and I never will be."
Agula didn't respond. He turned and walked away, heavy-hearted.
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