Chapter 382: Backed by a Wealthy Patron
Li Tang and Alice faced each other openly.
For some inexplicable reason, Li Tang suddenly felt the urge to smoke a cigarette.
He had no nicotine addiction—in fact, he'd always found the smell of cigarettes repulsive. Perhaps it was because he felt somewhat confused and physically exhausted right now.
He glanced around the room but found no cigarettes. While looking, his eyes met Alice's gaze.
Her face glowed, a smile filled with happiness evident in her expression.
She seemed deeply content—not just physically, but emotionally, as though her soul had drifted into heaven, savoring its most blissful warmth.
"What are you looking for?" she asked.
"I feel like I lost something," Li Tang replied absentmindedly.
"I'll help you find it," Alice laughed softly. "What is it?"
"My innocence," Li Tang responded seriously.
"Hahaha…"
Alice laughed brightly, eyes sparkling. "You're so funny. I never noticed this side of you before."
"I think we made a mistake," Li Tang said without smiling.
He had a girlfriend, after all. Both their families had already met several times, and their elders had even discussed marriage plans. All that remained was for Li Tang to give his agreement, choose a suitable date, and finalize the arrangement.
Meanwhile, he and Alice were superior and subordinate. The current situation was undeniably complicated.
"In such a beautiful moment, can we not discuss these things? It's really killing the mood." Alice looked toward the large floor-to-ceiling windows, which revealed a panoramic view of Toronto city.
At that moment, it was dusk. The setting sun illuminated the sky with golden rays, lining the clouds in radiant gold. The scene outside was breathtaking, but the scene inside the room was even more captivating.
Li Tang wasn't blind or stupid. He had always known about Alice's feelings towards him but chose to pretend ignorance because he feared precisely this scenario. He worried about the chaos it could create within company management if Alice ever chose to use this relationship against him, publicly exposing it. It would severely damage his image and disrupt the currently stable management team.
"It's my fault," he admitted. As the man, he took responsibility without placing blame on Alice. The crucial matter now was determining how they would interact from here on.
"Yes, it's your fault!" Alice responded bluntly. Now completely open with Li Tang after giving herself entirely to him, she said playfully, "When you asked me to stay behind alone and locked the door, I knew you planned on making this mistake."
Was this considered evidence of guilt?
Li Tang was momentarily speechless.
Actually, when he asked Alice to stay and locked the door, his intention had been to clarify why he publicly favored Fred's approach earlier. He wanted to reassure Alice privately that there was no comparison between her and Fred.
Alice was irreplaceable in Li Tang's Shengshi Holdings!
Fred, on the other hand, would inevitably depart sooner or later. As United Win Mining expanded to a certain scale, Fred—who specialized in aggressive, adventurous expansion—would no longer be suitable as the company transitioned to steady management.
Li Tang had even intended to share his insights with Alice about upcoming global financial trends, subtly indicating the imminent financial crisis that would sweep the world within two years. His goal was to ensure that both Shengshi Holdings and United Win Mining were prepared for the storm ahead.
But he never got to say any of this.
"Alright, don't look so conflicted!" Alice stood up openly, completely unabashed, dressing slowly right in front of Li Tang's eyes. She continued with a smile, "Of course I know you have a girlfriend named Li Xinqi. She's undeniably a beautiful girl, elegant and gentle, typical of Eastern women. She's excellent and worth cherishing."
Li Tang felt awkward hearing Alice discuss this topic so calmly.
"I won't ask you for anything," Alice added. "Believe me, I'm very open-minded."
"But I'm not as open-minded as you," Li Tang interjected softly.
"You're actually quite wild inside," Alice teased, adjusting her long golden hair cascading down her shoulders. "You're just keeping it restrained because of your upbringing and culture."
She looked straight at him, as if seeing through his thoughts completely. "I knew long ago you didn't really want to marry Li Xinqi."
"It's only because I've been busy," Li Tang explained defensively.
"You're the boss. Your time is completely yours to control. If you wanted to, you'd never be busy," Alice retorted firmly.
"Our company is currently at a critical period of rapid expansion. If I begin slacking off—"
"That's just an excuse to avoid it!" Alice bluntly cut through Li Tang's pretense. "You don't want marriage at all because you fear it would constrain your freedom."
Li Tang silently looked out at the setting sun, acknowledging internally that Alice had hit upon the truth.
"In fact, many wealthy people in the West never get married either. It's a perfectly normal lifestyle," Alice said casually, now fully dressed. She smiled confidently, brushing her long golden hair back. "I've noticed something else—you never take Li Xinqi with you when traveling abroad. Why don't we do it this way? At home, I promise to keep our relationship strictly professional. Trust me, no one will suspect a thing. But when you travel abroad and want me around, just tell me. Or whenever I have time, I'll come find you."
She had neatly divided their relationship into clear-cut segments: purely professional within the country, freely indulgent abroad.
"I don't think we should—"
Alice, sensing Li Tang's imminent rejection of such an illicit arrangement, quickly interrupted and changed the subject. "Mark mentioned dinner together tonight. He has some good news to announce. Also, you still haven't collected the 100 million USD you earned from Barrick Gold yet. Tonight's dinner is important."
She checked her watch briefly. "It's almost time."
After quickly gathering her clothes scattered throughout the room and arranging her belongings, she sat in front of the mirror to fix her makeup.
At dinner that evening, Mark discussed the process for settling the funds and brought Li Tang some positive news—he had successfully arranged a meeting with Layton.
"Jingjing, cancel the return tickets," Li Tang instructed.
Li Tang had Alice handle the financial arrangements with Barrick Gold, while he personally brought his assistant, Gao Jingjing, to meet Layton.
Originally, he'd planned to return home immediately to spend Chinese New Year with his parents, sharing the traditional family dinner. Moreover, he had been abroad for a considerable period, meaning that at company headquarters, many important decisions were awaiting his signature and approval.
However, Layton suddenly agreeing to a meeting was unexpected. Given the necessity of future smooth development for the Mali River iron mine and the Malu River coal mine in Canada, Li Tang had no choice but to meet, even though he disliked Layton intensely.
"Since we'll be spending the holiday here, why don't we bring over the colleagues from the Shapulo project and have a proper dinner?" Gao Jingjing suggested thoughtfully.
"I hadn't even thought of that," Li Tang admitted. "You're right—we should invite everyone and have a festive meal together."
Looking outside the car window, Li Tang noted the quiet streets lacking any festive atmosphere. Back in China at this time, every household would already be brightly decorated and lively.
Upon arriving at the meeting location, Li Tang found Layton already waiting.
"You wanted to see me?" Layton said bluntly. "Is it about the Mali River iron mine?"
"What else would it be about?" Li Tang responded coldly, finding it impossible to feel goodwill toward Layton.
"The investment review board rejected your Mali River iron mine project on national security grounds. You should talk to them, not me," Layton said sharply.
Layton displayed a stern, impartial attitude. "All the statements I've made regarding the Mali River iron ore project are based solely on my judgment and objective facts. We value freedom of speech here, and it's within my rights to express these opinions."
Li Tang had no intention of debating meaningless rights and wrongs with him. He knew these politicians from Canada placed their interests above everything else. Whether it was personal benefit or the interests of certain groups, they undoubtedly had their hidden motives for stirring up trouble and doing everything possible to obstruct the Mali River iron ore project. No one would believe Layton's claims of justice.
"What do you want, then?" Li Tang asked directly.
Truth be told, he didn't know Layton at all and couldn't speculate on his desires. Since it was difficult to arrange a meeting, Li Tang figured it would be easier just to ask outright. If Layton were a greedy person, looking for money, that would simplify matters tremendously, avoiding unnecessary guesswork.
"Are you trying to bribe me?" Layton shook his head dismissively. "Don't impose your values onto our system. For me, what's the point of money? I speak out to express my ideas, stand up for the citizens, and fulfill my responsibility toward my country!"
"I've long heard of Mr. Layton's integrity; you've certainly lived up to that reputation!" Li Tang realized that the direct approach wouldn't work, so he softened his tone. "Our Cold Iron Company genuinely welcomes supervision from various departments and all sectors of society. During this period, based on feedback from different parties, we've made significant corrections and gained deeper insights. Your repeated passionate statements about the Mali River iron ore project on television have indeed awakened us to potential issues."
These words were meaningless flattery.
Layton folded his arms, replying coldly, "The Mali River project is located within the Arctic Circle. According to your construction plan, you will build a port northeast of the project area. After exporting the iron ore from there, cargo ships will need to navigate around the Arctic Circle. This proposal essentially provides detailed reconnaissance of the entire northern landscape of North America. As I've repeatedly said, your proposal harbors dangerous intentions! For the safety of our nation and to protect our citizens from threats of war, I must stand firmly against this!"
"Yes," Li Tang nodded, offering no rebuttal.
"The Mali River iron ore project cannot proceed!" Layton glared at Li Tang like a fighting rooster, his eyes wide and fierce. "As long as I'm alive, this project will never see the light of day!"
"Is there really no opportunity at all?" Li Tang wasn't entirely discouraged by Layton's strong remarks.
After all, as the leader of the New Democratic Party in Canada, Layton's primary influence was public opinion. He could voice objections and stir up media storms, but the true decision-making power rested firmly with Prime Minister Martin's ruling party.
When Layton heard Li Tang's question, he paused, clearly pondering it carefully. Instead of a direct reply, he softened his stance slightly. "The most critical issue right now isn't whether I oppose the project or not. Strictly speaking, I don't have the authority to directly veto the project's development."
"Yet your opinion is influential," Li Tang said calmly.
Just moments ago, Layton insisted that as long as he was alive, the Mali River project would never be developed. He couldn't immediately contradict himself. Still, seasoned politicians like him were famous for absurd flip-flopping in pursuit of their goals. Even if his rhetoric was often ridiculous, Layton's fundamental stance was typically firm.
"Considering you've been so persistent in trying to meet me lately, I'll give you some advice," Layton continued. "Right now, your biggest problem is that the Investment Review Bureau rejected your project due to national security concerns. The decisive factor was that aside from you—the founder and primary shareholder—all your other investors are Chinese state-owned enterprises. Clearly, that arrangement won't work!"
"Yes," Li Tang understood this point perfectly well.
"Don't attempt to use the Mali River iron ore project for anything other than pure business!" Layton's attitude had subtly changed. "If you're genuinely just a businessman seeking profits from the Mali River project, would you care whether your investors are from China, America, or Britain? Let me tell you frankly—if your main investors were all Wall Street firms from America, the Investment Review Bureau wouldn't question the real motives behind your mining project!"
"So, what you're suggesting is that if I replace Haigang Steel, Tangshan Steel, and Hualing Steel—the three main Chinese investors—with Wall Street investors, the project would gain approval?" Li Tang clarified.
"Perhaps it would, perhaps not."
"Mr. Layton, you understand this better than I do. Can you give me a clearer method?" Li Tang smiled lightly. "I'd be extremely grateful!"
Layton paused again, carefully studying Li Tang's face for a long moment before finally speaking. "You're Chinese, and from the beginning, your involvement with the Mali River project has been viewed with suspicion. If I were you, given the current strong iron ore market and the valuable mineral rights, I would sell these rights now. You'd receive a substantial payout and immediately free yourself from these troubling complications!"
"Sell the mining rights?" Li Tang understood clearly now.
Layton had accepted Mark's arrangement for this meeting not merely to pass the time. These words revealed Layton's genuine intentions.
"I don't object to the Mali River iron ore project itself, but I object to you!" Layton pointed directly at Li Tang. "I dislike Chinese businessmen operating here. People like you make me uneasy at night."
This was outright discrimination and personal insult.
Li Tang narrowed his eyes slightly but chose not to confront Layton on this offensive statement. Instead, he focused pragmatically on the matter at hand. "If I were to sell the mining rights, which company do you think would be most suitable to develop the Mali River iron ore?"
Layton sighed. Since Li Tang asked directly, there was no need to beat around the bush. "Rio Tinto!"
Li Tang's understanding deepened further.
No wonder Layton had been indifferent to the incentives Li Tang subtly offered. It turned out Layton already had a wealthy patron supporting him behind the scenes—someone funding his comfortable lifestyle!
Only a mining giant like Rio Tinto had the clout to create such a significant political and economic storm within Canada. Rio Tinto paid hundreds of millions in taxes annually to the Canadian government, enjoying an extensive network of relationships with local politicians and officials. It was precisely because of this influence that the Mali River iron ore project faced obstacles.
"I know Alba," Li Tang replied without showing anger, instead smiling pleasantly. "I'm deeply grateful for the solutions you suggested today, Mr. Layton."
Layton, having made his intentions clear, had no desire to continue the conversation further. "You can approach Rio Tinto directly. They're an internationally renowned iron ore giant with plenty of money. Discuss a good price with them!"
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