Chapter 250: The Fox Shows Its Tail
The man in front of him—slicked-back hair, polished suit, beaming smile.
Judging by what he would go on to do in the future, the economic damage he would cause China was enormous.
To call him a wolf in sheep's clothing wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Though he looked Chinese, he held Austrian citizenship—technically a foreigner.
Of course, Hu Shitan had no idea what he would become in the future, nor that Li Tang had already mentally placed him in the "villain" category. He continued to act friendly and relaxed.
"Apologies for dropping by unannounced. This visit was a bit rushed," he said.
"My schedule isn't too packed. Not many people come see me anyway. I usually leave the door open—anyone can walk in. No appointment needed." Li Tang gestured for him to sit.
Hu Shitan and his companions didn't stand on ceremony. They sat down promptly.
"Our company is based near the port. If you ever need anything there, Director Li, I'd be happy to help. Here's my card," he said, handing it over. "I run errands for Lito now, but if there's ever a chance, I'd love to run errands for you too."
It was clearly a joke, said humbly to reduce the sense of distance between strangers.
But anyone entrusted with Lito's China-side iron ore operations didn't hold a minor role.
Even though iron ore trading hadn't yet become manic, iron ore was still the food of industry—and China's market was increasingly crucial.
His influence and leverage were only going to grow.
Li Tang took the business card, glanced at it, and responded politely, "You're too kind."
Seeing new visitors, Alice brought over a pot of tea, poured a cup for each of them, and then quietly sat to the side.
Hu Shitan noticed her and looked surprised. Pointing at Alice, he asked, "American?"
"I'm from the U.S.," Alice replied calmly.
Hu Shitan gave a thumbs-up. "Director Li, very impressive—hiring a foreigner as a secretary or assistant? Americans don't come cheap. Shows you're willing to spend on talent."
"She's a key partner in our company. Not an assistant. Not a secretary."
Li Tang didn't dwell on the point. Looking at Hu, his tone wasn't exactly friendly. "So what brings you here today, Mr. Hu?"
"Just dropping by to meet you in person, mainly to get acquainted."
Then, skipping the pleasantries, he got straight to the point: "I heard Zhongcheng Mining's Talego Copper-Gold Mine project in Mongolia has run into major trouble securing a mining license?"
"Mr. Hu is very well informed," Li Tang said with a faint smirk.
"Friends told me. I value relationships and make friends easily. If my friends are in trouble, I'll give 120% to help them out," Hu said, patting his chest with a dramatic air. "Their problem is my problem."
He went on, "I've heard that Mongolia's stance has been quite hostile. They outright rejected your mining license application, didn't they?"
"They did," Li Tang nodded calmly.
"Mongolia's attitude is outrageous!" Hu exclaimed in indignation, then leaned in, lowering his voice. "As you know, our Lito Group does business globally. We have strong ties with Mongolia's top leadership."
"I'll be blunt with you, Director Li. If Lito gets involved, makes a few calls, we can smooth things over. No riddles—we have deep ties with Mongolian decision-makers."
"Is that so?" Li Tang asked, lips curling into a half-smile. "How deep?"
"Straight to the top," Hu said, pointing upward. "We even influenced the last parliamentary election—over half the 70+ members were backed by our resources and support."
"Lito really is... well-connected," Li Tang said, clearly skeptical.
"It's all part of being a global enterprise. International business isn't just about goods—it's about people, influence, and relationships."
Hu's tone was open, full of sincerity. "So if we get involved, we can help you secure that mining license."
"Seems I'm still too green," Li Tang sighed. "There's a lot more to global business than I thought. Still much to learn."
"This isn't something you can just learn," Hu said with a knowing look.
"But if this is business," Li Tang said after sipping his tea slowly, "Zhongcheng Mining can't expect Lito and Mr. Hu to help us out for nothing, right?"
"Of course not. But I mainly came because I admire your capabilities."
"What kind of partnership are you proposing?"
"You're obviously a world-class exploration expert. It's clear you're ambitious—you want to make a name for yourself globally. But international business takes years, even decades, to build a foundation."
Now Hu's fox tail began to show.
"Based on our contacts in Mongolia, I can tell you—without outside help, you'll never get the mining license."
"So we're supposed to rely on Lito's influence?" Li Tang feigned surprise.
"That's just the reality."
Hu leaned forward again. "You only have one path—cooperate with us. Combine our strengths."
"Hmm." Li Tang nodded thoughtfully.
"We provide funding and influence. You contribute the exploration rights. Together we get the license quickly."
"So we create a new company, and Zhongcheng contributes the exploration rights as equity?"
"Yes. And ideally, the new company should have the Lito name up front," Hu guided the conversation. "Mongolians care about names. They won't approve the license for you. But if Lito submits it, it'll be approved in a month—guaranteed."
"If we contribute the exploration rights, how much equity would we get?" Li Tang asked.
"That depends. You'd need to negotiate directly with Lito's global CEO."
Hu still couldn't read Li Tang's reaction and asked plainly, "What do you think of our offer?"
"Very interesting."
Li Tang nodded, then shook his head. "But Zhongcheng Mining isn't mine alone. I only hold a portion. You may not know this, but Wukuang Group, Shenxia Group, Zise Mining, and several other state-owned companies are also shareholders. I don't have the final say."
"But you're the largest shareholder. The founder!"
Hu tried to stir resentment. "Even if the others disagree, if you want to partner with us, we can bypass them."
"How?"
"For instance, you can transfer your Zhongcheng shares to us."
Hu sounded very confident. "If all you have is exploration rights, that's useless. You'll bear all the risks. And if Mongolia doesn't renew after three years, your rights are gone—and your shares become worthless."
"Mr. Hu, you really care about my worries. I've been losing hair from the stress," Li Tang said dryly.
"If you agree to sell us your shares, I can promise—Wukuang, Shenxia, whoever—they won't be able to stop it."
Hu leaned even closer and lowered his voice further. "And we'll pay you a handsome signing bonus—tens of millions of U.S. dollars, deposited in an offshore account. With that kind of money, you can live like a king in the U.S., Austria, Canada, wherever you want."
"I studied abroad myself and changed my nationality—I'm Austrian now. If you want, I can help you move there. In Austria, money makes you a god."
"So you just want my shares," Li Tang said, his fake smile beginning to fade.
He was tired of pretending—this kind of double-faced game wasn't his style.
Lito's strategy was clear: gain Li Tang's 34% stake in Zhongcheng Mining. That would give them partial control of the Talego Copper-Gold project.
Then they'd use their veto rights to squeeze out the other shareholders, one by one, until they controlled the whole thing.
It was a smart plan. After all, Li Tang was the only vulnerable point.
"If you don't get the mining license, your shares will be worthless," Hu reiterated.
"If this were a listed company, failing to secure the license would tank the stock price. The market would lose faith," another man chimed in.
"Your shares are at peak value now. If you don't sell, they'll only drop."
"This is serious. I need time to consider."
Li Tang had already decided, but played along.
"If you're willing, we can sign a preliminary agreement today," Hu said eagerly. "Once we have that, you can speak directly with our global CEO. We're here with real sincerity."
"I understand. Thank you for coming in person," Li Tang said, clearly hinting the meeting was over.
"Without our help, you'll never get that license!" Hu said again, more urgently.
"I'll think about it." Li Tang picked up Hu's business card. "If I decide, I'll call you."
"Please do. Anytime." Hu stood up, knowing he'd made his pitch. Deals like this couldn't be closed in one meeting.
He figured that as time passed and Li Tang's hopes faded, he'd come begging.
By then, it wouldn't be Hu seeking him out—it would be Li Tang asking Lito to buy his shares.
"Take care, Mr. Hu." Li Tang politely walked them to the elevator.
"No need to see me off," Hu said as the doors closed.
Li Tang and Alice walked back together.
"What do you think of their pitch?" he asked.
"They're not wrong," Alice said honestly.
"They sound just like the people from BHP," Li Tang said as he sat down and poured a cup of still-warm tea. "They come into someone else's house, try to take the most valuable thing, and act like they're doing you a favor."
"They want the mining rights, sure. But they'll pay. And they're reputable. If they promise money, they'll deliver. They follow the rules."
"Yeah, rules they made. Of course they follow them," Li Tang said with a faint smile.
"You really don't want to deal with them?" Alice asked.
"Of course not."
"I don't get it—why turn down that kind of money?"
"I'm not against money."
Li Tang met her eyes. "But Mongolia has clearly rejected our license requests. They want Western capital involved. Don't you think Lito might be the hidden hand behind that?"
She nodded thoughtfully. "I used to think it was BHP. But now… maybe it's Lito. Or maybe they're both involved. Lito might just be stirring the pot."
"Either way, neither of them are saints."
Whether BHP or Lito, to Li Tang, they were all the same—formidable foreign capital forces.
"So what now?" Alice asked. His decision would shape everything.
"Director Niu, Director Li, and the others—they're all doing their best to resist this pressure."
Li Tang had no doubts. "We can't let the people fighting up front be undermined by those of us at the rear. At least for now, we have to stay united."
"And later? If all our resistance fails, and we still can't get the license—what then?" Alice wasn't emotional about it. She focused on the company's best interests.
Li Tang, though, was driven by something deeper. "Then let the exploration rights rot in the ground. No one gets to mine Talego. If they make a mistake, they should pay the price."
"That's not how business works," Alice said. "We'd get nothing. No return on investment. Everyone's effort wasted."
"This isn't just business," Li Tang said firmly.
He had never been a conventional businessman.
"Alright. I hope, with time, you'll change your mind."
Alice didn't push further. People change. So would he—eventually.
"But I'll tell you something," Li Tang said, his eyes lighting up. "Besides Talego, I'd really like to go head-to-head with Lito and BHP. What do you think—now a good time to enter the iron ore industry?"
"We don't own any iron ore licenses," Alice reminded him.
"But we have the best technical team. Every license we've ever had—we found it ourselves."
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