Chapter 253: An Unprecedented Earthquake!
To get into Shazhai Molybdenum, Liu Shanlong had once refused to invest 10 million yuan. Now, he had to shell out 120 million to obtain a 10% stake, becoming the fifth-largest shareholder.
If he ignored the previous withdrawal, he still felt this investment was worth it.
Take Luoyi Molybdenum, for example—even acquiring a 10% stake wouldn't necessarily cost as much. But getting in wasn't that simple.
Without connections or the right channels, money alone didn't always open doors.
Back in Yizhou Province, Liu Shanlong immediately summoned Lu Shengwen.
"Director Liu, what's wrong?"
Since his misjudgment in Huizhou, Lu Shengwen had lost all the pride of a cultured intellectual. Every time he faced Liu Shanlong or Liu Jianglong—the top two at the company—he was nervous and jittery, sometimes even going out of his way to avoid them.
"A 10 million deal, and you turned it into 120 million."
Liu Shanlong still couldn't let it go. A small miscalculation had cost them an extra 110 million. Anyone would be upset.
"I..."
Lu Shengwen glanced around—this was the office, and there wasn't a lake nearby. If there had been, he might have jumped in on the spot.
He was deeply remorseful.
"This is the file on the Shazhai Molybdenum project. Take a good look at it."
Liu snorted but didn't pursue punishment—just offered a lesson. "Next time you come across a project like this, don't screw it up."
"Understood. I'll study it carefully!"
Lu Shengwen hurriedly hugged the documents and backed out of the office.
…
Li Tang had dinner at his aunt's house but declined Lin Feiming's offer to stay and relax in Huizhou. The next morning, he boarded a flight back to Yanjing.
He received a call from Niu Fu's secretary: the trade war had reached a new stage of progress.
When Li Tang arrived at Niu Fu's office, he found unfamiliar faces in the room.
He took a few steps in, then hesitated and stepped back, thinking they were in a confidential meeting.
Niu Fu looked up, waved him in, and said, "Come in, we're waiting for you."
"Are you sure?"
Li Tang stepped inside and nodded politely to the strangers.
"Come closer," said Zhao Hepu, rising to greet him. He motioned for Li Tang to sit beside him. "What we're discussing today has a lot to do with Zhongcheng Mining. You should hear this."
"This is Li Tang, General Manager of Zhongcheng Mining," Niu Fu introduced. Then he pointed to the others in the room. "These gentlemen are from the Yanjing office of Mongolia's Edente Copper Company. This is their director, Narison."
The unfamiliar men had broad, square faces—typical of Mongolians.
Narison looked slightly stunned at Li Tang's youthful appearance and offered a handshake. "You're the famous Li Tang from China?"
"I'm Li Tang," he said with a polite smile. "But I wouldn't dare claim to be famous."
The Mongolians stared at him for several seconds.
They might have dismissed his name in the past, but now, this young man was like a mountain standing in their way.
"We're here to ask when our copper ore trade with Wukuang will resume," said Narison bluntly.
"Our smelting facilities are undergoing upgrades. Also, a warehouse recently collapsed due to heavy rains and needs repairs."
A representative from Wukuang Trade stepped forward. The excuse sounded plausible enough.
This man was clearly from Wukuang.
"That's unfortunate. Natural disasters are unpredictable—we understand."
Narison, a veteran of business, wasn't so easily convinced. But he couldn't openly question them either. "Could we at least get a firm timeline? When will everything return to normal?"
His deputy added, "We need a schedule so we can plan production at our mines."
"Our mines have already reduced output for two weeks. If this continues, we may have to halt operations—and lay people off."
Narison looked deeply troubled. "If things reach that point, restoring full operations later will be nearly impossible. It would seriously damage our long-term trade. And that's bad for both sides."
"Current circumstances make immediate trade resumption impossible," Niu Fu replied, firmly stating Wukuang's position.
A trace of sadness flashed across the faces of the Mongolian delegates.
Seeing Wukuang's unyielding stance, they knew today's talks wouldn't go smoothly.
Recently, not only had Wukuang halted trade, but other Chinese trading firms that worked with them had followed suit.
Almost overnight, Edente's copper and molybdenum sales were slashed in half.
And the end wasn't in sight.
It felt like they were groping in the dark, with no exit.
They had tried everything—cutting prices, courting other traders, even reaching out to buyers in South Korea and Japan.
But coincidentally, the Chinese rail system had entered "maintenance mode" at the exact same time!
It was misfortune upon misfortune—and it all felt very orchestrated.
"There's a rumor that Chinese companies suspended trade because the Mineral and Petroleum Administration refused to issue the mining license for the Talego Copper-Gold Mine. Is that true?"
Narison knew the question was impolite and might put others in a difficult position—but he had no other choice.
"That's completely false!" Niu Fu denied flatly. "Our trade halt is due to uncontrollable factors. It has nothing to do with the mining license."
They had to hold their moral ground. At least outwardly.
Even if it was deliberate, they could never admit it.
If word got out that they were using the mining license as leverage, it would damage China's international reputation—especially since this effectively constituted a breach of contract.
They were claiming it was caused by objective factors, not deliberate action.
Narison turned toward Li Tang.
Why was someone from Zhongcheng Mining even here?
Wasn't this an open admission?
"I just want to know—what would it take for you to resume trade?" he pressed again.
"We're just as anxious. This suspension is costing Wukuang a lot too."
Niu Fu maintained a diplomatic tone. But then he added something pointed: "Both sides need mutual understanding and support. In business, rules are essential. If one side breaks them, the other won't stay silent."
Though Narison and his colleagues hadn't achieved their goal, they now understood Wukuang's true position.
It was clear: as long as the Talego mining license remained stuck, the copper trade would not resume.
The situation was far worse than they had imagined.
Wukuang's stance was also far tougher than expected.
They left Wukuang's headquarters and returned to their office.
Narison immediately called Edente CEO Hada.
"I can confirm it—Wukuang suspended trade because of the Talego mining license."
"When will trade resume?"
"If the Mineral and Petroleum Administration continues refusing the license without reason, it could be indefinitely."
"But the licensing dispute has nothing to do with us! Why are we being punished?" Hada protested.
"I told Wukuang that too. But they're standing firm."
"Did they explicitly say the license must be approved before trade resumes?"
"No. Just like before, they blamed natural disasters and technical issues."
Hada hung up, face grim.
Beside him, Belinsky had overheard everything.
They'd already suspected the real reason. This call confirmed it.
"The Mineral and Petroleum Administration is out of control. Edente shouldn't be collateral damage!"
He was furious. Representing Russia's stake in Edente, he said, "Our interests shouldn't be sacrificed like this!"
Russia held 49% of Edente. The losses were massive—and none of it was their fault.
Understandably, they were furious.
"We need to meet with Jirigala and Bayar. They've completely disregarded our interests!" Belinsky's anger grew. "Whether the license is granted or not—it has nothing to do with Russia!"
"Yes, we must talk," Hada agreed. "If this drags on and we miss peak season, Edente will not survive the winter."
As Mongolia's largest mining firm, Edente shouldn't be used as a bargaining chip.
At the request of the Asset Management Committee, Bayar and Jirigala were summoned to a meeting with Chairman Agula.
They'd already met with him several times recently.
This time, Edente's GM Hada and Russian director Belinsky joined as well.
"Our warehouse is full. We've already begun reducing output. In a month, we'll be cutting more than half," Hada reported. "Trade volume has halved. We've lost tens of millions. If it goes on, we'll finish the year in the red."
Everyone knew Edente was Mongolia's golden goose, with annual revenues of 400–500 million USD and profits of over 100 million.
If even Edente was losing money, the consequences would be devastating.
No one could shoulder that kind of responsibility.
As the majority shareholder and overseer of Edente, the Asset Management Committee had a duty to protect this vital asset.
"This is more serious than we imagined," Agula said gravely.
He turned to Bayar and Jirigala.
"Whether or not China admits it, this all started with the Talego mining license," Hada said bluntly.
Mongolia, with a population of just 3 million, had dozens of political factions.
Clearly, Agula, Hada, Bayar, and Jirigala weren't all on the same team. Clashes between them were common.
Now it wasn't just a policy disagreement.
They were threatening the country's economic lifeline.
"You never should have provoked the Chinese!" Agula thundered.
They'd heard whispers of Bayar's plan to stall the license.
Initially, they didn't think it would affect them.
But the fire on the prairie had spread—and no one was safe.
"Your decision was unbelievably foolish!"
Belinsky showed no concern for anyone's pride.
Russia's stake in Edente had taken massive, unjustified losses—tens of millions of dollars.
He was here to demand accountability.
He had no interest in polite conversation now.
Seeing that Bayar and Jirigala stayed silent, Belinsky grew angrier.
"You don't even know what matters most! That license? You have no stake in it! Edente, on the other hand, generates enormous wealth every year. And you're letting it go up in smoke!"
"We didn't expect China to be so firm, so aggressive," Bayar finally said.
He'd been under enormous pressure lately.
Everything was spiraling out of control.
Especially China's retaliation—it was unexpected and overwhelming.
Now, Mongolia's economy felt like it had been struck by an unprecedented earthquake.
If Edente couldn't take it, what about the smaller mining firms?
They'd all hoped for a harvest season—favorable weather, smooth transport, full sales.
Instead, trade had halved. Copper, iron, and coal took the hardest hit.
Complaints and accusations were pouring in.
Bayar had already been lambasted by multiple MPs.
Agula didn't care about Bayar's troubles.
His priority was restoring the economy.
"I don't care what methods you use. We must mend ties with Chinese companies—now. Like it or not, our mineral trade depends on the Chinese market," Agula said with finality.
He looked at Bayar and said firmly, "We must resume trade immediately!"
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