Chapter 251: Becoming a Wave Rider
"We don't have enough money either," said Alice, who, as Head of Investment and Finance, was well aware of how limited Li Tang's liquid assets currently were.
"That's a real problem," Li Tang admitted.
The fiery resolve in him, as fierce as a fighting rooster, cooled slightly as he scratched his head. "The 50 million yuan loans from Shenxia Group and Huajin Group are about to come due. We have to figure out a way to repay them, or we risk losing the Gongsun Copper-Gold Mine mining rights altogether."
"Mortgage some assets? Or sell off a portion of your shares?" Alice offered the only realistic funding channels left.
Indeed, several of their mining rights were quite attractive in the mining market—buyers wouldn't be hard to find.
"It's time to raise funds," Li Tang said plainly.
Without money, nothing gets done.
Right now, he was holding several high-quality mining rights, but turning ore into cash was a long, long road.
Mining projects have notoriously slow return cycles—five or ten years would already be considered fast.
The better the mining right, the harder it was to develop. Usually, only major mining giants had the resources and patience to handle them.
A small-time operator might play around with minor resources, but if they tried to dive into something big, it could crush them before they saw results.
And yet, Li Tang wanted to scale mountains others wouldn't dare attempt.
In recent years, international iron ore prices had been sluggish, hovering at break-even margins. Only massive overseas mines, with rock-bottom costs, could still manage thin profits.
But starting next year, iron ore prices were about to skyrocket.
And here he was, already in the mining industry.
How could he not throw himself into the turbulent waters of iron ore and try to ride the waves?
Alice left to attend to her own tasks, and the office fell quiet.
Li Tang leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, thoughts swirling in his mind.
On the Talego Copper-Gold Mine front, the mineral trade war launched by Niu Fu and Li Xingchao had already begun to show results.
But to truly shake Mongolia's political leadership, the pressure still needed time to build.
Let the bullets fly a while longer.
Judging from Hu Shitan and company's visit earlier, it was clear they hadn't yet realized that a direct battle over the Talego mining license had already begun.
Lito didn't know that their strategy had been met with resistance.
Who would win or lose? It was too early to tell.
This wasn't Li Tang's battlefield anymore—for now, he had a rare stretch of free time.
Lito…
Iron ore…
Since they had come knocking on his door, trying to shake his foundation—were they planning to take his house apart brick by brick?
At this point, doing nothing would be too careless, too passive.
After weighing the pros and cons for a while, Li Tang finally decided that it was time to jump into the furnace of the iron ore industry. Whether he turned to ash or forged himself anew would be up to fate.
Having made up his mind, he got up and walked to the office next door. "Alice, come in for a moment. I have something important for you to handle."
Alice, thinking Li Tang had finally decided to negotiate further with Lito or BHP regarding the Talego mine, dropped what she was doing and zipped into the office, her long legs moving like the wind. "You've finally come around?"
"Come around to what?" Li Tang blinked.
"You're ready to talk to Lito again?" she asked directly.
"Sort of. I need you to take a trip to Austria."
Li Tang was scribbling something quickly in his notebook. His handwriting was messy but deliberate.
Once finished, he tore out the page with a loud rip and handed it to Alice.
"This is the name of an Austrian-listed company called Lianying Mining. It's a junior exploration firm."
"What's special about it?" Alice looked down at the name but couldn't grasp Li Tang's intent.
"This company owns a mining right for an iron ore deposit. I need you to investigate its shareholder structure and the feasibility of acquiring it."
Li Tang only had a vague impression of the company—he wasn't sure about its current market standing.
"You're thinking about acquiring a listed company?" Alice was taken aback.
"If the price is right and the process is doable, we should give it a try."
"Acquiring a listed company will cost a fortune!"
"Just look into it. I'll worry about the money," Li Tang replied.
"But we don't have much money. We've always needed to pull in partners just to move projects forward."
"I know magic. I can conjure loads of money—do you believe me?" Li Tang said with a grin.
"No," Alice replied flatly.
"Neither do I." Li Tang chuckled. It was just a joke to lighten the mood.
He could tell Alice was stressed, and he wanted to ease the tension.
If he really had magic, he wouldn't need to hustle for funding in the first place.
"I think our company is stretching itself too thin. Too many projects at once—it's risky," Alice said sincerely.
"I know. But we're not overleveraged. Our debts are manageable. We're not facing a cash flow crisis."
He was aware he was overreaching a bit, but most of their ongoing projects weren't tying up too many resources. "Just go check out Lianying Mining's ownership and the feasibility of an acquisition. Whether we go through with it will depend on what you find."
"Alright, I'll head to Austria immediately." Alice accepted the task and left the office, calling over two new assistants they'd hired at the end of last year to start preparing the trip.
Li Tang wasn't overly confident about entering Austria's iron ore market. He had no foundation there and no one to lean on.
This was, at best, a trial balloon.
Once that was set in motion, he turned his attention to the more pressing issue: money. Even if Alice brought back good news, without capital, it would be pointless.
He stepped out into the open-plan area and saw He Runqi deep in discussion with the tech team about materials. Li Tang stood quietly for a while, observing.
Eventually, He Runqi turned and was startled to see Li Tang standing silently behind him. "Jesus, are you a ghost? You scared me."
"You're just too into it." Li Tang motioned for him to follow and headed back into his office.
"What's up?" Runqi, parched from all the talking, helped himself to a cup of tea from the desk and sat down.
"The Shazhai Molybdenum project in Huizhou Province—is the class monitor still running that?" Li Tang asked.
"Yeah, he's handling everything there."
"Tell him to schedule a meeting with all major shareholders. I have something big to announce."
"What kind of announcement?"
"I plan to sell part of our equity in Shazhai Molybdenum to raise cash," Li Tang said simply.
If he needed money, he had to liquidate assets.
At the moment, his two most valuable holdings were the Talego Copper-Gold Mine and Shazhai Molybdenum.
But the Talego project was too large and complicated to monetize quickly. Selling it would require layers of approval—like passing through trial after trial.
The only asset that could be cashed out quickly was his stake in Shazhai Molybdenum.
It was domestic, easier to manage, and far more likely to be approved by regulators.
Higher authorities were more than eager for Li Tang to transfer the mining rights to a state-owned enterprise—it would make management much easier.
"That's not what I meant…"
He Runqi, startled by what he was hearing, accidentally spilled tea from his cup. Without even stopping to wipe it up, he asked in disbelief, "The shares in Shazhai Molybdenum are incredibly valuable!"
"Exactly—they're valuable. That's why we're using them to raise some money." Li Tang spread his hands. "No cash in hand—it makes me anxious."
"That's not what I meant either. I mean the Shazhai Molybdenum mining rights are extremely high-value!"
He Runqi had recently handled the mining license application for the project and was very familiar with current market conditions. "Right now, domestic demand for molybdenum alloys is surging. The price of molybdenum ore is definitely going to spike soon!"
"I didn't realize you had such insight into the molybdenum market." Li Tang was genuinely surprised.
"Kunshang Group has been bending over backward—no matter how hard it gets—to take control of Luoyi Molybdenum. That should tell you everything you need to know about where the molybdenum market is headed."
He Runqi just couldn't understand Li Tang's decision. "Luoyi Molybdenum's mines have 2.06 million tons of molybdenum reserves, divided into three separate ore bodies. But our Shazhai Molybdenum Mine has 2.3 million tons in a single ore body! Ours is bigger, richer, higher-grade, and easier to mine!"
"You're right about all of that," Li Tang said noncommittally.
"Lately, teams of experts and scholars from all over the country have come to evaluate our Shazhai mine, and all of them agree—it's highly suitable for development!"
Runqi could hardly contain himself. "And the mining license application is already well underway! I guarantee we'll get it within a year!"
"And then what?" Li Tang took a sip of his now-lukewarm tea. "This tea is cold. Why are you still gulping it down? That's your third cup already."
He Runqi didn't care. "Stop changing the subject! If we get that mining license, our shares in Shazhai Molybdenum will skyrocket!"
"I know." Li Tang nodded.
"Then why are you in such a rush to sell?" He Runqi asked, exasperated.
"I'm only selling part of it—not the whole thing."
Li Tang had always intended for the molybdenum project to be a quick cash grab. The plan was to find a valuable deposit, then sell the rights for money.
Seeing that Runqi still didn't understand, he added, "We took out a 50 million yuan loan against the Gongsun Copper-Gold Mine. It's about to mature. We have to repay it immediately."
"I'd rather we sold off the Gongsun project," Runqi muttered. He had a good sense of current market trends. "Shazhai Molybdenum is worth ten times more than Gongsun."
"We wouldn't get a good price for Gongsun right now. The only thing we can cash out fast is Shazhai."
Li Tang chuckled and offered an analogy. "Say you've got two pigs. One's fat and healthy, the other's skinny and bony. Which one do you sell for money?"
Runqi got the idea but still didn't understand the urgency. "If we just waited a year or two, the value of Shazhai's shares would definitely double."
"I've got bigger fish to fry," Li Tang said vaguely.
He Runqi had always trusted Li Tang—almost to the point of blind faith.
Since Li Tang was set on it, there was no point arguing. "I'll contact the class monitor. Should we hold the meeting here, or in Huizhou?"
"In Huizhou."
…
Next door, in the office converted into the Mining License Operations Command Center, Li Xinqi and Xiaoxi had little to do—an occasional phone call or note-taking, nothing more.
The two of them sat together, bored, peering through the glass wall into the general manager's office.
"Sister Qi, are you spying on Director Li?" Xiaoxi whispered, noticing how intensely focused Xinqi was.
Caught off guard, Xinqi flushed. "What? No! Don't say nonsense. I was just zoning out."
"I saw your eyes following him every time he moved!" Xiaoxi had been watching her for a while now.
It was like standing on a bridge admiring the scenery—only to realize the scenery was admiring you from a window above.
Xinqi refused to admit anything and pinched Xiaoxi's waist. "Don't slander me, or I won't go easy on you!"
"Ticklish!"
Xiaoxi squirmed, laughing as she tried to get away. "So our Sister Qi is falling for Director Li, huh? No wonder you've been acting all weird lately—it's springtime in your heart!"
"Watch what you say, or I'll pinch more than your waist!" Xinqi teased, hoping to silence her before anyone outside overheard.
"I surrender! Please spare me!"
Xiaoxi was the most ticklish when it came to her waist, but she kept teasing: "Looks like our Sister Qi is already drowning in love."
"Such a chatterbox."
Xinqi rolled her eyes but didn't keep teasing. Seeing that Li Tang was alone in his office, she straightened her clothes and defended herself with mock righteousness. "I was just waiting to see when he's free so I can report our progress."
Then, she actually went over and knocked on his door.
"Xinqi, how are you adjusting to working here?" Li Tang waved her in. "Come on in. No need to knock in the future—just walk in."
"I've been maintaining contact with Shenxia Group about the trade war, keeping track of all updates and developments."
She sat properly across from him, notebook in hand, poised and professional.
"Any news?" Li Tang asked, suddenly interested.
"Shenxia Group just informed me that officials from Mongolia's Ministry of Transportation have been urgently dispatched to the Erenhot border crossing to discuss ore transportation."
Xinqi continued reading from her notes. "Shipments of iron ore, coal, and copper bound for Japan and South Korea have all been halted. The Mongolian side is getting anxious."
"Looks like it's working," Li Tang said, clearly encouraged.
"There's more. Senior management from Edente Copper Mining also visited the border to investigate why Chinese companies have stopped trading ore. Representatives from Wukuang Trading met with them to exchange views."
"So our message is getting across?" Li Tang asked eagerly.
"My dad says this standoff won't resolve quickly. We're playing the waiting game. So are they."
Xinqi offered her own analysis. "Though we haven't said anything outright, the Mongolian side more or less understands why we've cut trade. It's our way of responding to their roadblocks with the mining license."
"And their reaction? Any official statements?" Li Tang asked. What he cared about most was still the mining license.
He also hoped the trade war would end soon.
After all, this was a lose-lose situation. The longer it lasted, the more pain Shenxia and Wukuang would endure.
Of course, Mongolia would suffer too.
Now it was a matter of who could endure the longest.
If Shenxia and Wukuang gave in first, everything would be for nothing.
But if Mongolia blinked first, came to the table, then the mining license would be back on the table too.
That could open the door for not just the license, but even a comprehensive development agreement—clearing all obstacles in one stroke.
This battle had far-reaching consequences.
If they succeeded, it would clear a green path to develop the mine.
If they failed, the rights would be stuck in limbo, and any hope of development would be indefinitely postponed.
"Mongolia hasn't made any public statements. But they know full well that their leaders have been pressuring us over the Talego Copper-Gold mining rights. Both sides are testing their limits."
Xinqi clearly understood the dynamics at play.
"If it weren't for your father and Director Niu, I'd have no clue how to deal with the mining license issue on my own."
Li Tang could almost smell the gunpowder on this invisible battlefield. "I owe them a lot."
Xinqi, too, was visibly moved—witnessing history unfold before her eyes. Then she looked at Li Tang and asked softly, "Are you free tonight?"
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