Chapter 343: Autumn Review on the Battlefield
"Our coastal smelters have extensive connections with copper mining companies in Gua Country," Feng Sinian remarked thoughtfully. "Gua Country operates copper mines worldwide, and they export substantial amounts of copper concentrate to our domestic market. However, considering the current market situation, using trade suspensions as leverage to pressure our suppliers into publicly supporting Li Tang doesn't seem appropriate. Our domestic economy heavily relies on copper, and the industry operates like a large, continuously moving machine—once it accelerates, stopping it becomes extremely difficult."
"There are many ways to express our support for Li Tang. We don't need to resort to the crudest, most primitive methods."
Niu Fu immediately shook his head in disagreement with Feng Sinian's suggestion of pressuring their Gua Country partners. "Copper prices are excellent right now, and all companies are operating at full capacity. It's a rare harvest season. We should focus on profits and expanding capacity rather than reversing priorities."
"Li Tang's situation is still unclear—it might just be a misunderstanding," Chen Jinghe added, feeling that adopting a strategy which harms both parties was inappropriate.
After further reflection, Chen Jinghe continued, "Although coercing our partners isn't feasible, we have strong partnerships. It's entirely possible to have a friendly conversation with our Gua Country counterparts, asking them politely to help out. If their copper producers publicly voice support for Li Tang, that could exert some positive pressure on their judicial authorities."
"This approach could work!" Niu Fu immediately endorsed this softer strategy. "We tried acquiring Noranda previously and even though that attempt failed, we maintained good relations. Especially with Foer Corporation, which has extensive dealings with our domestic copper smelters. After the meeting, I'll reach out to Foer's CEO, Gentry. If he lends his support, it could be pivotal. He has substantial influence in Gua Country."
"Until there's a definitive conclusion to Li Tang's case, we shouldn't overreact. But contacting our Gua Country partners to make supportive statements is simple, mild, and poses minimal risks," Chen Jinghe advised calmly despite his concern. "Li Tang's issue is no longer his alone; it affects our entire mining industry and especially our copper sector's future."
"Then let's first adopt this mild strategy," suggested Geng Feiran. "Using our connections, we can express our support through the media or official channels to back Li Tang. This cautious approach is safer for the current situation."
Taking harsher measures prematurely would be too rash and could backfire, potentially escalating a minor issue into a major confrontation.
"I agree!" Feng Sinian raised his hand immediately.
"If Li Tang's situation deteriorates beyond our expectations, we'll convene another meeting to discuss stronger measures," Chen Jinghe concluded firmly.
"On behalf of Li Tang, I thank you all sincerely!" Niu Fu stood and bowed slightly.
Clearly, Wu Kuang Group continued to view Li Tang as their own family member.
"This is our duty; there's no need for thanks," someone quickly replied.
"Our feelings toward Li Tang are exactly the same as yours."
"Without Li Tang, our copper industry wouldn't enjoy its current prosperity or the immense future potential. Compared to what he's done for us, our actions today are insignificant."
Everyone agreed wholeheartedly, genuinely willing to assist.
Back at Wu Kuang Group headquarters, Niu Fu summoned Hu Zhenchi and immediately called Gentry at Foer Corporation, explaining Li Tang's situation. He requested Gentry to publicly support Li Tang and, if necessary, take stronger measures.
Of course, asking Gentry for this favor was a significant request, prompting Wu Kuang Group to make certain concessions on copper and nickel ore imports. Once Gentry verbally committed his assistance, Niu Fu finally hung up, feeling satisfied.
Suddenly, the phone rang again.
"Niu Fu speaking," he answered, activating the speaker.
"It's Lai Xiangrong," a gravelly voice replied.
"What instructions do you have, Mr. Lai?"
"What exactly is happening with Li Tang?"
"We're still waiting for detailed information. Everything happened so abruptly; it's caught us off-guard."
"Li Tang is crucial for us! Nothing must happen to him. If he suffers, our entire mining sector will face a devastating blow. Li Tang symbolizes pride and honor for our domestic mining industry. If he's wrongfully accused abroad, all of us share the shame."
"I completely agree, but Gua Country's judiciary might not see it our way."
"What's your plan over there?"
"There's not much we can actively do now besides waiting. Let's first clarify the charges and observe the developments. Remaining steady might be our best response; hopefully, this is just a false alarm."
"But we can't just sit idle! Those Gua people think they can bully Huaxia companies!"
"Fortunately, Gua's business and financial sectors have remained somewhat friendly toward Li Tang. Several companies have already agreed to publicly support him."
"That's reassuring. Actually, I called because the CEO of Ga-Aluminum Group requested a meeting. They're interested in increasing investment in our domestic market and want cooperation with Hua-Aluminum Corporation."
"Ga-Aluminum Group is world-famous—congratulations!"
"Business isn't about congratulations. However, given the current situation, Richard's arrival might significantly benefit Li Tang."
"Ga-Aluminum Group is among the top mining corporations globally, ranked as a Fortune 500 company. If they publicly back Li Tang, it'll surely have a swift and significant impact."
"That's exactly what I thought."
"If Li Tang knew the help you were providing, sending you his best tea wouldn't even begin to express his gratitude."
"Gratitude isn't important now. I called mainly to ensure we're aligned. This is the help I can offer."
After hanging up, Lai Xiangrong picked up his tea mug, removing the lid to take a big gulp.
"Pffft..." Tea leaves filled his mouth, forcing him to spit them out hurriedly.
"President Lai, Richard's plane will land shortly. Should we wait here or head to the airport?" Luo Qinzhong asked, noting the differing protocols.
For someone at Richard's level—CEO of Ga-Aluminum Group, the second-largest global aluminum producer with annual revenue exceeding a hundred billion—personally flying in to discuss cooperation was an honor.
"To show respect, I must greet him personally at the airport," Lai Xiangrong decided, straightening his Zhongshan suit.
"The car's already waiting," Luo Qinzhong confirmed.
As the car moved toward the airport, Lai Xiangrong reflected aloud, "Ga-Aluminum has increased its visits to our country lately, partnering extensively with domestic aluminum firms."
"They have substantial domestic business," Luo Qinzhong agreed.
"But don't you feel they've been unusually frequent recently?" Lai Xiangrong asked curiously. "First, their marketing department, then their CFO, and now the CEO himself—three high-level visits within a month seem peculiar."
This piqued Luo Qinzhong's interest. He'd carefully researched Ga-Aluminum's recent international activities to remain prepared, steadily becoming a trusted core team member.
"Ga-Aluminum Group's annual turnover is roughly twenty billion USD. Their global footprint is enormous, including a significant presence domestically, with around five hundred million USD annual revenue from our market alone."
"Five hundred million USD domestically is relatively small compared to their global total of twenty billion," Lai Xiangrong noted.
"Exactly. Precisely because their domestic share is modest, they've recognized our country's booming economy and rapidly growing aluminum industry—our annual growth rate exceeds 15%, far surpassing international averages."
"Anyone ignoring our domestic market would indeed be foolish," Lai laughed.
"In fact, Ga-Aluminum has been involved domestically since the 1920s or 1930s when still merged with Magnesium-Aluminum Group. However, their market share here hasn't been substantial in recent years."
With a long drive ahead, Luo Qinzhong elaborated leisurely, "Our domestic demand for aluminum products, such as packaging and hardened alloys, is rapidly increasing. They've clearly noticed our market potential and aim for a greater share."
"That makes sense. At Hua-Aluminum, we follow central guidelines and maintain an open attitude. Still, we must be ready for competition."
Lai's statement was diplomatic.
Luo Qinzhong continued, "Another reason Ga-Aluminum focuses increasingly on our market is their disappointing results in Europe. After investing nearly four billion USD acquiring Fa-Guo Aluminum to dominate European aerospace and transport alloy markets, their returns have fallen short."
"I see." Lai nodded thoughtfully.
"Their latest quarterly financial reports indicate substantial losses, about two to three hundred million USD per quarter. Annually, that means billions in losses," Luo reported, amused at their misfortune.
"Such a huge corporation losing billions annually?" Lai was genuinely astonished.
"Their major losses stemmed from Europe," Luo explained. "Recently, they've closed extrusion and packaging factories in Britain and alloy plants in France."
"Given their massive European investments and ambitious plans, how did things deteriorate so severely?" Lai wondered, contemplating management failures and valuable lessons from such setbacks.
Though unclear precisely how Ga-Aluminum mismanaged their European expansion, Luo clearly understood their shift in strategic focus toward Huaxia. Clearly, they intended to invest where markets were most lucrative.
"It appears Richard needs something from us this time," Lai remarked confidently.
Richard arrived with a prominent delegation, exhausted from closing European facilities, directly flying to Huaxia. Seeing Lai personally greeting him at the airport delighted Richard, boosting his confidence.
On their drive back to Hua-Aluminum headquarters, conversations flowed warmly.
Sitting down, Richard was straightforward: "Asia, especially Huaxia, possesses rich bauxite resources and advanced aluminum processing technology alongside a massive market."
"Yes," Lai responded simply, sipping tea.
"We're planning a 120,000-ton annual-capacity hot-rolled medium-thick plate production line in Guanggui Province, requiring considerable bauxite resources," Richard explained their goal.
Although this production line hadn't directly involved Hua-Aluminum previously, today's visit clearly signaled both respect and business intentions.
"You already operate six aluminum packaging plants domestically, correct?" Lai asked, openly acknowledging their competitive overlap.
"Yes, we've always been committed to the aluminum packaging market in Huaxia, striving to contribute to its economic development," Richard said politely and humbly.
Ga-Aluminum Group's six aluminum packaging factories in Huaxia generated an impressive annual revenue of 500 million US dollars—a clearly significant business. Ga-Aluminum's increased investment in the Huaxia market would inevitably heighten competition for Hua-Aluminum Corporation, potentially squeezing their market share.
However, Lai Xiangrong wasn't overly concerned and maintained a calm demeanor. "You've already signed contracts for building the hot-rolled medium-thick aluminum plate production line. Why come to us now?"
"Guanggui Province is rich in bauxite resources, producing nearly one million tons of alumina annually, along with two to three hundred thousand tons of electrolytic aluminum," Richard explained warmly. "Your Hua-Aluminum Corporation has extensive aluminum plants in Guanggui Province with high output. If you could supply us with alumina and electrolytic aluminum, it would ensure a stable and reliable material supply for our production line. Our two companies are among the greatest aluminum enterprises globally—combining our strengths would surely benefit both of us significantly."
"Hmm." Lai Xiangrong understood Richard's intention but didn't immediately agree. Instead, he lifted his tea mug thoughtfully, hesitating in silence.
Seeing Lai's ambiguous expression, Richard's smile faded slightly. He quickly asked, "Are you reluctant to cooperate with Ga-Aluminum Group?"
"No, that's not the issue," Lai waved dismissively, sipping his tea again and frowning slightly. He looked genuinely troubled. "When planning your aluminum processing factory, didn't you initially intend to develop your own bauxite mines and refine alumina independently?"
Richard paused briefly, realizing he couldn't conceal such matters from Lai. "Yes, that was our initial plan. But establishing the entire industrial chain is far more complicated and costly than just setting up a processing plant."
"You encountered difficulties, didn't you?" Lai asked knowingly with a subtle smile.
"The approval process is complicated," Richard admitted with a wry smile.
Lai explained straightforwardly, "Our domestic policies now strictly limit bauxite mining and alumina production. Getting new mining approvals is extremely difficult. Therefore, alumina and electrolytic aluminum have become highly valuable resources. Besides, we also have processing plants requiring massive amounts of alumina and electrolytic aluminum."
Hua-Aluminum Group naturally aspired to control the entire industry chain. They possessed ample funding, advanced technology, and skilled personnel. However, achieving vertical integration in Huaxia had proven challenging.
Ga-Aluminum was optimistic about Huaxia's aluminum market and had boldly expanded their presence at any cost. Yet, nothing came easy. Although the planned 120,000-ton hot-rolled plate production line was approved, securing raw materials remained unresolved.
They had considered importing bauxite ore from Austria for refining or directly importing refined alumina and electrolytic aluminum. However, these approaches were more costly than local procurement.
What posed a dilemma for Ga-Aluminum was precisely Hua-Aluminum's advantage. Hua-Aluminum Corporation already operated sizable bauxite mines and smelters in Guanggui Province. A partnership between the two corporations would indeed be mutually beneficial.
"You could expand your mine's output or build new aluminum smelters," Richard suggested cheerfully. From his perspective, these were straightforward solutions—if approvals were granted, nothing was impossible.
"Indeed," Lai replied calmly, "but why should we do that?"
"To make money!" Richard responded plainly.
"That's certainly an undeniable truth." Lai sighed slightly, shaking his head. "But it's quite difficult."
"What's so difficult? If you need funding or other support, we're open to discussions," Richard was determined to reach an agreement.
"It's not about the mines or smelters," Lai said directly. "Do you know Li Tang?"
"Li Tang?" Richard paused momentarily, caught off guard by the abrupt shift in topic.
"The owner of Liantying Mining," Lai clarified directly, "and also a friend of Hua-Aluminum Corporation and myself."
"Oh—" Richard finally recalled why the name sounded familiar. Li Tang had often come up in conversations among their business circles.
"Li Tang is your friend?" Richard expressed surprise.
"Yes." Lai nodded solemnly. "Recently, I've been deeply troubled because Li Tang encountered problems in your country. I know him well; he's not a criminal. He's deeply passionate about technology and genuinely innocent—he could never endanger society."
"He must've been framed!" Luo Qinzhong interjected supportively.
"All of us are distracted and concerned, eager to help Li Tang clear his name and return safely," Lai expressed with genuine anxiety. "His situation matters greatly to us!"
Richard understood Lai's implication and quietly consulted his colleagues briefly, probably discussing Li Tang's case. The situation quickly became clear—if Ga-Aluminum Group wanted Hua-Aluminum Corporation's cooperation, they needed to help Lai resolve Li Tang's predicament.
Currently, the case details were vague. Previously, they had remained detached, informed only through media coverage.
Richard finally replied, "We'll utilize our connections to investigate further. If we find no serious wrongdoing, we'll gladly help resolve this issue."
He could only promise cautiously. If Li Tang was found guilty, Ga-Aluminum couldn't intervene in judicial processes. However, if Li Tang was wrongly accused, Ga-Aluminum's considerable influence in Gua Country would significantly aid in clearing his name.
"I'll eagerly await your good news and also be ready to reciprocate with positive updates," Lai replied with a smile.
"We must first investigate thoroughly and then continue our cooperation discussions," Richard understood clearly the key factor in their negotiations.
"Agreed!"
…
After paying millions of Gua dollars in bail, Li Tang was finally released, though his movement was restricted.
During his three days of detention, he remained surprisingly calm and composed. Li Tang knew better than anyone that his business activities in Gua Country were entirely legitimate. Whether investing in the Northern Dynasty Mining Company or more recently in coal and iron mining projects, all financial transactions and activities were transparent and withstand scrutiny.
He had nothing to fear from investigation. Moreover, Li Tang understood that the benefits he had brought to Gua Country far outweighed any perceived harm.
During detention, apart from routine questioning, he hadn't faced mistreatment or inhumane treatment. Upon exiting, seeing Liu Naishun and Xie Jiashu waiting anxiously, he greeted them warmly, "You guys must've been terribly busy outside because of me."
Xie Jiashu's expression remained serious. "Let's leave first. Alice and Fred from Liantying Mining arrived too, but we asked them to wait at the hotel."
"Good, let's leave—this isn't a pleasant place," Li Tang shrugged easily, looking completely relaxed.
Seeing Li Tang's carefree demeanor, Xie Jiashu was genuinely amazed—he couldn't tell whether Li Tang had a naturally strong heart or was simply indifferent. Being detained hadn't seemingly affected him at all.
Outside, chaos reigned. Everyone—from elderly citizens to small children—was discussing Li Tang's arrest, particularly in the mining industry. Liantying Mining's stock had plunged dramatically, with analysts forecasting its inevitable collapse should Li Tang be imprisoned. Although Li Tang rarely engaged directly in daily operations, everyone knew the company fundamentally depended on him.
Moreover, hostile voices in Gua Country increasingly targeted his Malu River Coal Mine and Malihe Iron Mine projects, demanding their closure and the confiscation of his assets. People eagerly enjoyed seeing a billionaire humiliated and fallen from grace.
Of course, some rational voices argued the case remained unresolved. Branding Li Tang a criminal at this stage was unjust and premature. Media debates raged endlessly, both online and offline.
Ironically, Li Tang himself—the storm's eye—remained remarkably calm and detached.
"Domestically, everyone believes in you. Whether the media, corporations, or even strangers—they're all supporting and cheering for you," Xie Jiashu informed him. "Many domestic mining companies are actively leveraging their relationships and resources to help you. I think this issue will soon be resolved."
"Really?" Li Tang had spent the past three days isolated from news.
"I've never seen such unanimous support before—everyone's rallying behind you," Liu Naishun marveled, referencing a historical poem enthusiastically.
Li Tang felt genuinely touched, even slightly embarrassed. "I've caused everyone so much trouble."
"We all trust your innocence," Xie Jiashu handed him oversized sunglasses. "Wear these—you're known to dislike publicity."
"Why hide? I've done nothing shameful," Li Tang joked, taking the sunglasses.
"It's not about shame—reporters have completely surrounded the place. It's best to wear them," Xie advised kindly.
Exiting through a side door, Li Tang was instantly engulfed by flashing cameras and shouting reporters. Quickly ducking into the car, he felt genuinely stunned by the overwhelming attention.
Thanks to Vancouver police assistance, the car slowly navigated through the crowds. One overly aggressive reporter even cracked the car window with a hammer, though the glass fortunately held intact.
Arriving at the hotel amid continued press chaos, Li Tang finally entered safely.
"Alice and Fred await you upstairs," Xie reminded him.
Liu Naishun explained, "I asked around—someone has persistently accused you, leading police to act."
"Who's this idle troublemaker?" Li Tang asked incredulously.
"It's Fulin from Bafen Island Iron Ore Company," Liu revealed seriously. "They also sought exploration rights for Malihe Iron Mine, losing out to your Hantie Company. This sparked resentment."
"I've never even met this Fulin," Li Tang said in disbelief.
"Still, you've unknowingly become business rivals. The local authorities are now even considering revoking your mining rights," Liu explained gravely.
"That's ridiculous!" Li Tang laughed bitterly.
Liu nodded sympathetically, "Proving your innocence is now our priority."
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