Rebirth of the Mining Tycoon

Chapter 39: Truly Professional

Lü Fengnian was still poring over the lab report, eyes peering through his thick glasses as he occasionally glanced across at Li Tang.

He couldn't help but recall what Zhao Hepu had said earlier: "This is Li Tang, one of our top graduates at Wukuang Group—highly knowledgeable in biohydrometallurgy, and very capable!"

At this moment, he realized that Zhao's praise hadn't been hollow or exaggerated—it had been factual.

"I know you're a recent university graduate," Lü finally said, "but in terms of professional knowledge, you're in no way inferior to a postgraduate."

That was his genuine impression. "With your capabilities, staying in a production company is really a bit of a waste. If you're interested in research, our Metallurgical Institute would be happy to have you—either as a staff member or a graduate student. The choice would be entirely yours."

"You flatter me," Li Tang said modestly, smiling as always, his tone calm. He declined the offer directly and politely. "I'm currently employed at Wukuang Group. They've treated me well, and both work and life are going smoothly."

His humble yet composed attitude only earned him more respect from those around him.

In truth, the judgment Li Tang had just delivered was based entirely on knowledge from future research outcomes.

It didn't mean he had astonishing analytical skills—just that he had read the answers ahead of time.

Like Newton being struck on the head by an apple and wondering why it fell instead of floated—at the time, that was a deep scientific question. Today, everyone knows gravity exists.

"Would you be interested in visiting the other heap sites?" Hao Zhengzhi offered.

"I'd be honored," Li Tang said. He, too, wanted to gain a more detailed understanding of the facility's layout and the current state of the research.

Before long, he found himself walking shoulder to shoulder with Hao and Lü at the front of the group, surrounded by a cluster of research personnel.

The crowd trailing them wasn't ordinary. Most of them held advanced degrees—some had already published groundbreaking papers in major domestic and international journals.

But judging from their body language and positions, it was clear they held Li Tang in high regard.

In every industry, there is an immutable truth: ability earns respect.

Those who are truly capable never remain unnoticed.

As for Zhao Hepu, this powerful business executive, he quietly followed at the rear of the group. He didn't seem to mind that he was no longer the center of attention.

On the contrary, he looked quite pleased—enjoying the moment like a curious tourist on an academic tour, nodding in agreement now and then as he listened to the technical chatter.

From the current state of things, it was clear that Li Tang had completely won over the research team at Zise Metallurgical Research Institute with his technical expertise.

A breakthrough in collaboration seemed just around the corner.

However, one concern remained in Zhao's mind: If Zise Mining's management was indeed arrogant and narrow-minded, was such a partnership worth pursuing?

Each ore heap was like a giant heat source. Even walking near the edge felt like walking past a blast furnace—it was suffocatingly hot.

After a quick walk-through of several sites, the group returned to the plant's main building, enjoying the air conditioning and a table spread with fruit and snacks.

"Since the project began last year, we've completed over sixty different test groups," Hao Zhengzhi said, shifting into formal presentation mode, just as he would when reporting to his own CEO.

"I'd like to walk you through our methods, progress, and upcoming plans."

He pulled out a printed summary and began a detailed report: "On the leaching side, we found that if the ore particles are too large, the efficiency drops. But if they're too small, the crushing process becomes complicated, and costs spike. Mid-sized particles seem optimal. As for bacterial strains, we found that extreme thermophiles outperformed moderate ones. We also observed that the conversion between ferric and ferrous iron ions correlates closely with redox potential in the leachate. Iron precipitates tend to block oxidation pathways in the heap, impeding copper recovery. For extraction, the Lix984N solvent from the UK gives excellent results but is expensive. I personally recommend the domestically developed alternative by the Nonferrous Research Institute—it's much more cost-effective…"

He went on at length. The other researchers, already familiar with the results, listened intently but didn't bother taking notes.

Li Tang, however, listened with full concentration—jotting down notes rapidly in his notebook.

After more than ten minutes, the presentation concluded. Hao looked up at Li Tang, clearly expecting his evaluation.

Li Tang raised his head and noticed that everyone in the room was now watching him.

He cleared his throat. "Based on what I've observed and what Director Hao just explained, I have a few personal suggestions. First, regarding particle size—50 millimeters is ideal. That allows you to use a single crushing stage, keeping leaching efficiency high and costs reasonable."

He'd given a precise figure.

The others glanced around, then quickly jotted it down in their notebooks.

This was something that could be tested quickly—easily verified or disproven.

Seeing Lu Kanqing also writing furiously, Li Tang added, "What I'm saying here applies specifically to Zise Copper-Gold Mine. Over in Jiujiang, where they deal with disseminated ore types, smaller particles are required for optimal copper ion recovery."

With that clarification, he continued, "As for bacterial strains, Director Hao was half-right. In the early stages of leaching, when heap temperatures are still low, moderate thermophiles are best. Later, as internal heat rises, you should switch to extreme thermophiles."

He wasn't finished.

"While walking around the heap earlier, I noticed none of the ore had been washed. The mud content is high, which greatly reduces permeability. It blocks oxygen flow and prevents bacteria from attaching properly to ore surfaces. Washing the ore isn't difficult and doesn't cost much. But it could drastically improve your leaching efficiency—so why not do it?"

"There are many more details, and I'd love to share them all. But I don't want to overwhelm you all at once."

"That's all for now. I hope I haven't said anything out of line. Please feel free to correct me."

Despite his confident delivery, Li Tang was very cautious internally. He worried that a slipup or an overly simplistic comment might expose him as a fraud.

But when he looked up again, everyone still seemed deep in thought—processing everything he'd just said.

Hao and Lü exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.

It was clear to them now: this young man knew his stuff.

His insights were not only technically sound—they were pointed, precise, and actionable.

It was like someone had turned on a flashlight in a dark cave and said, "Look, the path is right there."

They were filled with admiration and respect.

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