Rebirth of the Mining Tycoon

Chapter 46: A Big Shot

Chen Jinhe's expression suddenly grew a bit serious. After all, the company invested millions every year into R&D. Now, they would have to share the outcomes of their research with someone else—just thinking about it felt like a loss.

But then his gaze fell on the set of documents on the table in front of him. On the cover, it read: Bioleaching Copper Extraction Technical Plan.

This was a set of materials worth more than gold.

"How about this?" he said after a moment of thought. "Our technical team will provide free technical support to your Demen Copper Mine for the next five years. How does that sound?"

"Five years…" Zhao Hepu did some mental math. Within that time, they could absolutely complete the construction of a stable, operational smelting plant. He immediately nodded. "Pleasure doing business!"

With the main framework of the collaboration settled, the finer details and contractual terms would be ironed out by their subordinates in follow-up discussions.

For a partnership between two large companies, of course, a formal signing ceremony would also be necessary.

Having reached his goal so quickly, Chen Jinhe was in a very good mood. "I've heard that the bioleaching copper extraction technology was developed by someone named Li Tang. President Zhao, would I be lucky enough to meet him today?"

Li Tang had been sitting next to Zhao Hepu the whole time, still and silent like a log, completely indifferent to the back-and-forth between the two senior executives.

He had, in fact, been sizing up this ordinary-looking middle-aged man across from him, struggling to reconcile how someone with such an unassuming appearance could be such a prominent figure in the mining industry.

Hearing his name mentioned, he quickly raised his hand. "President Chen, I'm Li Tang."

Chen Jinhe's eyes lit up, and a broad smile spread across his face. "You're Li Tang? Just as they said—very young."

"You're such a high-ranking leader, yet so approachable. That's not what I imagined a big shot would be like," Li Tang replied in a calm tone.

"I'm no big shot," Chen Jinhe said, walking around the meeting table to sit beside Li Tang. He spoke warmly, "I'm just an ordinary geology guy. Most of my working life has been spent in the field. If I go even a day without touching rocks, my fingers start to itch."

"You haven't forgotten your roots," Li Tang replied.

"That's a great phrase—'not forgetting your roots,'" Chen Jinhe said approvingly. He had approached Li Tang with a purpose, after all. "Have you ever thought about doing scientific research full-time?"

"I'm quite happy where I am now." Li Tang's answer was a polite refusal.

"Well, if you ever have time, feel free to reach out to me."

Chen Jinhe handed over a business card with a very formal gesture. "Whenever you're in Jian'an Province, don't hesitate to get in touch. We folks from Jian'an are famous for being hospitable!"

"Thank you!" Li Tang carefully accepted the business card.

It looked like an ordinary card, but it represented a valuable connection—perhaps even an opportunity.

People like Chen Jinhe didn't just hand out their business cards casually.

With the partnership settled, both parties moved to a restaurant, where the mood became even more relaxed over drinks.

Zhao Hepu found that his prior impression of Chen Jinhe—some arrogant frog at the bottom of a well—had completely changed after just one dinner. He discovered that Chen Jinhe wasn't only easy to get along with, but he also had a strong and clear vision for the future of the mining industry.

Despite his plain appearance, Chen Jinhe was clearly a man of big ambitions.

As for Li Tang, he couldn't hold his liquor. Two drinks in and his face was bright red. He could only socialize enough to be polite and get his face recognized by the others.

Now that he had handed over the bioleaching technology documentation, the subsequent commercial cooperation between the two companies was beyond his involvement. For him, this project was essentially finished.

Before work the next morning, he made a special trip to the bank to check his account balance. Sure enough, the 500,000 yuan had arrived.

He immediately withdrew 10,000 yuan in cash and stopped by an electronics mall.

At this time, "senior phones" had very limited functions—mostly just calls and texts—but they were not cheap. The lowest price was still over 3,000 yuan!

Gritting his teeth, he spent over 3,500 yuan on a relatively basic model and paid for the SIM and network activation.

The first thing he did was call his home landline and chat with his mom for half an hour. When the call ended, he discovered it had already eaten up several dozen yuan in call fees.

…

With the partnership with Purple Mining finalized, Zhao Hepu suddenly felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He was filled with a new sense of ease and energy.

Seeing the first glimpse of hope for solving the Demen Copper Mine issue, he went straight to the office of Vice General Manager Ou Pingguo at group headquarters.

"President Ou!" he walked in with a radiant smile.

Ou Pingguo was a deputy general manager of the group and a member of the Party Committee. He had previously served as general manager of the Mining & Metallurgy Company.

Some even considered him the de facto leader of the Mining & Metallurgy faction.

Seeing Zhao Hepu enter, he also stepped out from behind his desk. Tall and burly, he stood like a tower. "Looks like you're in a good mood today."

"I'm always in a good mood—work keeps me happy."

After a few casual exchanges, Zhao got down to business. "We've basically finalized a research collaboration with Purple Mining. With bioleaching copper extraction technology, the Demen Copper Mine will surely be revived. At the very least, its lifespan can be extended by another ten years! Plus, by utilizing waste ore, we might even qualify for subsidies for green mining and emissions reduction!"

"Really?" Ou Pingguo was genuinely pleased. "If that's the case, the chairman will definitely be happy to hear it. I'll report this good news to him right away!"

Reporting the good news wasn't just a matter of courtesy—it was also a way to publicize this achievement.

That way, at the next Party Committee meeting, any objections to Zhao Hepu being officially promoted would have no solid ground.

Even while basking in his success, Zhao had another matter on his mind. "President Ou, I do have a small request. I know it's a bit much to trouble you…"

"If it's something, say it. You're not the type to beat around the bush."

"I'd like to request someone. This individual is exceptionally talented. The issue at Demen Copper Mine was essentially solved single-handedly by him! He's worth three regular engineers."

"Someone like that—is he a returnee from overseas?" Ou Pingguo asked, surprised.

"No, he's an employee of our group. Currently, he's just a team leader in the Exploration Company."

"Such talent, and he's only a team leader? That's a waste!"

"Not entirely. The main issue is that he's very young—only twenty."

"The one who developed the bioleaching copper extraction technology?"

"That news has already reached group headquarters?"

"There are no walls that don't leak. Besides, this bioleaching copper extraction tech has huge implications! If it gets widely adopted, it could benefit the entire domestic mining sector."

Though he acknowledged the importance, Ou Pingguo still looked puzzled. "What post are you thinking of assigning Li Tang to?"

"We still need a deputy mine manager at Demen Copper Mine. We're about to build the bioleaching pilot plant there, and I'd feel better with Li Tang keeping an eye on things."

"A deputy mine manager at twenty?" Ou Pingguo shook his head immediately.

If it were a small mine, maybe—but Demen Copper Mine had a long history, and its equipment alone was worth over a hundred million yuan. The role of deputy manager carried real weight—comparable to that of a deputy general manager in a subsidiary.

"Then maybe head of the technical department, as a transitional step for a year or two."

"Go talk to Zhou Tianqi directly—or ask Qin Jianshe to help."

"I did talk to Qin Jianshe. He treats Li Tang like a precious treasure and isn't willing to help."

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