Chapter 196: Not Some Mysterious Figure
Snow was falling.
It had been snowing for over a month, and finally, the last drill hole had reached completion.
During this time, Qin Jianshe had been fully in charge of all drilling operations. Most of the rigs had already been transported out of the project site.
Today, as the final hole was sealed and the rig dismantled and loaded onto trucks, the last group of personnel was also preparing to leave.
Everyone had actually wanted to keep going, to fully uncover every detail of the Taluge Copper-Gold deposit. Unfortunately, the severe northern winter was geology's greatest enemy.
For the safety of the people and to avoid unnecessary damage to the expensive drilling equipment, the project had to be put on hold.
Li Zaiqiang and Zhang Tao led a team of technicians back to China, returning along the same route through the border — more difficult now with the snow and ice, but fortunately without major setbacks.
After loading the last set of drilling equipment into the warehouse, Qin Jianshe headed to Dalan City and met up with Li Tang. They boarded a small plane that glided bumpily along a rough grass runway, but safely made it into the air, landing in Kulun City an hour later.
Alice was already at the airport, bundled up in thick clothing and wearing one of Mengguo's signature furry hats.
The cold wind had turned her cheeks pale white, but when she saw Li Tang approaching, her face lit up with a radiant smile. "I thought you'd go straight back to China."
"I knew you were here, so I came to see you first," Li Tang replied warmly — a simple phrase that felt like a blanket in the dead of winter.
Alice's snow-pale face blushed faintly. She chuckled, "So you came all the way just to see me?"
"Of course!" Li Tang laughed. "You're the most important employee in our company!"
"I've already booked the hotel for you. Want to go rest first?" Alice asked.
"Let's head to the Mineral and Petroleum Administration first," Li Tang said, lifting the heavy bag of documents in his hand. "According to the protocol, we must keep the bureau updated. They're very interested in our progress."
The documents had been prepared by technicians from the Guizhou Geological Bureau and the China Geological Survey. Li Tang was just the courier this time, delivering the files in person.
In the car, Alice removed her hat. Her golden hair was messy, and as she fixed it, she exhaled white mist into the cold air while reporting her recent work to Li Tang: "These past few weeks, a lot of people from Mengguo have come to our office asking about the project. Some were MPs, some businessmen, and some... odd ones we couldn't even place."
"That's expected," Li Tang said calmly. "With a project this big, people are bound to sniff it out."
Where there's profit, there's always a crowd — vultures can always smell the rot from above.
"Our project has made too much noise," Alice said with a frown, looking somewhat worried.
"How so?" Li Tang had thought their remote mountain location would keep them under the radar.
"We've used too much funding. Recently, in order to find enough drilling rigs, the Mengguo drilling companies practically mobilized every rig in the country. To meet your demands, they even flew in equipment and parts from overseas."
Clearly, Alice hadn't been idle in Kulun — she'd been keeping tabs on the political and business winds surrounding the project.
"Large-scale mobilizations like that always draw attention," she said.
Indeed, to meet deadlines, Li Tang had demanded the Mengguo drilling firms find enough high-end rigs — especially ones capable of drilling 1,000 or even 2,000 meters.
Such rigs are extraordinarily expensive — tens of millions apiece. And there weren't many in Mengguo.
So, the companies had to import rigs from abroad.
Flying in an entire rig was out of the question — the cost would be astronomical. What they brought by air were essential components, like industrial diamond bits.
The full rigs came by rail from Russia.
And because they used so many large rigs and drilled multiple ultra-deep holes, the funding burned away like water.
A single 1,000-meter hole could cost several million yuan.
The deeper the hole, the higher the cost — in geometric progression.
A 2,000-meter borehole? That would cost over ten million.
"Did you run into any danger while in Kulun?" Li Tang looked at Alice with concern.
"I just stayed between the office and the hotel, nothing dangerous," Alice replied calmly. "But aside from the weird characters, there were people from other mining companies trying to learn about our project. Because we've mobilized every drill in the country and drilled so many holes, other companies are assuming we've found something big."
"That's normal. Humans are naturally curious," Li Tang said, nodding.
"And... there's one more thing. A reporter from Canada's Financial Post seems very interested in you. They've sent someone to Mengguo to track your story."
"They're still hung up on the Gongcun Copper-Gold license? That's been over for a while now. What do they want?" Li Tang was puzzled.
"I talked to the reporter. He said it's not about Gongcun. It's about you."
"Me?" Li Tang touched his nose, now red from the cold.
"They say you're the most mysterious person from the most mysterious country in the East," Alice said with a chuckle. "Honestly... I kind of agree."
"We've known each other a while. Do I seem mysterious to you?" Li Tang laughed.
"I think so."
Alice laughed with him.
"I don't think I'm mysterious at all. I'm just a regular guy. I eat, sleep, and go to the bathroom like everyone else."
Though Li Tang knew he carried secrets he could never share, in daily life and work, he felt he was no different from anyone else.
Alice didn't mind his casual words — in fact, they made him more relatable. "But you have this... aura about you. You just keep finding one big deposit after another. That's why the reporters are here — they want to find out what makes you tick."
"Let them think what they want." Li Tang wasn't concerned with what foreign media said.
They soon arrived at the Mineral and Petroleum Administration.
Director Jirigela greeted them personally. To better host their Chinese guests, he had even prepared Chinese tea.
And why not? After all, the Taluge Project had already brought in nearly 100 million yuan of investment.
This money would continue to ripple through the local economy.
After sipping some hot tea, Qin Jianshe and Li Tang handed over the thick packet of documents.
Qin Jianshe had worked more closely with Jirigela over the months, since he managed the drilling and often coordinated with local companies.
"This is the Taluge Copper-Gold midterm report," Qin explained.
Since the project was within Mengguo's borders, the bureau had regulatory authority and needed full transparency.
And these weren't just procedural demands — it was their country's natural resource. They had every right to be fully informed.
Jirigela was pleased with how things had gone. The Chinese team had invested over $10 million — far more than the original minimum commitment of $6 million for the three-year license.
They had exceeded that requirement in just a few months.
He hadn't even pressured them to submit documents. He just signaled for his staff to file the material.
"Our winters are harsh and not suitable for exploration. But around April, when the snow melts, you'll be able to come back," he said with a smile.
His biggest fear now was that these generous Chinese investors wouldn't return.
"We'll probably be back by February or March to prep," Qin assured him.
"Great. Let me know if you need anything," Jirigela said warmly.
"Of course." Qin nodded. "Is there anything else your office needs from us?"
"No, no. You're free to go."
"Then we'll head back to China now."
With everything settled, Li Tang and his team headed back to the hotel.
Jirigela escorted them to the door, humming a tune as he returned to his office.
The thought that the Chinese would return — and bring more money — put him in a great mood.
Any investor willing to bring real cash to Mengguo was always welcome.
"Director!"
Soon after, a staff member burst into the office, carrying the heavy file bag, eyes wide with alarm.
"What's the rush?" Jirigela snapped.
"Director, you need to look at this data!" the staffer said, ignoring the scolding, eyes still fixed on the files as he dropped the heavy bag onto the desk with a loud thump.
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