Rebirth of the Mining Tycoon

Chapter 57: Transferred

"Before we came here, the company had already decided to give this project to you," Li Tang said calmly.

"Why?" Li Zaiqiang was more puzzled than ever. "Wukuang Group is such a huge corporation. There are all kinds of tangled interests. How could a project this big end up in my hands?"

His eyes darted between Qin Jianshe and Li Tang. There was only one possibility: these two had brought the project specifically for him.

But Qin Jianshe was just a deputy general manager at Wukuang Exploration, and Li Tang, a newcomer, had only joined the company through Qin's connection. Based on their positions, how could they possibly influence the fate of a 35-million-yuan project?

Qin Jianshe, seeing his disbelief, explained while still calmly eating, "You probably won't believe it unless I tell you the truth. This project was initiated by Li Tang himself. He convinced the higher-ups at Group headquarters to fund and launch the project. So, we all respect Li Tang's wishes and decided to let you take it on."

"I see…" Li Zaiqiang looked at his son's face, still finding it hard to believe.

"Li Tang's capabilities are far beyond what you imagine!" Qin said as he gave Li Zaiqiang a light pat on the shoulder. "Old classmate, you've raised an incredible son."

"You guys really do have the strength to execute this project. Handing it over to you is a win-win. If we gave it to someone else, honestly, we'd be worried," Li Tang added with a smile.

Li Zaiqiang was dazed for a while before recovering. He didn't know much about project negotiations, so he asked carefully, "Qin, this project's so big. Are you expecting a kickback?"

"What are you talking about…" Qin Jianshe laughed, shaking his head. "Old friend, we're on the same side. There's no under-the-table nonsense."

"But you still need funds to smooth things over, right? That's what I've heard…"

"You just focus on doing good technical work."

Qin leaned closer and whispered into his ear, "The leaders at your Geological Bureau are much more experienced at managing relationships than you. You don't need to worry about a thing."

"Alright…" Li Zaiqiang nodded hesitantly.

"Of course, if you don't want to give the project to the 101st Team, that's fine too. If you want to make more money, you could set up a private company and do it yourself. Though it's hard to pull together a technical team quickly. It might be too late. Another option is to register a company, accept the project, and subcontract it. You'd earn a finder's fee."

"I don't understand that kind of thing. I'm afraid I'd get scammed," Li Zaiqiang said, shaking his head.

"Giving it to the 101st is fine too. Just don't give it away for nothing."

"No worries. Our unit gives commissions to whoever brings in a project—three to five percent. If you're really giving this to us, I'll get a sizable commission."

"That's probably the safest way. It's compliant and proper. Less money, maybe, but you can sleep at night."

Qin agreed. The world was complicated. If Zaiqiang tried to subcontract the project without experience, he might end up with nothing.

That afternoon, Li Zaiqiang returned to his unit and brought the news to Zhou Zhenxing, who was thrilled. Zhou immediately went to Director Han Dexun to report the good news.

When Qin Jianshe and the others arrived at the 101st Geological Team the next day to continue the project discussions, they were met by Han Dexun and a group of leaders once again welcoming them at the gate in grand fashion.

The 101st Team had already prepared the meeting room. It was formal and dignified, with an air of importance.

The leadership team included not only the team captain but also a deputy and the chief engineer.

Just as the meeting was about to begin, Li Zaiqiang noticed someone missing. He leaned over to ask Zhou Zhenxing, "Why isn't Chief Engineer Liu here?"

"Liu Yifeng was transferred," Zhou replied casually.

"When did that happen?"

"Yesterday afternoon."

"Nobody told me…"

Li Zaiqiang was stunned. Then he realized the seat next to Zhou—usually Liu Yifeng's—was now assigned to him.

"First, I'd like to give a warm welcome to our guests from Wukuang Exploration Company!" Han Dexun smiled broadly from his seat beside Qin Jianshe.

"Before we get into project matters, I have an announcement regarding an internal personnel adjustment. Due to work requirements, the Bureau Committee has decided to transfer Liu Yifeng to the Retirement Affairs Office. The Chief Engineer post at the 101st Geological Team is currently vacant. Upon recommendation from Captain Zhou Zhenxing, we've appointed Li Zaiqiang to temporarily assume the responsibilities of Chief Engineer."

Clap clap clap…

The room erupted in applause, seemingly confirming the decision was well received.

Especially among the regular employees attending the meeting—their hands turned red from the intensity of their applause.

"President Qin, would you like to say a few words?" Han smiled.

"I don't have much to say." Qin raised his hand modestly. "Just a reminder: this is a large project. At Wukuang, we believe in fairness and transparency. So, if the Guizhou Geological Bureau wants to take it on, the process must still follow formal procedures."

Everyone understood that Wukuang Exploration had practically made it clear that the 101st would be awarded the job. But to finalize the cooperative contract, formalities still had to be observed.

And everyone knew how to handle that.

After the simple welcome ceremony, Han Dexun pulled Qin Jianshe into Zhou Zhenxing's office. The two talked behind closed doors for a few minutes. When they emerged, they were all smiles and practically arm-in-arm.

"President Qin, if Wukuang ever needs technical support or consulting services, the Geological Bureau will fully commit! We've got 3,000 employees—just say the word, and we're on it!" Han said with confidence.

"Here's to win-win cooperation. There will be many more opportunities in the future."

The core agreement had been reached, though the final contract still needed to go through approval by Wukuang Group's headquarters.

Qin Jianshe, along with Han Dexun and Zhou Zhenxing, headed to Beijing to finalize the deal.

Meanwhile, Li Tang and a few technical staff remained in Zhucheng, Guizhou Province.

After brief preparations, with Li Zaiqiang as project leader, the team set off for Tibet Province.

Using the feasibility study report written by Li Tang, they successfully applied for exploration rights from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

In eastern China, nearly all land parcels were claimed by the state, enterprises, or other institutions. Since the 1950s and 60s, geological surveys had been conducted over and over again. Those regions had been thoroughly picked over.

Tibet, by contrast, remained a largely untouched frontier.

When they checked with the local Land Bureau, they found the vast area was practically blank, with only a few scattered mineral claims.

Without mineral rights disputes, their exploration work would be much easier to conduct.

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