Rebirth of the Mining Tycoon

Chapter 58: A Rough Start

Li Zaiqiang led a dozen core technicians from the 101st Geological Team straight to Gongka County, the location of their exploration license.

It was a small county town, with just a single street—less developed than many rural towns in the eastern provinces.

Hardly any outsiders ever came here.

When the group arrived, the owner of a small local eatery looked delighted as he saw the unfamiliar faces. "You're from a geological team, right?"

"Yes," Li Zaiqiang replied without much thought.

"There's another group from Yanjing, also geologists. They rented a place here at the end of the street."

"Really?" Li Zaiqiang hadn't expected to encounter colleagues in such a remote place.

After eating local staples like tsampa and hand-pulled lamb, he followed the directions given by the shop owner and soon found the other geological team.

After some introductions, it turned out to be a team from the China Geological Survey. They were also conducting a project in the area.

Their leader was Deputy Director Zhang Tao, whose face was weathered and red from prolonged exposure to the plateau climate.

"Colleagues from Guizhou Province, a pleasure!" Zhang greeted them warmly. "Come in, come in!"

In this remote town, there wasn't even a single hotel. They were all staying with local families.

"Your first priority should be to rent a place and rest well," Zhang advised. "Given your situation, you shouldn't rush to begin fieldwork. Let your bodies adjust to the altitude first. It's only going to get colder. Honestly, I'd recommend you wait until late spring next year before starting serious work."

Upon hearing that it was their first time in Tibet, Zhang was exceptionally hospitable—offering them hot tea and food, and sharing his experiences in detail.

"We're just here for a look. We'll likely start real work after the New Year, just as you said," Li Zaiqiang replied, touched by the kindness.

"What mineral are you looking for?" Zhang asked.

"Copper."

"Same as us. We're after copper-gold deposits. We've been exploring along this metallogenic belt from the east all the way here—several years now," Zhang said as he sipped his tea, wrapped tightly in a thick sheepskin coat. "We heard there might be clues here, so we've been stationed for quite a while."

"Found anything?" Li Zaiqiang asked.

"No." Zhang shook his head.

In fact, Li had planned to seek Zhang's advice. It was their first time working in Tibet, and they knew very little about the local geology. He pulled out a topographic map and began a discussion. "Where have you been focusing your search?"

"Here—along this section of the metallogenic belt." Zhang traced areas on the map. He wasn't secretive and explained their exploration sites in detail.

Li Zaiqiang glanced at the areas Zhang pointed out and felt a jolt of anxiety. "The areas you've been searching are within our newly acquired exploration license zone!"

"You've applied for mineral rights?" Zhang laughed. He wasn't upset—he almost looked at Li with pity. "By regulation, the size of the licensed area determines how much you must invest in detailed survey work."

"You didn't find anything in these areas?"

"This is a metallogenic belt, yes—but the mineral occurrences are very poor," Zhang said, shaking his head. "You really don't need to explore here. We've covered the entire area and came up empty."

We're screwed.

Li Zaiqiang's heart sank. It was as if he heard the sound of something shattering inside.

These guys were seasoned professionals from the national geological bureau. If they hadn't found anything after years of work, what chance did newcomers like them have?

It was a harsh wake-up call.

A crushing start.

He couldn't help but glance at his son, Li Tang, who was sipping hot yak milk calmly.

Their entire exploration license was based on Li Tang's feasibility study report.

Their knowledge of Gongka County's geological conditions came entirely from that report.

If the report was unreliable, then from the very beginning, their work would be headed in the wrong direction.

And once you start wrong—every step only leads you further away from the goal.

"What was your exploration model?" Li Tang asked suddenly, after taking another sip of the steaming milk.

"Exploration model?" Zhang looked confused.

"What kind of deposit were you looking for?"

"Shallow low-temperature hydrothermal deposits," Zhang replied readily. "From southeastern Tibet to here in Gongka County, this whole thousand-kilometer metallogenic belt is dominated by that type."

"Oh…" Li Tang nodded as if something had just clicked.

No one else really understood what he'd figured out, but after hearing Zhang's account, the optimism everyone had felt began to evaporate.

It felt like they had already lost half the battle before even starting.

"We still need to find a place to stay, so we won't take up more of your time," Li Zaiqiang said, getting up. "Hopefully we can all help each other in the future."

"We'll help you find lodging," Zhang offered. "We've been here a long time and hired local guides. They can help you find something suitable."

Thanks to the locals, they quickly secured housing and got settled in.

After the team from the China Geological Survey left, Li Zaiqiang called everyone together to review their materials carefully.

It was everyone's first time working in this area. They knew next to nothing about the local strata and rock formations. All they could do was stare at each other, bewildered.

"Li Tang!"

After Zhang's comments, it felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head. "Tell us the truth—how did you compile your feasibility study? Have you even been here before?"

"I have," Li Tang answered matter-of-factly.

"How come I never knew?"

"I came once during college for a field practicum with my professor."

Listening to this, He Runqi was stunned. Did we really do fieldwork here during university?

"You're leading this whole project. If we don't find copper, it could seriously affect your future!" Li Zaiqiang said, his worry turning into real pressure.

He had been so proud that the company gave his son the project. It had felt like Li Tang was truly making it.

But what if it all came from a hasty decision—if Li Tang just pointed at a map and said, "There's copper here"—and it turned out to be wrong?

The consequences would be devastating.

Li Tang stood outside their temporary home, gazing at the distant snow-capped peaks. He took a deep breath of the cold air and said calmly, without turning his head, "You can learn some field techniques and basic geology from Zhang's team. But their exploration model is wrong."

"What do you mean by that?" Zaiqiang asked. More and more, his son's calm demeanor unsettled him. Maybe it was the distance created by four years of university—they'd grown apart.

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