Chapter 236: Heaven Rewards the Diligent, A Stunning Rise!
Li Zaiqiang and Zhang Tao led the convoy directly through the border into Mengguo's Nanhang Province. They were already familiar with the route, and the border crossing went smoothly.
Meanwhile, Li Tang, Qin Jianshe, Guo Fengchun, and others were heading to the airport to board their flight to Kuren City in Mengguo.
The Talego Copper-Gold Mine was currently the most important asset of Zhongcheng Mining, and it was also a nationally prioritized project in China. Many approvals were being processed with special urgency.
Right before boarding, Li Tang was surprised to see Li Xinqi show up to see him off.
"I really didn't expect you to come. I'm honored."
He looked at her through the crowd. Her ears were red from the wind, probably because she'd driven over with the windows down.
He was about to embark on a journey to a foreign land, and her unexpected visit brought a warm feeling that melted some of the chill in his heart.
"I brought you something."
Xinqi had come alone today—no assistant Xiao Xi with her.
She handed him a cylindrical item.
"What's this?"
Li Tang took it and looked—it was a thermos.
It looked like stainless steel, wrapped in a knitted sleeve.
"This is a gift from my dad." She explained quickly, maybe worried he'd misunderstand.
"He said that as the general manager of Zhongcheng Mining, you're personally traveling to Mengguo, where it's still freezing. It's not easy to get hot water out there, so he wanted you to have a thermos."
"President Li is too kind!" Li Tang chuckled.
It was actually a very practical gift.
"He also said that since you're personally going into battle, everyone else can afford to make mistakes—but not you. If your health fails, Zhongcheng Mining loses its soul. He told me to remind you to take good care of yourself."
Xinqi repeated the message carefully, though Li Tang couldn't tell whether she was just relaying her father's words or expressing her own concern.
"President Li is… quite the thoughtful one," Li Tang said, not sure how else to describe it. It almost felt like motherly care.
Xinqi hesitated, then pointed at the knitted sleeve on the thermos.
"I bought that part. It's cold in Mengguo, and even the metal on the outside will be freezing. With this cover, your hands won't get frostbitten."
"It's a perfect fit—custom-made?" Li Tang smiled.
"And the color's great too. You've got good taste."
"Of course I do."
Seeing that he genuinely liked the gift, Xinqi smiled, revealing a cute dimple.
"It's almost time to board. We'll talk more when I'm back."
Li Tang waved.
"Drive safe on the way home."
"You stay safe too!" she called out behind him as he walked away.
After arriving in Kuren City, Li Tang first visited the Chinese consulate to deliver New Year's greetings to Ma Shuyuan and other fellow countrymen.
When abroad, seeing fellow citizens always brings a special warmth—these relationships had to be maintained.
Then he met with Mengguo's Ministry of Industry and Trade, Mineral and Petroleum Administration, and other key departments to present his upcoming work plan and expedite the necessary approvals.
This kind of coordination required his personal attention.
While Li Tang was busy in the far north, a seismic shift was underway in China's central provinces—in Huizhou and Huazhou's geological circles.
Huizhou Geological Bureau Director Zeng Yuhua visited the Shazhai Molybdenum Project again. Though it hadn't been long since his last visit, this trip was considered a mid-phase inspection.
He had become a frequent visitor to the site—unsurprising, given that a 30-million-yuan investment was one of the province's largest private geological projects.
Project lead Peng Dezhi personally escorted him and reported the situation:
"The first drill hole, due to a conservative start, used a medium-sized rig and only went down to 600 meters. It didn't reach the bottom of the ore body. However, from 220 meters to 600 meters, it was all ore. That's a confirmed ore thickness of over 380 meters."
He waved over a technician to hand him a lab report.
"Director Zeng, here's the chemical analysis. The 380-meter-thick mineralized zone has an average grade of 0.14% molybdenum."
Zeng looked at the report, momentarily stunned.
Since stepping into leadership, he hadn't kept up with technical details. And Huizhou had never been known for molybdenum, so he was barely more informed than a layman.
"To put it simply," Peng explained, seeing Zeng's confusion,
"The biggest molybdenum mine in China has an average grade between 0.1 and 0.11%. Our drill hole here is both thicker and higher grade."
"You mean our results are better than China's largest molybdenum mine?" Zeng's eyes widened.
"And that's just one hole."
Peng handed him the data from three more holes.
"Learning from the first one, we used large-scale rigs for these. Each hole went down roughly 1,000 meters. Two hit ore at 300 meters, and one at 400. All three successfully pierced the ore body, with average thicknesses exceeding 600 meters."
He continued:
"These three holes also showed grades above 0.14%, far exceeding the industrial threshold of 0.06%."
"What does this mean?" Zeng asked, though he already had a hunch.
"It means Huizhou has found its first large-scale molybdenum deposit," Peng said passionately.
"This breaks our province's long-standing molybdenum drought. And the Shazhai project could even break national records."
He looked around at his colleagues, his weathered face glowing with excitement.
"If the ore body extends wide enough, this deposit might surpass the 3-million-ton Climax Molybdenum Mine in the U.S.—currently the world's largest."
Finding the world's largest molybdenum deposit? That would be a monumental honor.
A discovery like that would go down in geological history.
Everyone involved would have their names etched into the story of this achievement.
Zeng was also deeply stirred.
The Geological Bureau's mission was to uncover hidden mineral resources within Huizhou province.
And this wasn't public funding—this was private capital uncovering a national-level treasure.
For Zeng, this was the greatest opportunity of his career.
If this truly was a world-class deposit, recognition and rewards from higher-ups would be massive.
He would be first in line for accolades.
The grand prize.
No way he would let this opportunity slip through his fingers.
"This is already our bureau's most important project of the year."
He looked around solemnly.
"But starting today, I'm upgrading its importance again! From now on, the Shazhai Molybdenum Project will be managed militarily. Every task must be assigned, with strict responsibility. Anyone who screws up will answer to me!"
"I support Director Zeng's decision!" Peng raised his hand in agreement.
"I'm heading back to the bureau immediately to gather experts from across the province. We'll form an expert panel to guide the project from start to finish."
His leadership showed decisiveness and resolve.
"We'll also set up a command center within the bureau to oversee all aspects of the project. If you need people, equipment, or logistics—submit requests to the command team. The entire bureau will serve your needs!"
This was a war.
And Zeng was going all in.
Back at the bureau, his plans were implemented at lightning speed.
The technical team expanded.
Even the food standards improved—engineers could now request dishes, and kitchen staff would try to meet their needs.
The expert panel, composed of elite geologists from across Huizhou, was soon assembled.
They included retired veterans, university professors, and senior engineers from related institutions.
After reading the reports and inspecting the site, their reactions were a mix of awe and bafflement.
"There are almost no surface signs of molybdenum. Only some lead-zinc mineralization at the margins."
"We always said Huizhou couldn't possibly have large molybdenum deposits—turns out we were wrong."
"The ore body is thick, the concentration is high, and the exploration plan is crystal clear."
"It's amazing how easy the exploration seems—now. The hardest part was discovering the hidden ore body in the first place."
"The techniques used here should be written into textbooks! This is a standard for deep and blind ore body exploration!"
"They didn't even follow conventional steps. Look at the first hole—it was drilled with no surface signs, went past 200 meters, and boom—hit ore at 220!"
"Huizhou Geological Bureau's exploration logic is truly out of the box. After this project ends, they must teach us how they did it!"
"Although there were no surface signs, from the beginning, this project focused not on lead-zinc or copper—but on molybdenum. That foresight is extraordinary!"
"This founder must be a genius—his thinking defies the norm!"
"Why do you say that?"
"Look where the Shazhai project is—at the border of Huizhou and Huazhou, in the eastern section of Mount Dabo!"
"Mount Dabo?"
"Yes! The Dabo metallogenic belt is legendary in Huazhou. Its western end—inside Huazhou—has several large molybdenum mines. That's why Huazhou holds 30% of China's molybdenum reserves."
"No one ever explored the eastern part in Huizhou. But now, someone has. That kind of vision—like seeing from above!"
"If you think about it, this hidden ore body wasn't discovered by chance—it had a traceable pattern."
"To spot that, someone must have had a nationwide geological perspective. Someone with mastery of molybdenum, deep ore detection, and metallogenic belts stretching over 1,000 kilometers. That's not just talent—that's genius."
As the experts wrapped up their discussion, they were visibly impressed.
Their insights had real depth.
Peng Dezhi, having recently studied the Tangshangou deposit nearby and molybdenite formation, was deeply knowledgeable.
But he had never thought to connect Shazhai with the Dabo metallogenic belt.
Once that insight landed, everything clicked.
The discovery no longer felt like a miracle—it felt inevitable.
Still, who would've guessed?
"Captain Peng led the team, found the hidden deposit, didn't drill a single useless hole, and hit the core on the first try!"
One expert gave him a thumbs-up.
"You've worked this region for decades. No one knows it like you."
"Peng's understanding of molybdenum and Dabo's eastern belt surpasses us all!"
"Decades of silent effort—then, boom. A stunning success!"
"If we had more Pengs in Huizhou, we'd never worry about the future of geology!"
"He's dedicated his life to this province—ignoring distractions, focused on one goal: finding Huizhou's first large molybdenum mine!"
"Heaven rewards the diligent!"
After praising the project, the experts turned their admiration to Peng himself.
As the technical lead, he seemed the obvious hero behind the discovery.
But Peng felt embarrassed.
"My role has been overstated. I'm just the executor—a puppet, really. The true soul of this project is someone else."
"Who?"
The experts were stunned.
If not Peng—then who?
Was there an even greater genius in Huizhou they'd never heard of?
Peng smiled humbly.
"You've all heard of him."
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