Chapter 265: You Are the Dragon Slayer
"What beautiful land… if it were used for farming, it could feed countless people," Li Tang murmured, gazing at the vast, green expanse in front of him.
Only in a place like Australia—so vast, with such a sparse population—could land be developed so freely, with little regard for farmland conservation.
"What did you say, boss?"
Sylvester asked, not understanding the Chinese Li Tang had spoken.
"It's nothing," Li Tang replied, hands in his pockets, still staring forward.
Smack!
A swing echoed across the course. A golf ball soared through the sky, flew over a small lake in the middle of the course, and landed in the distance—seemingly missing the hole.
Yet the people nearby cheered enthusiastically.
The middle-aged golfer handed his club to the caddy, turned around, and walked over. Taking off his white gloves, he extended his hand toward Li Tang. "You must be Li Tang!"
"Hello, Governor," Li Tang replied, shaking his hand.
The governor's name was Zachary. He was fit and athletic—clearly a man who loved sports.
"Come on, join us," Zachary gestured toward the clubs, inviting Li Tang to play a round.
"I don't play," Li Tang politely declined.
"Well then, next time—once you've learned, we'll come back and play together."
Zachary removed his other glove, clearly switching out of leisure mode.
"I'll be sure to learn soon. I won't embarrass myself today," Li Tang smiled.
"Let's walk and talk."
Zachary motioned for Li Tang to walk alongside him. "You're a very accomplished geologist. The whole world knows that now."
"You've earned the love and respect of the people here in Western Australia, Governor. Since I arrived, I've heard nothing but praise for your leadership," Li Tang replied with polite flattery.
Zachary laughed heartily. "I'm very glad to have you here conducting geological exploration. I hope you'll discover a big deposit. I'll be watching your progress—don't disappoint me."
"Thank you for your support, Governor. We've been working hard."
"You acquired Lianying Mining, right?" Zachary turned to Li Tang, his tone casual, but his words carried hidden weight.
Everyone knew about the acquisition. Li Tang nodded. "Yes."
"From what I understand, Lianying Mining already owns 3,100 square kilometers of land in the Pilbara. That's already a vast area."
After a bit of small talk, Zachary shifted to the real topic.
"Yes, we've already invested and begun exploration in Pilbara," Li Tang replied, not yet sure why Zachary had requested the meeting—but he sensed it wouldn't be for trivial reasons.
"But on my desk," Zachary continued, "is a land purchase application from your company—requesting nearly 50,000 square kilometers."
Fifty thousand square kilometers wasn't a small figure. It was larger than the entire landmass of some countries.
Zachary couldn't approve such a request lightly. "We've never sold such a vast amount of land to a foreigner in one go—especially not to someone from China."
"The purchase isn't a personal action of mine, Governor. It's being made by Lianying Mining."
Li Tang clarified, "Lianying is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Most of its shareholders are Australians. Strictly speaking, it's an Australian company."
"But you hold a controlling interest. Your decisions can dictate the company's future."
Zachary didn't say it outright, but he clearly harbored concerns—concerns many Australians shared. When Chinese investors came to do business, people always suspected ulterior motives, never trusting that they were acting as individuals.
Applying for so much land at once inevitably raised suspicions. Was it for military purposes? Political leverage?
"We may be the majority shareholder, but we operate fully within Australian laws and regulations," Li Tang said, keeping his tone calm. "Whether it's business operations or exploration on land we already own, we follow the rules strictly."
"How much did you spend acquiring Lianying?" Zachary suddenly asked.
"Just over 13 million AUD," Li Tang answered truthfully.
"For a company with a market cap under 20 million AUD to already hold 3,100 square kilometers—that's more than enough land for exploration."
Zachary fixed his gaze on Li Tang. "Why do you want more land? What are you really trying to do?"
"We want to find more ore!"
Li Tang met his gaze squarely, not backing down.
He was confident and honest—he had nothing to hide.
"We want to find more ore, and we want to mine it."
His tone was firm and sincere. "We want to make money—that is our fundamental goal. And after acquiring Lianying, we've already contributed to Western Australia's economy. Our arrival created dozens of new jobs. And with further investment in exploration, that number will grow to hundreds, thousands—even tens of thousands."
Right now, the iron ore market was in a slump, so investing at this time did seem a bit strange.
Zachary, of course, wanted more foreign investment in Western Australia's mining sector. Mining was the state's most appealing industry, after all.
"I can approve your application—but on one condition."
"What condition?" Li Tang asked.
"You want more land to do more exploration, right?"
"Yes, Governor."
"Then you must have money. A lot of it."
Zachary was prepared for this conversation. "Given Lianying's current financial position, I don't believe you'll actually invest after acquiring the land."
"We will inject capital into Lianying."
"In that case, I have a request. You must invest at least 50 million AUD into exploration projects in Pilbara!"
Zachary's real goal was now clear: he wanted Li Tang to invest more capital in Western Australia.
That was the point of this meeting.
More foreign money in the local economy meant more jobs, more growth.
That's what mattered most to a governor.
"I'll assign officials to monitor your company's operations closely," he added. "And I'm setting a deadline—you must invest that 50 million AUD within three years. If not, the government of Western Australia reserves the right to reclaim the land."
It was a form of political leverage—tying the land purchase to real investment.
From their perspective, foreign investors in any industry could be tolerated—as long as they paid enough.
In the world of capital, everything boiled down to one thing: money.
As long as the money was there, all was forgiven.
Li Tang disliked the feeling of being strong-armed. But in truth, Zachary's conditions already aligned with his own plans.
Even without a demand, Li Tang had always intended to invest at least 50 million AUD in Pilbara exploration.
Still, giving a full-throated yes felt like giving in. That sat poorly with him.
So he countered with his own condition.
"I fully agree with your terms, Governor—investing 50 million AUD, maybe even more. Back where I'm from, the government often offers supportive policies to foreign investors. I'm not asking for much, but I have to point out—the risks here are significant."
"All business has risks. That's something for you to manage," Zachary replied, unsure what Li Tang was getting at.
"I can promise, Governor—we will not only invest in the short term, we will continue to scale up in the future,"
Li Tang said, patting his chest. "Not only in exploration. Once we discover ore, we'll move immediately into mining."
"That's exactly what I want to hear."
Zachary's greatest fear was that Li Tang's team would just hype up the project, flip some shares, and vanish—leaving a mess behind.
Exploration was temporary. Who knew if they'd run off quietly?
Mining, on the other hand, meant heavy investment in infrastructure, assets that couldn't be moved.
Assets that would stay in Western Australia—under Zachary's jurisdiction.
"You see, we have a long-term plan: discover a deposit within one to two years, and begin production within five years," Li Tang shared his vision.
"That's an ambitious plan!"
Zachary was suddenly struck by how idealistic the young man was.
Making such a bold statement before even confirming the ore?
Achieving that in five years? It had never happened before in history.
"We'll put in the money," Li Tang continued, "but I also hope the Western Australian government will support us fully—especially with your backing, Governor."
"Of course I support your plans!" Zachary smiled.
"As you said, we'll commit at least 50 million AUD. Let's make that a written agreement."
Li Tang didn't trust verbal assurances. "And I hope your support will be formalized in writing as well."
"What do you mean?"
Zachary looked intrigued.
"I hope Western Australia can sign an official cooperation agreement with us. One that ensures your full support during future mine development."
"What does 'full support' entail?"
"When it comes to applying for a mining license, mining land use approvals, feasibility studies for mine development, and final construction plan approvals—we hope to receive guidance and assistance from the regulatory authorities."
Li Tang knew it wasn't realistic to demand unconditional approvals, so he proactively clarified, "Of course, we'll fully comply with Western Australia's relevant laws and regulations in all our work. We won't make unreasonable demands—everything will be based on fairness and justice."
"Any application you submit, as long as it complies with the law and doesn't compromise national security, we have no reason to reject it," Zachary replied confidently, without hesitation.
"In addition to that, I hope the agreement can also include assistance in future mine development—things like port construction, railway construction, power stations, desalination plants, and approvals for land use and compensations. I hope we can count on the governor's support."
Li Tang wasn't done yet—he wanted full government backing from end to end.
Hearing all of this, Zachary suddenly realized: this young man wasn't just a wide-eyed idealist—he was sharp.
Either an experienced dreamer… or a truly ambitious doer.
Zachary had to take him seriously. After a moment of thought, he nodded. "If you really reach the stage of mine construction, I see no reason why I wouldn't support your plan."
"We'll need the governor's signature on the agreement," Li Tang added without hesitation.
No matter how pretty a verbal promise is, it's not worth a single signature on paper.
"That's quite a bold request. It touches on a lot of different areas…"
Zachary chuckled bitterly.
Originally, he'd planned to push Li Tang for investment—to have him contribute to Western Australia's economic development.
But instead of bargaining, Li Tang was trying to milk him for political commitment.
What exactly does this young man want?
Does he really believe he can extract iron from the land?
Railways? Ports? Power stations?
That would require billions in investment.
But if such a large project really did take shape during his term, it would bring tremendous economic growth to Western Australia.
"We'll be investing heavily," Li Tang said calmly, giving Zachary space to think.
"Your vision is… very forward-looking," Zachary admitted.
So far, Lianying hadn't even identified a commercially viable deposit—and this guy was already planning how to mine it?
It seemed ridiculous.
The more Zachary thought about it, the more he felt that Li Tang's thinking was unpredictable—hard to grasp.
Was there a hidden trap?
He had to look out for himself.
Coming into this meeting, Zachary thought he would have the upper hand.
After all, this was his territory—and Li Tang was just a foreigner, easy to handle.
Yet the demands Li Tang presented… they left him puzzled.
"Maybe you think I'm being unrealistic," Li Tang said, noticing Zachary's doubts. "But this is part of our actual plan. Time will tell."
"Yes… time will give us the answer."
"This is Western Australia," Li Tang added. "Whatever I invest in, no matter what I do, it will never be outside your sight and control, Governor. Isn't that right?"
He didn't speak aggressively—on the contrary, he made it clear he was willing to play by the rules.
After all, he was an outsider and had to respect local governance.
"You're right," Zachary nodded.
He realized that once the money was invested, the fish was in his pond—no matter what Li Tang did, it would be within his reach.
"So you believe our respective proposals are both acceptable?"
"Absolutely," Zachary said, now determined.
What was there to be afraid of?
"Let's draft a formal agreement. We'll commit a minimum of 50 million AUD in investment, and Western Australia will provide support for our operations. Does that sound fair?"
Li Tang smiled. "Lianying has legal counsel and professionals who can handle the drafting. We'll prepare the first version and send it over to you. If anything needs adjustment, we'll work it out together."
"Good." Zachary nodded. "You're quite the sharp businessman!"
"I'm just a businessman."
Li Tang returned the compliment. "But you, Governor, work tirelessly for Western Australia's economy—and that's a quality I deeply respect."
Zachary laughed. "Let's hope we can cooperate happily!"
After leaving the golf course, Li Tang left the agreement process to Sylvester.
They submitted a draft to Zachary, which went through five revisions before both parties finally signed it.
The agreement was binding for Li Tang and Nanyang Investment Company, the majority shareholder of Lianying Mining.
They were required to invest at least 50 million AUD in exploration within three years in the Pilbara region.
As for Western Australia's support promises—those were largely symbolic.
After all, no one expected the regulators to just rubber-stamp everything.
There were laws and standards that had to be followed.
Support would be offered—but only within the bounds of legal compliance.
Still, Li Tang gained something real: the governor's signed approval to acquire 50,000 square kilometers of land.
After this experience, Li Tang realized that dealing with people like Zachary was just the beginning.
He had originally planned to return to China to arrange funding.
But he delayed a few days.
Through various channels, he finally got in touch with Fortret.
After several attempts, Fortret finally agreed to a meeting.
This legendary tycoon, the future richest man in Australia, was now living a quiet life at home—completely unaware that the path to riches he had once paved had already been claimed by someone else.
His career had been a string of upward climbs:
At 26, he owned half of an investment bank.
In his 30s, he took advantage of agricultural tax credits to import alpacas from Chile—making a fortune.
He returned to his home in Western Australia and entered the mining industry. He founded a nickel mining company and raised 1.4 billion AUD in investment—building the largest nickel exporter in the country.
Last year, however, he was ousted from the company he founded by the majority shareholder, EagleMag Resources, for "underperformance."
Since then, he had been idle at home.
The sun had tanned his skin to a deep red, like a ripe apple.
"Welcome to my home!" he greeted Li Tang with a warm hug.
Though he had refused multiple meeting requests from Li Tang before, he showed great hospitality once they finally met.
He was always like this—warm to everyone, no matter who they were.
Li Tang noticed that it was a luxurious home, but he paid little attention to his surroundings. His eyes were fixed on Fortret—a plain-looking middle-aged man.
"Sorry to drop in uninvited." Li Tang gave a polite smile.
"I was just swimming with my kids. I'm exhausted and was about to rest," Fortret said, then motioned for Li Tang to sit. "What would you like to drink, my friend?"
"Just water," Li Tang said, sitting down quietly. After taking a sip, he got straight to the point.
"After reading about your background, I've had a voice in my head repeating something."
"What voice?" Fortret asked, smiling.
"That voice tells me—you're the person I've been looking for."
"Really?"
Fortret laughed, clearly intrigued. "What do you want from me?"
"Our company, Lianying Mining, needs a real manager," Li Tang said plainly. "You once controlled an investment bank, understand Australian policy, and built a great nickel company. Your capabilities impressed me."
Fortret laughed like a child. "I won't deny it—I am excellent."
"But I think your past ventures were just warm-ups," Li Tang added, suddenly serious.
That might have sounded insulting.
Fortret stopped smiling—not offended, but curious. "Our nickel company was the largest in Australia. Our valuation was in the billions. You call that a warm-up?"
"In my view, yes," Li Tang nodded. "I don't mean to belittle your achievements—I'm just sharing my perspective."
"Then what, in your opinion, is a real venture?"
"Nickel alloy is just one of many specialty alloys—and not in high demand. Even in nickel alloys, the primary component is still iron."
Li Tang's tone was steady. "Iron ore is the resource with the strongest global demand. It's the one with the potential to become truly massive."
"I know you recently acquired an iron ore company here, but it's just a small company," Fortret said, not fully convinced by Li Tang's vision. "Iron ore is in high demand, yes—but there's also massive supply. And that supply is controlled by Rio Tinto and BHP, nearly a monopoly. They have the pricing power. No one can shake their dominance."
"No!"
Li Tang shook his head. "Rio Tinto and BHP are dragons—but you are the warrior who slays them."
If Li Tang hadn't bought out Lianying Mining ahead of time, Fortret would have, in the near future, acquired 50% of the company and renamed it to something that translated as Hero Mining Company.
But right now, Fortret had no awareness of his future role as a dragon slayer. He was completely immersed in his leisurely holiday.
"So it's true what the media says—you want to challenge BHP and Rio Tinto?"
"Yes!" Li Tang responded without hesitation.
"As far as I know, Lianying Mining's market cap is just over 30 million AUD," Fortret said, skeptical. He hadn't deeply looked into the iron ore market or the company's prospects.
"We're about to raise 100 million AUD and launch large-scale exploration in the Pilbara!"
Li Tang explained his grand vision. "Soon we'll discover a super-large iron deposit, then raise even more capital to mine it!"
"That's no easy task," Fortret said. He knew the mining industry too well.
"That's why I came here today—to sincerely invite you to join our company."
Li Tang spoke seriously and with sincerity.
Seeing Fortret's stunned expression, he added, "Maybe I should properly introduce myself."
"No need. I know who you are," Fortret said.
His surprise came not from who Li Tang was, but from how sudden the offer was.
For a moment, his mind went blank—no excitement, no disgust—just nothing.
"I want you to be the CEO of Lianying Mining."
Li Tang clarified. "We're still a startup. The starting salary I can offer is one million AUD per year. Maybe that's not much for someone of your stature. But if you have conditions, you're welcome to discuss them with me."
"I'm seriously considering your offer," Fortret replied, honestly giving it some thought. But still, no emotional spark, just calm.
He already knew he wouldn't accept.
"I appreciate you taking the initiative to offer me this opportunity."
He was basically turning Li Tang down, albeit politely. "I just want to rest at home for a while. Maybe later, if I feel like working again, I'll reach out to you."
"In addition to the salary, if you're interested in equity, we can talk about that too," Li Tang added one more bargaining chip.
"It's not about the money. I just don't think this is the right time for me to work."
Fortret touched his chest. "I respect what my heart tells me."
Li Tang looked into his eyes and saw it clearly—peace. His offer had failed to move him.
Maybe Lianying Mining, this so-called grand stage, simply wasn't compelling enough for Fortret.
"Alright then. I hope when you change your mind, you'll get in touch."
Li Tang knew there was no point in pushing. "Our doors are always open for you."
"I wish you great success."
Fortret gave him a warm hug and smiled the whole time. "It's an honor to have received your invitation. Maybe someone else will be thrilled to receive it—but for me, it means a lot."
"No—for me, you are the most suitable person," Li Tang said sincerely. He knew Fortret's ability and vision. Otherwise, the man wouldn't one day become the richest man in Australia.
"But I don't want to work right now," Fortret said, firm and resolute.
"Reach out anytime."
Li Tang wasn't discouraged. There was always tomorrow.
After leaving Fortret's mansion, he informed Alice, then boarded a direct flight back to Yanjing.
His parents had been staying at his house in the capital but had grown bored and returned to Guizhou.
After resting at home for a night, Li Tang went straight to his company the next morning and called in He Runqi and Dai Yingchi.
"I've been working on exploration in Australia. We've hit ore, and the next phase requires ramping things up."
He briefly explained what had been going on and gave them a task: "We need to drill a lot of holes there, but it's hard to find tough, hardworking labor. One reason I came back is to recruit workers—young, strong men willing to work hard."
"How many do you need? Any education requirements?"
Dai Yingchi, head of HR, immediately took out a notebook.
"Thirty to fifty people. Main requirement is good health."
Li Tang roughly calculated that with 10 to 20 drill sites operating simultaneously, each one would need a rig operator and two or three laborers.
"No problem. We can include a physical exam during recruitment," Dai responded.
"We'll also need a small medical team."
"Got it."
"And some translators to help the workers integrate and communicate locally."
"No problem. That's easy to arrange."
Dai wrote it all down and then asked, "What's the salary range?"
"Between ten and twenty thousand yuan a month."
Li Tang figured Australian workers earned a baseline of 20,000. Hiring domestically and bringing them over—even with food, lodging, and translation—would cost less.
"Ten to twenty thousand?"
Dai was stunned. "Is that really necessary?"
He himself only made just over 3,000 yuan a month. Aside from Li Tang, the highest-paid people at the company were Alice and He Runqi—base salaries of around 5,000, bonuses included, maybe 100,000 a year.
Paying new recruits that much was jaw-dropping.
"Ten thousand for general laborers is fine. If they know English and are willing to work hard, offer more. For doctors, base it on qualifications—15 to 20K is fine."
Li Tang had just returned from the scorching, harsh Pilbara and understood the labor costs. "It's way more expensive to hire over there. That's why I want to bring people from here."
"Is it dangerous over there?" Dai asked, concerned about disclosure in job postings.
"No, just hot. Not much to do in your free time."
Li Tang laughed, remembering Newman. "The town is actually quite developed. Plenty to do—just pricey."
"That's good," Dai said, relieved.
He Runqi, who had been listening quietly, was getting more and more interested.
Ten thousand a month, just for being strong and tough—that kind of person was everywhere in China!
He tugged on Li Tang's sleeve. "Li Tang, uh, this might be awkward, but I think I can help with the hiring."
"How so?" Li Tang smiled.
"There are tons of hardworking young men in my village!"
He Runqi's voice grew louder. He felt like this was his chance to help his whole community. "Everyone there works hard—up at dawn, back after dark—and even then, they barely make a few thousand yuan a year!"
"Perfect."
Li Tang thought it was a win-win: save time recruiting and help a rural community. "Go home soon and pick smart, healthy, hard-working people."
"No problem. That's what we rural folks do best—unlike you city types!"
He Runqi thumped his chest.
"You saying I don't work hard?" Li Tang teased.
"I don't have anything urgent. I'll head home today, get a crew together in three days max!"
He Runqi was fired up—he couldn't wait to leave.
"I'll go with you," Dai said. "As HR, it's my responsibility."
"Great," Li Tang nodded. He knew He Runqi's village was deep in the mountains, about 1,000 kilometers from Yanjing. "You guys driving or flying and then transferring?"
Dai looked at He. "What's faster?"
"Flying is faster, but transfers are a pain. Driving takes time, but it's more direct: 700 km highway, 30 km of country road, and 10 km of rough road."
"Can a car reach your home?" Dai asked.
"Only off-road vehicles."
"We have one," Li Tang grinned.
"We'll take turns driving. Let's leave now," Dai said, always a man of action. "We'll be eating dinner at your place tonight!"
"I'm not great at driving rough roads—you'll take the wheel there," He said. He'd gotten his license after returning from Tibet and practiced a lot with company vehicles.
"Be careful on the road," Li Tang reminded them. "And once you've chosen people, make sure they bring IDs. We'll need to get their visas done quickly. Our project in Australia is under tight deadlines."
"No problem," Dai said, understanding the urgency.
The two packed up, grabbed the car keys, and hit the highway—headed southwest.
For He Runqi, this was more than a task.
It was a triumphant return home.
Get 30% off on my Patreon and enjoy early access to new chapters.
You can also purchase the next 100 chapters of the novel directly from my Patreon page.
Hurry up! The promotion ends on March 2, 2026.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Johanssen