The place Zhuang Rui was looking at was the rock wall that had been blasted open by Li Zhen's grenade. The opening was more than a meter deep, and there were many rocks scattered around it that had fallen from above.
Originally, Zhuang Rui didn't know how to make the gold mine appear to the world. It was all thanks to this battle. Otherwise, if Zhuang Rui had taken a hammer and hit the rocks to say that there was a gold mine, it would have been too shocking.
"That's right, Brother Hu, that's why I say I'm lucky..."
Zhuang Rui laughed smugly.
Hu Rong, no longer caring about Zhuang Rui's self-praise, put down the stone in his hand and hurriedly picked up another stone to examine it.
"It really is a mine, Zhuang Rui, you...you're incredibly lucky, aren't you?"
After examining several stones, Hu Rong looked up at Zhuang Rui with a strange expression. This wasn't just good fortune; it was like the God of Wealth had descended to deliver money to him.
Although there are no instruments available to determine the quality of the gold contained in the stone, this shallow spot, practically an open-pit gold mine, is sure to make them a fortune.
Especially since this area is located within the Savage Mountain range, heavy machinery cannot enter at all, and mining can only be carried out using explosives. This type of terrain is most suitable for mining.
"Hehe, Brother Hu, we're brothers, so let's keep things clear. I'm the one who discovered this gold mine, so you can name a profit-sharing ratio..."
Zhuang Rui is acting like a miser right now. It would be a lie to say he's not heartbroken about giving away seven or eight hundred million US dollars earlier. Of course, he's going to try to make up for it with gold.
"You brat, things haven't even started yet, and you're already calculating the odds..."
Hu Rong chuckled and scolded Zhuang Rui, then thought for a moment before saying, "We still don't know the gold content. Although this mine is an open-pit mine, making extraction relatively easy, transportation is very difficult and requires a large workforce... More importantly, this gold mine must be kept a secret and cannot be discovered by other forces, which is quite challenging..."
"Hey, Brother Hu, I don't care about any of that. You're the local bigwig in Hpakant. After we finish this job, you can move your people back to the country. What are you afraid of?"
Zhuang Rui interrupted Hu Rong, realizing what Hu Rong meant: he wanted to bypass the Burmese government and mine independently. However, if this got out, Hu Rong would likely become the target of public criticism in Myanmar.
The Burmese military junta has virtually no tax revenue. The government can only operate by selling shares in various resource mines to raise funds. Although they know that the lion's share is going to others, the military junta has no choice but to accept this because they lack both technology and capital.
This is precisely why the Burmese military government has extremely strict control over mineral resources. Mining is allowed, but a portion of the profits must be shared. Otherwise, the government will fight tooth and nail, as these are their lifeline.
"Brother Hu, how about this? You first have someone survey the gold mine to determine its quality and content. If the quality is high and the gold content is abundant, I suggest we postpone the sale of the jadeite mine..."
Zhuang Rui said while thinking, "The jade mine is located in a remote area. We can build a simple refining plant next to it, refine the gold, and transport it out. This way, we can avoid attracting attention..."
Gold refining is actually quite simple, especially for gold ore like this. Simply put the crushed ore into a ball mill, grind it into a slurry, and then put it into flotation. Sodium carbonate is used as a modifier to make the gold float to the surface. At the same time, butyl xanthate and amine black are used as recoverants to separate the gold ore powder from the slag, thus producing gold concentrate powder.
The process is not complicated and is easy to operate. After adding KNO3 oxidant, silver and borax to the gold concentrate powder, high-purity gold can be extracted by high-temperature smelting.
"Temporarily suspend the sale of jadeite mines?"
Hu Rong hesitated upon hearing this. They didn't know the gold content yet, but the jade mine could be converted into real cash. If they dragged this out, who knew if things would change?
"Brother Hu, this isn't urgent. Let's get someone to survey the gold mine first..."
Zhuang Rui waved his hand, saying that talking about anything now was pointless; figuring out the gold content of this mine was the most practical thing to do.
"Okay, I'll make the arrangements. Have someone guard this place for now. This gold mine isn't really suitable for having someone survey it. I'll go back and get the equipment and tools, and then I'll survey it myself..."
The gold mine in Myanmar has a much wider impact than the jade mine. Even with Hu Rong's current power, if this news gets out, he may not be able to protect the gold mine. That's why Hu Rong decided to survey it himself; only in this way can he feel at ease.
Hu Rong thought for a moment, then said, "Come back to Hpakant with me. Go to the warehouse and select the jadeite rough stones you need. I'll have someone send them back to China in a while..."
"Alright, Li Zhen, you stay here and set up a minefield around this area. But when Brother Hu comes in later, make sure it doesn't blow up..."
Zhuang Rui nodded. He had been away for almost a month and wanted to go back to China. Huangfu Yun had been urging him to return many times, as the ocean shipwreck exhibition hall was waiting for him to open.
Upon hearing this, Hu Rong immediately summoned Zhang Guojun and several squad leaders of the mine protection team, and discussed the matter with Li Zhen. They decided to leave thirty men to guard the area, while the rest would go back to transport weapons, supplies, tents, and other essential tools.
After arranging everything, Hu Rong returned to Zhuang Rui's side and said with a smile, "What's wrong? Now you're not going to mention the shares?"
Hu Ronghui was in high spirits. Although there were many risks involved, he had gained a gold mine for free, which was enough to make him laugh in his dreams.
Chapter 1004 Jade Warehouse
"Brother Hu, you're the local bigwig. Even if you don't give me a share of this gold mine, there's nothing I can do about it..."
Zhuang Rui deliberately put on a bitter face, believing that with Hu Rong's worldly wisdom, even though the two were related, he would definitely handle the matter to his satisfaction.
"You brat, let's keep things separate. I'll be responsible for all the funding and equipment for this mine, from the initial investment and mining to the later refining and sales. As for the profits... you get 60% and I get 40%, how about that?"
After thinking for a while, Hu Rong offered a distribution plan, which was the biggest concession he could make.
Firstly, the gold mine's reserves are still unknown. Secondly, mining gold here requires a large workforce, and the investment in the refining plant is not insignificant. If the gold mine's reserves are small, Hu Rong might even lose money.
"Okay, let's go with this ratio. I trust you to handle things, Brother Hu..."
Zhuang Rui was naturally very satisfied. He had simply discovered this gold mine, and he could own 60% of it without spending any money or doing anything. How could he not be satisfied?
Zhuang Rui had also considered whether he should travel around and see how many rare minerals might still be unexploited underground. After all, these days, the truly wealthy are the ones who play the resource game.
Don't be fooled by the fact that most of the world's richest people are in the financial sector; their wealth is mostly reflected in the stock market. If there are a few Black Fridays, their assets will shrink immediately.
While those mining tycoons may not appear on any wealth lists, their influence far surpasses that of the billionaires on those lists. To exaggerate a bit, their actions can even affect the decisions of some superpowers.
However, Zhuang Rui's time passed quickly. If he really did that, his carefree days would probably be over, and even going abroad would likely require approval from numerous departments.
The people who attacked the jade mine earlier were probably Duwa's men. Now that Duwa's organization has been eliminated, the mine's guard force can be mobilized. Hu Rong dispatched more than 200 people with various supplies to deliver to Zhang Guojun and others.
After arranging these matters, Hu Rong returned to Hpakant with Zhuang Rui and others. Since Duwa had been dealt with, they did not take an armored vehicle this time, but instead rode in Hu Rong's off-road vehicle, arriving in Chinatown in just a few hours.
Upon arriving in Chinatown, Hu Rong instructed his second brother to take Zhuang Rui to the jade warehouse to select raw stones, while he himself disappeared in a flash, busy preparing instruments for surveying gold mines.
"Brother Jun, these... these raw stones aren't just from that new mine, are they?"
Led by Hu Jun, Zhuang Rui passed through several sentry posts before arriving at a house that looked very ordinary on the outside. However, once the door was opened, the interior space was quite large, measuring three or four hundred square meters, and was filled with jadeite rough stones of various shapes.
The difference between the rough stones from the new mine and those from the old mine is significant. As soon as Zhuang Rui entered the warehouse, he sensed something was wrong, because he could tell from the surface of many of the rough stones that they were from the old mine.
"Brother Zhuang, all the jadeite rough stones in this warehouse are accumulated by our Hu family over three generations. Many of them are old mine jadeite that has already been dug out. My elder brother said that as long as you take a liking to them, he'll send them all to you later..."
Hu Jun is thirty-five or thirty-six years old. Judging from his appearance, he looks very honest. However, he is the main person in charge of the Hu family in the Chinese city. He is in charge of all aspects of the Hu family's affairs in the area. His reputation in Hpakant is even greater than that of Hu Rong.
However, Hu Jun was also very puzzled today. He didn't know why Hu Rong had asked him to bring Zhuang Rui to select raw stones as soon as he got home, and even specifically instructed him to open this warehouse and let Zhuang Rui choose freely.
You should know that these are top-quality raw stones accumulated by the Hu family over generations. Any one of them would be fought over by everyone. This is the foundation and basis of the Hu family's strength.
The jade in this warehouse isn't all from the Hu family's own mines; many of them were stolen from others in the past, so each piece has its own history.
If Zhuang Rui were to be careless and expose him, Hu Jun wouldn't know how to explain it to the elders in his family. However, as the head of the family, Hu Rong had the right to do so, which is why Hu Jun was currently in a very difficult position.
Seeing Zhuang Rui enter Warehouse No. 1, Hu Jun couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Hey, Brother Zhuang, actually, all the rough stones from that new jade mine are in Warehouse No. 2..."
"Oh? What Brother Jun just said..."
Zhuang Rui pretended to be confused. Just now, brother, you said you could pick whatever you wanted. Are you going to change your mind right away?
"Uh, it's nothing. Big Brother instructed me to let you pick whatever you like, Brother Zhuang. Oh, by the way... I have something to do. Xiao Wu, keep an eye on things for your Brother Zhuang. I'll be right back..."
Hu Jun chuckled dryly, but didn't know what to say in front of Zhuang Rui. He beckoned to the Hu family member who was watching the warehouse, apologized to Zhuang Rui, and then hurriedly went to find Hu Rong.
Zhuang Rui smiled and didn't take it to heart. He could guess Hu Jun's feelings to some extent, and even when Hu Rong let him into this warehouse to select raw materials, Zhuang Rui knew that the Hu family was doing this to repay the favor of eight hundred million US dollars.
Zhuang Rui checked the time on his phone; it was already past 5 p.m., almost lunchtime. He couldn't help but laugh. It seemed Hu Rong had a backup plan, not giving him much time to select raw materials from the warehouse.
"Brother Zhuang, is that a cell phone you're holding?"
Xiao Wu, who was following behind Zhuang Rui, looked at the phone in Zhuang Rui's hand with envy. There were mobile phones in Hpakant, but ordinary people couldn't afford them, and many people had never even seen one.
In the case of Chinatown, apart from Hu Rong and some department heads, there are no direct descendants of the family.
Xiao Wu, who was only in his early twenties, was particularly fascinated by these new things, especially cell phones, which were usually only held by important people. Looking at the brick-like walkie-talkie in his hand and then at the small cell phone in Zhuang Rui's hand, his envy was palpable.
"Yes, don't they have them here in Myanmar?"
Zhuang Rui answered casually, only to realize afterward that it seemed very rare to see people using mobile phones in Myanmar.
Xiao Wu shook his head and said, "No, only Big Brother and a few others here have it. Brother Zhuang, is this expensive?"
Myanmar is mountainous, and the investment required to install wireless mobile devices is very large. The government does not have the funds for this, while equipment suppliers with the funds are concerned about cost recovery. Therefore, mobile phones are not widespread in Myanmar.
This is somewhat similar to China in the early 1990s, where people would stop and stare at others with envy if they were walking down the street with a mobile phone.
"It's not expensive, Xiao Wu, you can play with this..."
Listening to Xiao Wu's words, Zhuang Rui recalled the way Wei Ge looked when he was in college, holding his phone. He felt a pang of emotion, turned off the phone, took out his SIM card, and handed the phone to Xiao Wu.
"No...no, Brother Zhuang, I can't accept this. It's incredibly expensive..."
Xiao Wu was startled by Zhuang Rui's actions. Although he longed for it, he dared not accept Zhuang Rui's things, as the Hu family's rules were still very strict.
"It's not expensive at all. Just take it. If Hu Rong asks, just say it was from me..."
Zhuang Rui smiled and handed the phone to Xiao Wu. These days in China, everyone, even those who buy groceries or collect scraps, has one. It can truly be called a "phone" now.
Seeing Xiao Wu holding the phone, looking like he wanted to return it but was reluctant, Zhuang Rui smiled and said, "It's okay, maybe in a while, everyone in Chinatown will be able to afford a mobile phone..."
"Really? Brother Zhuang, everyone can afford it?"
Xiao Wu looked incredulous. There are tens of thousands of people in Chinatown. Even if you take away the elderly and children, there are still tens of thousands of people. If everyone had a cell phone, how much money would that cost?
"Yes, everyone can use it. You'll see in a while. Okay, this is the power-on version. There are games inside. Play them. I'll give you the charger later..."
Looking at the warehouse full of old mine jadeite, Zhuang Rui lost interest in chatting with Xiao Wu. After teaching him how to turn on the machine, he turned and went into the warehouse.
Wow, they're really rich and powerful!
Looking at the warehouse full of old mine jadeite rough stones, Zhuang Rui felt like he had entered a treasure mountain.
You should know that old mine jade is extremely rare now. An ordinary person would keep a piece as a family heirloom and hide it under the bed (a true story, a comrade in Yangzhou had a piece of jade weighing more than 70 kilograms and had kept it under the bed for seven or eight years). But in front of Zhuang Rui, there were as many as a thousand pieces.
"The Hu family thinks it's pretty good; these materials can be considered top-quality..."
There were thousands of raw stones in the warehouse. Zhuang Rui was too impatient to examine them one by one, so he directly released his spiritual energy to sense them.
Most of these rough stones are completely uncut, with very few having windows cut into them. However, the vast majority contain jadeite, and the quality is quite good, generally reaching the icy variety.
There were even two pieces of glass-type jadeite, with a slightly lower green color, which were almost comparable to imperial green. This broadened Zhuang Rui's horizons, proving that the reputation of a jadeite family was well-deserved.
Zhuang Rui didn't stand on ceremony and marked out more than a hundred pieces of icy and glassy jadeite with chalk. No matter how valuable these raw stones were, they couldn't possibly be worth 800 million. Zhuang Rui had no psychological burden when selecting them.
However, Zhuang Rui still left some assets for the Hu family. Otherwise, if Hu Rong were to cut open the family's stock of raw stones and find only bean-green jadeite, his older brother would be furious.
"Brother Zhuang, you haven't even started picking yet, have you? Xiao Wu, go... turn on the headlights so your brother Zhuang can properly choose some good materials..."
After Zhuang Rui marked the rough stones he needed, he had just walked back to the warehouse entrance when he was greeted by Hu Jun, who had a beaming smile on his face.
Chapter 1005 Integration (Part 1)