Children's Day just passed.
June 2nd.
There are about two days left before Chu Miaohong's performance team arrives in Laicheng, and seven days before the gold company is officially established.
The quietest corner in a complex of old buildings north of the Laicheng Mining Bureau headquarters.
This place is only separated from the countryside by a wall and a small river.
In the courtyard surrounded by a red brick wall, Zhang Hongcheng sat on a small stool, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan, and was chatting with a dark-skinned man in his forties with a smile on his face.
"Speaking of exploration teams, we are the unlucky ones."
The man in his forties who was speaking was called Zeng Bin. He was also fanning himself vigorously with a palm-leaf fan.
After spending a few days together, he had temporarily accepted the temper of this leader, Xiao Zhang.
He is kind, easy to talk to, and a little protective.
As a temporary leader during the transition period, this is already very good.
"Don't be fooled by the fact that our gold exploration team sounds impressive. The ones that are really valued by the higher-ups are the gold exploration teams of the provincial government."
"Our bureau's gold exploration team is usually invisible."
"Who would invest in training a team that hasn't produced any results in decades? After all, there's still the provincial exploration team jointly trained by the provincial department and the geological department."
"On the contrary, every time we take the initiative to go into the mountains, the bureau will be worried for a few days."
Zhang Hongcheng smiled and nodded.
"I guess he's worried about your safety."
"That's a bullshit excuse!"
Zeng Bin knocked on the ground with his palm-leaf fan in annoyance.
"They're worried we're spending too much. Among the exploration industry, finding gold mines is the most expensive."
"We have hundreds of people in our team, and on average we've only been out once a year since our founding. A lot of our equipment is still 80% new."
Zeng Bin's depression grew more intense as he spoke.
"We see the provincial team running around all over the place every day. If we can be loaned out to the provincial team for a while, we feel like we're not just eating for free."
"Hey, we used to have over 150 people on our team, but because of a lack of results and low attendance, our salaries and benefits haven't really changed. Everyone who could leave has left, and now, including the temporary workers, there are only 106 people left."
Zhang Hongcheng thought about the information he had read in the past few days and asked him another question.
"Old Zeng, I've looked at the documents Deputy Director Fang left behind. It seems your gold exploration team submitted quite a few development and excavation plans. Why didn't Director Fang approve any of them?"
Hearing this, a hint of red appeared on Zeng Bin's dark face.
"Director Zhang, you don't know some things about our industry."
"In this gold prospecting, of the countless reports we collect and analyze, only a very small number actually hit the mark. At least 97% of the reports will ultimately be proven to be false alarms..."
"This data is not from our team, it's from the national team."
Zhang Hongcheng nodded thoughtfully.
"But I heard that your exploration team has been resting at home for almost two years..."
Zeng Bin's face immediately turned red when he heard this, and he hesitated for a moment.
"The Planning Department rejected our proposal, saying the feasibility rate inferred from our report was too low. Deputy Director Fang is old and feels less is more."
Lao Zeng's words were obviously insincere.
Zhang Hongcheng could tell that he was probably also very dissatisfied with Li Fenqiang.
It seems that the information I asked Pang Zhiyuan for before was accurate. The exploration team and the planning department at the gold mine are indeed difficult to deal with.
"Lao Zeng, I don't think the report you worked so hard on can just sit there like this. Besides, I see there's still some money in our exploration team's account, right?"
"I checked the expenses of your previous exploration trip, and it's almost enough for you to go out again."
"How about we go to the mountains for a while?"
Lao Zeng was stunned.
"Director Zhang, all that money is in Li's card..."
"Haha," Zhang Hongcheng waved his hand nonchalantly. "The money is in the bureau's finance department. The planning department is just an excuse."
"The only thing I can manage now is the exploration team. Director Huang also said that I have the final say on matters concerning the exploration team."
"That's fine," Lao Zeng was eager to take the team out for a walk. Many of the newcomers hadn't gotten their hands on anything yet, and if they didn't practice, they'd be useless. "I'll go to your office tomorrow, and we'll look through those reports to see if there's anything with a higher probability."
After sending Lao Zeng away, Zhang Hongcheng turned around and went to look for Huang Jianmin.
"Go out for a walk?"
The family business was to be divided in less than a week, and Huang Jianmin was already extremely busy. When he heard Zhang Hongcheng's casual words, he was slightly stunned.
"This exploration team will be in the mountains for at least a few months, and they'll have a meeting in a few days..."
Zhang Hongcheng touched his nose embarrassedly.
"Well, Director Huang, my wife and child will be here soon. I want to take them to a safer place. I'm wondering if it's possible to do both public and private work."
Huang Jianmin then laughed.
"I told you, you're worried that people will complain about you taking your family out for a trip at this time, right?"
"Alright, I won't keep the little money in the exploration team's account. After the family splits up, Old Tang and I probably won't get it. You can ask Old Zeng to take your family to the nearby mountains for a walk. Just come back a day early."
"Just think of it as a benefit that your temporary leader provides to the members of the exploration team."
Zhang Hongcheng also laughed.
"Director Huang, there's something else you're saying. Does the exploration team have other plans?"
Huang Jianmin did not hide it from him.
"The provincial department has said that once our gold company is established, they will consider assigning most of the gold exploration team within the bureau to the various exploration teams within the Mining Bureau, and hand over all the capable personnel and equipment to the provincial department."
After saying that, he smiled and gave another reminder.
"Don't tell them for now. Let them follow you out and relax for a while."
"That's not necessarily true," Zhang Hongcheng replied half-jokingly. "Director Huang, you might not know this, but we might even find a gold mine this time."
Huang Jianmin smiled and shook his head.
He is an expert and knows that the process from looking for gold to discovering the deposit is a very long process, which takes at least 10 years.
With current domestic technology, it takes an average of nineteen years to find a large mineral deposit.
Among a hundred mineral exploration projects, it takes great luck to find one that is truly successful.
However, Huang Jianmin still followed Zhang Hongcheng's words and joked, "That's true. I've read your file, Zhang Hongcheng. You can find a gold mine even if you fall into a snow pit."
"I'm waiting for your good news."
......
"Xiling Village?!"
Zeng Bin frowned as he saw the stack of reports that Zhang Hongcheng pulled out, which was covered in dust.
"I remember this place. My master surveyed it, but unfortunately he passed away early. This report is from the 1960s, right?"
Zhang Hongcheng also frowned.
"There's nothing we can do. The funds Director Huang approved aren't enough. I calculated, and it's only enough for our entire team to travel around for a few days."
He patted Lao Zeng on the shoulder.
"Xiling Village is a great place. I called the village and they said the tunnels left over from the exploration are well preserved. I heard they even recently built a road into the mountains, so... this is it!"
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