Chapter 68 Zhou Mubai's Consultation
At 10:00 AM, in the top-floor conference room of Zhou Mubai Law Firm.
Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the documents spread out on the conference table. Zhou Mubai stood in front of the whiteboard, his brow furrowed, his marker moving back and forth between several keywords written on the whiteboard: "risks of copper mine nationalization," "community protests," and "delays in environmental permits."
His team sat on either side of a long table, the atmosphere heavy.
“Attorney Zhou, the lawyers in Peru just sent a message.” Assistant Li Wei pushed up her glasses, her tone heavy. “The parliament has put the nationalization bill for the mining industry on next week’s agenda, and our acquisition target happens to be on the list of companies that may be nationalized.”
"What about the compensation mechanism?" Zhou Mubai asked. "If it's nationalized, how much will our clients receive according to local laws?"
“Under current law, the maximum is 60% of the market value,” Li Wei said. “But what’s worse is that the local community is already organizing protests. They are demanding a permanent share of the project’s profits, or they will block the roads.”
A low murmur rippled through the meeting room. This acquisition had been underway for over six months, with the client having invested a significant amount of upfront capital. If it were to fail now due to political risks, not only would the losses be enormous, but the law firm's reputation would also be damaged.
Zhou Mubai put down his marker and walked to the window. Below was the bustling street scene of the CBD, but in this conference room, a hundred and eight thousand miles away from the Apurímac Mountains in Peru, they were anxious about the political turmoil in that land.
He recalled the scene at the Huo family's dinner party last week, where Song Zhiyi performed emergency treatment on the elderly man. He was amazed by her medical skills at the time, but later Ji Yun told him privately, "Don't underestimate Song Zhiyi just because she's a translator. She's been to war-torn areas and knows far more than we imagine."
Are war-torn regions...including South America?
Zhou Mubai turned around: "The meeting is suspended for half an hour. Li Wei, you continue to follow up on the news from Peru. The rest of you, organize the materials you have."
He walked out of the conference room and back to his office. After closing the door, he hesitated for a moment, then picked up his phone.
He didn't call Song Zhiyi directly, but instead called Ji Yun first.
"Old Ji, I have a question for you. Song Zhiyi... did she ever live in South America?"
On the other end of the phone, Ji Yun's voice carried the languidness of someone just waking up: "Big brother, it's only ten in the morning... South America? Let me think... she seems to have been stationed abroad in Colombia and Peru. What's wrong?"
Zhou Mubai's spirits lifted: "When exactly? How long did you stay in Peru?"
"How could I remember that clearly... Just ask her directly. She should be working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs now, just call her work number."
"Will she offer advice?" Zhou Mubai asked, unusually uncertain. "This is a business case..."
"You'll know once you try," Ji Yun said. "Song Zhiyi is a very honest person; she'll generally help if she can. But don't expect her to pull strings for you; she has her principles."
After hanging up the phone, Zhou Mubai looked at Song Zhiyi's name in his phone's contact list—she was added by Huo Yanli when he created a group chat last time, but they had never contacted each other individually.
He organized his thoughts and sent a message: "Hello, Translator Song, this is Zhou Mubai. I have a merger and acquisition case involving Peru that has encountered some political risks. I heard that you have worked there before. Would it be convenient for me to ask you a few questions? This is purely a professional consultation and will be kept strictly confidential."
The sending time is displayed as 10:17.
Zhou Mubai didn't have high hopes. At this time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be busy, and Song Zhiyi always maintained a polite distance from their circle.
However, five minutes later, the phone lit up.
"Hello, Attorney Zhou. If the issue is not confidential, we can talk on the phone. I'm available before 10:30."
Zhou Mubai immediately dialed the phone.
“Translator Song, I’m sorry to interrupt your work.” He got straight to the point. “We’re handling a Peruvian copper mine acquisition case, and we’re currently facing several problems: first, the parliament is pushing for a nationalization bill; second, the local community is demanding a permanent share of the profits; and third, the environmental permits are taking a long time to be approved.”
The sound of papers turning over came from the other end of the phone, followed by Song Zhiyi's calm voice: "Which mining area exactly?"
"Aprimac region, I'll send you the coordinates."
Zhou Mubai sent the coordinates. After a moment of silence, he heard the sound of keyboard typing.
“This location…” Song Zhiyi’s voice changed slightly, “is only fifteen kilometers away from the indigenous people’s protection area. Attorney Zhou, have you obtained the community’s ‘prior informed consent’?”
Zhou Mubai was taken aback: "The local lawyer said the mining rights are clear, and it's not necessary..."
“Clear mining rights do not equate to community consent.” Song Zhiyi’s tone remained calm, but carried an undeniable certainty. “Article 89 of the Peruvian Constitution stipulates that the extraction of resources on indigenous land must obtain the community’s ‘prior informed consent.’ Last year, a Canadian company’s operations in the Madre de Dios region were indefinitely suspended because of this.”
Zhou Mubai felt a chill run down his spine. The local consulting team he had hired at great expense had never mentioned this.
"Then we..."
“There are two paths,” Song Zhiyi said. “First, immediately initiate community consultation procedures and find the right intermediary—not a lawyer in Lima, but someone from a local church or NGO to act as a go-between. Second, if there isn’t enough time, change the transaction structure to phased payments, making ‘obtaining formal community consent’ a prerequisite for the first phase payment.”
Her advice was clear and direct, without any ambiguity. Zhou Mubai quickly took notes.
How long does community consultation take?
"It could take two months, or six months at the latest. But this is the only way to fundamentally solve the problem." The sound of keyboard clicks rang out again. "Wait a moment, I'll send you a name and contact information. Sister Maria Castillo, she has done community work in Aprilo for thirty years, and the local elders trust her. You can mention my name."
My phone vibrated; an email address and satellite phone number had been sent to me.
Zhou Mubai looked at the string of numbers and suddenly asked, "Translator Song...why were you willing to help?"
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.
“Because if not handled properly, it could trigger conflict.” Song Zhiyi’s voice lowered. “In 2014, there was a violent clash between the community and the mine police in the Cajamarca region, which resulted in six deaths. Business is not just business, Attorney Zhou. In those places, it’s about people’s livelihoods, the survival of the environment, and even… lives.”
Zhou Mubai was speechless for a moment.
“Also,” Song Zhiyi continued, “if convenient, please remind your clients not to carry out large-scale earthwork operations during the rainy season. The geological structure of Aprimark is unstable, and last year there was a tailings dam leak that polluted three rivers. The local communities rely on that water for their livelihoods.”
"You've seen all of these with your own eyes?"
"I assisted with a drinking water safety project there." A brief statement, without any embellishment. "Does Attorney Zhou have any other questions?"
"That's all for now. Thank you very much."
"You're welcome. If needed, I can recommend a few scholars who study the political economy of Andean countries. They understand the underlying logic better than consulting firms."
The call ended.
Zhou Mubai stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, motionless for a long time. Sunlight shone on his face, but he felt something within him being illuminated.
He walked back into the meeting room, where the team was still discussing anxiously.
“I have a new idea.” Zhou Mubai erased everything on the whiteboard and rewrote a few keywords: “community consent”, “religious leader’s involvement”, “phased payment”, “ban on work during the rainy season”.
“From now on, adjust the strategy.” His voice was firm. “First, contact this nun.” He projected Sister Maria’s information onto the screen. “Second, restructure the transaction, making community consent a prerequisite for payment. Third, add restrictions on rainy season operations to the contract.”
“Lawyer Zhou, these are…” Li Wei asked in surprise.
"More accurate intelligence than all our advisors combined," Zhou Mubai said, his tone carrying a respect he himself didn't realize, "coming from someone who truly understands that land."
---
At 3 p.m., Zhou Mubai received another message from Song Zhiyi.
It is a PDF file titled "Case Analysis of Indigenous Rights Movements and Resource Development Conflicts in the Andes (2010-2022)".
Seventy-eight pages, detailed data, case studies, and legal comparisons. The first page bears a line of handwritten text: "For reference only, please do not distribute. —Song"
Zhou Mubai opened the document and became increasingly shocked as he read on. It contained not only macro-level political and economic analysis, but also specific case studies of a particular village, even including details such as the surnames of local elders, the usual times for community gatherings, and road conditions during the rainy season.
These are things you can't learn just by sitting in an office and reading reports.
This requires actually going into those villages, talking to those people, listening to their stories, and understanding their concerns.
Zhou Mubai recalled Song Zhiyi's calm words on the phone: "I assisted with a drinking water safety project over there."
Assisting with drinking water safety projects...so she goes into those communities, sees rivers after tailings dam leaks, and hears people's fears about water pollution.
All of these experiences have now become a precise intelligence analysis, helping him save a $300 million acquisition deal.
Zhou Mubai replied to Song Zhiyi with a message: "The information has been received and is very valuable. In addition, regarding the issue of operations during the rainy season that you mentioned, we will add an environmental commitment clause."
A few seconds later, the reply came: "Okay. Best of luck."
Simple, straightforward, and without any formalities.
Zhou Mubai put down his phone and looked out the window. The city shimmered in the autumn sunlight, everything orderly and serene. But he knew that deep in the distant Andes Mountains, that land had its own pulse and its own breath.
Song Zhiyi is one of the few people who can understand that kind of breathing.
He recalled the first time he saw her at the Civil Affairs Bureau, the way she hurriedly left after signing the papers with Huo Yanli. At that time, they both thought she was just a quiet, unassuming woman.
Now he finally understood that her silence was not empty, but rather because her attention was focused on a wider area—the war-torn regions they had only glimpsed in the news, the distant countries they considered investment targets, and the complex reality they had summarized as "political risk."
She can see specific people and hear specific voices.
My phone vibrated; it was a message from Huo Yanli: "I heard you consulted Zhiyi?"
Zhou Mubai replied, "Yes. Her advice... was very professional."
There was a moment of silence on the other end, then someone said, "She's always like this. She helps people and then takes it for granted."
Zhou Mubai typed: "Yanli, do you know why she was willing to help me? She said that if it wasn't handled properly, it could lead to conflict and people could die. She wasn't considering commercial interests, but human lives."
This time, Huo Yanli did not reply for a long time.
Zhou Mubai didn't expect a reply. He reopened the PDF file and began to study it carefully.
As the sun set, he read the last page of the document, where a line was marked in red: "In resource development, the greatest risk is often not political change, but the neglect of the local community's way of life. Respect is the greatest risk control."
Looking at the words, Zhou Mubai suddenly understood why Ji Yun said, "We were too shallow in our judgment of her before."
It's not just about perspective.
On a superficial level, it's about understanding the world, recognizing responsibility, and defining the word "professional."
He closed his laptop and walked to the rooftop terrace of the law firm. A cool autumn breeze swept by.
In the distance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building stood silently in the twilight. Behind one of the windows, Song Zhiyi was probably still working, preparing materials for the Middle East peace forum.
She has no idea what kind of ripples these phone calls and this document have cast in the hearts of so many people today.
Like a pebble thrown into a deep pool.
The surface quickly returned to calm.
But the sand at the bottom of the water has permanently changed its arrangement.
Zhou Mubai knew that from now on, the way he looked at Song Zhiyi would never be the same as before.
It wasn't because she was Huo Yanli's wife.
It's because she is Song Zhiyi.
A person who truly understands the complexity of the world and is willing to take responsibility for it.
Such a person deserves everyone's respect.
Including himself.
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