As a Magnate, I Started Checking in at a Convenience Store

Chapter 585: The First Time!

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Wang Lao paused for a moment before continuing, “But you must know the significance of this gold mine. As far as I know, the current gold reserves of the bears and camels are about 75 million ounces and 11 million ounces, respectively. This gold mine alone contains about 4.0 million ounces, almost half of your total reserves!”

Although Wang Lao didn’t directly state his point, Archie and Dmitry both knew that if they couldn’t finalize this cooperation, it would be a significant loss for them.

Especially Archie understood even more if the cooperation could be successfully concluded, it would greatly enhance the gold reserves of the Saudis. After all, the amount of gold reserves is crucial for balancing international payments and maintaining exchange rate stability.

Seeing the slight frowns on the two men’s faces, Zhou Chao knew that Wang’s words had struck a chord with them. After all, gold is a scarce and strategically important resource for every country.

But Zhou Chao also knew that the value of the gold mine would certainly be somewhat diminished, as it would require a significant amount of manpower, resources, and a long time to fully exploit.

Archie and Dmitry couldn’t help but look at Zhou Chao, seeming to want to know whether this was his intention or Wang Lao’s.

Zhou Chao shrugged helplessly and said, “Don’t look at me. It’s useless to look at me. I’m not very knowledgeable about these matters, so I’ll leave it all to Wang Lao to handle.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Lao flashed a slight smile, though it quickly disappeared. However, Archie and Dmitry noticed it, their mouths twitching slightly, realizing that they were in for a tough negotiation today.

“Ah, my stomach is feeling a bit upset. I wonder if there was something wrong with the noodles I had this morning. You guys go ahead and talk. I’ll be right back!” Zhou Chao said abruptly, clutching his stomach and quickly running towards the villa.

Everyone present felt insulted by this scene, unable to help but inwardly mock, “He’s pretending so badly. What’s going on here!”

As Zhou Chao rushed into the villa, everyone’s gaze returned to the negotiation scene. They exchanged glances, understanding that the real drama was just beginning.

Sure enough, they saw Wen Bin, who was sitting next to Wang Lao, taking out a notebook from his briefcase. Glancing at it, they saw that the page was filled with words, realizing that Wang Lao had prepared thoroughly for this meeting.

Meanwhile, Zhou Chao was lying leisurely on a lounge chair, playing with his phone and murmuring to himself, “Thank goodness I ran fast. If I had to sit there for a few more hours, I would definitely have a problem. Good thing I had foresight.”

As he spoke, he wore a smug expression, unaware that everyone had seen through his trick.

Listening to the occasional argument outside, Zhou Chao unknowingly fell asleep on the lounge chair, not even noticing when his phone fell to the ground.

After some time, Zhou Chao felt someone gently nudging him, and he heard faint voices. Opening his blurry eyes, he saw Wang Lao sitting beside him.

Zhou Chao quickly sat up, rubbing his still-drowsy eyes. “Wang Lao, what are you doing here? Have you finished the negotiations?” Looking around, he also noticed Wen Bin sitting nearby.

“It’s not that quick. Today, we only managed to convey our demands to the other party. It may take another two or three rounds of negotiations to reach an agreement. And there’s a problem that needs your approval,” Wang Lao said softly, leaning back on the sofa.

Zhou Chao looked at Wang Lao with some confusion. “What problem?”

“It’s that Archie and Dmitry both want to partially trade in cash. It’s not feasible to trade entirely in industry or resources. After all, this would be a loss for them. You also know that the short-term returns on the gold mine are not very promising.”

Zhou Chao nodded at the words. He also knew that his demands were not very realistic. After all, a gold mine worth $680 billion, even if divided equally among the three of them, would still amount to over $220 billion each. This was roughly equivalent to the total assets of a Fortune 500 company. Even if Archie and Dmitry were wealthy, they wouldn’t easily relinquish such a large conglomerate. It was highly likely that they would use some minerals, energy, money, etc., to achieve the trade.

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Chao looked at Wang Lao and said, “No problem, as long as I don’t lose out.”

Although Zhou Chao’s words were not explicit, Wang Lao understood his meaning. Essentially, it meant ensuring Zhou Chao’s interests under the premise of achieving certain domestic objectives, whether it was from Archie and Dmitry or from domestic aspects.

“Don’t worry, you won’t lose out. If there are any special circumstances, the domestic side will compensate you,” Wang Lao assured.

“Alright, then I’ll leave this matter entirely to you. Since the domestic side has sent you personally, it’s probably the intention. I guess I’m liberated from here,” Zhou Chao said, stretching lazily on the lounge chair. Although he didn’t know what plans the people above had, the fact that his father-in-law and Xiao Lao hadn’t called him meant that there wouldn’t be any problems with this matter.

Upon hearing this, Wang Lao looked at him curiously and asked, “Are you planning to return to the country?”