Chapter 474 - 238: More Valuable Than Gold?

Chapter 474: Chapter 238: More Valuable Than Gold?

PFFT— Su Chen, who had just taken a sip of coffee, sprayed it everywhere. A look of sheer astonishment flashed across his face as he stared intently at Xiao Chen.

"What did you just say? One ton of raw rubidium ore is worth six hundred million US dollars?" Su Chen thought of that massive mountain, wondering how many tons of raw rubidium ore could be mined from it.

According to what Team Leader Li had said earlier, one ton of ore contained at least one to two kilograms of rubidium. That meant you only needed to mine five hundred tons of ore to get one ton of rubidium—and that didn’t even include the gold within the ore.

After all, the rubidium was just a byproduct; the gold content was much higher. But when you compared a ton of gold to a ton of rubidium, the difference was night and day!

At current market prices, a ton of gold was worth about six to seven hundred million in Huaxia currency. Compared to the rubidium, it was several times less valuable!

"Mmm, that’s right. Six hundred million US dollars. And it’s an extremely scarce resource. The moment you want to sell, people from all over the world will be lining up to find you!"

A smile played on Xiao Chen’s lips. He had, of course, noticed the change in Su Chen’s expression, and he couldn’t begin to describe how delighted he was to see Su Chen looking so flustered.

Having received a definitive answer, Su Chen lost his composure. He grabbed a cigarette from the table, lit it, and then offered one to Team Leader Li.

Just like that, the three men smoked in silence. But from the occasional shifts in their gazes, it was clear that each was lost in his own thoughts.

When their cigarettes had burned down to the butts, Xiao Chen glanced at Su Chen and noticed his expression was no longer as happy and excited as before.

"What’s wrong? You found the hen that lays golden eggs, and you’re not happy?"

Su Chen pressed his cigarette into the ashtray, grinding the butt down firmly as his brow furrowed.

He hadn’t expected a simple gold mine to lead to so many complications. The Tsar’s treasure was one thing, but now there was a rubidium mine to deal with.

They were incredible discoveries, to be sure, but this was Russia, after all. As for smoothly and quietly transporting all this wealth back home, Su Chen felt that might be just a *little* bit difficult.

"Brother Cheen, have you considered what happens when we start mining this? Do you really think the Russians will just let it happen? Based on Team Leader Li’s conclusions, the rubidium alone is worth a fortune. Letting us ship it back home would be like carving a pound of flesh from their bodies. Do you think they’d stand for that?"

Even if the rubidium mine belonged to Su Chen on paper, once the stakes get high enough, who’s going to care about who legally owns it?

It’s just like when the Bald Eagle marched into the Middle East. Wasn’t it all for oil!

After hearing Su Chen’s words, Xiao Chen seemed to have thought of something, and a strange look appeared on his face.

"Something just occurred to me... I don’t think the Russians allow private gold mining. You have to lease or purchase the mining rights from a state-owned enterprise or the local government that controls them."

"I remember you said you had a mining license?" Xiao Chen looked at Su Chen, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Hearing this, Su Chen nodded. ’It came as a bonus with one of my system rewards.’

After Su Chen’s confirmation, a smile spread across Xiao Chen’s face. "Then we’re good! As long as you legally purchase the mining rights, you can mine the ore openly and above board. Then all we have to do is ship the ore directly back home. The most we’ll have to do is pay a little extra in tariffs!"

Su Chen thought about it carefully. It seemed like a viable plan. He could establish a mining company in Russia and purchase the necessary licenses. It would cost some money, sure, but compared to the value of that ore, it was a drop in the bucket!

Having come to a decision, Su Chen turned to Team Leader Li, who was sitting quietly nearby. "The prospecting work will have to be put on hold for now. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you and your team to return home early. I also hope none of you will speak of what you’ve found here."

"As for your bonuses, you can rest assured. I definitely won’t disappoint you!"

Team Leader Li, having been around the block a few times, knew exactly how to read between the lines. He immediately stood up and said, "Mr. Su, please rest assured. We’ve all signed non-disclosure agreements. Also, if I could trouble you to make the arrangements, we’d like to be sent back home tonight."

Su Chen hadn’t expected Team Leader Li to be so quick on the uptake, planning to leave that very night. Seeing the man’s resolute expression, Su Chen nodded slowly. "Alright. Go get your team. I’ll have Chen Fei take you to the airport later. My private jet will fly you home!"

Hearing this, Team Leader Li visibly breathed a sigh of relief, as if a great weight had been lifted from his heart. He gave a respectful nod to Su Chen and Xiao Chen, then quickly exited the villa.

Watching Team Leader Li flee as if his life depended on it, Su Chen turned to Xiao Chen, who was leisurely sipping his coffee. "What was that all about?" he asked, confused. "It felt like he was a little afraid of me."

"Haha! What do you think? It’s because of what we were discussing," Xiao Chen said. "Think about it. Team Leader Li knows everything. How could he not be terrified? There were only three people in this room. If you wanted to ensure his silence..." Xiao Chen trailed off, giving Su Chen a knowing look.

Su Chen understood instantly. A wry smile touched his lips as he muttered to himself, ’Why would he think that? Do I really come across as some ruthless, heartless person!’