"I didn't expect that this day really came."

While Xu Zhenbo was feeling the shocking reversal he had experienced, an old man in a wheelchair was also exclaiming the same amazement next to a large open-pit copper mine mining site on the other side of the ocean.

This is Chile's Chuma Copper Mine, with a copper metal reserve of 40 million tons, and is one of the largest copper mines in the world. Not long ago, an investment company led by China Honghedu Mining Group and established by several companies including Luoye Group. It acquired 35% of the shares of Chuma Copper Mine at a price of about 4 billion yuan, becoming the largest shareholder of the mine.

The old man sitting in a wheelchair is the former director of the Honghedu Mining Bureau, the predecessor of Honghedu Mining Group, named Zou Bingzheng. More than 20 years ago, in order to solve the problem of Luoye dump truck sales, Feng Xiaochen went to Honghedu Copper Mine and had a thrilling contest with Zou Bingzheng, and finally convinced Zou Bingzheng to accept Luoye dump truck. After that, Honghedu Copper Mine not only no longer refused domestic mining equipment, but also took out funds to establish a domestic equipment experimental research center in the mine to help mining machinery companies such as Luoye and Lin Chong improve their technology and optimize their products.

That time, Feng Xiaochen used the reason to convince Zou Bingzheng to believe that China cannot always rely on exporting mineral resources for advanced equipment, but should develop its own equipment manufacturing industry so that one day it can exchange the equipment it produces for foreign mineral resources.

Nearly 30 years have passed since then, and Zou Bingzheng has already retired from the position of director of the Mining Bureau and is idle at home. However, after retiring, Zou Bingzheng still actively supports the research and development of domestic mining equipment. Many times when Honghedu Copper Mine had conflicts of interest with Luoye, Lin Chong and other enterprises, he stood up as the old leader of Honghedu, demanding that the copper mines take the overall situation of the national equipment manufacturing industry first and do not care about small collective interests.

Zou Bingzheng has been a leader in Honghedu for decades and is a decent person. Most of the people in the successor leadership team were his former subordinates, so his words were very effective. His old subordinates followed his arrangements and maintained good cooperative relationships with Luoye and other companies. At the same time, they often lamented in their hearts that the young cadre in the early 20s had brainwashed Lao Zou's brainwashing.

Feng Xiaochen predicted that China would develop foreign mines in the future and sealed up its own resources for future generations. Most of the cadres at Honghedu were skeptical about this. In that era, "foreign countries" were an unattainable place. Even the South American countries, which ranked low in the range of "foreign countries", were very advanced compared to China. Isn't this a fool to expect foreigners to buy equipment made in China and then use their mineral resources to repay them?

However, this day really came. When Wang Weilong, deputy general manager of Luoye Group, came to Honghedu to personally come to Honghedu to discuss the acquisition of the equity of the mining group's equity in the Qiuma Copper Mine, no one was surprised, because domestic mining groups have become commonplace for overseas mining companies.

After more than 50 years of mining, Honghedu, the largest copper mine in China, is on the verge of exhaustion. If you want to survive, you can only explore this path overseas. The mining group has already begun to look for partners overseas, but it has not yet determined the best choice.

The Chuma Copper Mine is a newly developed customer of Luoye. Although the reserves of this copper mine are large, its development is very lagging. Due to the limitation of funds, the equipment used by the mine is relatively backward and the production efficiency is low. This has led to the meager profits of the mine, making it difficult to raise funds to update the equipment, and it has fallen into a vicious cycle.

At this time, Luoye's business staff found the board of directors of the Chuma Copper Mine and suggested that they introduce strategic investors from China, use the funds provided by Chinese investors to purchase advanced large-scale open-pit mine equipment, and expand production capacity. After careful consideration, the board of directors of the Chuma Copper Mine accepted this plan, which led to Wang Weilong's trip to the Red River Crossing.

Needless to explain the details of the negotiations between the parties, Honghedu Mining Group applied for a large loan from the State Investment Bank to purchase 35% of the equity of the Chuma Copper Mine. The state attached a condition when issuing this loan, that is, 70% of the loan must be used to purchase mining equipment made in China, and the remaining 30% can be used to invest in infrastructure in the mine or to purchase equipment that Chinese companies cannot manufacture.

This loan condition is not harsh for the Chuma copper mine. Previously, when South American companies received investment from Western countries, they had to accept the same conditions. In the 1970s and 1980s, South American economy developed rapidly and built many large-scale infrastructure, including the Itap Hydropower Station with an investment of up to US$17 billion, most of which came from Western banking consortiums. When these Western banking consortiums invested in construction funds from South American countries, they often required that countries that accepted the loans had to purchase equipment from Western companies. As a result, the money received from Western banks was transferred back to the hands of Western companies, and did not create opportunities for local manufacturing companies in South America.

Borrowing money to build but failing to cultivate local manufacturing companies, the final result is that when we have to pay off our debts, we realize that we have no ability to repay our debts. So a financial storm roared, sweeping all South American countries and making the word "Latin America" ​​the most vicious curse for an economy.

"We are not trapped in this curse."

Standing next to the mining site of the Chuma Copper Mine and looking at the deep mine pit in front of him, Wang Weilong said proudly.

Most of the funds purchased for the equity of Chuma Copper Mine are returned to China to purchase equipment manufactured by Chinese companies, and Luoye is one of the manufacturers of these equipment. Luoye introduced the technology of the American Haifei Company in his early years to manufacture 150-ton electric wheel dump trucks. In recent years, Luoye has digested and absorbed the imported technology and developed various dump truck models of 180 tons, 220 tons and 300 tons, and has long achieved complete independence in technology. Now, Luoye sells a dump truck that can be exchanged for thousands of tons of copper metal, which is really a huge profit.

"I only then did I truly understand what Xiao Feng said to me back then." Zou Bingzheng was also sighing. He exchanged ore for equipment, and in the end he would inevitably fall into a state of nothing. This was told to him more than 20 years ago. At that time, Zou Bingzheng was proud that the Honghedu copper mine could have exported and earned foreign exchange every year, and did not take Luoye equipment manufacturing companies seriously at all. Instead, he felt that their demand for their acceptance of domestic equipment was delaying mine production. As a result, Feng Xiaochen broke into Honghedu, took wine to go crazy, pointed at Zou Bingzheng's nose and scolded him for being backward and shameless, and finally woke him up.

Now it seems that Feng Xiaochen's words are correct. China's equipment manufacturing industry has developed and become stronger. Using equipment produced by Luoye and other companies, Honghedu has obtained 35% of the equity of Qiuma Copper Mine. Based on the 40 million tons of copper metal reserves of Qiuma Copper Mine, Honghedu's equity is equivalent to 14 million tons of copper metal, which is more than 50% higher than the total reserves of Honghedu Copper Mine.

"This time, Director Zou is invited to Chile. It was Xiao Feng's board. You are so old that we really dare not let you fly over thousands of miles away." Wang Weilong said to Zou Bingzheng with a smile.

I heard that Honghedu Mining Group had acquired shares in the Chuma Copper Mine, Zou Bingzheng applied to come to Chile to check it out. According to him, he was already buried in the neck. Before going to meet his old comrades who died, he must go and see this mine that belongs to China. This is an explanation for his life.

Zou Bingzheng made such a request, and neither the Mining Group nor Wang Weilong dared to agree. Because Lao Zou was already 90 years old at this time, although he was still in good health, if there was a mistake along the way, who could take responsibility?

Because he knew that Feng Xiaochen and Zou Bingzheng had a good relationship, Wang Weilong told Feng Xiaochen about this. He originally hoped that Feng Xiaochen could persuade Lao Zou to give up this unrealistic idea. Who knew that Feng Xiaochen stood on Zou Bingzheng's side, claiming that if the doctor thought Lao Zou's body could withstand the tossing of more than 10,000 kilometers of flights, then he would fulfill his wishes.

This incident eventually alarmed the central government. A senior leader instructed that an old revolutionary like Zou Bingzheng would be able to see the country's achievements with his own eyes and his mood was understandable. If Zou Bingzheng's physical condition allowed, he would arrange for him to take a trip to Chile. For this reason, the leader also personally arranged a medical team to travel with Zou Bingzheng and provide him with medical care services at any time.

"This is what he owes me." Zou Bingzheng pretended to be angry and said, "In order to convince me to accept your dump truck, he scolded me as a backward person and shameless person. Now that you have really succeeded, he still has to let me see it. I am old enough to be his grandfather. Can I be scolded by him for no reason?"

Wang Weilong knew this old story, and he laughed and said, "This Xiao Feng was so young and frivolous back then. That is, Mr. Zou, you are noble and not as good as him. If you were any narrow-minded leader, you would probably not be able to stand it."

"He is right. I am indeed a backward person, but I am not shameless." Zou Bingzheng also smiled and said, "To build, we need young people who dare to fight and rush like you. This is not called youthful recklessness, but with agility. If we hand over the country to you, we old people will be relieved."

"Haha, Mr. Zou, I am over 60 years old. Xiao Feng is still young, but he is in his 40s. The real young people are them!"
Chapter completed!