Chapter 20: The New Team Leader
"I was thinking, why not give it a shot?" Qin Jianshe said with a chuckle. "Worst case, it's just a field trip—Mining and Metallurgy Co. is covering travel, food, and lodging. We send someone to take a look. Best case, if we somehow walk away with that one-million-yuan reward, we'd have ourselves a nice little department bonus fund—completely off the books, no need to worry about financial audits."
It sounded nice, like a beautiful daydream. But there was little chance of it happening.
It was like buying a lottery ticket and fantasizing about winning big. Anyone with a rational mind wouldn't expect much.
Li Tang put the invitation down, his face calm—he didn't look excited at all.
"My idea is for you to lead the team. Whether or not a solution is found, that's secondary. The main purpose is for you to observe mine operations and meet some of the folks at Mining and Metallurgy Co.," Qin said, making his intention very clear.
"Me?" Li Tang looked surprised.
He was just a new hire—how could he possibly lead a team?
Liu Kaisheng, already in the loop, chimed in. "Take a few days to prepare. You'll be the team leader for the trip to Jiujiang. As for who you take with you—just name them. Anyone in the Resource Evaluation Department must follow your lead."
"Is that really appropriate?"
Li Tang frowned, still confused.
He was brand new. Would the veteran employees even listen to him?
"What's appropriate or not? It's all part of learning," Qin said as he pointed at the stack of mining documents on the table. "Get someone to carry these back to your office. Study them thoroughly. There's a branch office of Mining and Metallurgy in Jiujiang. When you arrive, contact them—they'll arrange your transportation and schedule. On the day of the technical review, I'll be there too, along with Minister Liu."
Li Tang nodded blankly. "Alright…"
…
In the hallway of the company building stood a bulletin board with various notices and announcements.
Just moments ago, HR had posted a new personnel appointment memo.
Personnel changes usually meant good news—someone was getting promoted.
Every time this happened, employees would swarm the board, chattering and speculating.
"The company has decided: Li Tang is appointed as the new Team Leader of Resource Evaluation Department, Group Six. Wang Zhentai is appointed as Team Leader of Mineral Exploration Department, Group Seven…"
"Li Tang? Who's that?"
"Who's this guy coming out of nowhere to lead Group Six in the Resource Department?"
"Must be a bigwig's son from the head office—here to get some experience."
"Too many people at the bottom already. Now they're sending in people from above? This job's going nowhere."
The reactions ranged from curiosity and jealousy to resignation and apathy.
Back in the Resource Evaluation Department's open office, the news caused an uproar.
"What the hell—that's clearly favoritism!"
"Everyone thought Hu Yangyu had it in the bag when he got moved to Group Six. He's the only veteran there—it was a done deal."
"Doesn't matter if he's senior. Without connections, dream on."
"Life's like that—stop fighting it. After all these years, you still think ambition matters?"
"As long as I get paid on time, I'm good."
"Li Tang's a rookie, right? Aren't you even a little curious who he really is?"
"What's it got to do with me?"
"Even if he's the Jade Emperor's son, he's not sharing his fortune with me."
"As long as he doesn't mess with us, let him do whatever."
Everyone had something to say. But it was clear—they'd seen this sort of thing before.
There were always people who climbed, while most remained stuck in place.
Their dreams had long been worn down by the daily grind. Who had time for ideals anymore?
They were content to coast, convincing themselves it was pointless to resist—that laying low was smarter.
But the one person hit hardest was undoubtedly Hu Yangyu.
From elation to crushing disappointment—it was an emotional rollercoaster that left him shaken.
Sitting by the window, his narrow eyes were full of bitterness and resentment.
Suddenly, the office fell silent.
Liu Kaisheng walked in with Li Tang and said loudly, "This is Li Tang, the new Team Leader for Group Six. I hope you'll all work together and support one another. Let's give him a round of applause!"
Thunderous clapping erupted.
All the earlier mocking and gossip vanished into thin air.
"For the Demen Copper Mine project, if you need help from other teams, just say the word—or come to me directly," Liu added, showing full support for Li Tang.
Li Tang had already known about his appointment before walking out of Qin Jianshe's office.
Looking at the varied expressions around him, he realized that life in this office wasn't going to be easy. At least not in the short term.
At that moment, it felt like he was surrounded by an invisible aura that separated him from everyone else.
That could be a good thing—or a bad one.
"For now, I don't need anything," Li Tang said. He had no concrete plans yet for the Demen Copper Mine project.
As Qin Jianshe had said, even just going to observe would be worthwhile.
"Alright. If you need anything, just let me know. My office is right next door," Liu said, patting him on the shoulder before leaving.
Under dozens of scrutinizing gazes—as if walking through a gauntlet—Li Tang returned to the sixth team's area and saw his new teammates: Hu Yangyu, Wei Shixing, and He Runqi.
He Runqi's round, dark face was full of shock. His jaw practically dropped.
Clap clap!
Li Tang clapped his hands to get their attention. "We're heading to Jiujiang in a few days to work on a mining project. Let's move these documents to our area and start planning."
He Runqi stood up at once.
Wei Shixing hesitated for a second, then followed.
But Hu Yangyu kept staring out the window, pretending he hadn't heard a thing.
Li Tang wasn't surprised. Every teammate had a different mindset—he expected that.
He didn't rush things.
After three days of basic prep, the four-person Sixth Group boarded a plane and flew to Jiujiang Province.
They were welcomed by none other than Zhao Hepu, General Manager of Mining and Metallurgy Co. The chubby man's smile was warm and harmless, his manner easygoing.
He arranged a proper reception and even had the Demen Copper Mine's manager accompany Li Tang and his team for a tour.
After a brief introduction to the mine's staff, the manager left—the rest was up to them.
The mine wasn't far from Demen County. The team stayed in town.
Li Tang's plan was to inspect the site thoroughly. Reports could only tell you so much—some things had to be seen with your own eyes.
He had already told the team: starting today, there would be no "supervisors"—they were officially in the field.
More importantly: they'd be getting up early.
He and He Runqi were downstairs for breakfast by 7:00 a.m., only to find that Hu Yangyu was already there eating.
"Morning, Yangyu!"
Over the past few days, Li Tang had noticed that Hu wasn't very talkative—likely still resentful over the lost promotion.
Still, Li Tang figured that with time, familiarity might ease the tension.
Seeing Hu at breakfast was a good sign. As long as he stayed engaged at work, everything else could be managed.
Hu looked up briefly, mumbled a response, and went back to his noodles.
After breakfast, he returned to his room, took off his shoes, and went straight back to sleep.
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