Chapter 576 - 576 Get Out of the Way, I’m Going to Act Tough!
After dinner, Zhou Chao leisurely sat on the sofa by the fireplace, stroking the little tiger. Whether the little tiger had taken a liking to Zhou Chao or for some other reason, it enjoyed lying on his thigh, occasionally making purring sounds, just like a little kitten.
“Shanjun, who do you think I should call?”
The little tiger lying on his lap seemed to understand Zhou Chao’s call. Lifting its cute little head, it let out a soft growl.
Zhou Chao chuckled at Shanjun’s adorable voice, “Oh, asking you is pointless!”
Then, he picked up his phone from the nearby table, opened the contacts, and scrolled through until he found a familiar name. After a moment of contemplation, he dialed the number.
The phone rang for a good 10 seconds before someone answered on the other end.
“Hello, Xiao Chao, what’s up?” Jiang Youdao’s voice came through the phone.
This call from Zhou Chao was indeed to his father-in-law.
“Hey, Dad, hope I’m not disturbing you. Have you had dinner?”
“Just finished. I’m in the study preparing to review some materials. Is there something going on in Russia?” Jiang Youdao knew that Zhou Chao rarely made calls, so if he did, it must be something important.
“Nothing major, just a minor issue. I was hoping you could help me out, Dad.” Because of Zhou Chao’s relationship, Jiang Youdao had already crossed that threshold and was now in contact with the highest level. Zhou Chao wanted to call and seek his advice, find a negotiation expert perhaps, after all, the fewer people who knew, the better.
Jiang Youdao casually replied, “Sure, what’s the matter?”
“It’s not something significant, just that I discovered a massive gold mine on one of my ranches in Russia. Its estimated value is 680 billion. I’m planning to cooperate with Archie and Dmitry to develop this mine. I was wondering if you have any friends with exceptional diplomatic skills who could offer some advice.”
“Pfft!” Jiang Youdao, who was leisurely drinking tea, sprayed it out upon hearing Zhou Chao’s words, wetting many documents on the table.
Hearing the loud noises from the other end of the phone, Zhou Chao was puzzled, “Dad, what’s wrong? Is something happening over there?”
After a long while, Jiang Youdao’s voice came through, “Nothing, just accidentally knocked over the teacup. How much did you say the mine is worth?”
“680 billion US dollars!”
“US dollars! And it’s 680 billion?” Jiang Youdao’s tone couldn’t help but become more serious.
“Yes, any problem?” Zhou Chao couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, amused that even his father-in-law couldn’t handle hearing that number. It was quite amusing to think about.
“No, no problem!”
Zhou Chao could hear Jiang Youdao’s slightly breathless voice. He didn’t expect his father-in-law to try so hard to remain calm.
“Xiao Chao, who do you plan to cooperate with for this mine?”
“Archie and Dmitry. I believe you’re familiar with them, Dad!”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Youdao fell silent for a moment. “Are you talking about the same individuals I know?”
Zhou Chao’s smile grew even wider, “Probably. After all, these two are quite famous!”
After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Youdao said, “Tell me your thoughts. This is a serious matter.”
Zhou Chao was taken aback for a moment but quickly understood the meaning behind Jiang Youdao’s words. He even toned down his smile a bit.
“Dad, I plan to exchange shares of the mine for their assets, such as oil fields. I’m not very familiar with them, so I can only turn to you for help.”
After Zhou Chao finished speaking, he didn’t immediately get a response from Jiang Youdao. Instead, he faintly heard rhythmic tapping and the sound of fingers lightly tapping the table from the other end of the phone. He guessed his father-in-law was now plotting something.
After about two or three minutes, Jiang Youdao’s voice came through the phone.
“Now, there are two options. Let me explain them to you, and you can choose.”
After pausing for two or three seconds, Jiang Youdao continued, “The first option is for me to help you find some people familiar with this matter to negotiate for you.
As for the second… it’s to inform those at the very top and have them intervene. Recently, both sides have been deepening cooperation, but progress hasn’t been ideal. Your matter happens to be a breakthrough point, which can provide significant assistance to the cooperation.
Of course, you will definitely benefit from this. You won’t be at a loss. What belongs to you will definitely be yours.”
Zhou Chao understood the situation. This was like treating him as a pawn. Just as Zhou Chao was still contemplating, Jiang Youdao’s voice came through the phone again.
“This time, the cooperation projects on both sides also involve resources, such as oil fields, which happen to align with your needs. Moreover, the funds invested this time, to be honest, are not even one twentieth of your gold mine.
I believe those at the top will also understand what’s more important.”
With these words, Zhou Chao understood his father-in-law’s intentions. Many thoughts flashed through his mind, and he quickly came up with a reasonable plan.
“Dad, I understand. Let’s go with the second option. But I hope that the gold mine will be the primary focus of the negotiations at the top.. Then, the resources negotiated can be used for cooperation within the country!”