Chapter 1206 - 1203: Too Full, Completely Stuffed...
Luofeng spoke up. "It’s still about Australia. We’ve already started our plan against them and cut off wine imports!"
"So what’s your next step?" Huang Qiyang asked.
"Spain and Tsarist Russia are discussing the possibility of cooperating on iron ore. If the cooperation works out, Spain will put up the money and develop iron ore together with Tsarist Russia, then sell it to us!" Luofeng said.
Huang Qiyang instantly understood what Luofeng meant. "You want to use this move to suppress Australia’s iron ore price?"
"Exactly. If Tsarist Russia’s iron ore output goes up, we can completely get rid of our dependence on Australian ore!" Luofeng said.
Huang Qiyang said, "Actually, just releasing the news of a cooperation is enough to put pressure on Australia. After all, we gain another option and they gain another competitor. But are you confident you can push this cooperation through?"
Luofeng said, "I’m confident, but I don’t know if Daxia’s domestic steel enterprises are going to buy in."
"What do you mean?" Huang Qiyang asked.
"You know what I mean." Luofeng said calmly.
Daxia had always been on the back foot in international iron ore trading.
Not only because its own iron ore was lower grade.
But also because its steel enterprises were scattered like loose sand.
Internal chaos in the ranks, which gave foreign iron ore companies an easy win.
Huang Qiyang understood this logic, but what exactly was Luofeng getting at?
"What is it you’re actually going to do?" Huang Qiyang asked.
"I feel like you’re off today. Do you have some misunderstanding about me?" Luofeng said.
"I’m just curious." Huang Qiyang said.
"I need a fair shot at competition. If—just if—once Tsarist Russia and Spain start their cooperation, our steel enterprises are still a pile of loose sand, then in that situation we’re still going to be at Australia’s mercy. So I hope I can get a chance to enter the steel market."
Huang Qiyang said, "If you want to enter, just enter. Nobody’s going to block you."
Luofeng laughed. "Starting from zero is just too slow. I want Capital City Steel Company."
Capital City Steel was among the top five integrated steel enterprises in Daxia, with a hundred-year history; both its technology and its output were very strong.
Huang Qiyang snorted lightly. "So that’s your real goal, huh?"
"No, no, no. My goal is only to help push down Australia’s iron ore price. But it can’t be that I’m fighting like crazy to help you, while you drag me down yourselves, right?" Luofeng said. "To be frank, if I were to cooperate with Australia, Australia would probably welcome me more, wouldn’t it?"
Huang Qiyang had no way to refute that.
Given Luofeng’s situation, if he cooperated with Australia—
Australia would definitely give him the best terms.
To the point of "whatever you want, you get."
After all, Luofeng not only commanded enormous wealth, he also had advanced technology.
Luofeng had a lot of cards up his sleeve; Huang Qiyang knew that.
"What’s your real purpose in entering the steel industry? You said we should have more sincerity and less games between us, right?" Huang Qiyang said.
"I really don’t have any schemes. I just want Daxia to lose less, that’s all." Luofeng said.
Huang Qiyang went quiet, then said, "I can negotiate on your conditions, but how are you planning to handle the具体细节?"
"We’ll talk about how to handle things when the time comes. Both of us want Daxia’s steel industry to be able to stand together against Australia, instead of being picked off one by one as loose sand." Luofeng sighed.
Huang Qiyang was silent for a few seconds. "You’re not worried something unexpected might happen then?"
"What kind of unexpected?"
"For example, something happening to Capital City Steel Company?"
Luofeng laughed. "Old Huang, can’t you think a little more simply? I’ll say it again: my only goal is for Daxia to lose less. Whether Capital City Steel has some ’incident’, or the entire steel industry is scattered like sand, all that crap—what does it have to do with me?"
"You always think I have some other agenda. Yes, I admit I do have another agenda. Through this cooperation, I can gain connections with three parties. That’s my biggest payoff." Luofeng said.
"Even if Daxia’s steel plants blow up because they’re scattered like sand, I can just take over all their iron ore, invest in building steel plants in Tsarist Russia, and then sell the output. How much do you think I’d really lose?" Luofeng said with a smile.
If it played out that way, Luofeng really wouldn’t take a loss.
"I’ve already laid out my thoughts. Whether you believe me or not, and how domestic steel companies choose, I’m only responsible for providing an opportunity." Luofeng said. "By the way, it should be late at night in Daxia now. Go get some sleep, bro, I’m hanging up."
After saying that, Luofeng hung up.
Huang Qiyang put down his phone and fell silent in thought, and in the end it all turned into a single sigh.
Meanwhile, on Daxia’s internet, a piece of news popped up saying Australian red wine was being targeted. This kind of move seemed oddly familiar?
Hinting at Fengshun Investment?
Luofeng couldn’t be bothered to respond.
Let them make trouble slowly.
Right now Luofeng was genuinely too busy to play with them.
Because he was busy playing League Games with Qin Rubing.
Qin Rubing’s support play was getting more and more fierce, but her patience was a bit lacking. After all, she only wanted to play one or two rounds and then stop, zero patience, seriously?
Fortunately, Qin Rubing could still put on a show with a high-heels and black-stockings squat.
Otherwise, Luofeng would really be jumping up to hit someone.
After all, Duanmu Yunji had a "get-out-of-jail-free card" over there. If Qin Rubing wasn’t a bit more reliable, that really would be a problem.
After about an hour, their "2 up 1 down" League Games session ended.
To commemorate this battle, both Luofeng and Qin Rubing needed to bathe and change.
When they were done, it was still early, so Luofeng took Qin Rubing over to Duanmu Yunji’s apartment.
"Done making trouble?" Duanmu Yunji was practicing piano; she looked at Qin Rubing and teased.
Qin Rubing blushed and shot Duanmu Yunji a glare.
That look seemed to say: isn’t it because you have a get-out-of-jail-free card, so everything gets dumped on me, and now you’re turning around to tease me?
She really had eaten her fill these days, to the point of being stuffed.
Luofeng hugged Duanmu Yunji from behind and saw how tired she looked after practicing. "Sleepy?" he asked.
Duanmu Yunji nodded. "Mm, practicing today was a bit tiring."
"Then go to bed early?" Luofeng said.
Duanmu Yunji shook her head. "I want to think a bit more about which piece to choose for tomorrow’s competition."
"Got a plan?" Luofeng asked.
"Not yet. Right now I’ve already met my goal of making it to the semifinals, but I want to push further and get into the next stage." Duanmu Yunji said.
"Confident?" Luofeng said.
[Begging for monthly tickets, begging for recommendation tickets. If you’ve got monthly tickets, please send some my way, thank you, kneeling to all the bosses. Your recommendation tickets refresh every day, if you don’t use them they go to waste, so you can just throw them to the author...]