185: Chapter 185 The Uninvited Guest at the Bidding Conference

Xishan City Mineral Resources Bureau. The first-floor bidding hall.

The air conditioning was set extremely low. The air was permeated with the smell of old paper.

Wang Hao, dressed in a silver-grey bespoke suit, sat in the center of the front row. He leaned back against the chair, legs crossed, toying with a pure gold lighter in his hand. The metal lid snapped open and shut, emitting a crisp sound.

Beside him sat two blonde, blue-eyed white men. These were the representatives sent by the Ross Family. Both wore dark suits and luxury watches on their wrists. They scanned the room with contemptuous gazes.

Sitting in the back rows were over a dozen domestic mining bosses. They were leaders in the domestic new energy sector, yet today they were forced to sit on the sidelines. Some lowered their heads to wipe away sweat, while others sighed repeatedly. No one dared to speak up.

Wang Hao stopped playing with the lighter. He turned his head to look at the back rows.

"Gentlemen, the Xishan Rare Earth Mine is too big a project for you to handle." Wang Hao's tone was disdainful as he tapped his fingers on the table. "Foreign capital entering the market is following the trend. The funds you have in your hands aren't even enough to fill the gaps between your teeth. You'd better go home and sleep it off."

Several bosses gritted their teeth. They clenched their hands into fists, veins bulging on the backs of their hands. But no one refuted him.

Wang Hao held billions in funds. He had long since pulled all the strings locally. This bidding meeting was merely a formality. It was a foregone conclusion that Xingchen Capital would win the bid.

On the stage, the head of the Resources Bureau held the microphone, palms slick with sweat. He glanced at Wang Hao and cleared his throat.

"After comprehensive evaluation from various parties, the final winner of the development rights for the Xishan mining area is..." The person in charge looked at the script in his hand and swallowed hard. "Xingchen Capital."

Wang Hao stood up. He buttoned his suit jacket and turned to wave at the domestic bosses in the back rows.

A victor's smile hung on his face. He strode forward, preparing to go on stage to sign the contract.

The heavy wooden doors of the hall were pushed open.

A loud bang.

The door slammed heavily against the wall. Chunks of plaster shook loose and fell to the floor.

Chen Fan walked in. He was wearing simple black casual clothes and sneakers.

Chen Haoyu followed on his left, holding a kraft paper bag.

Two shadow bodyguards wearing black tactical gear stood guard at the door. They stood with their arms crossed in front of them, blocking the retreat.

Before Chen Fan left, Su Wanqing had straightened his collar. Her movements were gentle as she smoothed out the wrinkles on his clothes. She smiled and reminded him to come home early for dinner. The three children were sleeping soundly in their cribs.

Chen Fan was full of confidence. He didn't need a suit and tie to put on a facade.

Wang Hao stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the door.

"Chen Fan?" Wang Hao laughed out loud when he saw who it was. He pointed at Chen Fan's nose and mocked him loudly, "This is a national strategic resource bidding meeting, not your food delivery station. You didn't even pay the bidding deposit, are you here to beg for food?"

Chen Fan ignored him and walked straight toward the front row. His footsteps were steady against the tiled floor.

The foreign bodyguard beside Wang Hao stepped forward, attempting to block him.

Chen Haoyu stepped forward. Putting strength into his shoulder, he slammed directly into the foreign bodyguard's chest. The bodyguard stumbled back several steps and crashed into a chair. The chair overturned, making a jarring sound.

"Security! Throw him out!" Wang Hao yelled, pointing at the door. "You got rich by luck, do you even understand the rules here? Do you think you can run wild in Xishan just because you could in Yunzhou?"

Chen Fan stopped in front of the stage.

He didn't look at Wang Hao. He held out his hand.

Chen Haoyu handed over the kraft paper bag with both hands.

Chen Fan tossed the paper bag onto the signing table. It slid half a meter and stopped in front of the person in charge.

"Rules?" Chen Fan spoke, his voice echoing through the hall. "I am here today to set the rules."

Chen Haoyu walked forward. He untied the string of the paper bag and pulled out the document. He held the edges of the document with both hands, unfolded it, and faced the room.

A bright red national emblem was printed at the top of the page.

It was the "Strategic Resource Development Cooperation Agreement."

The official seal of the Highest Resource Committee was stamped on the bottom right corner. The red ink mark was clear.

When the person in charge saw the official document, his hands began to tremble. The script in his hand fell directly to the floor.

"This is a special approval document issued by the highest level of authority." Chen Haoyu read aloud, his voice overriding the entire room. "Huihuang Group promises to introduce the world's top purification technology, and the state has specially approved the exclusive priority development of the Xishan mining area by Huihuang Group. Any private arrangements at the local level are hereby rendered void."

The entire room was in an uproar.

The domestic bosses in the back rows stood up one after another. They craned their necks to look at the document. Some gasped.

Wang Hao froze in place. The smile on his face stiffened.

He had bribed all the local connections and poured in huge sums of money. He had thought he was a shoo-in for the win.

In the face of the state apparatus, it had all become waste paper.

"Impossible!" Wang Hao rushed forward. He reached out to grab the document. "You're faking this! The Ross Family has already spoken to the higher-ups! You have no right!"

Two shadow bodyguards stepped forward. With swift movements, they twisted Wang Hao's arms behind his back. They pressed down hard, pinning Wang Hao to the ground.

Wang Hao's face was pressed against the cold floor tiles. His bespoke suit was covered in dust. He struggled desperately, kicking his legs wildly.

Chen Fan looked down at him.

"Your foreign master didn't keep your leash tight enough, so you came here to bark," Chen Fan said in a calm tone. "Get back to Wall Street."

The shadow bodyguards hauled Wang Hao up and dragged him toward the door. Wang Hao's feet dragged along the floor.

Seeing this, the two foreign representatives exchanged a glance and slunk away after them.

Wang Hao was dragged out of the hall by the bodyguards and thrown onto the steps outside.

He lay on the ground, his suit torn. He took out his phone and dialed a number, his fingers trembling with rage.

"Is everything ready at the mining area?" Wang Hao gritted his teeth, his voice filled with malice.

"Boss, the explosives are set. As soon as the detonator is pressed, the main mine shaft will completely collapse. It will connect to the underground water vein, and it will definitely be a dead mine," the person on the other end replied.

"Blow it up! I want Chen Fan to take over a useless pit!" Wang Hao hung up the phone and smashed it hard against the ground. The screen shattered.

Inside the hall.

Chen Fan walked to the signing table. He picked up the pen on the table, removed the cap, and prepared to sign. The tip of the pen was only half an inch from the paper.

In his mind, a ghostly blue light screen popped up. A red warning box flashed frantically.

[System Alert: The Xishan main mine shaft has been subjected to man-made demolition, causing a severe collapse.]

Chen Fan stared at the screen. The pen in his hand stopped in mid-air.

The phone in Chen Haoyu's pocket vibrated. He answered the call, his expression changing drastically. He hurried to Chen Fan's side and leaned into his ear.

"Boss, something's happened. The Xishan main mine shaft has collapsed, and the underground water is flooding in," Chen Haoyu said, speaking rapidly with cold sweat on his forehead. "If you sign now, the ten-billion investment will all go down the drain, and you'll have to shoulder massive rescue costs!"

The bosses in the back rows also received calls from their subordinates. They whispered to each other, their gazes toward Chen Fan changing. Some were sympathetic, others gloated.

Chen Fan twirled the pen in his hand without putting it down.

"Collapsed?" Chen Fan asked, half to himself.