112: Chapter 112 Discovery of a Large Oil Field?

After seeing off the police, I had just sat down when the doorbell rang. Opening it, I found Qi Bin, the embassy counselor, and Ren Keyong's family. "Brother Qi, Mr. Ren, what brings you here?"

"Haha, you brat really are a troublemaker. Although you were a bit reckless this time, it all turned out well and you actually did a good deed. Haven't I come specifically to thank you? What, aren't you going to invite us in?" Qi Bin seemed to be in a very good mood, laughing heartily with a face full of smiles the moment he saw Cao Xiao.

"Brother Qi, Mr. Ren, please come in!" Cao Xiao thought to himself, what kind of talk is that? It makes it sound like I've never done a good deed before.

"Alright, don't bother. We're not thirsty; let's get down to business first!" Qi Bin said as he sat down, seeing Cao Xiao about to make tea.

"Uh, alright. Brother Qi, you didn't just come here specifically to thank me, did you?" Cao Xiao didn't insist. He pulled up a chair and sat close to Qi Bin to ask.

"I still must thank Brother Cao Xiao first. If it weren't for your help today, we would have been in a terrible state. It's all my fault for being careless and not realizing the problem, nearly causing a major loss to the country. We came in a hurry this time; I'll visit you to express my gratitude properly once we return home," Ren Keyong said sincerely to Cao Xiao.

"Mr. Ren, you're being too polite. We are all sons and daughters of China; helping each other out while abroad is our duty. There's no need for thanks," Cao Xiao replied courteously. This was his honest feeling. He had acted to have a clear conscience; after all, he couldn't just stand by in that situation. He was indeed afraid of retaliation, but only for the sake of his family. If they only wanted to retaliate against him personally, they'd have to wait until their next lives!

"Haha, that plastic gun of yours was well-made, it looked just like the real thing! Do you have any more? If it's convenient, give me one. Even though I don't know how to shoot, it would be great for scaring people—a golden desert eagle! Haha! If those people knew they were scared off by a plastic gun, they'd definitely cry themselves to sleep in the bathroom. Once that guy finds out you bluffed them with a fake gun, he'll absolutely loathe you. You should head back to China as soon as you can." Qi Bin couldn't stop laughing; his laughter hadn't ceased since he walked through the door.

"I'll give you one in a bit. How did you find out so quickly? By the way, that man wasn't the mastermind; he seemed to be a local. Brother Qi, do you have any information on him?" He had just returned from the scene and the news had already reached Qi Bin's ears, but on second thought, it made sense since Qi Bin worked at the embassy.

"That man is the general manager of an oil and gas group in Cape Town held by Americans, and a member of a local family. However, he's no big shot, just a pawn this time. He's quite famous in the local upper-class circles, not for wealth or power, but for being a notorious turncoat. Many local forces are wary of him and keep an eye on his movements, which is why news about him spreads so fast," Qi Bin explained.

"That man isn't much of a threat, but the people behind him are big shots if they can mobilize active-duty special forces. It's either the United States military or those major conglomerates. I shouldn't ask about the cause of today's events, but now that I'm involved, knowing more will help me prepare. Otherwise, it would be a shame if something happened and I didn't even know who my enemy was." Originally, he had no interest in Ren Keyong's affairs, but the people provoked this time were extraordinary—not comparable to local clans like the Angress Family. He had to be cautious and understand the situation to avoid being caught unprepared.

"That is also my purpose for being here. Let me tell you the reason first. Mr. Ren is a specially appointed geological expert for the Africa Branch of China National Petroleum Corporation. He loves traveling abroad. Two months ago, Mr. Ren went to Lake St. Lucia in eastern South Africa. He discovered the geological conditions in a valley not far from the lake area were unusual, and it was highly likely that rich oil and gas resources were buried underground. South Africa is not a major oil-producing country, and its oil and gas reserves are very small, mainly concentrated in offshore areas. However, Lake St. Lucia is not far from the coastline. Combined with research and analysis of geology and continental plates, Mr. Ren was very certain of this conclusion. He then surveyed the area around that valley for over half a month, prepared a large amount of field survey data, and then bypassed the branch to report to the group headquarters. The headquarters of China National Petroleum Corporation attached great importance to this matter and requested instructions from relevant leaders. The country also quickly dispatched a survey team for verification and investigation, which soon confirmed Mr. Ren's speculation. The entire Lake St. Lucia region could be a massive oil field with reserves of over one billion tons. It's just that the oil layer is buried deep and the geographical features are not obvious, which is why it hadn't been discovered until now. Just as the senior management of China National Petroleum Corporation was preparing to negotiate with the South African government to purchase the local mineral exploration rights, an accident occurred. Somehow, this information was obtained by the Tansik Oil Company of the United States. The Tansik Oil Company, under the Western US Syndicate, is one of the top ten oil companies in the world, with very strong capital and strength. Before a new energy source is found to replace it, oil remains an indispensable and important strategic resource. The discovery of every oil field, regardless of size, represents huge interests behind it and can directly affect the trend of international crude oil prices. Since they learned this news, they naturally wanted to verify it. However, they only knew that we had discovered an oil field in South Africa but knew nothing about the specific details. So, they studied the information of the survey personnel from the Africa Branch of China National Petroleum Corporation and finally targeted Mr. Ren, which led to today's events." Qi Bin looked at Cao Xiao and slowly explained the origin of the matter.

Cao Xiao was also shocked by this information. The number of barrels in a ton of oil is equal to the volume of 6.29 divided by the density. Even if calculated at a density of 0.9, one billion tons of crude oil would be seven billion barrels. Based on today's average crude oil trading price of forty-five us dollars per barrel, this oil field would be worth 315 billion us dollars. After deducting the extraction cost of about twenty-five us dollars per barrel, the profit would still be over 100 billion us dollars. This was an astronomical figure to Cao Xiao. Even for those international conglomerates, it was a vast fortune that no one could ignore. He had plunged headfirst into the deep sea, and Qi Bin's visit now must be related to this. He had a faint, ominous feeling. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to stay calm and said to Qi Bin, "Brother Qi, you'd better tell me your purpose for coming here."

"Fine, I won't beat around the bush and will get straight to the point. We found out what happened at your place last night; the Cape Town police closed the case so quickly because we helped behind the scenes. I heard that less than an hour after the attack, something happened at the Angress Family's suburban manor. Although we don't know exactly what occurred, Dapu came to your door today with gifts and apologies, so the manor incident must be related to you. Otherwise, Dapu wouldn't have changed his attitude so suddenly. I want to ask, what is your current relationship with the Angress Family, and to what extent can you influence them?" Qi Bin stared at Cao Xiao solemnly.

"Brother Qi, don't stare at me like that, it makes me uneasy. As for the Angress Family, let's put that aside for now. Tell me what you're planning first, then I'll answer you." Cao Xiao felt creeped out by Qi Bin's gaze, leaning back in his chair to avoid his eyes as he spoke.

"This is a serious matter; don't play tricks at the critical moment. If you have the ability, you must help. Besides, we won't treat you poorly if this is done well. Otherwise, believe it or not, I'll call Chen Huaiyu right now and have him persuade you?" Seeing Cao Xiao's evasive gaze, Qi Bin raised an eyebrow and leaned in close, staring him down with a threat in his eyes.

"Brother, you're all my 'big brothers', I can't afford to offend you! And you say I'm always causing trouble, but you're the one leading me into a ditch—the kind of deep ditch that could kill someone. Just tell me what you want me to do! I never said I wouldn't help. I'll definitely help if I can, but it depends on what it is! If I agree blindly and then can't help, you'll probably eat me alive!" Cao Xiao's impression of Qi Bin had been quite good—he seemed upright—but now he realized appearances could be deceiving. The contrast was too great. This man was even better at acting than Liu Guitang; he had clearly chosen the wrong friends.

"Hmph! It's not like we're asking you to work for nothing! Although there's risk, you won't have to do it personally. Once it's arranged, you can return home directly; who could do anything to you then? I won't talk nonsense with you. We just found out about the intelligence leak, so our original plan is no longer viable. We must obtain the mineral exploration and mining rights for the Lake St. Lucia region as quickly as possible. However, our every move now might attract the other side's attention. I'm afraid they'll find out as soon as negotiations begin and move in. By then, even at a huge cost, we might not get it because the initiative won't be with us, but with the South African government. The US side might use political, economic, or even military means to force the South African government to abandon cooperation with us. So, we thought of a plan: before the specific location of the oil field is leaked, we'll commission a local force to seize the exploration and mining rights for the Lake St. Lucia region first. But we don't have a reliable partner, until we saw Dapu coming to apologize today and thought of you. We must seize the initiative silently. Do you understand what I mean now?" Qi Bin snorted coldly and explained his purpose at a steady pace.

"You want me to take the heat. Setting aside whether I can persuade Dapu, even if this succeeds, once the news is disclosed, South Africa will jump from an oil-poor country to a major oil producer. This breaks the conclusion that South Africa lacks oil resources. At that time, all of South Africa will become the center of global attention, and the Angress Family will become a target for everyone. Compared to those swarming international giants, the Angress Family really won't stand a chance; they might even be wiped out. You're asking me to throw them into a furnace and drag myself in too. This isn't something a small fry like me can get involved in. Please find someone more capable!" Cao Xiao had a long face, his tone resolute. He really didn't want to get involved—not because he couldn't do it, but because he couldn't bear the consequences. Doing this would not only make the South African government resent him, but he would also appear on the world stage for the first time as a shit-stirrer. His reputation would be ruined; how would he do business after that?

Qi Bin slapped his forehead in frustration and said through gritted teeth, "What are you thinking? You don't have to go in personally. If the Angress Family can pull this off, we will support them from behind. The things you're worried about won't happen. We only need the initiative to prevent others from interfering. This is a normal investment and fair trade; the South African government won't lose out. We'll handle the other prying eyes; you don't need to worry. Moreover, if the Angress Family holds the mining rights, they can participate in the investment, which is a huge benefit for them. Once a large oil field is found, they'll be heroes of South Africa. This is a good thing others would beg for, so why does it sound like a death sentence to you? Just give me a straight answer: can it be done?"

"Uh! True! You said it—if there's trouble later and I come knocking, don't you dare back out! But there needs to be a plan; otherwise, how am I supposed to persuade them? Also, since I'm taking such a big risk to help you, there should be some benefits, right? Otherwise, my conscience won't be at ease!" Seeing there was no room for maneuver, Cao Xiao realized he'd been focused on the surrounding wolves and his inability to resist, forgetting that he wasn't standing alone; he had a powerful backer behind him. The benefits of doing this well were obvious. If the Angress Family could get some shares, besides the huge financial return, their status in South Africa would rise significantly. Although these benefits were essentially his own, he couldn't just help for free, or they'd take his efforts for granted and Qi Bin would pester him endlessly in the future.

Qi Bin, seeing he had achieved his goal, no longer looked stern. He smiled with interest and said, "We'll try to get a 10% stake for the Angress Family. They'll have to negotiate with the South African government themselves and provide the necessary capital for the investment. As for you, what benefits do you want? You're a billionaire now and don't lack money. At such a young age with such achievements, you should study more and not let money blind you. I heard you came out this time without telling Elder Chen. How about I report your situation here to him so the old man doesn't worry?"

"Haha, you don't need to worry about that, Brother Qi. I just called my teacher last night. I don't want your shares, but the oil field construction projects must be given to our Tiandu Company, and equipment must be prioritized for purchase from us. My request isn't excessive, is it? Also, 10% for the Angress Family is too little. You won't be able to get a controlling stake; no matter how much capital and technology you provide, you'll get at most around 40%, which won't exceed the South African side's share. Since the Angress Family is on our side, it's better to favor them. They need at least 20% to have a say. Don't forget they are a local force capable of ensuring the oil field's safety. Combined with your share, we can ensure everyone's interests are protected." Qi Bin had miscalculated by trying to threaten him with Elder Chen. Once decided, Cao Xiao didn't hesitate; what needed to be fought for must be fought for. That 20% stake would essentially be in his hands. If the South African side wavered on export quotas under pressure, he could stand with China.