Chapter 630: Did You Break a Bone? (3)
Chapter 630: Did You Break a Bone? (3)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation | Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
It took about 40 minutes before they arrived at the entrance of Diaoyutai.
Lin Wu was about to drive in when he was stopped by the guards at the gate.
Before the guards could approach, they heard an urgent voice from behind, “No need to check, just open the gate!”
It was Wen Bin speaking, and the guards recognized him. They quickly stepped aside and opened the gate.
Wen Bin got into the passenger seat and apologized, “Sorry, Mr. Zhou, we were delayed on the way!”
“It’s okay, I just got here myself,” Zhou Chao replied with a slight shake of his head.
As Lin Wu drove in, the gate closed behind them, and they headed towards the interior of Diaoyutai.
“Brother Wen, what’s the situation now? I haven’t even settled in at home, and Wang Lao called me!” Zhou Chao said with a slight frown, leaning back in his seat.
Wen Bin smiled apologetically, “I’m not entirely sure myself. I heard that those companies want to acquire those two oil fields from you.”
“What? Are there still people trying to pull a fast one?”
Wen Bin hurriedly explained, “That’s definitely not possible. Even if they have the guts, they wouldn’t dare. They probably saw that you haven’t ventured into the oil fields yet, and it’s time-consuming and labor-intensive to develop them, so they got Wang Lao involved.”
If Zhou Chao misunderstood the situation, it would be a real disaster.
“Oh, if that’s the case, it’s no big deal. As long as the price is right, I don’t mind selling those two oil fields to them!”
Soon, the car parked in the parking lot where they had lunch before, and Zhou Chao got out of the car with Wen Bin.
“Lin Wu, wait for me in the car!”
“Alright, boss!”
Zhou Chao thought they would go back to the same restaurant as before, but to his surprise, Wen Bin led him across a stream and walked for about three or four minutes before entering a villa.
As soon as they entered, they saw four people sitting in the courtyard, drinking tea and chatting. Only Wang Lao and a middle-aged man seemed to be having a lively conversation, while the other two sat straight.
“Oh, you’re here! Come, have a seat!” Wang Lao waved when he saw Zhou Chao walking in.
Zhou Chao quickly walked over and sat beside Wang Lao, glancing at the other three.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone!” Zhou Chao said with a smile.
“Just in time, we just sat down not long ago. Let me introduce you, this is Wei Lan, just call him Uncle Wei. He’s in charge of the oil industry, and these two arc his trusted subordinates. They’re the ones who want to buy the oil fields from you,” Wang Lao introduced.
“Hello, Uncle Wei, and hello to both of you!” Zhou Chao greeted the three of them briefly.
“Are you Zhou Chao?” Wei Lan looked Zhou Chao up and down.
Zhou Chao was puzzled. Did this person know about him? Otherwise, why would he look at him like that?
Perhaps sensing Zhou Chao’s confusion, Wei Lan smiled and said, “I’m good friends with your father-in-law. He often talks about you, and seeing you in person, you’re even better than I imagined!”
“Uncle Wei, you’re too kind. I’m far from being compared to you guys!” Zhou Chao’s attitude softened upon hearing that Wei Lan was friends with his father-in-law.
“You’re being modest. I’ve heard a lot about you from your father-in-law. You’re truly talented. Today, Wang Lao called you over, and you probably know the purpose of this visit. Let’s cut to the chase!”
Wei Lan glanced at Wang Lao and saw his indifferent expression before continuing, “We just want to buy those two oil fields from you.”
“Sure, since I haven’t been involved in the oil industry, I’m curious about the price you have in mind!” Zhou Chao smiled as he looked at Wei Lan.
“I’ve done some research. The estimated production of your two oil fields is about 3 billion tons, valued at around 200 billion US dollars. Considering the current daily extraction rate in the country is only about 40,000 tons, even if the oil fields are fully developed, it would take about 20 years to complete extraction. So, in terms of price, there might be some discounts,” Wei Lan explained.
Hearing this, Zhou Chao chuckled softly, “Uncle Wei, just tell me how much money you’re offering!”
Wei Lan frowned slightly, but then smiled, “Haha, you’re straightforward, young man. I like that. I won’t beat around the bush. Considering your father-in-law’s face, I’ll offer you 100 billion US dollars for your two oil fields.”
Wang Lao, sitting beside them, placed his tea cup on the table with a hint of anger in his eyes.
However, Zhou Chao burst into laughter, laughing heartily for quite a while before turning to Wang Lao and saying, “Wang Lao, Abdullah is still waiting for me at home. I’ll take my leave now!”
With that, Zhou Chao stood up and left the courtyard without even glancing at Wei Lan.
After Zhou Chao left the courtyard, Wei Lan realized what had happened. He slammed his right hand heavily on the table, “This brat is too arrogant!”
Wang Lao snorted, “What? Trying to show off in front of me here?”
Wei Lan’s face turned pale, and he quickly stood up to explain, “Wang Lao, I’m sorry, but Zhou Chao was too infuriating. He’s so arrogant and disrespectful. Look at how he just walked away!”
Not wanting to exacerbate the situation, Wang Lao’s anger subsided a bit, “Who’s being disrespectful? It’s you! Cutting the price in half directly, you’re worse than a profiteer!”
Wei Lan nervously said, “Wang Lao, you know the cost of our oil extraction is not low, and with such a long extraction period, this price is already quite reasonable.”
Wang Lao waved his hand, “Enough, you don’t need to explain to me. Let’s just pretend this didn’t happen today. Alright, you can go back now!”
“This…” Wei Lan opened his mouth but ultimately didn’t say anything.
“Wang Lao, I’ll take my leave now!” With that, he left with his two subordinates.
“Wait!”
Wei Lan turned back with anticipation, thinking that Wang Lao might say something to reconcile.
“I’m telling you, don’t even think about causing trouble for Zhou Chao. He’s got connections at N0.1, and if you really provoke him, nobody can save you.”
Wei Lan’s face changed several colors like a palette, and finally, with reluctance, he nodded, “Understood, Wang Lao, I won’t cause trouble for him.” With that, he turned around and left the courtyard.
Wang Lao sighed heavily. “What a mess. Wei Lan is like a pig, thinking he had everything planned out in advance. Who would’ve thought it would turn out like this? I don’t know how to explain this to Zhou Chao.”
If Wei Lan were present, he’d surely protest. He was only aware that Zhou Chao’s father-in-law was Jiang Youdao. Wei Lan believed that by appealing to emotions and reasoning with Zhou Chao, he could resolve the situation amicably.. But who could have predicted it would unfold this way?