The contract is in triplicate.
One copy is kept by the government of the Russian Federation, one by the 27th Mining Company, and the third is brought back to Great Xia by Meng Hao.
The contract is signed, and the task is successfully completed.
Gudeyef, looking at Meng Hao, whose right hand trembled slightly from holding the pen after days of drinking, patted him on the shoulder with a smile.
"My dear Meng Hao."
"To celebrate the successful signing of our contract."
"Let's go for a drink."
Damn it.
Are you kidding me?
Drinking again!
Thump.
Meng Hao immediately lunged forward.
He sprawled across the oval table where the contract was signed.
He surrendered.
He played dead.
After all, the contract was already in hand.
He wouldn't let Meng Hao drink even half a drop more... Forget Gudeyef, anyone else trying to make him drink would be met with refusal!
...
Meng Hao stayed in the Russian Federation for more than two full months.
During these days.
It was painful yet joyous.
The joy was that.
With the assistance and urging of Gudeyef and the mining company.
Personnel and equipment for lithium mining were quickly deployed, and preliminary large-scale mining operations were established.
The first batch, several tons of raw ore, was purified and processed, then secretly shipped to Shilin via sea.
Under normal circumstances.
From approval to site entry, recruitment, and finally extraction, it would have taken over a year.
But Meng Hao.
Everything went smoothly.
In less than two months, he had accomplished nearly a year's worth of work.
Of course.
This came at a price.
That is, the "pain" in "painful yet joyous."
He thought that by surrendering, Gudeyef and the others wouldn't be able to do anything to him.
He never expected.
Meng Hao was still too young.
Want to obtain mining permits?
No problem.
Follow the procedure.
It would take about half a year to get them.
Want to speed things up?
No problem, come, come, let's have tonight's drink!
Want to get the best mining equipment... Come, let's have a drink tonight!
Want to poach experienced workers from the mining company... Come, let's have a drink tonight!!
Want priority smelting of ore... Come, let's have a drink tonight!!!
For nearly two months.
Meng Hao truly experienced what it meant to live a drunken life.
Therefore.
Once the lithium mine was completely on track.
Meng Hao boarded the return flight without looking back, "escaping" back to the Shilin headquarters.
Damn it.
Gudeyef and his Russian friends were great in every way, except they loved getting people drunk every day.
...
Nearly three months have passed since the United States and other Western allies imposed sanctions on Meng Hao.
Inside the Huairong Technology factory, stacks of discounted lithium batteries from NG Company were already piled up.
However.
What the market found strange was.
Despite Huairong Technology having a large reserve of lithium batteries.
The output of mechs not only did not increase, but was massively reduced.
After a continuous break of more than a week, finally recovering from his stint in the Russian vodka tanks, Meng Hao first visited JN City, the original location of the First Branch Factory.
Here.
The factory buildings have been renovated.
The business layout has also been adjusted.
A large number of equipment and instruments related to lithium battery production have arrived.
Of the original over a thousand employees at the First Branch Factory, more than three hundred were let go.
The remaining more than six hundred employees, after receiving only the base salary for over three months, were reduced to just over a hundred.
It seemed.
There were still those who were genuinely loyal to the company and smart enough to believe in Huairong Technology's bright future.
"Very good."
"Arrange for these people to start working."
"Remember, before we officially announce our self-research into lithium batteries, a confidentiality agreement must be signed, and no leaks are allowed."
"Also, pay their salaries at the original standard. As compensation, an additional 20% bonus will be temporarily added."
"Recruitment of new personnel can also begin... These remaining hundred-plus old employees will all be assigned to management positions... Once the large amount of semi-finished lithium battery raw materials from the Russian Federation arrives, we will start immediately."
After confirming that the original First Branch Factory, and the soon-to-be-reopened lithium battery production factory, were steadily expanding according to the planned schedule.
Meng Hao returned to Shilin headquarters and swayed towards Qin Muyan.
Having not returned to Shilin headquarters for nearly three months.
He wondered how this girl had developed the live-streaming department.
Approaching the 7th floor of the newly built office building.
This area had been completely remodeled.
Dozens of attractive female streamers were diligently liaising with different platforms.
Heaven above!
Qin Muyan had finally gotten her act together.
She had reallocated the old, unappealing women she had found from who knows where to other departments.
She then hired a new batch of girls who would not make the viewers complain, filling the streamer team.
"Brother Hao."
"You're finally back."
"You were gone for half a month."
"I missed you so much."
Qin Muyan, in the department head's office, after more than half a year of growth, possessed a rather cool and elegant demeanor befitting a senior executive.
However.
Upon seeing Meng Hao.
She instantly abandoned her aloof goddess persona, transforming back into the somewhat shy, young girl she was when they first met.
In the astonished gaze of her subordinates.
Qin Muyan, without hesitation, rushed out of the office.
Like a koala, she directly clung to Meng Hao.
"Ahem."
"There are too many people here."
"Get down for now."
Even though he had consumed the blue pill from the system exchange in the past, greatly enhancing his physique.
However, after nearly two months of Russian vodka abuse, Meng Hao's body still felt somewhat weak.
"What are you afraid of?"
"After all, how many times have you said we'll talk about it later?"
"Besides, when can 'later' be put on the agenda?"
Damn it.
Meng Hao's face turned bright red.
As expected.
The viewers' lewd tactics were too powerful.
After more than half a year of indoctrination, Qin Muyan, a science and engineering woman who used to blush at dirty jokes, had been honed into a scamp.
"Later... we'll talk!"
Meng Hao was about to brush her off, but then immediately felt something was wrong and quickly corrected himself.
"This, we have a lot of new people lately."
"How is the live-streaming work going?"
"Are there still many haters?"
Seeing Meng Hao changing the subject again.
Qin Muyan rolled her eyes.
However.
This was business, after all, and she couldn't refuse.
She pouted and linked her right arm with Meng Hao's... her right arm wasn't behaving, constantly roaming over Meng Hao's body.
Meng Hao felt a headache coming on.
Was Qin Muyan trying to declare her territory to the dozens of charming women in her department?
This girl.
Why had she completely transformed into a "bitch" after three months apart?!
However.
It was indeed chaotic where there were women.
Especially where there were many, very beautiful women who were spoiled by their admirers on a daily basis.
"Wow, is that Meng Hao... so young!"
"Young is one thing... his physique is good... he's handsome... he's successful at a young age... and rich!"
"Look at Qin Muyan, Sister Yan, she looks like she wants to melt into Brother Hao's body."
"Actually, Sister Yan, there's no need to worry... we are traditional women... we don't mind being concubines for Brother Hao!"