At nine o'clock in the morning, Zhang Hao and his party arrived in Zhucheng half an hour early. The annual meeting was held in a high-end hotel. The security level on the site was very high, and several nearby streets were blocked off by the police.
After three rounds of security checks, and then led by the waiter, the three siblings finally arrived at the auditorium.
After entering the venue, before the three of them could find their seats, they were directly invited into a small lounge next door by the waiting staff.
】
It turned out that Mayor Chen from Zhucheng had something to invite.
But what is surprising is that Governor Li is also there, and the two are having a lively chat.
As soon as she entered the door, Zhang Jiaqi shouted to Governor Li: "Uncle Li...Governor, when did you arrive?"
It's obvious that the two of them are very close.
"It arrived yesterday morning."
Governor Li raised his head and replied with a smile.
Zhang Hao stepped forward and said hello: "Governor Li, Mayor Chen, good morning! Long time no see!"
Zhang Jiayi nodded and greeted.
"It's been a while since we last met." Governor Li glanced at his watch and then told Zhang Jiaqi: "Xiao Zhang, we need to borrow Director Zhang's time for a while. You and Mr. Zhang went out for a casual walk. Today we are here.
There are many celebrities in the business world, it wouldn’t hurt to get to know them more.”
"Okay, let's go first."
Of course Zhang Jiaqi will not refuse.
Watching the second and third sisters leave, Zhang Hao did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point:
"Two of you, what do you want from me? If I had known earlier, I would have set off earlier..."
"Director Zhang, didn't you help Lao Li with an idea some time ago, asking him to pay special attention to the offshore oil wells on the other side of the river? Do you still remember it?"
Mayor Chen asked impatiently without waiting for the other party to finish speaking.
"I have an impression, what's wrong?"
Zhang Hao was very curious.
Chen Yiting immediately "complained": "Dr. Zhang, why didn't you tell me about such a high-quality project? Do you treat me as an outsider? I remember that we met at the end of October, and it's not like we didn't have the chance to talk." p>
More than two months ago, Zhang Hao accompanied Mayor Minde to Zhucheng to run the refinery project. During this period, he not only met Minister Yin of the Ministry of Energy, but also ended up being cheated by him.
"Well, it's really not my fault. I remember that the Federation had just issued a draft order and the situation was not clear, it was just a sign. How dare I talk nonsense?"
Zhang Hao argued helplessly.
The factors of war were indeed something he could not foresee.
And compared with Governor Li, the two have known each other for a short time, and their relationship is indeed not that close.
"Oh, what a pity. Lao Li and the others got a huge advantage, while we latecomers can only eat scraps and suffer huge losses."
Chen Yiting couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
Zhang Hao immediately looked at Governor Li and said with surprise: "Governor Li, did the state take action so quickly?"
You know, only less than two months have passed, and it takes more than half a month to get to the other side by boat from the mainland, which can be called a vigorous and resolute move.
"Haha, just based on your reputation as a great fortune teller, Mr. Zhang, we can't even think about it in a hurry."
Governor Li smiled very happily.
This time, the state united the two special zones of Huicheng and Xiangcheng to circle more than 2,000 high-yield oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico, accounting for almost one-tenth of the number. It was a full harvest.
And remember, it is a high-yield oil well, not a small oil well or an oil well on the verge of depletion.
By the way, offshore oil production is no better than land production. It requires a drilling platform and a large initial investment. In addition, the federal government is short of money, which gives local governments the opportunity to enter the market.
Zhang Hao quickly asked: "Governor Li, those oil fields should all have owners, and the debts are complicated. I'm a little curious, how did you get them?"
"It's very simple. It's a state of emergency now. Those offshore oil wells have actually been taken over by the higher authorities. We don't have to do anything. We just need to pay."
"It cost a lot of money, right?"
Zhang Hao couldn't help but envy him.
To be honest, even if these oil wells were placed in front of him, he would not be able to purchase a few of them, and they would definitely be very expensive.
"A total of 2,225 oil wells, this amount was spent."
Governor Li raised two fingers.
Zhang Hao swallowed his saliva and asked cautiously: "Is it two hundred billion or two trillion?"
"The current oil price is about to exceed 250 billion. Do you think 200 billion is possible?"
Governor Li is not in a good mood.
"What a big deal!"
Zhang Hao could only be amazed at this moment.
Governor Li waved his hand and said modestly: "How can we get so much money? We all raised money from the market. For this, we owe a lot of debt. I don't know how long it will take to pay it off."
Nowadays, both the federal government and various localities are heavily in debt. If it were not for the use of oil field income as collateral this time, it would not be possible to raise so much money.
"That's amazing."
Zhang Hao immediately echoed.
"Director Zhang, don't talk about this anymore. The more you talk about it, the more you get angrier."
Chen Yiting gritted his teeth and said.
Everyone is an old fox, and he knows very well why the state excludes their Zhucheng in this matter. Although Zhucheng still belongs to Guangdong in name, in fact the two have an equal relationship.
In a sense, Zhucheng is even better.
But having said that, as the federal capital, everyone also knows the reason why Zhucheng is not in a hurry to become independent.
Zhucheng's move is nothing more than trying to swallow the elephant with a snake and realize the ultimate dream of a super capital. This is also the most urgent need of the federation in order to consolidate centralization of power.
Zhang Hao smiled and quickly changed the topic: "Mayor Chen, let's get back to the business. You came to me in such a hurry early in the morning. Is there something wrong..."
"Yes, I want to hear your opinion on something." Chen Yiting nodded and then asked a key question: "Director Zhang, there is no chance in the Gulf of Mexico. Do we have any other options?"
"If I have to choose, I think Venezuela in South America is also a good opportunity. You can give it a try."
Zhang Hao didn't hide anything and answered truthfully.
Twenty years later, as crude oil production decreases, Venezuela will set off a boom in oil development and become the largest crude oil producer.
"Venezuela? How do you say it?"
Since electric vehicles replaced fuel vehicles, oil prices have plummeted. Venezuela, a common state with the largest oil reserves, has finally disappeared from people's horizons due to various reasons.
"I say this for three main reasons."
Zhang Hao paused, first took out his mobile phone to check the relevant information, then sorted out the memories in the dream, and finally said:
"First of all, Venezuela's oil reserves are very rich and have great potential. They rank first among the major federal states and are equivalent to half of the entire Middle East. This is also the main reason;
Secondly, the reason why large-scale development has not been carried out before is mainly due to the poor quality of oil and the high cost of extraction, but for now, everything is not a problem;
Finally, Venezuela is close to the Caribbean Sea, and to the north of the Caribbean Sea is the Gulf of Mexico. The two places are not far apart, which can produce a cluster effect and save costs greatly."
Chen Yiting was a little hesitant: "I heard that security in South America is very poor, and Venezuela is definitely not much better. Are there any risks in going there?"
"Don't worry, Mayor Chen, you can develop Lake Maracaibo first. Lake Maracaibo is a basin with a terrain that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. It also has a strait leading to the sea. The transportation is very convenient and it is very suitable for development."<
/p>
The Venezuelan development boom in the dreamland started from Lake Maracaibo.
"Lake Maracaibo?"
"Yes, Lake Maracaibo is not famous, but it is the largest lake in South America, with an area of about 15,000 square kilometers. It is also known as the oil lake.
The entire lake area has about 5 billion barrels of oil reserves. At its peak, there were 16,000 oil wells with a daily production of more than 2 million barrels of crude oil, which was enough to last for decades."
Zhang Hao tried his best to persuade him.
Although Zhucheng is the federal capital, it is only a medium-sized city at best, incomparable to first-tier cities such as Huicheng, let alone Guangdong.
To be exaggerated.
One Lake Maracaibo is enough to last a lifetime.
Before Chen Yiting could react, Governor Li on the side could not sit still. The daily output of 2 million barrels was almost three times the output of their oil wells.
"Director Zhang, can this project be handed over to us in Guangdong? Zhucheng's strength is limited, they can't afford it, and they don't have the ability to take on such a large project."
"Lao Li, don't go too far. I will make it clear right now that Lake Maracaibo belongs to our Pearl City."
Chen Yiting did his part and refused to give in.
Governor Li grinned: "What's yours and mine, we are all part of the federation. In the current national crisis, we should abandon our prejudices and work together vigorously."
"Bah, you still have the nerve to say this, have you ever asked me about the oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico?
Only after I signed the contract did I know that there was such a thing. My dear, among the twenty prefecture-level cities in Guangdong Province, we, Zhucheng, were missing, and you said you didn’t do it on purpose?"
Chen Yiting was angry and unfair.
"Old Chen, calm down the fire. You are the capital, backed by the Federation, and have abundant resources. No matter what happens, you will never be short of oil. We are doing this for your own good.
The capital is positioned as a political, technological and cultural center. Let us do the dirty work of oil extraction! Don’t worry about it.”
Governor Li said sophistry.
Chen Yiting suddenly became very angry and laughed and said: "Don't talk nonsense with me. That Ma Sha Lake is an ownerless land. Let's each rely on our own abilities!"
"Don't, don't be impulsive!" Governor Li quickly stopped him, "There is no airtight wall in the world. If the two of us fight, we will definitely not be able to hide the matter. In the end, it will only benefit outsiders."
In fact, Minzhou, Zhezhou and Shanghai in the north have strong economic strength and are all wealthy owners. More importantly, they urgently need energy more than anyone else. Once things are leaked, they will definitely not give up.<
/p>
"Humph, now that you know you are one of your own, what did you do before?" Chen Yiting said scornfully.
"Ahem, as the old saying goes, brothers stay within the wall and defend themselves against others. How about this? Let's merge the two projects together and let everyone participate together."
Governor Li took the initiative to suggest.
Depending on the other party's attitude, it won't work without bleeding.
No matter what, the integration trend of the greater metropolitan area is irreversible. Rather than giving outsiders an advantage, it is better to take the opportunity to make good friends with them.
Maybe one day, Lao Chen will become his immediate boss, which can be regarded as an early investment.
Chen Yiting said calmly: "How will the shares be divided? Who will have the management rights?"
"This matter is not urgent. Let's discuss it slowly later." Governor Li used the procrastination technique.
Seeing this, Zhang Hao promptly reminded: "Governor Li, this matter cannot be delayed. I can think of something that others may not think of. Venezuela's oil resources are public. I suggest that Lake Maracaibo be included as soon as possible." "Well, Director Zhang is right. This matter cannot be delayed. It must be resolved quickly before others react." Governor Li immediately made up his mind.
"After the annual meeting, let's have a small meeting together?"
Chen Yiting suggested.
"Mayor Chen, it's New Year's Eve tomorrow, so there's no need to rush, you'll still have time after the new year."
Zhang Hao persuaded him casually.
Governor Li shook his head: "No, this matter is too important. We can't take risks. Let alone the Chinese New Year. Even if a war breaks out, we must prioritize completing the acquisition."
"In that case, let's make an appointment tonight! If we don't have time tonight, we can make an appointment tomorrow morning."
Chen Yiting is decisive.
……
After confirming the matter of Lake Maracaibo, Zhang Hao glanced at his watch. There were still seven or eight minutes before the annual meeting started, so he took the time to inquire:
"Governor Li, this annual meeting..."
Governor Li interrupted directly: "Dr. Zhang, aren't you a good fortune teller? Why not take a guess?"
"Is it related to the war?"
Zhang Hao is not verbose.
"That's only half right." Governor Li smiled.
"Then what's the other half? What is it?"
Zhang Hao said impatiently.
Governor Li did not answer immediately, but glanced at Chen Yiting.
Chen Yiting took the call on the spot: "Dr. Zhang, the annual meeting is about to start, I might as well tell you."
"Stop being so pretentious and tell me quickly?"
Zhang Hao urged.
"Actually, the other half is that Governor Yuki announced the opening of the Australian mainland. Once a war really breaks out, oil production will inevitably drop sharply. By then, Australia's coal resources will become our life-saving straw.
, we cannot attach too much importance to it."
"Open Australia? How to open it?"
Zhang Hao asked subconsciously.
This was several years earlier than in the dream. You don’t need to guess to know that it must have been affected by the war and had to be done as a last resort.
Governor Li said meaningfully: "Of course it is fully open. If Director Zhang has spare money, he might as well invest in a few more coal mines. This wave will definitely be a good deal with huge profits."
"I heard that there are many refugees in Australia. Is it safe to go mining there?"
Zhang Hao tried to remind.
More than half of the refugees in Southeast Asia have chosen to sneak into Australia. There is nothing we can do about it. After all, Southeast Asia is densely populated and chaotic, and there is a possibility of losing your life at any time.
"With the federal army opening the way, what's there to be afraid of? Don't forget, the military has just recruited three to four million new troops. Not all of these people are just to deal with the war."
Governor Li patiently explained.
Zhang Hao suddenly realized that it was indeed a chain of events. He should have thought of it a long time ago. If he just went to fight in the Middle East, the existing army could generally meet the needs, and there was no need for large-scale recruitment expansion.
After all, modern warfare relies on high technology, and human sea tactics are outdated. Moreover, according to the current situation analysis, the Federation only needs to defend the oil fields, and there is no need to rush to occupy Africa and Europe for the time being.
Usually the more people there are, the heavier the logistical burden will be.
Although Zhang Hao was very excited, when he thought about the companies under his name and was uncertain about the future, he quickly gave up the idea.
"Let's forget it!" He shook his head and responded, "There are still a lot of things that have not been sorted out in Minde. I am too busy now, so I won't get involved."
"Director Zhang, don't give up so easily. This time you can really make money just by lying down."
Governor Li couldn't help but persuade.
"Yes, this opportunity must not be missed, the time will never come again!"
Chen Yiting nodded.
Zhang Hao sighed: "You two, it's better not to persuade me. I'm really not short of money now, and the coal mine is not that easy to open. To put it bluntly, it was all done with human lives. I personally don't like it."<
/p>
"Okay, then I won't say anything."
Governor Li nodded.
As the other party said, they are really not short of money.