Melens Mining is a company that Virgil acquired in Rainbow Country, which mainly engages in metal smelting.

The name is a mining company, but the mines owned by Melens are almost exhausted, the difficulty of mining has increased, and the output has dropped sharply. After the Kloof gold mine accident and gold miners strike last year, gold prices fluctuated and Melens was affected. After a period of time, the world's precious metal market was sluggish, Melens' mines began to stop production, and the metal smelting business gradually sluggish. At the end of last year, the company's net income was only 20 million rand, which was about 2.5 million yuan.

In this case, continuous operation will inevitably lead to losses, and the best way is to sell it.

At the beginning of this year, Virgil invested 300 million rand to acquire Melens Mining as a whole.

After some equipment renovation, Melens began to acquire ore, and at the same grade, the acquisition price was 5 percentage points higher than the market price.

The city of Rustenburg is surrounded by mines, and its location is quite special. Its southeast direction is about 120 kilometers away from Pretoria, the capital of Rainbow Country, and the capital of the Golden Johannesburg.

This area belongs to the Witwatersland Basin, which is rich in gold and platinum metals.

Some people say that the Rand Basin is a mine left by aliens, and experts say that this is a large number of meteorite gold scattered here after the collision between the asteroid and the blue star.

Anyway, the mines in the Land Basin have been mined for more than 130 years and have abundant reserves.

Some geologists have done calculations. The Rand Gold Mine in Rainbow Country, which is less than 200 square kilometers, stores more than half of the gold of Blue Star, and the proven reserves are at least 18,000 tons.

Although the market prices of gold and platinum metals have fallen, mining and smelting are still continuing, and both industrial processing and jewelry and metals are inseparable from the gold produced here.

Rainbow Country Northwest Metal Smelting Company has been produced and operated here for more than 50 years. It has 12 underground gold mines and 1 metal smelting plant nearby. It was successfully listed in 1998.

Although it was affected by the mine accident, miners' strikes, and fluctuations in gold prices last year, the Northwest metal foundation was solid and the industrial chain was perfect. The net income in 2000 was 17.73 rand, which was about 2000 yuan, with a gold production of 225.3 tons, and the total square cost was 240 yuan per ounce.

Entering the new century, Northwest Metal is ambitious, increasing investment and explores in 12 countries, including China.

However, Melens Mining's massive snatch of ore made Northwest Mining uncomfortable.

Last year, Northwest Mining was able to win in many unfavorable situations, which is three points:

First, increase ore mining and purchase volume, and 45% of the company's revenue comes from mines.

Second, relying on its own pile-invasion and refining technology, we attach importance to recycling gold from surface ores and tailings. The average grade of ore they purchased from the outside is 0.5 grams/ton.

Third, through futures trading and hedging methods, the risk of gold prices falling is avoided.

It is not difficult to see that the magic weapon for Northwest Mining to win is the metal refining process.

Some people say that no grass grows under the big tree. Northwest Mining is like a gold-swalking beast, eating most of the ores and even tailings in the surrounding mines, which leads to other mines and smelting companies either cooperating with them or shutting down production.

But what they didn't expect was that the dying Melens Mining revived and became even more powerful after rebirth. The price they acquired gold mines was 5 percentage points higher than their own, and the requirements for ore grade were even lower than that of Northwest Mining, as low as 0.3 grams per ton.

Many ores and tailings that Northwest Mining does not want are sent to Melens and actually switched to Rand.

Even some mines that were depleted in the past are preparing to resume production. The reason is very simple, because the mining level can be expanded. Although the ore grade has decreased, Melens has collected it...

In the Melens Mining Living Room, David Hodgson, director of Northwest Mining Market Development Department, is communicating with Virgil about related matters.

"Mr. Virgil, fighting a price war will cause losses to both of us. It is better to establish a price negotiation mechanism to jointly divide the ore smelting market." Hodgson made his own suggestions.

Virgil asked, “How to divide it up?”

"Our own mine produces 10,000 tons of ore per day, and at least 5,000 tons of external mining," Hodgson said, and made a suggestion: "We can convene a meeting and ask the heads of each mine to discuss, and they will report their respective mining capabilities and specific grades, and then we will sign an ore supply agreement with them."

Hodgson's suggestion is actually more reasonable. If the price is normal, it is no different from a boon for small and medium-sized mine owners who do not have the ability to smelte.

Virgil asked: "How to determine the specific acquisition volume?"

"Our company purchases 1.8 million tons per year. On the basis of ensuring our supply, you can openly purchase the remaining ore at the same price as us," Hodgson said.

Virgil smiled, then got up and took a few pages from his desk and handed them over.

After Hodgson took it, he found that this was a market survey, which detailed the mine area, metal reserves, grade estimation and mining capacity of large and small mining companies in Rustenburg, Johannesburg, and even the entire Rand Mine.

Even the whereabouts of these ores were investigated.

Hodgson read the investigation report carefully and found that the data belonging to Northwest Mining and the mines that have cooperation agreements with Northwest Mining were very accurate, which was almost the same as what he had.

I heard Virgil say, "Mr. David Hodgson, this is an investigation I have used for several months of incidents. I have simply calculated it. If you want to guarantee you, we will not even receive 1.2 million tons, less than 5,000 tons per day. So I think your suggestions are unreasonable."

Hodgson said in anger: "But if you raise the acquisition price so much, our production costs are likely to exceed $250 per ounce. Your approach is to maliciously destroy the economic order here. As an outsider, aren't you afraid of being boycotted by everyone?"

Virgil said calmly: "Isn't Rainbow Country or Haoteng Province a free economy? Is my behavior contrary to market principles or government laws? When it comes to outsiders, you and I are the same. You are from Britain and I am from Sam Country. Is there any problem with this?"

Hodgson was speechless after saying something.

Hodgson had to calm down and said, "Mr. Virgil, can we both have to fight?"

Virgil shook his head and said, "I didn't want to fight you, I just completed my mission."

"So, there is no room for negotiation?" Hodgson asked seriously.

"Yes," said Virgil solemnly: "For example, if you hand over the mined ore to me, I will pay you funds at a suitable price. Oh... Please believe in my financial strength and will not ow you a penny of the payment, or pay you gold. I will still..."

"Shut up!" Hodgson stood up and said excitedly: "I respect you very much, Mr. Virgil! With our company's status, the suggestion just now has made concessions. The company sent me to come in person to negotiate with you to jointly divide the metal smelting market, but you! Your words just now are simply humiliating our Northwest Mining! You...you are waiting to bear our anger."

After saying that, he quickly walked out of Virgil's office.

Virgil rubbed his chin and said to himself, "Why is it humiliating you? My suggestions should be feasible. If I hand over the metal smelting of Northwest Mining to me, I can also get benefits. I feel more efficient in such cooperation. This person is simply unreasonable."

Northwest Mining’s counterattack came very quickly, and the method they took was: power outage!

The power plant in Lustenburg is a private power plant and is owned by Northwest Mining, which is the largest customer of the power plant, so it decisively shut down the power from the Melens Mining Smelter. Before the power outage, it also clearly informed: "You don't follow the arrangements of Northwest Mining, so stop production."

Melens has really stopped production, but the acquisition of ore and tailings has not been interrupted...

Sam Country, Gotham City, a stock exchange.

Chen Jianing is trading shorting Boeing's stock.

The so-called short-selling stocks means borrowing stocks from the stock exchange, then selling the stocks at the current price to obtain face value income, and within the agreed period in the future, you have to buy an equal amount of stocks and return them to the brokerage firm. If the stocks depreciate during this period, the short-seller can make a difference, otherwise he will lose money.

Boeing's stock has remained strong for a long time, and not many shorted this stock, but it is not without it. As long as there is 20% margin in the account, the transaction can be completed.

Recently, Chen Jianing has led a capable player to conduct short trading at several brokerages.

Stocks shorted include aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus, one-ticket airlines such as Air America and Delta, as well as insurance companies such as Allstar, Libo, and Qianjin Insurance.

Chen Jianing has objections to shorting these stocks, but thanks to her experience of shorting gold with Chen Lidong a year ago, she retained her personal opinion.

In this operation, according to Chen Lidong's instructions, Chen Jianing adopted a secret method. She handed over a batch of account information and short selling methods to different staff for processing. This time, short selling was carried out by multiple accounts, small batches, multiple batches, and opening accounts on multiple exchanges to avoid the risk of being tracked down.

Chen Jianing also often pays attention to those stocks that were shorted, but it seems that the stock depreciation trend cannot be found.

Billions of dollars in funds are of course very cumbersome to operate like this. It has been two months since it was all this boring operation.

In a daze, the phone rang, and the other party was Chen Lidong.

Chen Jianing answered and asked, "It's midnight, why are you calling?"

"It's midnight here, you're in the daytime, okay?" Chen Lidong said.

"Tell me quickly if you have something to do, let me go if you have nothing to do. I'm going to get off work and I'm going to do a spa." Chen Jianing said lazily.

Chen Lidong said: "Oh... I'm afraid you will delay your enjoyment. Please help me check the information about the Northwest Mining Industry in Rainbow Country."

"Northwest Mining, what is it, how can I check?"

"Northwest Mining was listed in Gotham in 1998. Virgil acquired a Melens Mining Company in Rainbow Country. Northwest Mining is looking for trouble for Virgil. You can study the situation of Northwest Mining and see if there is a way to give the other party in the stock market." Chen Lidong explained.

"Oh... I really treat me as a cow. I thought you missed me in the middle of the night..." Chen Jianing complained.

"Of course I miss you! I..." Before Chen Lidong finished speaking, the other party died...
Chapter completed!