I'm in the county town, and you say I'm a big shot?

Chapter 659 "Project Copper Heart"

Fang Qingye received the call from Ouyang Shaoqiang at Hongqiao Airport.

Since there are no direct flights from Jinghai to Guiyang yet, Fang Qingye had Yue Kai drive to Shanghai, and then the two of them took a flight to Guizhou Province. He now takes Yue Kai with him almost every time he travels far.

In the VIP waiting area, Fang Qingye was scrolling through her phone when she saw that it was a call from Ouyang Shaoqiang, so she immediately answered.

"Mr. Fang, reliable sources indicate that Trafigura, Mercuria, Mitsui & Co., and Wall Street investment banks have conspired to short copper futures in a secret operation known as the 'Copper Heart Plan.' The goal is to drive the price below $4000, triggering panic selling by Chinese long positions, and then they will buy in at an even lower price to control the physical copper supply chain."

Trafigura, Mercuria, and Mitsui & Co. are the world’s three largest metal traders, with businesses covering copper, aluminum, lead, zinc, and other metals. The former two are headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, while the latter is a Japanese general trading company that invests in mines and processing facilities around the world.

These three companies have actually joined forces with Wall Street investment banks!
"Do you know the specifics of the operation?" Fang Qingye pressed.

“We have already acquired some, which we purchased from an intelligence agency in London for a hefty sum of $100 million,” Ouyang Shaoqiang said.

$100 million!
Fang Qingye's lips twitched slightly.

It's true what they say: you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub, and you can't catch a rogue without risking your wife.

It's because we lack a reliable intelligence analysis system.

It seems we should take this opportunity to begin establishing it.

Of course, Fang Qingye wouldn't tell Ouyang Shaoqiang these things for the time being. Instead, she asked, "Ouyang, tell me the specifics."

Ouyang Shaoqiang explained the analysis to Fang Qingye in detail, and concluded by saying, "Our team analyzed publicly available data, which also indirectly confirms that this intelligence is credible."

Fang Qingye listened and fell into deep thought. After a moment, she said, "Ouyang, could you come to the mainland? I'm going to Guiyang soon to attend the 7th China International Copper Forum. There's a closed-door meeting specifically to discuss strategies for dealing with excessively low copper prices. It's on the morning of July 3rd. You can present your analysis results at the meeting." Fang Qingye paused here, emphasizing her words:

"This is not just a matter for Topway Technology alone; it requires collective wisdom and effort."

"Okay, may I bring our chief analyst with me?"

"can."

After Fang Qingye finished the call, she heard Yue Kai say in a low voice, "Boss, it's time to board the plane."

"Okay." Fang Qingye stood up.

The 7th International Copper Forum was grandly opened on July 1 at the Yadier International Hotel in Guiyang, Guizhou Province. Representatives included heads of major domestic copper mining companies, leaders from the National Development and Reform Commission, Guizhou Province and industry associations, the Secretary-General of the International Copper Study Group, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Japan Metal Economic Research Institute, and the Deputy General Manager of the Shanghai Futures Exchange.

Fang Qingye did not appear at the conference.

He actually arrived in Guiyang on the morning of July 2nd, but instead of reporting to the organizing committee, he checked into the Jinyang Hotel in the suburbs. The accommodation there wasn't as good as the Yadier International Hotel, but it was close to Guanshanhu Park, and he wanted to go fishing.

Shi Guangrong was itching to go fishing in Liupanshui to escape the summer heat, so he came to Guiyang a little earlier this time to have some fun. He even brought his fishing gear with him in his luggage.

After settling into their accommodations and having lunch, Fang Qingye and Yue Kai couldn't wait to ride a shared bicycle, carrying their fishing gear, to the lakeside wetland in the park, which had been transformed into a fishing area.

It features a 400-meter-long waterfront platform and pavilions, where you can sit in the pavilion without worrying about getting sunburned.

It's early July now, and Jinghai is already in the height of summer, but Guiyang is quite cool. The outdoor temperature today is only 23 degrees Celsius. The surrounding environment is quiet, and sitting among the green mountains and clear waters is truly refreshing.

At 3 p.m., Fang Qingye received a call from Ouyang Shaoqiang: "Boss, we've landed."

"I'm currently staying at the Jinyang Hotel. Why don't you stay here too? I'll have Yue Kai book two rooms for you."

"Ok."

Fang Qingye gave Yue Kai a few instructions, and Yue Kai left in a hurry, leaving Fang Qingye to fish leisurely by herself.

An hour later, Fang Qingye saw Yue Kai leading a man and a woman towards them. The man was Ouyang Shaoqiang, whom Fang Qingye recognized. The woman was unfamiliar; she looked like she was from Northern Europe.
Fang Qingye stood up and shook hands with the two of them with a smile.

“Boss, I heard from Mr. Yue that he was fishing, so Vasilisa and I came over to see you fishing,” Ouyang Shaoqiang said.

"What, you like fishing too?"

"No, I won't, I just admire."

After shaking hands with Ouyang Shaoqiang, Fang Qingye looked at the woman next to him, who was wearing a backless sleeveless fringed dress and had striking golden hair.

"Mr. Fang, let me introduce you. This is Vasilisa, a Russian. She graduated with a master's degree in financial mathematics from Moscow State University and later obtained a doctorate in financial mathematics from ETH Zurich. She is now our team's chief analyst."

"Hello, Dr. Vasilisa." Fang Qingye shook hands with her politely, "Thank you for coming to Guiyang."

Fang Qingye had heard Ouyang Shaoqiang mention that he was a highly paid technical talent hired by their company. He was originally a senior securities analyst at HSBC, but Ouyang Shaoqiang poached him.

“Hello, Mr. Fang,” Vasilisa said in English with a slight Russian accent, “I’d like to come to the mainland with Manager Ouyang to see the billionaire behind us.”

"No surprises, right?" Fang Qingye switched to English and joked.

"Yeah, there was a pleasant surprise, he's quite handsome!"

Fang Qingye chuckled after hearing this.

"Do you like fishing?" Vasilisa asked again.

"Yes, fishing is my number one hobby."

“We Russians also enjoy fishing, and there are fishing competitions, international ice fishing competitions, and the Vobla Fishing Festival. My brother is a fishing expert and has won awards at the Vobla Fishing Festival,” Vasilisa said.

"Really? What does your brother do?" Fang Qingye immediately became interested.

"He is now an investment manager at DST Global."

“DST Global? They even invested in Ele.me,” Fang Qingye said.

“Yes, I heard it from my brother. He’s an investment manager at DST Global in Shanghai now. I moved from London to Hong Kong after graduation because of my brother’s advice,” Vasilisa explained.

That's it!

"What's your brother's name? I'd like to invite him fishing if I go to Shanghai," Fang Qingye asked enthusiastically.

"His name is Ivan Ivanovich, and he would be happy to accept your invitation."

Now that Ouyang Shaoqiang and Vasilisa had arrived in Guiyang, Fang Qingye decided not to continue fishing, and the four of them returned to the hotel.

That evening, Fang Qingye specially found a Western restaurant called InTown in Guiyang and ordered steak, sous-vide salmon, borscht (a favorite dish of Russians), and braised beef in a pot, as a special treat for Vasilisa.
After dinner, back at the hotel, Vasilisa took out her laptop and explained the "Copper Heart Project" to Fang Qingye in detail, along with her analysis and the intelligence she had gathered.

Fang Qingye's expression turned serious upon hearing this.

"Vasilisa, you can give a detailed presentation to everyone at the meeting tomorrow morning."

"OK!"

The next morning, the four rented a car and drove to the Yadier International Hotel to attend the forum's closed-door meeting. Fang Qingye found Zhu Yunlai and the organizing committee leader, explained her request, and finally Ouyang Shaoqiang and Vasilisa were arranged to rest in the next room and attend the meeting when needed.

The meeting was held in a conference room on the 12th floor of the hotel. Not only was Zhu Yunlai from CICC present, but Zhao Yanjing from JIC Huake was also present!
(End of this chapter)