Live Stream 1980: Netizens Teach Me How to Make a Rocket by Hand

Chapter 76 I want to double the price of rare earth elements!

Section Chief Wang practically burst through the warehouse door, his tie askew behind his back, his usually composed face now deathly pale.

"Something terrible has happened!"

Lin Xi put down her teacup without even lifting her eyelids: "The exhibition hall exploded?"

"It's worse than an explosion!"

Section Chief Wang grabbed Lin Xi's wrist and tried to pull her out:

"An urgent telegram from the Ministry of Foreign Trade! Call directly to the organizing committee!"

"They specifically asked you to answer!"

"They say it's a politically urgent task, and delaying it even a second could cost you your head!"

Lin Xi's heart skipped a beat.

Ministry of Foreign Trade?

If someone contacts you at this time, it's definitely not going to be anything good.

Could it be that some foreign devil went to file a complaint with the emperor?

"Walk!"

Lin Xi didn't waste any words and got up to leave.

……

Three minutes later, in the organizing committee's secure telephone room.

The heavy soundproof door closed, completely isolating the noise from the outside world.

Lin Xi grabbed the red phone and took a deep breath: "This is Lin Xi."

A middle-aged man's voice, extremely serious and even somewhat anxious, came from the receiver.

"Hello, Comrade Lin Xi. I am Zhao Jianbang, Deputy Director of the Resource Department of the Ministry of Foreign Trade."

The other person spoke very quickly, exuding an undeniable pressure.

"To make a long story short, the commotion you caused at the Canton Fair has alarmed those foreigners."

"Just half an hour ago, Sumitomo Corporation of Japan, General Electric of the United States, and several chemical giants from Germany jointly sent us a letter to put pressure on us."

Deputy Director Zhao paused, then his voice deepened:

"They questioned why the 'mixed rare earth concentrate' that was supposed to be delivered this month hadn't been loaded onto the ship yet."

"They made a threatening statement! If we dare to maliciously cut off the supply..."

"Not only will we demand exorbitant penalties for breach of contract, but we will also jointly boycott all procurement plans from China next year!"

"The department is under tremendous pressure right now!"

"The country's foreign exchange deficit is looming large; if we don't sell, no one can afford the losses!"

"Exports must be resumed immediately!"

Lin Xi's hand gripping the receiver tightened slightly.

But he didn't panic; instead, his eyes shone even brighter.

They arrived as expected.

Previously, in order to develop neodymium iron boron technology, he specifically used Qian Xuesen's connections to submit a report to the higher authorities.

Using equipment upgrades as an excuse, Baogang suspended rare earth exports for two months.

It's only been a few days? And these foreign devils can't sit still anymore?

What does this tell us?

This shows they're in a hurry.

This indicates that with the diffusion of technology from the "Red Star Machinery Plant," astute Western capital had already realized—

The core of neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) micro motors relies heavily on China's rare earth resources!

Only China in the world can supply this strategic raw material on a large scale.

"Deputy Director Zhao."

Lin Xi's voice was unusually calm, a stark contrast to the anxiety on the other end of the phone.

"I'd like to ask, what was the price we paid for the rare earth elements we sold to them before?"

The person on the other end of the phone was clearly taken aback.

It was as if no one expected that at this critical juncture, this kid would still have the leisure to ask about the price.

"This is a trade secret..."

Deputy Director Zhao paused, then, remembering that Elder Qian was behind Lin Xi, gritted his teeth and gave the number:

"It won't hurt to tell you."

"A mixed rare earth concentrate with a grade of 60%".

"The FOB price is approximately $800 per ton."

"This is already a high price we negotiated with great force! It's a full hundred dollars more than last year!"

Lin Xi closed her eyes.

800 dollars.

One ton?

Although she was mentally prepared, Lin Xi still felt a surge of blood rush to her head when she heard the exact number.

That's rare earth element!

Those are industrial vitamins! They are the magic soil! They are the lifeblood of future high-tech industries!

In 2025, any one rare earth element in a ton of rare earth concentrate could fetch a price far exceeding this!

Mixed rare earth concentrate can contain more than ten kinds of rare earth elements!

And now, we have a mixture containing lanthanum, cerium, tungsten, neodymium, chromium, samarium... these seventeen elements are more precious than gold.

It turned into mud.

They mistook it for cabbages growing by the roadside!

Eight hundred dollars? That's not even enough to buy a ton of high-quality steel!

This isn't selling resources; it's selling the flesh and blood left by our ancestors!

In the field of vision, the barrage of comments in the live stream exploded instantly, turning a blood red.

[I cried... $800 a ton? That's practically free!]

[I was about to have a heart attack! Back then, we didn't understand separation technology, so we could only sell mixed concentrates. We were ripped off by those foreign devils!]

This is the pain of that era! To buy a few of these soon-to-be-obsolete machine tools, to get some fertilizer, we emptied our savings!

[Japan later stored these rare earth elements they bought on the seabed, and decades later, they turned around and used them to control us! Anchor! We absolutely cannot sell them!]

[Host! I can't swallow this! If you sell it, I'm unfollowing!]

[Host! Please! Show them what's what! This is so frustrating!]

Lin Xi took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in her heart.

"Deputy Director Zhao."

Lin Xi's voice became somewhat hoarse.

"$800?"

"Is this what we're selling?"

"Are we selling gold, or roadside mud?"

Deputy Director Zhao became anxious: "Comrade Lin Xi! You must understand the difficulties the country is facing!"

"We don't have the separation technology! We can't sell it for a high price!"

"If we didn't sell the mixed concentrate, we wouldn't even earn these eight hundred dollars!"

"The country needs foreign exchange to buy equipment, technology, and production lines!"

"I know."

Lin Xi interrupted him, "But I'm telling you now, it can't be sold."

"You must withstand the pressure; this shipment cannot be sent!"

"You...you..." Deputy Director Zhao stammered, exasperated.

"This is outrageous and undisciplined!"

"What if the foreigners really impose a blockade? What if it causes a diplomatic dispute? Can you bear that responsibility?!"

"I'll take the blame!"

Two simple words, yet they resonate deeply.

Lin Xi's voice suddenly rose, making Section Chief Wang's ears ring:

"Deputy Director Zhao, tell those foreign devils."

"The equipment maintenance is indeed underway."

"Moreover, the price will need to be re-determined after the repairs are completed."

Deputy Director Zhao was both amused and exasperated:

"Reschedule? How much of a price increase do you want?"

"If the price goes up by a hundred or two hundred dollars, they won't care at all; instead, they'll think we're being unreasonable."

"One hundred and eighty yuan?"

Lin Xi sneered, a mocking laugh that came from forty-five years later, from someone who had seen through all the rules.

He spoke into the microphone, each word deliberate and clear, as if delivering a verdict.

"I want to add two zeros at the end."

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

On the other end of the phone, Zhao Jianbang seemed to have forgotten to breathe.

Even Section Chief Wang, who was standing next to her, dropped his notebook on the ground with a "thud" and stared at Lin Xi as if she were a madwoman.

A full half minute passed.

Only then did Deputy Director Zhao's cautious, even somewhat doubtful, voice come through the receiver:

"How much...?"

Two zeros? A hundred times?!

"Lin Xi! Did you drink fake alcohol?"

"The current market price is 800, and you want to sell it for 80,000 per ton?"

"This is impossible! This is absolutely impossible!"

"Foreigners aren't stupid! They'll go crazy! They'll just flip the table!"

"They dare not."

Lin Xi's tone was frighteningly certain.

"Deputy Director Zhao, they used to hold us by the throat."

"Now, the roles have reversed."