novelAbuy Chapter 814 The World's Highest Quality Uranium Ore: Mine Visit and Procurement Negotiations
Chapter 814 The World's Highest Quality Uranium Ore: Mine Visit and Procurement Negotiations
After finalizing the designation of an unnamed atoll in the southern Indian Ocean as a nuclear test site, Fang Wen did not delay and immediately launched the uranium mining plan.
High-purity uranium ore is the final and most crucial piece of the puzzle in nuclear weapons development, and there is no room for error.
That afternoon, Fang Wen, along with Gong Xiuneng and 10 special operations team members, boarded the Huashan 2 long-range private seaplane at the No. 2 Aircraft Manufacturing Plant.
Although this aircraft is labeled as a civilian private plane, it is actually for Fang Wen's personal use. Its range far exceeds that of ordinary civilian aircraft, and its fuselage is made of a new type of aluminum alloy, which allows it to take off and land smoothly on water and also to taxi and land at low speed on flat ground, making it capable of handling long-distance transoceanic flights and complex tropical airspace environments.
The plane took off from Yangon Port Airport, heading west, passing through the jungles of northern Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal, and flying towards the African continent.
Ten hours later, the plane, which had flown 3000 kilometers, crossed the Indian subcontinent and landed in the airspace over the Arabian Sea.
After a brief half-hour rest on the sea, Gong Xiuneng added fuel to the tank, and the plane took off again.
After another 7 hours of flight, covering a distance of 2000 kilometers, we arrived at the Red Sea port where the Taishan Group's branch in Ethiopia is located.
The port city below has been taken over by the rebels. The city is now filled with soldiers dressed in simple uniforms, carrying various old firearms, some even in tribal attire, wielding spears and bows and arrows.
Fang Wen already knew about this beforehand and wasn't worried. He found the branch office's location, and the plane slowly landed at the makeshift seaplane airport outside the Ethiopian branch.
The plane taxied and came to a stop on the water, then turned around and headed towards the dock.
The branch manager was already waiting at the dock. As soon as the cabin door opened and Fang Wen and his party disembarked, he quickly came to greet them.
He looked nervous: "General Manager, you've finally arrived. The situation here is getting increasingly chaotic. We've suspended most of our operations and are currently mainly responsible for providing maintenance for the two gunboats of the resistance forces."
Fang Wen nodded, signaling the manager to lead the way, and asked as they walked, "What's the situation with the resistance's fighter planes? Why do I see that the gunboats on the airfield seem to have their hatches removed?"
The manager gave a wry smile, pointed to the two gunboats parked not far away, and said with a tone full of helplessness: "General Manager, you are right. In order to improve the firepower, the rebel soldiers removed the cabin doors of the planes and enlarged the firing ports on both sides of the fuselage into skylights, just so that they could have a better line of sight and strike the Italian army more accurately."
The two gunboats had simple fuselages, empty hatches, and enlarged firing ports on both sides, revealing large holes.
Fang Wen frowned: "Doing this is too dangerous. During flight, the airflow is strong, and without the protection of the cabin door, soldiers can easily be blown out of the cabin by the airflow. Moreover, the low temperature and air pressure changes at high altitudes can also cause great harm to the soldiers' bodies."
The manager explained with a wry smile, "We've tried to persuade them, but the rebel soldiers simply won't listen. They say this is a test that even the bravest soldiers must endure. To date, 12 soldiers have died from accidental falls from the aircraft during combat flights and routine training."
Fang Wen was surprised. Although he was used to the cruelty of war, he had never seen such wild soldiers.
It feels like they've integrated gunships and aircraft with their own combat methods, fighting in the most primitive and dangerous way.
Surprised as he was, Fang Wen didn't care too much. His mission was too important to be distracted by other battles.
Ethiopia's survival depends on its own struggles and the interplay of international powers. He must focus on acquiring uranium mines, developing nuclear weapons as soon as possible, and ending the suffering on Chinese soil.
"Arrange for refueling as soon as possible," Fang Wen instructed calmly. "Once refueling is complete, we'll take off immediately. We can't afford to linger here too long."
"Yes, General Manager, I'll arrange it right away." The manager didn't dare to delay and immediately turned around to dispatch personnel to carry out fuel replenishment.
The branch company has ample fuel, all transported from Myanmar by its own ships. As long as it doesn't go through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean, there is actually no danger here.
Fang Wen then inspected the aircraft.
The previous long-haul flight of over 5000 kilometers had caused some wear and tear on the aircraft, and he needed to address some of the problematic parts.
An hour later, the aircraft was repaired and refueled.
Fang Wen and his group boarded the plane again, bid farewell to the branch office staff, and the plane slowly took off, flying towards the Belgian Congo.
The remaining journey is still long, requiring a full 9 hours.
Driving with only Fang Wen on board is extremely tiring.
Gong Xiuneng couldn't help but ask with concern, "General Manager, can your body handle flying like this?"
While driving, Fang Wen replied with a smile, "I can handle it, I have plenty of energy."
He knew his own physical condition; he could handle more than 20 hours of flying, or even twice that amount.
The last nine hours of the flight were tedious and long.
The plane flew over the vast African savanna and primeval jungle. The landscape below gradually changed from open grasslands to lush tropical rainforests, with rivers winding through the jungle like ribbons, creating a primitive and desolate scene.
First-time visitors to Africa would never imagine that such a vast tropical rainforest exists in the desolate heart of the continent.
Where is the Shinklobwe mining area located?
Fang Wen only knew that the mining area was somewhere in southwestern Belgian Congo, but he didn't know the exact address.
He activated his supernatural ability and began to survey the area below.
Half an hour later, a strange feeling appeared.
Fang Wen felt nauseous and wanted to vomit, as if he had been infected by a virus.
It's radiation!
He carefully observed what was below.
A cluster of buildings suddenly appeared in the jungle and came into view.
That is the Shinklopwe mining area.
The mining area is not large in scale, mainly consisting of a few simple red brick houses, a huge open-pit mine, several piles of ore, and an outer wire fence.
Surrounded by dense jungle, this mining area hidden in the jungle is difficult to spot without careful observation.
Immediately afterwards, Fang Wen piloted the plane to the airspace above the Lualaba River, 80 kilometers away from the mining area.
The Lualaba River is the upper reaches of the Congo River. It has abundant water and a wide channel. When UMHK was mining ore, it used this river to transport the ore from the mining area to the port downstream, and then to Europe.
On the riverbank, there is an abandoned dock, which was once used by the mine owners to load and unload ore and supplies. Now that the mine has stopped operating, the dock has also been abandoned and is unattended, making it an excellent temporary docking point.
The plane landed slowly on the calm surface of the Lualaba River, its fuselage creating ripples, before smoothly gliding to the abandoned dock.
Fang Wen parked the plane at the dock, got out of the cockpit, and instructed the special forces soldiers: "Leave five soldiers behind to guard the plane and do not leave it without permission. The remaining five soldiers, come with me, take the equipment, and head to the mining area."
"Yes, sir!" the team members responded in unison and quickly sprang into action. Five soldiers remained on the plane, remaining on high alert.
Fang Wen, along with Gong Xiuneng and five other soldiers, retrieved equipment from the aircraft's cargo hold, including pistols, rifles, binoculars, communication equipment, and heavy-duty bicycles produced by Taishan Group.
These specially modified heavy-duty bicycles have a sturdy frame, wide tires, and are able to adapt to muddy roads in the jungle. They also have an extremely high load-bearing capacity, making them an excellent means of transportation in the current environment.
The group loaded their equipment onto the bicycles, one bicycle per person, and led by Fang Wen, they rode southeast along the path by the river.
The banks of the Lualaba River were overgrown with vegetation, and the roads were muddy and difficult to navigate, making cycling extremely strenuous. The team members were all specially trained special forces soldiers with exceptional physical fitness. Even in such harsh conditions, they maintained a neat formation and moved forward at a steady pace.
Occasionally, you can spot traces of wild animals along the way: groups of monkeys leaping in the trees, unknown birds chirping in the forest, and occasionally a few antelopes darting out from the roadside bushes, giving them a wary look before quickly disappearing into the depths of the jungle.
As Fang Wen rode his bicycle, he kept an eye on his surroundings and checked the 3D map in his mind to confirm the route to the mining area.
Gong Xiuneng and five soldiers stayed close to Fang Wen, constantly observing the surroundings and preparing for battle at any moment.
Radiation from afar is the most obvious indicator.
After more than three hours of cycling, the group finally arrived at the Shinklopwe mining area.
By this time, the sun had already set, and its golden afterglow shone on the buildings in the mining area, adding a touch of desolation to this abandoned mining area.
The mining area was surrounded by a wire fence, which was covered with vines and had obviously not been maintained for a long time.
At the entrance to the barbed wire fence, there was a simple guard post with two guards sitting inside, holding rifles and watching their surroundings vigilantly.
Inside the mining area, there is a 20-person security team. They wear uniforms and are scattered throughout the mining area, patrolling back and forth. Although the mining area has stopped operating, the defense is still not relaxed.
Fang Wen gestured for everyone to stop and pushed his bicycle toward the entrance of the mining area.
Upon seeing them, the two guards in the post immediately stood up, raised their rifles, and shouted warily, "Who are you? This is a private mining area; entry is prohibited!"
Fang Wen stopped and smiled, replying in English, "Don't be nervous, we mean no harm. We are merchants from the Far East who have heard that there are high-quality ores here and have come specifically to discuss purchasing them."
As he spoke, he gestured for Gong Xiuneng to take out some gifts he had prepared beforehand: several bottles of fine whiskey and a pack of cigars.
The two guards relaxed their guard slightly upon seeing the gifts.
One of the guards said, "You wait here, I'll go inform the supervisor. Whether you're allowed in or not depends on his decision."
After saying that, he turned and ran deep into the mining area.
Shortly after, a white man in his fifties, wearing a suit and glasses, walked over quickly, accompanied by several mine security guards.
The man in question is Parker, the manager of the Shinklopwe mine. He is Belgian and was hired by UMHK to guard the mine, manage the ore inventory, and handle some minor ore transactions.
Parker looked Fang Wen and his group up and down, his eyes filled with doubt and wariness, and asked, "Are you merchants from the Far East? Do you want to buy the ore here?"
Fang Wen smiled and nodded, replying in English: "Hello, Mr. Parker, my name is Fang Wen, and I am the purchasing manager of Taishan Group. I am here today because I really want to buy ore from your mine. I have heard that the ore produced in the Shinklopwe mine is of extremely high grade and is a rare find."
Upon hearing the words "Taishan Group," Parker's doubts deepened—he had never heard of this Far Eastern group, but Fang Wen's words did not seem to be a lie.
Moreover, since the mine ceased production in 1937, although UMHK had sealed the ore, it had never given up looking for a suitable buyer. However, due to the outbreak of war, global mineral trading was halted, and the ore's main use was for refining radium, so demand was limited. Therefore, a suitable buyer could not be found.
Now that someone has come to buy it, Parker naturally won't refuse easily.
Parker hesitated for a moment, then nodded, his tone much gentler: "Mr. Fang, please come in. Let's talk in the office."
After saying that, he led Fang Wen and his group into the mining area.
The mine protection team remained vigilant, following behind and monitoring their every move.
Fang Wen and his group followed Parker into the mining area.
As they passed open-pit mines along the way, Fang Wen deliberately slowed down and carefully examined the mines.
The mine pit has been submerged by water, forming a pool of yellowish-brown water. The surface is calm, and the mineral veins below cannot be seen, but judging from the radiation emanating from the exposed parts of the pit, the grade is indeed extremely high.
After walking for a while, the dizziness intensified.
He looked at the pile of debris ahead.
Several huge piles of ore, black in color and hard in texture, with a faint luster in the sunlight, were the high-grade uranium ore that Fang Wen had been searching for.
Parker noticed Fang Wen's gaze and introduced with a smile, "Mr. Fang, you have a good eye. These are the ores from our mine. Our Shinklopwe mine is one of the world's highest-grade uranium mines. Since it was developed by UMHK in 1921, it has been a major source of commercial radium worldwide."
The group entered a simple red brick building, which was Parker's office.
The office was simply furnished with a desk, a few chairs, and a topographical map of the mining area and an ore grade analysis report hanging on the wall.
Parker invited Fang Wen and his group to sit down, and then had his men pour water for everyone.
Gong Xiu picked up the water glass to drink, but Fang Wen stopped him with a look.
How can you drink the water from a place like this!
Gong Xiu put down his water cup, and seeing this, the other soldiers also lost their intention to drink water.
Parker then gave a detailed account of the mining area.
Parker sighed, a hint of helplessness in his voice:
"Manager Fang, as you've probably heard, our mine has been shut down since 1937. The main reason was the global price of radium plummeted at that time, and uranium ore had few other uses besides radium extraction. With large stockpiles of uranium ore, UMHK Company felt that there was no profit in continuing mining, so it decided to stop production and close the mine."
He paused, then continued:
"After the mine ceased production, the company transported away 2000 tons of high-quality ore. Currently, a large amount of high-grade uranium ore remains sealed within the mine. Among them, there are approximately 1000 tons of high-grade ore piles on the surface, with an average uranium content of 65%. The 'waste rock' piles on the surface are not actually waste rock; their uranium content is around 20%. However, because we mainly extracted radium at the time, the radium content of these ores was relatively low, so they were piled up as tailings. In fact, the uranium grade of these ores is already considered rich in other mining areas around the world."
Fang Wen was overjoyed. The inventory that Parker mentioned was exactly the same as what he had learned beforehand, and the quantity was sufficient to meet the needs of nuclear weapons development.
He said calmly, "Mr. Parker, it's such a waste to leave such high-grade ore sealed away like this. Our group happens to need a large quantity of this type of ore for industrial production, and we hope to purchase it all."
Upon hearing this, Parker's eyes flashed with surprise, and he immediately said, "Mr. Fang, you want to buy them all? That's no small sum. Furthermore, I must make it clear to you that the ownership of these ores belongs to UMHK. I'm only responsible for overseeing and handling the transaction. Although I can make the decisions, I still need to report to the company headquarters." (End of Chapter)