To be fair, the moment one heard the words "dry shares," it was clear this was no proper arrangement.
Qu Jianlei's team also held dry shares, and they held seventy percent before dilution. He had ample reason to hold them.
But was his own approach proper? If it could truly stand up to scrutiny, he would definitely have invested all the money himself.
These two were the same. Both were government functional departments: one handled freight inspections, while the other was responsible for mining.
These were departments that had Energy Stone Mines by the throat. Aside from them, only the financial sector remained.
Logically speaking, neither Energy Stones nor Energy Blocks were transported as ordinary cargo.
Yet the Empire had a dedicated department for managing special transportation, and it happened to have the power to choke off Energy Block shipments.
That department demanded dry shares ranging from ten to twenty percent, depending on mineral reserves and the cost of mining and extraction.
The department responsible for mining production demanded between ten and twenty-five percent, with the maximum never exceeding thirty percent.
If both were calculated at their highest rates, Ping An's share in the mining operation would not even reach half! Qu Jianlei frowned upon hearing this. This style of big-government conduct was not the Empire he knew.
"Does the government keep such a tight grip on business matters?"
Duo Duo sighed. "The supply of Energy Blocks concerns the Empire's security. They all use that excuse."
"Isn't that complete nonsense?" Qu Jianlei sneered. "A cargo transport permit can concern national security too?"
As he spoke, he gave Old Lady Jia a thoughtful glance. "So you'd already thought of that?"
Though the question came out of nowhere, the old lady understood it—though she should really have been called a middle-aged woman