CHAPTER 377: 292, TUSK OVERSEAS OPERATIONS DIVISION, GREAT XIA PEOPLE ARE REALLY AWESOME

Inside the banquet hall.

The Great Xia representative, Zhu Bai Xuan, observed everyone’s expressions, speaking eloquently: "The Great Xia International Coal Group’s branch in Gujarat has recently encountered several malignant incidents in succession.

"Several employees working at a Red Fire Coal Mine in Gujarat have disappeared without a trace, including an engineer from Great Xia."

The so-called "Red Fire Coal Mine" is a special type of coal mine.

With the advent of the Superpower Era, not only flora and fauna have started mutating, but even minerals have transformed.

The most abundant carbon element in nature is carbon-12, which has both 6 protons and 6 neutrons, resulting in an atomic weight of 12.

Besides carbon-12, there are two other isotopes of carbon: carbon-13 and carbon-14.

Under unknown influences, a small amount of carbon in certain coal mines inexplicably transforms into carbon-15 and carbon-16.

These two carbon isotopes were previously impossible to exist stably, yet they have now appeared, and scientists are at a loss to understand the reason.

Coal containing carbon-15 and carbon-16 no longer remains jet-black; instead, it turns into a striking crimson color.

And this type of coal is called—Red Fire Coal.

However, not all coal mines produce Red Fire Coal; it is born in only a few mines.

Before the Superpower Era, as Great Xia prospered, many Great Xia companies aggressively acquired mining rights globally.

Gujarat lies at Great Xia’s doorstep and is a nation rich in coal reserves.

The Great Xia International Coal Group has purchased as many as six medium to large coal mines in that country.

Recently, one of these coal mines lucked out, producing Red Fire Coal.

Due to the impact of the cold wave disaster, the international market price of coal is 3,800 Xia Yuan per ton, more than doubling compared to before the cold wave.

The properties of Red Fire Coal are very unique, commanding a price more than ten times higher than regular coal, reaching 45,000 Xia Yuan per ton.

As scientists delve deeper into the study of Red Fire Coal, discovering more uses, its price shows a tendency to increase further.

Let me give an example — pressure-stabilizing shells.

Researchers in Great Xia found that by improving the warhead formula and adding a specific percentage of high-purity Red Fire Coal powder, the explosion temperature of pressure-stabilizing shells increased by more than thirty percent.

The higher the explosion temperature, the greater the destructive power.

If Red Fire Coal hadn’t been continuously discovered worldwide, with production not considered low, its price would have soared to astronomical levels.

Upon learning this information, certain elites in Gujarat set their sights on this lucrative Red Fire Coal.

Some media in Gujarat, under the direction of hidden forces, frequently assert that "our country sold the mining rights of ordinary coal mines, not Red Fire Coal mines. The state should terminate the agreement and forcibly reclaim the ’Mudate Coal Mine.’"

The so-called "Mudate Coal Mine" is the name of that Red Fire Coal Mine.

Clearly.

These Gujarat people are blatantly wanting to seize by force.

Were it an enterprise from a weak country, they would undoubtedly swallow the Mudate Coal Mine without hesitation.

But with the powerful Great Xia backing the Great Xia International Coal Group, they naturally refuse to yield easily.

Thus, some resorted to underhanded tactics.

Making the employees of the Great Xia International Coal Group disappear is intended to intimidate the Great Xia people and disrupt the normal order of Great Xia companies.

It is conceivable that more incidents will certainly occur subsequently.

Such as a company catching fire or a coal mine exploding.

All in all.

The motive of the clandestine forces is to plunge the branch of the Great Xia International Coal Group into operational difficulties, eventually reclaiming the coal estate at a minimal cost.

Admittedly, though these petty tricks are despicable, they are highly effective.

At this moment.

Zhu Bai Xuan continued: "According to our knowledge, after the first employee went missing, the Great Xia Company reported the case to the local detective bureau.

"But the bureau’s attitude towards the case was very perfunctory, not dispatching any officers to investigate, as if the incident never happened.

"The Great Xia Company urged again, but the detective bureau ignored it..."

A Gujarat state official representative, named Aorot, moved his lips to explain.

But he had no chance to interject.

Zhu Bai Xuan’s tone carried a hint of indignation: "The second and third missing persons soon appeared, and the Great Xia Company reported to the local detective bureau each time, yet received no reply.

"Until three days ago, an engineer dispatched from Great Xia disappeared from his home at night.

"The security personnel of the Great Xia Company discovered traces suggesting an unidentified person forcibly broke into the engineer’s residence.

"Various signs indicate that this is not just a missing persons case but a malicious kidnapping.

"After this incident, panic spread throughout the branch company. Everyone considered Gujarat extremely unsafe, and many lost focus on their work.

"During this period, the operational situation of the Mudate Coal Mine was severely affected, with economic losses estimated at no less than thirty million Xia Yuan.

"Given the inaction of the local detective bureau, the Great Xia Company was forced to seek assistance domestically, hoping to quickly locate the missing personnel and restore the company’s normal operations..."

Aorot finally got a chance to speak: "Mr. Zhu, our country attaches great importance to the situation of the Mudate Coal Mine, and we will certainly deploy an elite force to address the issue as quickly as possible..."

The representative again had no chance to finish the sentence.