Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 925 Greed is endless (first update, please subscribe)
"When a child holds gold, everyone is a devil. The reason why it was not mined back then is very simple - because they couldn't protect it!"

Li Yian moved back, flicked the inch-long ash from the cigar into the ashtray, pointed the red end of the cigarette at the map, and said.

"Six years ago, our influence was almost negligible, and the Middle East was out of reach. If we discovered a large oil field, even if we could keep it, we would have to pay a price. At least they would have taken a big bite out of our fat meat."

Li Yian is very familiar with human nature. Although some fat meat looks very delicious, not everyone can eat it. Even if you take a bite first, it will be snatched away by others.

This kind of thing is inevitable. When you don't have the strength to back you up, others can take away everything you have with just a simple "Grandpa, I want it."

This world is realistic and always stands from the perspective of strength. When you don’t have the strength, you want to take advantage of the situation.

Then don’t think about it. Even if you pick it up, it will be picked up by someone else.

"So, instead of doing that, it's better to put the fat on a plate and cover it with a lid. This way, at least one thing can be guaranteed - I can't eat it, and no one else can eat it. When the time is right, open the plate and enjoy the meat alone."

Li Yian looked at the map and said.

“Only in this way can you really eat it.”

"Then, sir, the time is ripe now, isn't it?"

Hermann certainly understood the principle of the survival of the fittest, so he asked.

"We can also explore for oil in the Persian Gulf while we enter Libya?"

"Of course!"

Li Yian said after taking a puff of his cigar.

"With Weituo standing by, all demons are saints! In the past, we didn't have the strength to protect ourselves, but now, things have changed. They don't have the power to challenge us, at least, the oil companies don't! Even if the US government comes, they will be wary of us!"

The vision of the change in power in Li Yian's mind made his eyes sparkle with excitement. Standing on the shoulders of historical giants, he knew better than anyone how high the offshore oil production in the Persian Gulf was. There was also a super oil field there, with reserves of at least tens of billions of tons.

Although the cost of offshore oil extraction is a bit higher, it can also minimize interference from land, and the maritime forces in the South China Sea can provide certain protection when necessary.

In comparison, land does not have such advantages.

"Then the Nanyang Persian Gulf Oil Company won't have to sit idle any more!"

Herman said.

"In the past few years, the market has been questioning why we did not conduct oil exploration and exploitation in the waters of the Persian Gulf, which has even affected our stock price to a certain extent. Now we can finally give the market an explanation."

"Yes, that's true. We do need to give the market an explanation. The oil in the Persian Gulf needs to be explored and mined, and the same is true for Libya."

Li Yian said with a smile.

"As long as we control these two areas, the oil security in Southeast Asia will be fundamentally guaranteed in the future!"

Although Nanyang itself has a large oil field, and the output has exceeded 15 million tons, and the output will be even higher in the future, there is no shortage of oil. But energy is something, even if there is more, who would complain about having too much?

Moreover, the development of lithium batteries and new energy vehicles is only a long-term plan, and replacing oil with new energy vehicles is more of a vision. Whether it can be realized is still a question. In this case, it is still very necessary to control several large oil fields and ensure the oil security of Nanyang!
Not only is it necessary, it is even related to the economic lifeline of Southeast Asia. After all, the "oil crisis" in the 1970s dealt a heavy blow to the economy, which was directly fatal!

"What is the current level of our offshore oil extraction technology?"

Just as Li Yian was asking about oil extraction technology, on the other side of the earth, in an office in the headquarters building of the Arabian American Oil Company, Andes started cursing as he looked at the report that had just been delivered.

"Damn it, those damn bastards, are they trying to take over our company?" Andes was devastated because the report was sent from Riyadh, where the company's local manager received intelligence that Saudi Arabia was trying to further increase oil income tax.

“It’s not impossible in the future!”

Sitting in front of the manager, Frank said.

"After all, human greed is endless!"

As a businessman, Frank understands human nature very well, and greed is the most basic human nature.

"What a greedy bunch they are!"

Andes cursed loudly.

"As soon as World War II ended, those greedy guys tried to tear up our previous concession agreement and demanded to sign a new agreement with us. In order to ease the relationship between us, we made major concessions and agreed to increase the oil field usage fee to US$2.4 per ton. We increased it by a full US$1.4! But even so, we were unable to satisfy those greedy guys. We signed a new agreement in ! However, only two years later, the Saudi government issued a decree to implement the principle of a - profit-sharing system, requiring foreign companies that exploit oil in its territory to pay half of all profits as income tax."

When the past was mentioned, Andes went berserk. Now he was really devastated because all the silver was snatched away just like that!
If it was in front of the station, he would have ignored the Arabs who were raising camels in the desert, but now, times have changed, not the past.

Frank said, listening to the manager's complaints.

"Manager, we all know that human greed is endless. Nine years ago, they proposed to increase the oil field royalties, and we agreed. Five years ago, they enacted a new law and took away half of our profits. And now? They are also trying to increase income tax."

Looking at the manager, Frank said.

"Although our current profits are very considerable, after all, the cost of our oil extraction in Saudi Arabia is equivalent to one-tenth of the cost of oil extraction in the United States and one-fifth of the cost of oil extraction in Venezuela, but with their endless greed, I think sooner or later they will not only use the so-called law to take away most of our profits, but also rob our company."

Frank, as a senior executive of the company, made the correct judgment. Although in another world, Saudi Arabia had never implemented any "oil nationalization" policy or confiscated Western oil companies, they still obtained most of the profits of the Arab American Oil Company bit by bit by continuously enacting laws to increase oil taxes.

Moreover, since 1972, the Saudi king and government have been negotiating with Aramco for several years. As Saudi Arabia's influence in the oil market increased, it continued to gain more benefits in the negotiations. After many stalemates and negotiations, Saudi Arabia finally regained control of Aramco in 1976.

Aramco was officially renamed Saudi Aramco, and the former American company became a Saudi company.

Although all this has not happened yet, in the short decade after the end of World War II, Saudi Arabia's step-by-step approach made people feel their ambitions.

Frank saw the danger, and Andes saw it too as he looked at the secret information in front of him.

"So, increasing the income tax rate by 10% won't satisfy their appetite?"

Facing the manager's question, Frank shook his head and said.

"At the beginning, we thought that $2.4 should be enough to satisfy their appetite. Two years later, we thought that a - split would satisfy their appetite. Now it seems..."

Frank took out the cigarette box and a cigarette, then placed it on the table. The lit cigarette, with a red glow on the butt, burned slowly and steadily.

Frank said after taking a puff of his cigarette.

"They will only regard our concession as weakness! When we were young in Texas, we knew very well what the rules of the game were! At that time, if we were weak and gave in, we would lose everything. But... now, no one follows the rules of the game anymore. They have been forgotten."

"game rules!"

Andes pursed his lips and said.

"That was the rule of the game in the past, but times have changed!"

(End of this chapter)