Ch. 1151..1160
Life at the Top Chapter 1151
Jasper had never planned to kill Norman or Lisa, to begin with.
Jasper was confused as to why all these people think he was truly coming for their lives.
Ever since he had started his business, he had fought with quite a few people. While some lives have been lost, it was always through suicide because his opponents could not accept the fact they lost.
Jasper had never killed anyone before.
Not now, not ever.
So when Jasper saw the ecstatic expression on Norman’s face, he said, “Just go. Leave Waterhoof City and never return.”
Jasper’s words had Norman immediately feeling despondent.
He knew that with Jasper’s words, he would lose the business he had built up with difficulty.
Jasper then glanced at Lisa, her face was pale and her lip bleeding after all the gnawing. He said calmly, “There’s never been any huge feud between us. All the resentment was one-sided from you.”
“Of course, there’s no point in saying all this now.”
“After leaving Waterhoof City with your dad, find him a place where he can retire and rest. Ignoring everything else’s he’s done, he was a good father to you. You’d be a horrible excuse of a human being if you can’t be filial to him.”
“No one will force you to sell your property lower than market value. Sell accordingly and take every Somer Dollar. It should be enough to guarantee a comfortable life from here on.”
“Then… find someone nice and get married. Start over and live peacefully, say goodbye to the past.”
Jasper waved them off afterward and did not say anything more.
Lisa’s complexion was ashen and she looked moments away from fainting.
She still wanted to say more but Norman held her back.
“Let’s go,” Norman said hoarsely.
Lisa did not say more and followed Norman out with her head down.
Jasper’s expression was calm as he watched the two leave.
He did not feel the elation of winning against his enemies, nor the despondence of a loss.
His enemies were still there, after all. Norman and Lisa were just insignificant pawns on the chessboard at most.
It was a blessing for pawns like them to walk out unscathed.
Jasper turned to look at Dominique and asked, “So, what do you want from me?”
Dominique looked at Jasper playfully and asked, “What do you mean?”
“The little prince can’t possibly have handed me the Gardners because he’s afraid of me, right?” Jasper stated calmly.
Dominique laughed out loud and said, “You can take it as an act of kindness from me.”
“As to what I want from you, I don’t know yet. I’ll contact you when I think of something. Take this as a favor you owe me now I guess.”
Jasper looked at Dominique and replied, “Yet you’ve sold out the Gardners who sought your help on a favor, little prince. Aren’t you lacking a bit of credibility to talk about favors with me?”
Dominique stood from the chair and replied lazily, “Favor or not is just a hoax. What matters is still how useful you are.”
“They’ve lost their usefulness, so they can only hope that other people will be merciful to them. If they’re useful, then they don’t need to say anything and people would still seek them out.”
“I’m sure you understand this concept, right, Jasper?” With that being said, Dominique then walked toward the doors.
Dominique was just about to open the door when he suddenly turned to say to Jasper intently, “I admire you, Jasper. But many people share a different sentiment. They hate you, so much they wish you would drop dead right now.”
Jasper arched his brow and asked, “Like Fabian?”
Dominique smiled. He did not answer the question, opting to say meaningfully instead, “Contact me anytime should you require. I look forward to working with you, Jasper.”
Then Dominique opened the room doors.
Outside stood Julian and Coffey, one on each side of the door like sentinels guarding the room.
“Little Prince.”
Coffey greeted courteously.
Dominique was looking Julian up and down. Chuckling, he commented, “Not bad at all.”
Then he left.
Coffey glanced at Julian thoughtfully before he turned and followed.
At that moment, Jasper had walked out as well.
“Did anything happen, Jasper?” Julian asked.
Jasper waved him off and replied, “People like him won’t do anything to me. And if he did, you alone won’t be able to stop him at all.”
Julian seemed indignant and replied, “If I try my best, we never know.”
“Haha,” Jasper laughed out loud. “Sure. Come on, let’s go back too.”
This meeting with the little prince had surprised Jasper. The man was completely different from what he expected.
Still, no matter what, this meeting was an overall positive one. The little prince had not shown any signs of hostility. If anything, he had even shown subtle acts of friendliness.
Norman and his daughter were one of them, the partnership at the end was another.
Albeit potentially and not explicitly stated.
Still, people like Dominique did not say anything without reason, nor would he speak unreliably.
“I’ve got to go back and ask Henry that little brat I wonder if Dominique’s got history with Fabian,” Jasper murmured to himself.
At the same time in the commercial vehicle, Dominique was tinkering with an exquisite vintage pocket watch. He had a playful expression on his face.
“Gather a copy of Jasper’s information and give it to me later, Coffey, a detailed one.”
Coffey replied after hearing Dominique, “I understand. This is the first time I’ve seen you so interested in someone, Little Prince.”
“Because I’ve found my kin.” Dominique smiled mysteriously and looked at the street view through the window. He narrowed his eyes and continued, “He’s much like me. I can even say that we’re the same kind of people, it’s just… his ranks aren’t high enough yet.”
“Why do you say that?” Coffey asked curiously.
This question showed how special Coffey’s status was to Dominique. He would not have dared to ask such a question if he was a normal subordinate.
Dominique stroked the pocket watch in his palm and replied calmly, “He’s a conqueror, yet he’s filled with benevolence. He opted to be a saint and show mercy when he should have chosen to kill. This is also why I lost the initial desire to partner with him.”
“Had he decisively chosen to drive Norman and Lisa to death, then I would perhaps be willing to give him a chance at a partnership. But now that I look at it… perhaps further observation should be made before I decide again.”
Coffey shrugged and replied, “In comparison to the little prince, he will never be as outstanding as you.”
“You overestimate me, Coffey. And you’re looking down on the world,” Dominique murmured to himself.
Then he thought about Jasper and chuckled suddenly. “But Jasper Laine. From his behavior today, he’s missing something indeed.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1152
“Little Prince, Fabian has asked multiple times if you’re willing to join their Empire Meet. How would you like to respond?”
Dominique’s smile grew slightly cold when he heard him.
“They’re just a circle made up of over-hyped and ignorant trust-fund children. What else to respond but to tell him to get lost as far away as possible! Tell him I’m not interested!”
“The little prince and Fabian? They have no reason to be acquainted.”
In the hotel, Henry was filled with confusion.
“One of them is from Waterhoof City while the other’s in Harbor City.”
“Waterhoof City’s Royal family doesn’t have any
means to join the Harbor City market.”
“Nor did Harbor City’s Atticus family show any desire to make money in Waterhoof City.”
“The Royal family is a local and long-standing wealthy family here in Waterhoof City. The family’s started their business here even before the Republic. The Royal family controlled the Waterhoof City before the Republic and they’ve been developing further all this while no one knows how terrifyingly powerful they are now.”
“But about the Royal family. They have businesses everywhere but their family’s powers don’t reach beyond Waterhoof City. I suppose it’s a smart move to protect themselves. But there’s almost no contact with rich families from Harbor City.”
“As for Fabian, the Atticus family’s businesses are mainly local in Harbor City or somewhere in the southeast region. There’s almost no business with the mainlands but I did hear something about searching for things to invest in the mainlands these years.”
“Still, there’s not much chance for contact.”
Henry said everything in one breath and his mouth was left dry after he was done. He took the cup of water and drank it in large gulps before he placed it down and asking Jasper, “Did you meet the little prince?”
“That neither dark nor bright expression of his makes your hand itch to slap him, doesn’t it?”
Jasper was still trying to process Henry’s prior information when he heard the man again. He replied exasperatedly, “His expression just leans toward something more sinister but gentle. It wasn’t even as exaggerated as you claimed.”
Henry snorted and replied, “When it comes to acting pretentious, he’s the best of all I’ve met. It’s like he doesn’t care about anything at all like he’s got no doubt in everything. You know what I’m talking about, right? That disgusting high and mighty attitude of his.”
Jasper thought back to the course of meeting Dominique and rubbed his chin. “You got that right about loving to act pretentious.”
“Haha,” Henry cackled. Then he looked at Jasper mysteriously and said, “I just received news of something you’d definitely be interested in.”
“Fabian that d*ck got a bunch of people together to make some organization called the Empire Meet. He’s currently inviting all sorts of people in.”
Jasper frowned at what he heard. “Empire Meet?”
“It’s a club, filled with rich children from powerful families like Fabian. The only difference is that people invited are rich children that have already begun to take up the family business. So they’re not all trust-fund children.”
Jasper frowned and replied, “He’s got to be planning something big with something like this Empire Meet.”
“Heh. It’s not as easy as you think. Fabian’s reputation among the circle is horrible so excluding the few that are close with the Atticus family, there aren’t many people willing to join him.”
“Not to mention that everyone knows how strained Fabian’s relationship with Kayden is. The larger the business Kayden and his dad, Half-the-Harbor Langdon, are doing, the fewer people are willing to risk offending Kayden to join Fabian.”
“There’s quite a lot of people waiting to watch him make a fool out of himself now.”
Yet Jasper shook his head and said, “He wouldn’t do this out of the blue unless he’s certain. Who knows, maybe he has a secret trump card?”
“Well, it’s got f*ck all to do with me anyway nor would he invite me. But I’ll help you keep an eye out on who joins this Empire Meet. These people will be your enemies.”
“I’m starting to realize that you’re very suited for intel gathering,” Jasper said genuinely.
“You wish. I’m going to Swallow Capital tomorrow,” Henry suddenly told him.
“For Jill?” Jasper asked.
Henry snickered. “She’s going abroad for a competition next week and she’ll be leaving for a week. So I thought I’m going to go visit her.”
“Find a chance and tell her about your identity if you’re serious about her, lest the situation gets out of hand one day. And try to hint at it with your dad too. You know how important marriage is for families like yours.
“Elope behind your dad’s back and it’ll get really messy when he finds out,” Jasper reminded.
Henry rubbed his face and said grimly, “We’ll deal with that later. I still haven’t thought that far yet. I’m pretty sure my dad will say no to this.”
“But I will find a chance to tell Jill the truth, then try and meet her family. I’ll do a check on what kind of family she has and see if her relatives have any ulterior motives about my identity.”
“If they do, then that’s that. If they don’t, then I’ll bring it up with my dad.”
Jasper was relieved when he heard Henry’s plan.
The romantic story of Prince Charming and Cinderella in dramas and novels are all fake, after all.
Take Henry before him for example, no matter how much he liked Jill, he still had to give up on her if his family was against it.
Henry was not stupid either. If Jill and her family have the intention to further their relationship with Henry because of his familial background, then he would most likely sever ties and turn against them ruthlessly as well.
All in all, a young master like Henry might be arrogant and a trust-fund child, but he wasn’t a brainless idiot. If anything, this man was much smarter than ordinary people.
While Jasper and Henry chatted, someone knocked on the hotel room door.
Seeing Lisa stand outside nervous and anxiously, Jasper’s gaze turned pensive.
Life at the Top Chapter 1153
Jasper was not harsh to Lisa at all in the hotel room. Instead, the man was very respectful.
“Tea or soft drinks?”
Lisa was shocked by Jasper’s respect.
“Do you have alcohol?”
Lisa must have felt that Jasper’s kindness was genuine from the man’s expression as she asked bravely.
With a smile, Jasper had the hotel staff bring up a bottle of red wine.
He drank tea while he watched Lisa tilt her head back and down two glasses of wine. Only then did Jasper ask, “Is there a reason you’re here?”
After two glasses, Lisa was evidently much more relaxed. Holding the glass, she nodded and said, “My dad told me to come here. We’ve already contacted a few sellers willing to take over after us and we’re in the middle of negotiating the specific costs. We’ll leave the country and go overseas after the trade is done.”
“Have you decided on a place?” Jasper asked.
“Australia, perhaps. I like it there.” Lisa smiled, her eyes filled with hope for the future.
“Good choice. There are quite a few people of Somer decent there, so it won’t be too lonely at least.” Jasper agreed with a nod.
The two chatted a little about everyday life like friends. This short conversation had caused a great change in Lisa’s emotions.
“To be honest, I came here prepared to be humiliated. I thought you’d scold or embarrass me, maybe even think of ways to torture me. I’ve prepared myself for all that,” Lisa looked at Jasper and spoke seriously.
Jasper took a sip of his concentrated tea and replied calmly, “I can do that, but I find no need to.”
Lisa nodded. Jasper’s words were much more genuine than any self-righteous thing he could say.
No matter how nice Jasper’s words sound at such a time, there would always be the suspicion that the man was faking kindness. However, the man had not honeyed his words at all nor did he flaunt himself. All he did was state his true thoughts.
“Since we’re at the stage of negotiating prices, it’ll still take some time to bargain for the best price even though the buyers are very willing. So we might have to stay for a few more days.” Lisa brought up the topic again.
“That’s alright. If they’re intentionally lowering your selling price because they think that you’re in a rush to sell your family business, you’re free to take the time and contact a few other buyers,” Jasper told her.
Lisa smiled wryly and asked, “Would you believe me if I told you now that I really regret offending you?”
“Does it matter if I believe you or not?” Jasper asked.
Stunned, Lisa nodded and replied, “You’re right, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“I came here to tell you two things, actually. The first, to inform you that we need to stay for a few more days.”
Jasper nodded and said, “As you told me. The second thing is what’s truly important, isn’t it?”
Lisa stared at Jasper intently and continued, “Fabian’s the person behind me that’s been targeting you.”
Jasper raised an eyebrow slightly.
He was unsurprised by Lisa’s statement.
In truth, Jasper knew why Lisa had come since he saw her at the doors to his hotel.
Jasper did not care whether her reason was to sell Fabian out, in revenge for not reaching out to save her and her father when they needed it. Or if Lisa told him because she wanted Jasper to feel uncomfortable.
Jasper did not care about why Lisa was telling him anything. He was more interested in what information Lisa came with.
Life at the Top Chapter 1154
Jasper knew that Fabian was targeting him. He also knew that Fabian had contacted his enemies. However, Jasper had no idea what exactly Fabian was planning or had already done.
Perhaps Lisa would be his breakthrough.
Lisa seemed to have decided on leaving, so she was frank and showed no desire to hide any information from Jasper. She continued to say, “Fabian took the initiative to contact me first, he wanted me to do something for him.”
“Since these were also setups that targeted you, I agreed under protest.”
“Because of this, I even went to Harbor city to spend a few days with him. That’s when I learned about the trap he had long set for you.”
“He didn’t let me know the specifics, so I have no idea either. All I can tell you is that everything that happened in Waterhoof City was directed by Fabian.”
“Including the accident on your construction site, and being targeted by the Teo Chamber of Commerce. Alban and his son are also following his instructions, and he even contacted Gale for this as well.”
“Instead of claiming that the incident with Seatreasures was a set up by Alban and Gale together, it’d be more accurate to say that this was all Fabian’s plan.”
Lisa’s words had confirmed Jasper’s previous deductions.
His expression remained calm and unfazed.
Lisa looked at Jasper and continued, “You’re wrong if you think that this is all Fabian has in store for you.”
“From what I know, he did all this just to cause you some trouble. He didn’t expect to beat you with this alone, and he hasn’t shown his true scheme yet.”
“You can call this incident a warm-up.”
Jasper smiled. “Looks like he values me a lot, to employ both Gale and Alban just for a warm-up.”
Lisa said indifferently, “You haven’t met Fabian, so you don’t know how terrifying and cruel this man is.”
“To be honest, every second I spent by his side was in terror. He’s too frightening. It’s like he can see through what everyone’s thinking. Up until now, I still don’t think you can win against him.”
“Then why did you come to tell me this today?” Jasper asked.
Lisa smiled sadly and said, “You would believe if I said it’s to take revenge?”
“I would. But the question is, are you taking revenge against me or Fabian?”
Lisa did not expect Jasper to be so direct. Her expression turned slightly forced but she answered anyway, “Both. But more against him.”
“Even if I know that your fight with Fabian will continue whether I come and tell you these things or not. But at the very least, I want you to know more and hurt Fabian a little.”
“What a cruel woman you are,” Jasper exclaimed.
Lisa got up expressionlessly and stated, “One last thing. He’s sought out more than just your enemies…”
Lisa paused for a moment before she continued, “He looked for the people around you too. People you used to be close with. He’s already used his methods to find them, so be more careful.”
Jasper narrowed his eyes and stroked the hot teacup gently. His mind instantly combed through people close to him but Jasper’s expression remained unaffected.
Inexplicably, Lisa thought of something when she took in the sight of Jasper now.
‘A truly powerful man looks calm despite the emotional rollercoaster he experiences.’
‘Wouldn’t it have been great now if I didn’t make Jasper an enemy?’
With a light sigh, Lisa got up and said, “I’ve said my piece. I should get going now.”
“Goodbye.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1155
Jasper did not step foot out of the hotel room after Lisa left.
Even dinner was sent to his room by the hotel staff on Julian’s instructions.
Jasper locked himself in the hotel room’s study as he began to write and draw. He reviewed the current situation and wrote it all on around a dozen A4-sized papers. Right in the center was Fabian.
Beside Fabian was Dominique, the little prince.
Instinct told Jasper that there was definitely a link between those two. He just had no idea whether they were enemies or friends.
“Even with all of this, I don’t know enough yet.”
Jasper frowned.
Henry might have given him information, but what he told Jasper was no more than what everyone in that Harbor City circle already knew about.
If Henry was not involved in it, he would not know of the many secrets that went on.
For example, there was no way Henry would be told if there was a link between Fabian and Dominique.
Jasper exhaled softly. It was at midnight when Jasper put his pen down. He realized that be greatly lacked contacts for intel and information gathering.
After all, he had only started his business for more than one but less than two years. The memory of his past life before he reincarnated could only bring him an astronomical amount of wealth in a short period of time. Things like information networks and roots that huge families had could only be accumulated with time.
He could not rush it right now. These were things that had to be done slowly.
…
The following day, at the hotel entrance.
“I’ll be going, then.” Henry waved Jasper goodbye.
“Go. I won’t be sending you to the airport. There’s one more thing I have to do here in Waterhoof City before I return to Nauritus.” Jasper smiled.
Henry replied, with his head in the clouds, “I’ll be back in three to five days. I’ll wait for you to bring me along and earn more money when I get back.”
Jasper chuckled and waved his hand. He watched Henry’s car leave the hotel.
After Henry left, Jasper then called for Julian.
“Let’s go. To the ICBS branch’s headquarters.”
Jasper was no stranger to ICBS’ Waterhoof City Branch’s office tower.
In this dignified and stem ICBS’ Waterhoof City Branch’s deputy chief office, Jasper sat on the guest sofa and looked at Vita sign a document sternly for a careful, humble, and courteous middle-ranked employer.
A few minutes later, the office was left with Jasper and Vita alone.
“Is there something I can help with, Mr. Laine?” Vita’s expression immediately turned courteous as he asked, placing a cup of brewed tea in front of Jasper.
Jasper nodded and replied, “Indeed. The market reaction to the online payment partnership. So I’ve decided to develop this business further and I need the ICBS’s support.”
Vita’s expression froze,
In all honesty, Jasper’s suggestion about online payment had caused an uproar all the way to ICBS headquarters in Swallow Capital. Even top officials from the government’s financial bureau were aware of this.
After all, Jasper had suggested a completely new concept and no one knew how big of an effect it could cause.
Now that Jasper wanted to completely develop the online payment business, Vita had a feeling this would result in another huge commotion.
“I acquired an online shopping platform and I plan to build a comprehensive shopping website within the country.”
“But this requires the support of online payment or everything planned would be for naught. If all goes well, this website will become the equivalent of Amazon in the country. Perhaps even stronger.”
Vita concealed his unease when he heard Jasper speak. He realized that the more he got to know Jasper, the less he understood about the man.
To be frank, it would be enough for a majority of people to achieve the business success Jasper did.
Looking at the property under Jasper’s name, one would see that the man’s career was beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
His business was considered large even if you compared him with the entire country or even the entire business world.
Yet Vita was still shocked by Jasper’s ambition.
Vita who had worked his entire life in the banking industry was more sensitive to this than others in the financial industry were. He also knew better how powerful Jasper would be if he managed to control online payment.
“I’m afraid this won’t be easy,” Vita frowned and replied.
Jasper arched his brow and asked, “Why’s that?”
Vita smiled wryly and replied, “Do you know how many applications for online payment like yours I’ve pushed down recently?”
“It’s normal for people to jump the bandwagon because they see others doing it. The last thing this world lacks is people with a good eye for things,” Jasper said.
“I may be able to hold them off for now, but I can’t hold them off forever. You have to know that there are tons of powerful people among them. If you didn’t look for me today, I might have gone to look for you.”
“The higher-ups have been fighting over this online payment recently.”
Jasper’s expression turned solemn when he heard Vita.
“The most troublesome one here is Soha. Soha has the support of family capital and people are moving about right now to get a comprehensive online payment partnership signed with Soha.”
“Their framework might be even larger than yours and if they succeed, then they’ll end up crushing everyone behind them. Including you.”
“Who’s this other party?” Jasper asked.
“Formally, they’re Soha’s majority shareholder. But from what I know, they’re also the heir to Clear Seas Industrial Group.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1156
Vita leaned over closer to Jasper and whispered, “This Clear Seas Industrial is actually the holding company of Clear Seas.” He smiled wryly.
“As someone in the financial circle, you should know that Clear Seas status within the country’s capital circle is on par with Vast Mountain Capital and other large funding groups.”
“Among the country’s privately-owned capitals, Clear Seas’ comprehensive strength easily puts them among the top ten.
Jasper held the cup of burning tea and fell deep in thought.
He was no stranger to Clear Seas at all.
In his past life, his superior was one of the small bosses in a company under Clear Seas. The man had a net worth of eighty to ninety million just thanks to his relationship with this group.
Not many people might know of Clear Seas now, as its name would only be spread with the BN Group after a fight of capital with the country’s largest real estate business, Somer Vanke.
Still, there was no denying Clear Seas’ strength.
“His name is Prince Chavez, also known as the Crown Prince.”
‘Crown Prince?”
‘If he was nicknamed the Crown Prince, then he must be someone more high-standing than the little prince.’
Jasper made a mental note of the man’s name and looked up to ask Vita, “What are the higher-up’s thoughts on his idea?”
“The officials are discussing it together. Some people support it and some do not, but a majority of them have decided to remain silent and watch. Though from the information I got, they’ll likely adjust the proposal and then pass it.”
Jasper sighed when he heard Vita.
“You told me this too late…”
Vita proceeded to tell Jasper the frame proposed by the Crown Prince.
Jasper fell silent for a moment after he thought about it.
“If that’s the case, then open the entire market! Agree to the government supervision he proposed and apply for a regulation on payment license.”
Jasper’s first sentence stunned Vita completely.
“Have you gone crazy? That way you won’t have any advantages at all!”
Yet Jasper smiled at Vita’s franticness. He knew that Vita only reacted like this because the man truly held his best interests in mind.
“A normalized market is beneficial to all the enterprises within that market. The government will still announce the policy even if we disagree. There’s no preventing it, so we might as well go with the flow and gain their favor.”
“But we will add one condition, and that’s to forbid exclusive partnerships with banks.”
“As long as the governments reviewed and passed it, and the company should be allowed to partner with any commercial bank in the country once it gets an online payment license and fulfills the 1 billion Somer Dollar deposit requirement.”
“If the Crown Prince wants to blockade this industry, then I’ll open it. When trouble comes, I have the capital to take everything, but I can’t say the same for the crown prince.”
With the memory of his past life, Jasper knew that the government will fully open for applications of a payment license that only capable and qualified enterprises could get.
The Crown Prince’s desire to blockade this industry was already against the government’s initial desire to open the market, so there was no way it would be approved.
Therefore, Jasper decided that he would gain the government’s favor first and let them see who was truly trying to benefit the industry.
Being in the government’s favor was more important than one would think. It might seem useless as balls most of the time, but it could affect the government’s stance during crucial moments. When it came to deciding important policies, the government would likely take into consideration enterprises with ‘a sense of societal responsibility.’
Within the country, whoever captured the government’s heart was the true winner.
Future history would prove that even with the payment license open for application, the market would still be split fully by Terizone and Abbylon. There was no third place in this field, only the first and second.
Vita considered Jasper’s opinion and said, “To be frank, there’s a high chance that your suggestion will be approved since you’re considering from the government’s point of View. But aren’t you afraid that this ruckus will hinder your own development too?”
Jasper smiled. “Everyone thinks that online payment is doomed for failure. But this is a huge market and it’ll only be a matter of time before people turn around and realize.”
“What I need to do is get the sweetest bite of this figuratively huge cake as fast as possible. I’m not trying to control the entire market, nothing good comes out of monopolizing it.”
Vita exhaled in awe as he looked at Jasper. He commented genuinely, “A huge majority of the businessmen I meet are so greedy they almost wish they could own the entire market. But you’re the only one I’ve met that’s willing to let go.”
“You have to let go of what you have on hand if you want to take more. With this temperament and character of yours, it makes sense how you’ve made it so far and will only continue to go further.”
“Wish me luck, then. Haha.”
Walking out of Vita’s office, Jasper was just about to have Julian gather information on Soha and the Crown Prince when he received a call.
“Jasper.”
Tiffany’s voice was shy and nervous when she called.
“What is it?” Jasper asked with a smile.
Tiffany felt inexplicably calm when she heard Jasper’s gentle tone and asked, “Are you free tonight! I want to treat you to dinner!”
Life at the Top Chapter 1157
“I’m free, but why invite me for dinner so suddenly?” Jasper asked with a crescent-eyed smile.
“I got my first part-time paycheck,” Tiffany replied.
Jasper was stunned. He had made sure to give Tiffany enough money for her living costs, but this strong and independent girl had still decided to earn money by doing part-time jobs.
Jasper was not against this, in fact, he supported it.
“Congratulations! This is indeed worth celebrating, where do you want to eat?”
Tiffany seemed prepared as she immediately replied, “I heard that there’s a really tasty seafood restaurant that opened recently at Gold Pedestrian Street Is that okay?”
‘Gold Pedestrian Street?
‘Isn’t that my property?’
Following the full completion and publicity of the Gold Pedestrian Street as well as the support from the Waterhoof City City Government, the street had developed very quickly.
As of today, it had already shown signs of being one of the future three large pedestrian streets in the country. All foreign tourists would surely visit the Gold Pedestrian Street first, then make their way to the beach.
As a result, business at the Gold Pedestrian Street was only improving and the most evident change with it was its rental costs.
There was no way Jasper would sell any property located here, nor would any stores be sold on the market. Yet its rental prices were increasing every day. It had currently risen to the rental cost of 5000 Somer Dollars per square meter.
This was an unimaginable cost in the year 2001, yet countless people were fighting for a lease contract.
Naturally, Jasper made a lot of money from this.
Jasper had first bought these property lots from the City Government with the agreement to pay them in installments. The rent Jasper earned now has reached the point where it could easily pay off the installments to the government with profit left to spare.
In no time, more than half of Gold Pedestrian Street’s properties would become cash cows that countless people desired, and they would supply Jasper with an endless flow of cash.
“Sure. But it isn’t cheap eating over at Gold Pedestrian Street,” Jasper told Tiffany mirthfully through the phone after recollecting his thoughts.
“Mr. Clem takes quite good care of me and he gave me the best job there is. So don’t worry, Jasper!”
Hanging up the phone, Jasper had Julian turn the car around and make their way to Gold Pedestrian Street.
This was Tiffany’s first part-time paycheck, and she wanted to repay Jasper with it. So there was no way Jasper would decline this lady’s kind wish.
This was a pedestrian street, after all, so cars were not allowed to drive in. The car pulled up at the recognizable structure of Peace Restaurant and Jasper alighted first. He had Julian park the car at that restaurant first while he walked over to the seafood restaurant Tiffany talked about.
At the same time, Tiffany who had already arrived at the pedestrian street when she called Jasper was currently talking to a server at the entrance of the seafood restaurant.
“There’s a student card discount, right?”
Hearing Tiffany ask that, the server that was already busy from the huge influx of customers since it had just opened frowned. She looked Tiffany over and while she found her pretty, all the servers here were trained to have sharp eyes.
They could tell with one look which customers were rich and which were tourists coming to try things.
“We do, but there’s no space for discounted customers now. Wait first if you want, ” the female server replied unkindly with a taut expression.
“Seriously, what’s a broke student doing here?”
Tiffany bit her lip when she heard the server mutter and asked, “How long do I have to wait?”
The female server replied irritably, “Can’t you tell that the restaurant’s busy? Go wait outside if you want a discounted seat, or come back when the restaurant’s empty.”
Tiffany tugged on her own fingers. While she was angry at the server’s attitude, she was used to resigning herself nor did she want to cause more trouble, so she said, “Then I don’t need the student discount, then. I’ll pay normally.”
The female server snorted and said, “Are you here to cause trouble? First, you ask for a discount and now you say you don’t want it. Does this place look like somewhere broke students can afford to eat?”
“Do you know where this is? A simple dish here is enough to cost you your entire week’s living expenses. Can you even afford this?”
Tiffany replied angrily, “What’s it to you if I can afford it or not?”
The female server slammed her pen on her notebook and said, “Who do you think you’re talking to? What’s with your attitude?”
“I’m telling you, our seafood restaurant doesn’t serve customers like you! You want to eat here? Sure. We charge at least 1500 bucks a meal. If you can afford that then I’ll let you in!”
Tiffany pinched the 800 Somer Dollars in her pocket and flushed, too embarrassed to say anything.
The female server scoffed when she saw Tiffany’s reaction and said, “You can’t afford it, can you? Open your eyes and take a good look. Our restaurant is full all the time and every single table spends more money than you will. How do we have to spend time on you?”
“Leave. Don’t come to places like this if you can’t afford it. Just go and buy snacks outside, okay?”
Life at the Top Chapter 1158
“Your attitude’s horrible!” Tiffany told the female server angrily.
The female server was infuriated and she pointed at Tiffany’s nose to say, “My attitude’s bad? What kind of attitude do you expect from me when you can’t pay for anything? Sure, I can be nice, but can you afford it?”
“I shoo away dozens of broke people like you a day. Who are you to claim that my attitude’s bad?”
The loud server attracted the attention of many customers and other servers. Under public scrutiny, Tiffany felt her cheeks burn in shame and she bit her lip, unable to say another word.
Just then, a man in a suit walked over.
“She’s right, Lara. Your attitude’s not very nice!”
The man in a suit chided the server.
The server, Lara, looked at the man and smiled courteously. She said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Pearce. But I’m already too busy and I still have to deal with broke students.”
“Being busy isn’t an excuse for a bad attitude. After all, we’re in the service industry and the customer is always right,” The man said with a crescent-eyed smile.
Despite his words, he showed no sign of truly reprimanding Lara.
The man walked over to Tiffany. Seeing such a pretty and refreshing girl in front of him, his eyes lit up brightly.
“I’m the manager here, Miss, as well as half an owner since I have shares in the restaurant. You’re very much welcome to eat here, I can arrange the best private room for you,” Mr. Pearce snickered and said.
Tiffany may be innocent but she was not stupid. From Mr. Pearce’s gaze, she could tell that this man had ulterior motives.
Tiffany took an instinctive step back and shook her head. “It’s alright. Your restaurant’s too expensive, I can’t afford it.”
Tiffany then turned to leave.
Yet Mr. Pearce stood in front of Tiffany, blocking her path. His expression was stern as he said, “No way. Our server’s attitude was horrible just now, so as an apology, let me treat you to a meal.”
Mr. Pearce then reached out to take Tiffany’s hand as he spoke.
Tiffany took another wary step backward. Staring at Mr. Pearce, she said, “What are you doing? Don’t touch me!”
A mortified expression flickered through Mr. Pearce’s face but it vanished right away.
The man smiled and straightened his suit before he said arrogantly, “Look, miss. I’m considered half an owner of this restaurant and I am worth a few million in assets. Don’t you want to get to know me more?”
“If I’m in a good mood, I might even give you a chance to experience the world of wealth.”
Disgust filled Tiffany’s eyes when she looked at Mr. Pearce.
She did not understand why some people could be so full of themselves.
They were both men, but he seemed like a completely different species from Jasper. There was just no comparing the two.
“I’m not interested in your world of wealth. No thank you!”
Mr. Pearce chuckled and said, “I understand where you’re coming from since you’ve never got to experience the world of wealth anyway. So it makes sense that you don’t know how magical it is. But you won’t be able to leave that world once you’ve had a taste.”
“Say, for example, you want to eat here today. You won’t have to worry about a discount, nor would anyone humiliate you over it. No matter how busy the restaurant is, no one would make you wait and they’d arrange the best private room for you to eat in.”
Mr. Pearce looked at Tiffany with arrogance and haughtiness hanging off the corner of his lips.
“Let’s not talk about that anymore. You wanted a table within the seafood restaurant, right? I’ll have someone prepare a room for you right away. How does that sound?”
Tiffany wanted to reject him, but she thought about how she had come to treat Jasper to dinner. This was something important to her so Tiffany’s expression turned conflicted and hesitant.
She did not know if she should agree to it or not.
Mr. Pearce’s expression grew even more joyful when he saw hesitance on Tiffany’s face.
He approached Tiffany before she knew it and said, “And all of this is just the basics. If you had a boyfriend like me, you’ll get even more.”
As he spoke, Mr. Pearce’s hand had already moved and hovered above Tiffany’s shoulder.
However, before he could touch Tiffany, a hand had grabbed his wrist tightly.
Mr. Pearce was enraged. He turned his head to see an expressionless face.
“You should be glad that your dirty hands haven’t touched her yet,” Jasper’s voice rang out slowly.
Tiffany’s eyes lit up when she sanasper. Exclaiming in surprise, she quickly ran over to stand beside him.
At this moment, Tiffany felt engulfed by absolute security and she felt extremely safe.
Life at the Top Chapter 1159
“Motherf*cker! Who are you?!”
Mr. Pearce was enraged when he realized that his plans have been foiled.
“Her friend,” Jasper replied calmly.
Mr. Pearce took a look at Jasper’s outfit. The man was dressed simply at there was no sign of how outstanding he was from his clothes.
Mr. Pearce scoffed and said, “Let go of my hand. Or I’ll make your life not worth living!”
“How will you make it?” Jasper asked.
Mr. Pearce’s gaze chilled and he said icily, “Are you here to cause trouble?”
“My friend came here to eat. It’s enough that you’re not willing to serve her, but what are you trying to get by making her uncomfortable? Have you no sense of shame?”
“F*ck you!”
Mr. Pearce flung Jasper’s hand off and pointed at the latter’s nose to say, “Since when do loafers like you have the right to control what I do? Take a look at where you are, at least! Do you want to die?!”
Jasper glanced at the rambunctious interior of the seafood restaurant and said, “Where I’m at? Isn’t this just a restaurant? Why, or perhaps I’m looking at a forbidden area in a palace?”
“To people who can afford to pay, yes, this is a restaurant. For broke losers like you, then this is a forbidden palace!” Mr. Pearce said harshly. Greed and envy flared in his eyes as he glanced at Tiffany who stood beside Jasper like a kitten.
If he wanted this beautiful girl, then he had to get rid of this annoying man first.
By humiliating him in front of her, he would let her know that women had to look for powerful men in society. Trash like this could not protect her.
Most importantly, Mr. Pearce had an extremely dignified guest to receive and he did not have time to waste with Jasper.
Mr. Pearce was enraged when he thought of that and his gaze turned unkind as he looked at Jasper.
“Where’s security? Get over here!”
With Mr. Pearce’s shout, three to five security guards surrounded them.
“Beat this troublemaker up and throw him out!” Mr. Pearce said gleefully.
Hearing him, the security guards immediately made their way to Jasper.
From how practiced their actions were, it seemed like this was not the first time such a thing happened.
Just then, a figure approached from the entrance and stood in front of Jasper. It was Julian who had just arrived.
Julian’s gaze was icy as he stared at the few security guards. If any dumb guards took another step, then he would attack them.
The security guards were just ordinary people who could read the situation. They could tell that Julian, radiating with an icy aura, was not someone they could win against. The guards immediately shared a look and no one dared to make the first move. They had all frozen.
“What are you doing just standing here?” Mr. Pearce was frantic and he shouted, “Go attack him right now! Whoever runs away can get lost! Get rid of them and I’ll reward you with bonuses!”
Under the temptation of reward, the security guards saw that they had numbers and mustered the courage, and pounced on Julian.
Julian’s gaze was indifferent. Dealing with security guards that were essentially normal people was a waste of his talent.
With a few attacks, the few security guards yelped in pain and knocked against each other before falling down.
Still prideful a moment ago, Mr. Pearce was now stunned when he saw the sight.
This was real life, after all, not an action movie. Normal people have hardly seen cases where one man won against three to four others.
“How, how dare you attack people here?!” Mr. Pearce screamed.
Jasper replied calmly, “You were the one who ordered to hit people first. How is this my fault now?”
Mr. Pearce’s expression was wretched yet he feared Julian’s horrifying skill. Just as he was conflicted about what to say next, a sound rang out by the seafood restaurant entrance.
“What’s going on here? What’s with all this commotion?”
Mr. Pearce’s expression lit up when he heard the voice.
As if meeting his savior, Mr. Pearce ran out and greeted the person respectfully. “My apologies, Mr. Heron, I’ve been dealing with a mess. There were two f*cking idiots that came to cause trouble so I was dealing with them.”
Then Mr. Heron frowned and said coldly, “I invested in this seafood restaurant, Roy. I had you manage it because I didn’t want people to cause trouble. Why, has the name Gerry Heron lost its effect in Waterhoof City?!”
“You’re right, Mr. Heron. But there are always reckless people who just want to die. Here, it’s these two f*ckers. I’d say, just waste them and get it over with, Mr. Heron.” Roy reached out to point at Jasper and Gerry’s fierce gaze followed.
Gerry was stunned when he saw Jasper.
Mr. Heron, who was still extremely powerful the previous second, was stunned in place the next. As if he had been stricken by lightning, the man could be seen trembling where he stood.
Life at the Top Chapter 1160
Jasper met Gerry’s gaze and said with a smile, “It’s been a few days since we last met Mr. Heron. Looks like you became even more successful.”
Gerry stuttered and did not know how to reply, while Roy had fired back beside him.
From what he saw, Jasper was obviously trying to win Gerry over.
So he scoffed and pointed at Jasper’s nose to say, “Shut your stinky trap!”
“Who do you think Mr. Heron is? Who knows what situation you’ve seen Mr. Heron in from afar, but you’re just a piece of low-level trash! Aren’t you afraid that Mr. Heron would rip you to shreds for what you just said?”
“Hah! You don’t know how powerful Mr. Heron is in Waterhoof City, do you, young man?”
Slap!
Roy had just finished speaking when he was slapped across his face.
Naturally, Gerry was the one who did it
It was an angry slap too, one forceful and strong. All that could be heard was the clear sound of a slap, followed by Roy cupping his face and shouting tragically. Then the man fell backward onto the floor and a few of his teeth have flown out in the process.
Roy was utterly confused.
He had no idea why he had gotten slapped. Cupping his face, Roy looked at Gerry in disbelief. Yet all he saw was a furious expression with the desire to devour him.
Gerry was already terrified of Jasper and he was just thinking about how he should calm the situation and calm the atmosphere when Roy stepped up and spewed a bunch of offensive words. Gerry then wanted nothing more than to beat Roy to death now.
“You shut your f*cking stinky trap!”
Gerry pointed at Roy, his eyes bloodshot as if wanted to eat him alive.
Gerry took a deep breath to suppress the unease and franticness within him. Then turned to give Jasper an exceptionally wry smile.
“Mr. Laine. This, it’s a misunderstanding. All a misunderstanding.”
Jasper looked at Gerry and asked meaningfully, “You’re the owner here, Mr. Heron?”
Gerry quickly explained. “There’s no such thing as owner or not. A few friends and I got together to open a restaurant, I just have a few shares here.”
“What a huge business you’re doing, Mr. Heron. It seems like your properties are everywhere. But you have to make sure that management can keep up with the size of your business, or you’ll only be implicated in the end. Don’t you think so?”
Gerry felt cold sweat bead when he heard Jasper. He quickly replied, “Yes, yes, of course. You’re right, Mr. Laine.”
Gerry then turned to kick Roy. “What the f*ck are you waiting for? Apologize to Mr. Laine now!”
At this moment, Roy was completely dumbfounded. He did not expect Jasper to be someone even Gerry could not afford to offend.
From the way Gerry acted, he more than just feared Jasper. Gerry seemed moments away from getting down on the floor and cleaning Jasper’s shoes with his tongue. While Roy still had no idea who Jasper was specifically up until now, he was sure of one thing… He was in great trouble.
Gerry’s kick snapped him back to reality. Ignoring everything else, he crawled his way to Jasper and wailed, “Mr… Mr. Laine, I’m sorry. I, I was blind, I’m sorry for offending you! Please give me another chance…”
“Chance?” Jasper smiled subtly at Roy.
Frankly speaking, someone like Roy was not worth Jasper’s anger. However, since the incident involved Tiffany, Jasper had no intention to let him go easily.
“Yes, yes, please. You’re a kind man, Mr. Laine. Please give me another chance, I’ll change and be better…”
Before Roy could finish begging, he heard Jasper say, “Chances are things your parents give you. I only care about the results.”