Ch. 1441..1450
Life at the Top Chapter 1441
“Give up? How would a person like that give up so easily? You overestimate us and underestimate Fabian,” Fabian said calmly. ‘
While he was talking, his phone rang.
“Are you in Harbor City?”
Celine’s calm voice came from the other end of the line.
Jasper smiled and said, “You’re so well-informed. I am indeed in Harbor City.”
“Do you know you’ve caused a lot of trouble?” Celine asked.
Jasper was not worried. When he heard Celine’s calm voice, he knew this issue would not be as huge as he imagined.
“Aren’t I always causing trouble?”
Celine sighed and continued, “This time it’s not the same. I’ll be waiting for you in Gambino’s Noodle on Queen Road. You better hurry up, I only have two hours.”
After she said that, she hung up before Jasper could say a word.
After he placed the phone down, Jasper seemed to be lost in thought.
It seemed that Celine had something important to tell him. She could not say it through the phone, so she had to tell him in person.
Moreover, this had to be something sensitive, otherwise they would not meet in a noodle shop.
Was Celine hiding from someone?
“You should rest. Don’t think about work for now. I’ll manage it myself.”
Jasper did not have the mood to stick around any longer. So, he got up and told Jake.
The matter was not over yet. However, Fabian and his team would not dare to do anything to Jake right now. If they wanted to target someone, they would target Jasper. Hence, he was not worried about Jake’s safety at this point in time.
“Alright, I’ll go back to my post as soon as possible,” Jake said, raising his spirits.
Jasper smiled and nodded. “Rest well. Perhaps you’ll be useful in other ways.”
He said this spontaneously to comfort the man, but Jasper did not expect this to come true.
After he left the hospital, he asked Julian to drive.
Queen Road was easy to find, but Gambino’s Noodle was not.
Julian was not familiar with the roads in Harbor City, and right now, there was no GPS on one’s phone so it was not as convenient to find a hidden shop. Thus, an hour passed before Jasper finally found the place.
Gambino’s Noodle was hidden in an alleyway next to Queen Road. The place was not big and it looked aged. The moment Jasper entered the shop, he heard Celine’s familiar voice.
“F*ck off, I don’t have time to entertain you right now!”
“You!” Two cheeky thugs were standing next to Celine’s table. They grinned and said to Celine, “Why are you so hot tempered, sweet cheeks? We’re with Machino, so if you’re willing to play with us, you can do anything you want on this street.”
Jasper frowned. This was the first time he had run into the local specialty of Harbor City thugs.
Even though it had been many years since the Handover, scum like this would always exist where there were people and society.
“Julian, throw those two scumbags outside.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1442
“Damn, are you trying to be a hero?”
The two thugs turned their heads to look at Jasper as they cursed.
“Do you know that we’re with Machino? Watch out or we’ll call our friends to come and kill you!”
After the thugs said that, Julian, who received Jasper’s orders, walked over.
One knew what would happen if Julian decided to teach those thugs a lesson.
After just a few moves, the two grumbling thugs had fallen to the floor before Julian even exerted any force. Julian then lifted the two of them as if they were chickens.
“Just you wait! I’ll call the guys over to kill you all!” One of the thugs had blood all over his face as he cursed and scolded continuously.
Julian tilted his head and smashed the thug’s face against the stairway railing.
Bright red blood and pearly white teeth flew all over the place as the thug cried out in immense pain.
About half of his teeth flew out from his mouth after this.
Then, Julian dragged the other thug who had fallen silent out of the noodle shop.
At this moment, Jasper walked to Celine.
“If you were a few seconds later, they might have abducted me to become their boss’ wife,” Celine grumbled.
Jasper smiled and said, “I should have delayed myself a bit then. I’ve never seen such a beautiful boss lady before.”
Celine glared at Jasper and said, “The noodles here are good. Do you want some?”
While Celine said that, she did not give Jasper a choice. She immediately called the terrified shop owner over and ordered a bowl of noodles.
To a mainlander like Jasper, noodles were just something akin to spaghetti and pasta.
However, Jasper was not a picky eater. He was able to accept everything except for cilantro.
His experience proven that this place, which was particularly favored by Celine, did have its own unique features. The noodles were fragrant and tender, and the broth was also delicious, which made the noodles very good.
“You said I’ve caused a big issue, yet you invited me here to eat noodles with you?” After Jasper took two bites, he asked before drinking the broth.
Celine picked up some tissue to wipe the corner of her mouth. She said, “Since it’s something big, we can only talk about this slowly after we’re full.”
“I feel relieved after seeing you taking your time. It doesn’t seem like a major issue,” Jasper said.
Celine glared at Jasper and replied bluntly, “It’s such a big issue that it’ll be meaningless even if we’re anxious about it now.”
Jasper frowned and waited for Celine to continue.
At this moment, Celine had no intention of keeping Jasper waiting. She sighed and said, “I took a big risk coming out to inform you this time. If the investment bank catches me, I’m afraid that not only will I lose my job, I might also be prosecuted for leaking trade secrets.”
“What the hell is going on?” Jasper asked.
“Layman Investment Bank, Quantum Fund, and Softwin Investments held an emergency consultation with the Federal Reserve regarding the current economic situation of the United States three hours ago.”
“Two hours ago, the top leaders of Colossal Investments, Morgan Financial Group, and six other top financial institutions on Wall Street were convened at the same time for a meeting. This meeting was hosted by Greenspaner, the chairman of the Federal Reserve.”
“After President Paulson ended the video meeting, he spoke to the presidents of investment banks all over the world, including myself. Do you know what was the first thing Greenspaner said during the meeting with the Federal Reserve?”
Every name uttered from Celine’s red and beautiful lips belonged to titans in the global financial world. Their names alone were enough to scare most people. The combination of these consortia and investment banks was enough to overturn the global economy. If these giants were sitting together in a meeting, then something was definitely amiss.
Jasper frowned and was in deep thought. He looked at Celine and said nothing.
Celine sighed again. Knowing that Jasper had no intention of entertaining her riddles, she said directly, “Now, there are despicable enemies lurking in the dark trying to take advantage of this terrorist attack to steal the economic achievements of the United States gained over the past hundreds of years. They are first starting with the economy as they provoke the majesty of the United States!”
These words carried a lot of weight.
“They also came from Greenspaner, who laid the foundation for the modern economic system of the United States. This could almost be regarded as a speech before the declaration of war. However, this battlefield was the financial battlefield, not one of blood and gunpowder.”
“He’s treating this as a matter of principle right? They’re borrowing prestige to scare others,” Jasper said lightly.
Celine looked at Jasper deeply and said, “You are now their primary target.”
“Is it because I was the earliest to plan my moves? That when the whole world treated me as a fool, it was soon revealed that I was the biggest winner of this attack?” Jasper asked.
Celine said with a nod, “Yes, but this is only one of the reasons.”
“Although you made a lot of money, this money isn’t even a splash in their eyes. The real problem is that someone is consciously guiding everyone to focus on you.”
“Layman, Quantum Fund, and Softwin have beef with me. Hehe,” Jasper said with a cold chuckle.
“It’s good that you’re aware.”
Celine showed an extremely solemn expression on her face and said, “You must pay attention to this matter.”
“How? Do you want me to spit out the money?” Jasper said.
Celine felt resentful towards Jasper for failing to meet her expectations. Then, she said, “How can you be so stubborn? Your personal strength is insignificant to the United States. Even if you were Bennett, even if you were a stack of ten Bennetts, it would not be enough for them to ignore the prestige they have as a first world country and ignore you.”
“Moreover, the person who secretly wants to deal with you is employing a very simple method. It is to paint you as a target and make the people of the United States believe that you are the leader who’s going to lead the East to start a financial war against the United States!”
“And that Sorner will be behind you!”
“Once this consensus is reached, you will be doomed!”
Celine’s voice lingered in his ears, and Jasper closed his eyes slightly.
Morrison from Layman Investment Bank, Echo Welch from Softwin Investments, and Rogers from Quantum Fund.
However, these people did not have enough power to fight him so brazenly.
These three looked completely unrelated to one another, but there was one common trait that they all shared.
A relationship with Fabian from the Atticus Family. Everything was clear now. He understood what Fabian was planning to do.
When Jasper opened his eyes, he said sincerely, “How cruel. How heartless. How savage!”
Life at the Top Chapter 1443
Ever since he lost the game with Rogers from Quantum Fund by half a stroke in the Harbor City stock market, Jasper repeatedly reminded himself not to underestimate any enemy. He could not rely on the advantage of his reincarnation to treat everyone else as sub-human.
In this world, there were two kinds of people who were the most indispensable. One was an extremely clever genius, while one was the fool who thought he was extremely clever.
However, after learning about Fabian’s entire plan, Jasper realized that he had still underestimated and underrated Fabian. That guy did not show his most vicious side in the previous match with him on the Dow Jones Index. Even when he fought to the point where his net worth vanished, he did not show it.
He chose to bare his fangs only after. At this moment, he was also at his deadliest.
Since Jasper had invested everything that he could, his assets could not be withdrawn in the short term.
It could be seen that Fabian had used himself as bait. It would have been good if he was able to get rid of Jasper in the first stage, but if he could not, this counterattack would surely doom him to eternal damnation.
“What do you mean?”
Celine did not know that Jasper had figured out so many things in just a few short seconds. She frowned and asked inexplicably when he said something so vague.
“Nothing…” Jasper shook his head. It was not that he did not want to explain to Celine, but that the matter was too complicated and would simply take too long a time to explain.
“Fabian should be the one behind all of these…”
Celine raised her eyebrows and said in disbelief, “The entire Atticus family might not be able to do such a huge thing. You must know that Layman, Softwin, and Quantum Fund, are much larger than the Atticus family. Could he really make these three investment banks act for him so obediently?”
“In many cases, as long as there is interest, a transaction can be facilitated. This is largely irrelevant to the status of both parties-it work as long as they have common interests,” Jasper said lightly.
Celine frowned and said, “It doesn’t matter whether it’s Fabian or someone else, the most important thing now is how to deal with this problem. Is it too late for you to get out now?”
Jasper glanced at Celine and shook his head.
Was she kidding? This was not like storing a few hundred bucks in the bank and withdrawing it when you needed to.
It was almost impossible to withdraw such a large amount of funds.
“How much money do you have in the Dow Jones Index now?” Celine asked in a frightened voice.
“It‘s not just the Dow Jones Index. I am shorting the Dow Jones while still longing on gold. Now the overall invested capital has reached 8.5 billion US Dollars.”
That was right, since Jasper handed over all accounts to the Baz’s team to operate, under Jasper’s command, he had earned another 1.5 billion US dollars from the original investment of 7 billion US Dollars.
Jasper’s words made Celine, the president of the Terra regional branch of Colossal Investments who had long been accustomed to treating money as nothing more than a series of numbers, feel a numb sensation on her scalp.
The funds approved by Celine every day were at least one billion US Dollars.
However, the money came from investment banks and investors, so it came and went frequently. Although the cash flow was large, the overall capital was nothing excessive.
Throughout the entirety of the previous year, the performance of the Terra regional branch of Colossal Investments had an effective transaction revenue of 10 billion US Dollars. However, what was the profit? Less than 1.8 billion.
Even so, the performance of the Terra region was already the largest and most profitable region for Colossal Investments aside from the headquarters in the United States.
Despite all this, it paled in comparison to Jasper’s profit from a single investment.
Jasper’s profits this time were so big that the entire Terra regional branch of Colossal Investments would need to work for three or four years to achieve it.
It could even be said that because of the losses incurred by this financial crisis, Jasper’s profits might have exceeded the total annual profit of Colossal Investments as a whole.
Life at the Top Chapter 1444
What a joke! Colossal Investments was the world‘s largest investment bank.
“Y-You are crazy!” Celine said in shock.
Jasper did not feel proud at all.
He had memories from his past life. Even if he was a pig, he would dare to mortgage himself in the slaughterhouse to easily make this money. It was just a matter of the size of one’s balls and the size of capital that could be leveraged.
“The 8.5 billion US Dollars is enough for the whole of Wall Street to be jealous. I now know why the three investment banks and even the Federal Reserve want to target you now.” Celine sighed.
“’What about Colossal’s attitude regarding this matter?” Jasper asked.
Celine shook her head and said, “You have to know that in the eyes of capitalists, there are only interests. Since you obviously cannot show them any hope of winning in this case, Colossal Investments may be inclined to side with the Federal Reserve.”
“When that happens, it will not only be Colossal, other investment banks and financial institutions in the United States will come to attack you.”
Jasper sneered.
“During this financial crisis, the retail investors in the United States were hit the hardest, followed by these financial institutions and investment banks that had heavily invested in the United States stock market.”
“They suffered heavy losses and naturally want to make it back. Therefore, it would be right up their alley if they destroy me and blame the economic system of the country for it after.”
Celine said, “It’s good that you understand this truth. Now, what are you going to do?”
“Hmm, by the way, are you able to withdraw all the funds within three days?”
Celine’s sudden question stunned Jasper.
Then, he smiled and said, “Based on what you just said, are you saying that you can hold down the entire Federal Reserve for three days?”
Celine gritted her teeth. “My family has a certain strength in the northern part of the United States. I can persuade my family and make them come forward to lobby the presidium of the Federal Reserve.”
“I can even communicate with some veteran congressmen if necessary, but you can’t take too long. If you can withdraw everything within three days, I will find a way to make it happen.”
Jasper was really surprised this time.
The ability to hold down the entire Federal Reserve for three days was impossible even for the Laws, let alone himself. It seemed that the status of Celine’s family in the United States was no lower than that of the Laws in Harbor City.
However, Jasper shook his head at the proposal.
“No…”
Celine was stunned. “Is three days not enough?”
“It’s not that three days are not enough, but I don’t plan to withdraw.”
Jasper’s expression calmed down as he continued, “The Federal Reserve wants to work with Wall Street to take action. Their actions won’t be affected regardless of whether I withdraw or not. If I am still there, they will take care of me first, but if I run away, who will they vent their anger on? Who will they seek out to bear their losses?”
Celine frowned and said nothing.
Jasper proactively continued, “They will look for Somer.”
“The domestic economy has just begun to develop, and we can’t afford such a heavy blow.” Jasper’s tone was calm.
Celine said angrily, “So you’re going to paint yourself as a target? Is your meaningless sacrifice necessary? Will anyone even be grateful toward you?”
“Jasper, I always thought you were a sane person. I didn‘t expect you to go mad!”
Life at the Top Chapter 1445
“I’m not being a target.”
Jasper frowned slightly, refuting Celine‘s words.
“On the contrary, staying will be the best choice.”
“If I retreat, let’s not even consider whether or not the United States Federal Reserve will let me leave with so much money, let’s just look at the stock market that has been in operation for the past few years since Somer was established. It can’t organize an effective resistance in such a short period. At that time, how much will you lose?”
“Once the national economy collapses, will my JW enterprises still have the possibility of survival? With the skin gone, to what can the hair attach itself?”
“There is another question. I am doing this and don’t expect anyone to thank me, but it will not be a meaningless sacrifice.”
Celine was speechless by what Jasper said.
She knew very well that what Jasper said was the truth. However, she was still unconvinced.
“Even so, do you have to bet everything you have on this? Even if you stand in front, can you stop the assault from all of Wall Street’s capitalists? When the time comes, you’ll have no room for resistance at all.”
“Who said that?” Jasper said lightly.
Celine looked at Jasper in astonishment and slowly asked, “What can you do?”
When she thought about this problem from Jasper’s perspective, Celine really could not think of any possibility of winning the game.
“The Wall Street capitalists are the combined force of many financial giants and even oligarchs. No one can fight the world’s most modern and mature financial coalition today alone. Only another equally powerful coalition can fight it.”
Jasper’s clear words made Celine understand Jasper’s plan.
She stared at Jasper in disbelief and blurted out, “You’re delusional. In the face of such a terrifying opponent, no one will stand by your side to help you.”
Even the very powerful Colossal Investments whom she represented did not hesitate to abandon Jasper when the senior investment bank executives noticed the entire Wall Street and even the Federal Reserve’s intention to take action against Jasper.
History already showed him the proof of this, so how could Jasper believe that he could find an ally to help him?
Celine felt that Jasper was simplifying the problem.
“Why don’t you understand?”
Jasper smiled and said, “We have analyzed this before, Wall Street or the Federal Reserve just need a suitable target to vent on, such as Somer. However, I’m just one of the reasons why they’re able to brazenly take action against the country.”
“It’s something very simple. Even you and I can understand it, but you don’t think Somer can?”
“As I said before, with the skin gone, to what can the hair attach itself? There are always smart people in the country who see it clearer than you and me.”
“Besides, what about the United States? It’s not like they’ve never been defeated by our country before.”
“It’s just that it’s a different battlefield this time, but do they think the people of Somer are pushovers?”
Celine looked at Jasper and did not say anything.
Even though they were not close, they knew they were the same kind of people. Once they made a decision, they would not change their mind unless something major happened. This stubbornness was able to give you success, but it could also make you lose everything.
However, Celine knew it would be impossible to convince Jasper today no matter what.
“Whatever. Just do as you like.” Celine sighed. “After all, you won’t be losing your life even if you lose all the money you have. Besides, they’re not interested in your life anyway.”
“Don’ t be so pessimistic. Are you so sure that I’ll lose?”
Jasper lifted the bowl and drank some broth after he said helplessly.
“That much is obvious. Everyone can see it clearly except yourself. What else can I do if you insist on running into the wall?”
After listening to Celine’s resentful words, Jasper smiled and said, “No matter what happens, thank you…”
Jasper understood how much risk Celine had taken to deliver this news to him. In other words, if news of this spread to Wall Street, Colossal Investments would not necessarily protect her.
In the modern financial battlefield, intelligence was even more important than on the real battlefield.
If Jasper did not know anything about it, he would not react until Wall Street reached a consensus and began to launch an overwhelming attack. By then, it would be too late.
At that time, even if Jasper could fly, he could only admit his fate.
Thus, it could be said that Celine had saved Jasper‘s life this time, taking a huge risk in order to do so.
Celine was unbothered. “What’s the use of me taking this risk when you’re still stubbornly insisting to give up your life?”
“At least I know what to do, instead of just waiting stupidly for the other person to come attack me.”
Jasper grinned and got up. He said, “I’ll pay for this as a way to express my gratitude.”
“I’ve never seen someone so stingy! How much does it cost for two bowls of noodles?” Celine was annoyed.
Since she was young, she always had a continuous supply of the opposite sex surrounding her. Because of her charm and familial power, the opposite sex around her could be described as elite. Even so, none of them were as shameless as Jasper.
Yet, the shamelessness of this guy always interested her…
Just as Celine was wondering if he was being cheap, Jasper handed some Harbor dollars to the boss.
“Keep the change,” Jasper said.
When the two walked out, they saw about twenty to thirty thugs standing in front of the small shop entrance. They were carrying knives and they had cigarettes dangling from their lips. They were all looking at the shop with hostility.
Meanwhile, Julian stood expressionlessly at the door with several thugs already lying beneath his feet.
Life at the Top Chapter 1446
“Damn, they’re out!”
The appearance ofJasper and Celine caused a commotion among the thugs who were embarrassed by Julian but still did not dare to rush up to him.
The thugs were very arrogant when they first came, but right now, they were embarrassed. The most embarrassed one among them was their boss, Machino.
He thought that since his men had been beaten, the matter would just lead to an ordinary gang fight. Machino would easily take care of this kind of small problem. As usual, he immediately called all his men who could come over. In the end, more than twenty of them arrived.
Under normal circumstances, after so many people arrived at the scene and the bosses of the two parties negotiated, the matter would be resolved after they agreed to pay some medical fees and get some benefits.
However, when he brought his men to the scene, he only saw Julian.
Machino naturally did not think that such a person was his opponent, so he immediately asked his men to do something.
After this, the situation developed to become what Jasper saw when he walked Celine out.
“Are you his boss?” Machino stood several meters away from Julian. Obviously, he was quite afraid of Julian’s strength.
Even so, he still spoke harshly to Jasper.
“Boss?”
This was the first time someone gave him such a title.
Jasper glanced at Julian with a smile, and then said to Machino, “I guess so.”
“Are you also the boss of those thugs behind you?”
Proper behavior was dependent on reciprocity. Hence, Jasper asked back.
Machino suddenly became proud and said, “Yes, I am in charge of this street. You can call me Machino. You look very foreign. Are you from Sharp Promenade or Causeway Bay?”
“I’m from the Mainland,” Jasper said with a smile.
“Mainland?” Machine’s eyes lit up. He thought Jasper was also in a gang, but he did not expect him to just be a mainlander.
“Your guy hurt my men. Based on the rules of the gang, do you want to solve this civilly or with fists?”
“What do you mean by civilly or with fists?” Jasper asked curiously.
“You’re indeed a mainlander. You don’t even understand this.”
Machino sneered and said more confidently, “If you want to solve this civilly, then it’ll be the medical expenses of my men plus the cost of lost work and recuperation. It’ll be fifty thousand bucks per person. But if you want to solve this by fist, then I’ll pay you back double what you did to them.”
“Sounds fair.” Jasper nodded.
Machino immediately became excited when he heard this.
This guy from the mainland did not understand the market at all. In normal fights like this, everyone would get a compensation of a few thousand bucks, and if their injury was severe, it would be about ten thousand bucks. After all, they were all thugs and they were very lowly.
As long as they did not lose their limbs or were severely injured, they did not even need to go to the hospital. They would be fine after buying some medicine.
When Machino thought about this, he rolled his eyes and smiled gloomily at Jasper. “Seeing that you are someone who plays by the rules, this will be easy. You only need to pay for the medical expenses of my men and I will forget this matter. If I report this to my boss, you will be in big trouble.”
“In this case, you should report to your boss,” Jasper said seriously.
Celine next to him burst out laughing.
Machino was stunned.
This was not right.
How come this guy from the mainland who had previously looked so gullible suddenly became so firm?
Life at the Top Chapter 1447
Without giving him a chance to react, Jasper turned to Julian and said, “I will wait for you in the car.”
After speaking, Jasper left the scene with Celine.
“Hey! How dare you leave? You f*cking mainlander…”
Before Machino finished swearing, Julian‘s big hand came down on him with an earth-shattering blow.
A cool man would never look back at an explosion. Jasper had never encountered an explosion before, but he would not look back at the cruel and bloody scene of Julian bullying these thugs.
It did not matter if it was Machino or a literal machine, for Jasper, they were not even qualified to occupy his time.
There was no reason other than the fact that they were in totally different social classes.
Even if the lion on the grassland wanted to have fun, it would go to the tiger in the jungle. It would be impossible for a lion to play with ants next to the ant hill.
This was the same concept.
After walking out of the alley, Jasper was about to speak when Celine shook the car key hanging on her finger. She said, “I will go back by myself. You don’t have to send me.”
“Is it inconvenient?” Jasper asked.
At this point, even if someone saw Celine with him, it would probably have negative repercussions on Celine.
Celine glared at Jasper and said bluntly, “I just don’t want to have anything to do with a stubborn guy who is about to become a penniless fool!”
After speaking, Celine turned to walk toward a Porsche parked on the side of the road.
Well, this fitted action Celine’s temperament very well. Jasper smiled bitterly and shook his head, knowing that he still could not make Celine understand his choice.
When she reached the car door, Celine pulled the door open and suddenly said to Jasper, “I will buy you as much time as possible. Just do what you have to as soon as possible.”
After speaking, Celine did not wait for Jasper to answer and got straight into the car. After hearing the roar of the accelerator, only the two tail lights were left swaying in the darkening night.
Jasper breathed out softly. He figured that he would owe Celine a huge favor since she had confided the news to him and then tried her best to buy him time.
After he got in the car, it did not take long for Julian to walk out of the alley carefreely.
“Let’s go back to Law Manor,” Jasper said.
Julian responded and drove off.
As for the fate of Machino and his men, Jasper did not ask and Julian did not seem like he wanted to tell Jasper about it.
It was still the same concept their social classes were too different. Even if they wanted to seek revenge, it would be impossible for them to seek revenge against Jasper.
Inside the car, Jasper made consecutive calls to two important figures in the mainland and then tried to dial the number Conrad used to contact him privately.
As expected, it did not go through.
The corners of his mouth raised slightly. Jasper was smiling, but his eyes were a little gloomy.
He did not believe that Conrad would be unaware about this matter.
He learned that Conrad had left the country two days ago from the Laws’ information source. In addition to that, it seemed that his destination was Sunrise Land.
However, Jasper was currently facing huge pressure and he had no time to care about what role Conrad played in this matter.
What he really needed to consider was how to deal with the situation over the next few days. If it was handled well, Conrad would not be a problem. If it was not handled well, everything would come to a sudden stop.
While he was thinking about this, the car steadily pulled to a stop at the entrance of Law Manor.
After getting out of the car, Jasper greeted Henry who was approaching him, and then said, “Please make the necessary arrangements. I want to see your father and your grandfather right away.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1448
Jasper’s words made Henry realize that something was not right. Normally, Jasper would only talk to his father. If he proposed meeting with the old master and his father, it meant that something major had happened.
Suddenly, Henry wiped the grin off his face and stopped his buffoonery. He said, “Come with me.”
Jasper did not see Alex and others, so he asked, “Are the Jeans and the Bransons gone?”
Henry was stunned. “What’s the matter? Do you want to call them along too? If it’s really something that needs the old master’s attention, then Branson will be fine, but I don’t think the Jeans will have the balls to interfere.”
Jasper shook his head and said, “I’m just asking. It would not be right for them to participate anyway.”
That sentence sounded a little cheap, but Jasper was too embarrassed to say it out loud.
Henry took Jasper to the backyard and came to a stop in front of an ordinary bungalow.
While knocking on the door, Henry explained to Jasper, “The old master usually doesn’t live at home.
“He’s old, so it’s a little inconvenient for him to live in the house because of his legs. He doesn’t like going up the stairs, so we built a house specifically for him. It was built based on the old master’s preference. He’s old now, so he’s nostalgic.”
Jasper smiled and nodded.
Moments after knocking on the door, the old master’s old yet vigorous voice came from inside.
“Is that you, Jasper? Come in and talk.”
Henry opened the door and brought Jasper in. Then, he said unhappily, “Old master, I’m your grandson, why did you ask if it’s Jasper and not me when I knocked on the door?”
Old Master Law happily got up and said, “Do you think I don’t know you? If nothing is going on, would you dare to come and loiter around in front of me?”
Henry was quite embarrassed.
Although the old master was kind, this depended on the timing.
He had always been very strict, unreasonable even, when it came to educating his descendants. Therefore, Henry had been most afraid of the old master instead of Zachary since he was a child.
Since he was more mature now that he was grown, Henry understood that the old master was doing this for his own good. Even so, how could one just get rid of childhood traumas so easily?
“You should talk, I’ll get my father.” Henry found an excuse to escape.
Zachary was not here yet, so Jasper did not rush into discussion. Instead, he greeted the old master and exchanged courtesies with him, “Old Master, I’m so happy that you’re still so healthy and strong.”
“I can still light the way for you youngsters for a few more years. After some years, I might not have the energy for that even if I wanted to. I guess I have to admit that I’m getting old.”
“When I met you the first time earlier last year, I could still do some farm work, but now, I can’t do that anymore.”
Old Master Law was very open-minded about birth, old age, sickness, and death. After Jasper sat down, he said with a smile.
“You’re going to live a hundred years, Old Master. Otherwise, I don’t know how many trouble will occur, ” Jasper said after sitting down.
“No one can escape death, and no one can really live to a few hundred years old. I am so old now, and if it is not for youngsters, it would be worth it to just close my eyes right now.” Old Master Law laughed.
Jasper and Old Master Law would always chat like this.
Jasper did not say why he needed to visit the old master so late at night, and the old master did not ask either. They simply waited for Zachary’s arrival in tacit understanding.
Zachary did not make them wait too long. Within ten minutes, he arrived in the small bungalow.
“What’s the matter? Is it very important?”
Compared to the old master, Zachary was much more straightforward.
Life at the Top Chapter 1449
He was still busy with work. Although Henry was out, the Atticus family would not let this matter go so easily. In fact, the fight between the two families had not stopped until today.
In a fight of this level, it did not matter how small the impact would be to the two sides, it might even have just been an argument between two small companies that did not care about each other, but it would still be immediately conveyed to the respective heads.
After all, although the matters were small, they were greatly symbolic. In such a situation, there were currently too many things that Zachary needed to deal with in person.
“I have reliable information that Wall Street and the Federal Reserve want to take action against me.”
Jasper’s words were concise as he went straight to the point.
As soon as he said this, Zachary’s expression changed.
Meanwhile, the old master also frowned.
“Jasper, you can’t joke around about this.” Zachary frowned.
Frankly speaking, if Jasper were not the one sitting here and saying this, Zachary would have turned around and left.
What a joke! That was Wall Street and the Federal Reserve. They were the two cores of the world’s most developed economy.
The economic policy of the Federal Reserve was the official economic policy of the United States, and even a single decimal point deviation in a report would affect the global economy.
Would such a godlike entity take action against an individual?
This was as funny and nonsensical as hitting a mosquito with a missile.
“Since I’m saying it now, I am 100% sure.”
“Of course, I am the cause of it this time. The first target is me, but they certainly won’t muster large forces to take care of just me. I’d be dead the moment Wall Street or the Federal Reserve makes an announcement. They don’t even need to lift a finger. However, their real motive is to carry out a devastating attack on Somer’s domestic finance through their attack on me.”
Jasper sounded calm but it sounded as if he was using the mildest and calmest tone to say the most terrifying part.
Zachary’s expression changed.
The old master also had an abnormal expression on his face.
“Jasper, speak slowly,” the old master said.
Jasper nodded. Then, he told them his beef with Fabian and his fight with Fabian on the Dow Jones Index back then.
“Originally, the winner of this round was already determined. Fabian is already powerless to fight back, but what I didn’t expect was that he would overturn the chessboard and take out a bomb directly from under his bottom to drag me to hell with him.”
“Based on the information I have so far, Fabian instigated this incident.”
“He worked with Layman, Colossal, and Quantum Fund, which all have beef with me, and united them. Then, they handed a butcher’s knife to the United States together. Coincidentally, the United States is desperate to find something to divert the attention of their people from the panic caused by the terrorist attack.”
After a pause, Jasper sighed, “Fabian’s meticulous thoughts, savage methods, and unique vision have indeed caused me huge trouble. I underestimated him.”
“The Atticus family birthed a formidable character indeed,” Zachary said in a deep voice.
Jasper nodded and continued, “This wouldn’t have worked if it happened at any other time. After all, no one on Earth could convince Wall Street and the Federal Reserve to do this, let alone the Atticus family.”
“It just so happened that Fabian was given this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity just as the United States needed an excuse to divert the attention of its people.”
“Hence, Fabian is taking advantage of the global climate, while I have to bear the punishment.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1450
Zachary paced back and forth in the living room with his hands behind his back. This had become a habit of his whenever he needed to figure out something.
“This is difficult…”
After thinking for some time, Zachary turned his head to say to Jasper, “Because of our mutual ideology, it is difficult for the Easterners to penetrate the West, let alone the United States.”
“Although the Laws know a few members, they are all members of the senate. However, this is ultimately a matter for Congress, and they will be the ones who have any say. I am afraid it will be difficult for the Laws to do anything.”
Jasper smiled and said, “Uncle Law, I never wanted to avoid this catastrophe through lobbying.”
“It is possible that no amount of lobbying will work for this matter, especially since this is right up the United States’s alley. Even the stupid politicians won’t betray the majority to choose this very small profit that we’re able to provide.”
“What are you planning to do then?” Zachary lifted his eyebrow and asked.
Jasper turned his head to look at the old master.
Zachary was stunned. When he looked over to where Jasper was looking, he realized the old master was looking at him with a displeased look on his face.
Even though Zachary was already in his forties and near fifties and though he had taken charge of the Laws for many years, he would still feel like a guilty child who had made a mistake when the old master looked at him in dissatisfaction.
“Dad, why are you looking at me like that?”
The old master said angrily, “I regret handing the family to such a disappointment like you!”
“So what if they were from the United States? So what if they’re Wall Street? So what if they’re the Federal Reserve? They only have more brains and hands. Why are you being so cowardly after hearing their names?” Zachary felt ashamed when the old master criticized him.
“Dad, can’t you wait to scold me after? Jasper is still here. How am I going to get away from this embarrassing situation?” Zachary smiled bitterly and pleaded.
Zachary was only acting like this because he did not treat Jasper as an outsider anymore.
If it were somebody else, Zachary might consider killing them to preserve his prestige and image.
“You have to remember that you’re a descendant of the Law family. The others can surrender and run away when they’re faced with a powerful enemy, but you can’t!” The old master said in a deep voice.
Zachary lowered his head and said, “Yes, I understand.”
With a scoff, the old master continued, “The market crash of Harbor City is not even over yet, yet you’ve already forgotten your lesson. Why don’t you think about who caused the crash?”
“Even if we didn’t lose, we have to remember that we haven’t won yet!”
“As long as the enemy is still here and they’re still determined, we’ll have to defend against them. Defending is important, but if we have a chance, why don’t we break their hand and give them a lesson that they’ll never forget so that they won’t do it again?”
Zachary was stunned when he heard that. He was not enlightened with perfect wisdom. Instead , he simply felt that the old master’s age was getting to him.
They were talking about Wall Street and the Federal Reserve. This meant that anyone who was on the opposite side would have to face the raw power of the world‘s largest force, the United States.
This was like a three-year-old fighting a strong and burly man who was covered in muscles. Was he insane? When the old master saw Zachary’s reaction, he knew what he was thinking.
“You fool!”
The old master scolded Zachary for failing to meet his expectations. Then, he added, “No wonder Henry is still a disappointment even though he’s an adult now. How can the son achieve anything great when he has such a useless father?”
Zachary said angrily, “Dad, I’m also your son. If we’re to look at things according to your logic, what does that make you?”