Ch. 1511..1520
Life at the Top Chapter 1511
After Rogers said that, the atmosphere in the conference room became more relaxed and casual.
“Rogers, it took you 2 days to deal with a Somerland businessman who is younger than your son. It really makes me regret it. I think even the interns from our investment bank would have been able to do it in 3 days if I asked them to do so. Hahaha!” Dugg laughed.
Rogers shrugged and said, “After all, Mr. Hamilton said we can’t take the enemy too lightly.”
The meeting lasted about two hours. About half an hour after the meeting ended, the Federal Reserve put out a new announcement.
There was not much content to it, but they listed a new rule.
The translation meant that personal or institutional funds from Somerland were not allowed to exceed 100 million US Dollars in offshore quotas for the next 3 months.
This announcement caused a stir within the public. Any normal person could tell that the Federal Reserve was directly provoking Somerland.
International outcry aside, the news immediately spread to Somerland.
Heaven City was the satellite city of Swallow Capital. A lot of the big shots from Swallow Capital loved to buy property around here for holidays or for their mistresses. Even though the air quality here was not that great, it was more peaceful than Swallow Capital.
In this city was a house with a long history going back to the 1300s. Its archaic and vintage design was unable to conceal its former glory.
On the contrary, because of the markings of time, everything here was rich with history. What a nation accumulated over time was culture and treasure.
This house now belonged to an individual.
Normally, this kind of building that was also a cultural relic would have been unlikely to belong to an individual, but as everyone knew, there were always some exceptions.
At the corner of the entrance, two old men were squatting on the ground playing chess with their hands in their pockets.
The old man was an ordinary old man and the chessboard was just an ordinary chessboard. Nothing was out of the ordinary about them.
The only surprising thing was that next to the chessboard was a young man with a blanket covering his legs as he watched them play chess with gusto.
At this moment, a woman walked out of the house. It was Adele, who had just met Jasper days prior.
When the young man saw Adele, he sighed.
“What? Do you hate to see me?” Adele smiled beautifully.
“No, I just know that nothing good happened,” the young man said. Then, he followed Adele to another spot where there was no one around.
“An announcement was issued from the opposite side. They’re limiting Somerland’s offshore funding quota to 100 million US Dollars. This will last three months.”
Adele did not care that the young man did not like her and she said directly.
The young man’s expression did not change. He said, “How many years has it been? Yet, they’re still like this. They’re so petty and they’re acting like a bunch of shrews.”
“You’re the only person in the world who would describe the Federal Reverse as a bunch of shrews,” Adele said, amused.
“Many people are waiting on us. Lord Alvarado and the little prince have joined, and they’re all waiting for you now.” Adele saw that her brother was ignoring her, so she remarked.
Lifting his eyes to look at Adele, he said, “Among these people, the one who most urgently wants to know what I plan to do is you, right?”
“After all, you are the number one intelligence broker in the private sector. Uncle said the same thing when he came home last time. He asked you to exercise more restraint. They have received several pieces of news about you when they were digging up information of information brokerage. How much do you plan to sell the information you get from me this time for?”
“Why do the Brown have a broker for buying and selling news like you?”
“It doesn’t matter if you’re royalty or common folk, who doesn’t want business? The Browns, you say? What’s wrong with the Browns? Do the Browns not eat when they go out? The money I earn is right and proper, and the old man has acquiesced in it. Despite this, you’re saying I’m being unreasonable?” Adele was dissatisfied.
“Hmph, even if you smashed the old man’s snuff bottle, he would still be reluctant to scold you. I think the old man spoiled you too much and made you lawless.” the young man said.
“Fine, stop scolding me. I don’t like to see you like this. Just tell me, what are you planning to do?”
“Planning? What is there to plan? The very interesting Jasper Laine you mentioned is standing at the frontlines; It is Lord Alvarado and the little prince’s business if they choose to join in the fun. What does it have to do with me?”
Life at the Top Chapter 1512
As the young man said that, he turned the wheelchair around to get around Adele.
Adele was not happy, and she stood in front of him, blocking his way.
“Do you think your wheelchair can outrun my legs?”
Adele was feeling pleased with herself. “Don’t even think about leaving if you don’t give me an appropriate explanation today.”
The young man sighed and said helplessly, “Be more observant, do less, and say less. Do you understand?”
Adele frowned and was confused.
The young man shook his head and he seemed disappointed with Adele’s behavior. He said, “Sometimes, I want to run some tests on you to see whether we’re really related by blood. Am I the adopted one or are you the adopted one? Why are you sostupid?”
Adele was enraged. She spat angrily, “What did you say, you cripple?”
Everyone knew there were three amazing leaders among the younger generation in Somerland. One was the crippled Brown from the north, the little prince from the south, and Lord Alvarado from the northwest.
However, they did not know of a powerful statement. The little prince and Lord Alvarado contributed 20% of Somerland’ s talents over the past fifty years, the crippled Brown alone contributed 30%, and the remaining 50% was contributed by the various scholars within the country.
This was said by a top boss of Swallow Capital who had completely retreated behind the scenes since then. From this, one could see how terrifying this young man sitting in a wheelchair was.
“Stop probing. This matter was submitted to the policy institute a month ago. Do you understand the nature of such a thing?” The young man said.
Adele was taken aback, and she said in surprise, “The policy institute? I know that the higher-ups are concerned, but does it have to go to this stage?”
The policy institute was the nation’s official think tank. It specialized in providing various suggestions and plans for the bigwigs of Swallow Capital. In different times and regions, people who worked in such a place also had different names.
The Military Government Adviser Think Tank!
Meanwhile, they enjoyed extraordinary treatment, whereby all the plans they proposed would eventually be integrated and submitted. Some of these plans would be implemented and some would not, but if they were integrated, they all became the same thing-national policy!
“Besides that Jasper person whom you find interesting, there’s also the little prince and Lord Alvarado. You underestimate the impact and significance of this matter.”
The young man shook his head, obviously not wanting to say more.
“Now, I won’t do anything. As for the future, we’ll talk about it when the time comes. So many people are looking at Jasper now, so I hope he’ll give everyone a satisfactory result. There’s not many other opportunities for him to leap to success like this.”
Adele frowned and said, “Leap to success? He’s already successful and he’s achieved so many things, but if he fails…”
“Who can you blame? He can only blame his fate and himself,” the young man said faintly.
Adele replied suddenly, “I passed the message you wanted me to pass to him. He has something he wants to tell you too.
“He said if there’s a chance, he’ll come to Swallow Capital to have a long chat with you.”
The young man was already planning to leave, but when he heard that, he stopped his wheelchair and chuckled. He said, “Okay, you’re right. That guy is very interesting.”
After he said that, he left. This time, he really left, Adele did not dare to go stop him again.
She only frowned and watched as his figure disappeared through the entrance of the manor. She felt that these two men were insane. They were always saying something strange that no one else could understand.
How was be interesting?
He was making this so unnecessarily mysterious.
Inside the manor, the young man wheeled his wheelchair and headed deeper into the house.
Yet, he had a contemplative look on his face.
“Jasper Laine… With the current national conditions, Somerland needs a representative and an appealing young man to appear and become the archetype role model.”
“The three of us, whose backgrounds are too strong, have already been excluded from the list of candidates, so do you, who had appeared out of nowhere, have that kind of luck?”
Nauritus City.
In the manor, the atmosphere of the party was reaching a crescendo.
Jasper, who had finished his opening speech, was arrogantly and steadily navigating the various conversations with his guests.
Jasper smiled gently and politely at the crowd. He had an exquisite and gentle smile, so people could instantly feel his friendliness.
His focused and calm eyes were always looking at his guest politely when they spoke so that everyone who talked to him would feel respected.
This was the first time most of them were interacting with Jasper after they were invited here. Despite this, they formed a good impression of Jasper.
He was young and full of potential. Furthermore, he was very capable and his etiquette was immaculate. Who would not like him?
Outside the crowd, Henry tutted and sighed ruefully, “Why did I never notice how handsome Jasper was?”
“Some people are born to flourish among the rich and powerful, and Jasper is just that,” Kayden said.
Henry smacked his lips and suddenly turned around to say to Kayden, “Thanks for back then.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1513
Henry was referring to the last time he was locked up by the Atticus family. Back then, it was Kayden who provided important materials to Jasper who had just gotten off the plane, which eventually forced Fabian to submit.
Although everyone knew that Kayden was also taking advantage of his strength and this opportunity to make Fabian fall flat on his face, at the end of the day, this was still a favor to Henry, and Henry had to show his gratitude.
Kayden said with a smile, “It’s nothing.”
At this moment, Jasper stood among the crowd. He picked up the wine glass and tapped the glass with a spoon, making a crisp sound.
“It’s time,” Henry said.
Everyone fell silent quickly. Everyone in the hall looked at Jasper.
Jasper was smiling gently. His fearlessness stemmed from his confidence and domineering aura. It was as if he was born to be the center of attention.
At the same time, everyone who was looking at him each enjoyed net worth of over a billion Somer Dollars.
“Everyone, first of all, thanks for coming.” Jasper thanked everyone once again.
Before the crowd could respond, Jasper continued, “There are 6 chambers of commerce here today, namely Haddock Chamber of Commerce, River City Chamber of Commerce, Jin Chamber of Commerce, Canter Chamber of Commerce, and so on. The people in charge of the top ten private equities in the country like Harmony Investments, Peaks International, and so on are also here. We also have the top 20 millionaires from the millionaire list.”
“There are a total of 64 people here. There will be nearly 70 people here including the little prince, Lord Alvarado, and the others. I can safely say that most of the elites from the national financial circle are gathered here today.”
“I’ll say something nasty. If I plant a bomb here, then we’ll be finished. Most of the people heading the domestic financial circle 50 years after the founding of Somerland would be wiped out.”
Everyone chuckled lowly when Jasper said this.
After Jasper stopped smiling, he said seriously, “But today we didn’t gather for a meal or to meet new friends, we are preparing to start a difficult financial war. Everyone present is an investor of JW Foundation.”
“JW Foundation successfully raised 320 billion Some Dollars on the first day of its establishment. It is the fastest hedge fund to reach both a billion and ten billion dollars. Plus, it is also the largest hedge fund in Somerland.”
“First of all, I thank you for your trust. Secondly, I also want to tell you that the next period may be difficult, but we must work together and unite in order to overcome difficulties and survive!”
“We have to always remember that Somerland is inviolable! Let’s get ready for war! Fight!”
After Jasper said that, everyone’s eyes shone as their cheeks flushed.
Their blood was not boiling because of what Jasper said. They were all sly old foxes, and they were so witty that even their eyelashes were hollow. If their blood could boil after such a shallow statement, then they would be a disappointment to their positions and statuses.
What they truly cared about was that they were a part of Jasper’s foundation.
One would understand how valuable this was if they just looked at the big shots in the foundation. This fund, which was not open to the public for public fundraising, was definitely a fund that the top wealthy people in Somerland wanted to get involved with in the future.
No one at the scene expected Somerland’s most mysterious and powerful JW Foundation, which claimed to have a value of hundreds of millions, to be founded like this. It was now a super-private equity fund of the nouveau riche even without joining JW Company.
Looking at the expressions on the faces of his guests, Jasper knew that his initial goal had been achieved. With a slight smile, Jasper continued, “Then, I won’t waste everyone’s time. Now I will explain the specific operations and measures of the fund in the next step.”
“First of all, in response to the opening of the United States stock market tomorrow, the fund will set up three operating locations in Waterhoof City, Nauritus City, and Harbor City…”
Next, Jasper briefly introduced the plan that he had discussed and decided on with the little prince and the gang.
The content was roughly the same, but the difference was that the previous discussions with the little prince and the others were real discussions. If they had different opinions, they could be resolved through communication and compromise.
However, right now, Jasper was just notifying the rest that he had decided to roll with the stated process.
It did not matter if the people belowhad any opinions or not. They also did not need to knowwhy the three operating locations were set up. The only thing they needed to know was what the foundation would do next Jasper was not a person who liked to waste time in meetings.
After giving a brief and clear introduction, Jasper ended this speech.
“In any case, I hope you will join hands with me. JW Foundation welcomes everyone to join!”
“Let us fill our cups to this and let’s wish JW Foundation a good start!”
After raising his wine glass, Jasper finished with a toast Jasper was the center of everyone’s attention as he stood under the spotlight among the crowd. His smile was warm and radiant. It was as enchanting as the wine swirling in his glass.
“To a good start!”
“’l’o a good start!”
Everyone lifted their glasses and said happily.
“Do you know what’s the difference between that kid and us?” Lord Alvarado poked the little prince with his elbow and pouted in Jasper’s direction.
The little prince smiled and said, “We’re second or third generation when he’s really the first generation. Plus, he’s a first-generation who is capable of raising capable second or third generations.”
Lord Alvarado tutted and exclaimed, “This kid is really something else.”
“Let’s raise our glasses.”
The little prince grabbed a glass of wine from the table and smiled at Kayden and the gang. “Since we’re here, we have to support him to the end.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1514
The crisp sound of wine glasses colliding and everyone downing the contents of their glasses was soon heard. The party officially began.
Over the next hour, everyone was busy making connections and talking about the news. Everyone behaved politely and there was no embarrassing drama that would only happen in novels after someone acted as a poser. Everyone present was in the upper-class, and if they had earned the right be stand here, they had to at least learn to integrate into this circle.
Something like a poor kid who had nothing suddenly showing up at the party only to be harshly looked down upon on the millionaires would only happen in a small town. However, in a party where the top millionaires and elites in the country gathered, the chances of this happening were close to zero.. As the host, Jasper naturally had to socialize. Wendy also appeared during the second half of the party. Wendy perfectly exemplified the role of the hostess after she showed up dressed to the nines.
Everyone was praising Wendy’s beauty and how she was a perfect match with Jasper.
Everyone was joyous and harmonious, and the room was auspicious and peaceful.
Except…
“Damn!”
Wendy showed up next to Jasper under everyone’s attention, but when Jasper reached out his hand naturally to let Wendy’s arm interlock with his, Henry was stunned. Because he was holding his phone and was on a video call with Anna.
Of course, Anna did not want to look at him. Rather, she wanted to see Jasper at the party.
On the screen, Anna had one hand under her chin and her other hand holding a pencil. She was shaking the pencil as she gleefully watched the man’s handsome face when she suddenly stopped.
The shaking pencil also stopped abruptly.
“S-Should I end this call?” Henry said, feeling guilty.
“She’s pretty…”
Anna did not answer Henry. Instead, she looked at Wendy who appeared blurry in the video but still managed to shine so beautifully despite the low quality.
Henry chuckled dryly, “I told you there’s nothing interesting.”
“There is. Who says there’s nothing to look at?”
Anna chuckled and said, “I bet that guy must be so indulged in pleasure that he forgot his home and duty.”
Henry coughed dryly. He felt that it was not good for him to frame Jasper like this, so he suggested, “Why don’t I ask him to come over to talk to you?”
“There’s no need.”
Anna stretched and displayed her amazing figure. She said lazily, “I have a bunch of designs to finish, and I need to go out for a discussion forum later. Let’s not disturb him.”
“So… I’ll hang up?”
Henry knew Anna too well and he was frightened. Thus, he said this carefully and slowly.
“Why are you so scared?” Anna asked bluntly.
Judging from tone action, Anna seemed to want to hang up the call.
However, when she was halfway there, she suddenly paused and asked, “Do you think I look better standing next to him than Wendy?”
“…”
Henry was speechless.
“Never mind.”
Anna said with no expression before she hung up.
After putting away his phone, Henry saw Jasper approaching from a distance and sighed, ‘Oh, brother-in-law, it’ s not that I don’t want to save you, but I can’t help you in this.’
“Why do you look so off-color?” Jasper asked Henry curiously.
“No, I’m fine.” Henry scratched his head.
“By the way, the little prince and the gang left just now.”
Jasper nodded and said, Time is almost up, so they have to go back to prepare the trading locations. Has Dean left as well?”
“Yeah, but he said he’s tired, so he went to the hotel to rest first. When the time comes, he will go directly to our venue in Nauritus City,” Henry replied.
“Julian.”
Jasper turned his head and called out.
Julian appeared behind him silently.
“Find a few reliable people to keep an eye on Dean. Be cautious, don’t get caught,” Jasper said.
Julian got Jasper’s order and left to go to work.
Although Julian was Jasper’s only bodyguard and assistant, Wendy had also found a new group of people who had retired from the elite special forces while she was quietly looking for new talents.
Initially, ordinary people and ordinary companies could not hire these people, but Jasper‘s current status was more than high enough.
There were about twenty people in this group. Jasper arranged for half of them to stay with Wendy and let Fallon manage them, while the rest belonged to Julian. This could be regarded as Julian‘s own team. This made it more convenient for Julian to conduct dodgy operations on a day-to-day basis.
After Julian left, Henry immediately asked curiously, “Do you think there’s something wrong with Dean?”
“Not just him, but that old fox behind him is problematic too.”
Jasper and Henry stood in a corner as they talked softly while looking at the crowd that was chatting happily from afar.
“However, it should be fine.”
“Even if it’s problematic, it might just be something minor. I don’t think anyone would collude with foreign forces at this critical moment. No one in the country would be so stupid to stand out to die right now, let alone Gale.”
“Moreover, they put their money in this. So, I don’t think Gale will shoot himself in the foot.”
“Still, we’ll just keep an eye out just in case.”
The corners of Henry’s lips twitched when he looked at Jasper who was speaking frankly and with such assurance. Then, he decided to swallow his honest words.
‘Forget it, it’s useless to tell him now. Why cause more trouble for me? I’ll let him find out for himself when he meets Anna next time…’
‘As for how she’ll punish him, that’s none of my business!’
Life at the Top Chapter 1515
The party lasted for three and a half hours. In the end, the guests and host were all happy and they went back to their respective accommodations.
Since the United States stock market was about to open, when the party came to an end, no one stayed behind. They all went back to pay attention to the development of the matter. When they left, everyone looked solemn and cautious. They knew that with the opening of the United States stock market, a capital war between the East and the West, which was destined to be written down in the history of modern human economics, was about to unfold.
After the party, Jasper rushed to Southface River Tower alongside Henry.
On the top of the floor, although Henry had previously heard Jasper talking about the new layout, when he saw the huge LED surround screen occupying three walls and enclosing the entire building with his own eyes, he was shocked.
“Damn, where did you get this screen?”
For the first time ever, Henry was the country bumpkin!
“This was pieced together with 25 individual screens. The price is decent. Each screen is 390 thousand bucks, but they needed to be customized. It took more than half a month to install it.”
Jasper said while pointing to the entire lobby that was transformed into a trading center. Then, he continued, “This is our base camp for the next few days.”
“Mr. Laine, did you see the announcement just released by the Federal Reserve?” Jake, who had been preparing for a long time here, suddenly walked over and said.
“You mean that they are restricting the offshore withdrawal limit of Somerland’s capital?” Jasper said with a smile.
It was unknown how many pairs of eyes were staring at the United States right now. How could Jasper not have received the news immediately after the Federal Reserve made such a huge announcement?
Less than a few minutes after it was announced, Jasper got the news while he was still at the party.
“Yeah, will this affect us?” Jake asked.
Jasper shook his head and said, “They’re just worried that we will cash out and run away as soon as trading commences. Since we have no intention of running away, what impact will it have on us?”
“They said they’re the most popular country in the world, but they’re so petty. Are they not afraid that people will laugh at them?”
Jasper never imagined that he would spontaneously say the same thing as a cripple in Swallow Capital.
Jasper stood with his hands behind his back on the high platform at the entranceway. He was watching the busy people and new equipment on the deck below. Right now, the whole building was filled with tension and passion.
“The storm is about to begin.”
It was less than 24 hours before the United States stock market resumed trading. The global financial situation fell into a strange calmness. Even the reporters who typically liked to make groundless accusations were quiet.
It was as if the financial and economic circles of the world were holding their breath while waiting for the time of reckoning to come.
At this moment, Jasper got up in the morning, took a shower, and ate breakfast. Then, he watched the news on the financial channel. The host on the television screen was dressed in a formal suit while broadcasting news.
“Ever since the terrorist attack on the United States, the financial stock market had fallen sharply. As the core of the global economy, the United States stock market has suffered a severe setback, inevitably radiating a sharp drop in the indices and stock prices of other major trading centers around the world.”
“After that, the United States announced its first plan to rescue the market.”
“Although that round of superficial market rescue did not cause any tangible improvements on the market, it did prevent the situation from getting worse. For stockholders and investors, it was also a confidence boost for them to see that the United States government would intervene.”
“But now, after the first active suspension in United States history, the market will open in less than 24 hours, causing other major trading centers around the world to fall into strange stillness.”
“This indicates that the United States, as a global economic and financial center, remains unshakable in its position. All trading centers and investors around the world are paying attention to the direction of the United States stock market after the opening of the market.”
“In 24 hours, the United States stock market will reopen. Whether it rises or falls, it will directly affect the state of the global economy!”
In front of the television, Jasper put the sunny-side-up onto Wendy’s plate and said with a straight face, “I heard Mrs. Clarkson say that you’re always secretly throwing away the sunny-side-up she made for you. It’s despicable to waste food, don’t you know?”
Wendy said with a sad face, “But I really don’t like sunny-side-ups.”
“Eggs are not precious, but they are indeed a good source of nutrients. You just caught a cold and your body has not yet fully recovered. Having more protein is good for you,” Jasper patiently persuaded.
With a sigh, Wendy took a bite of the sunny-side-up with a sad face. Then, she picked the yolk out and threw it into the Jasper bowl.
Wendy spoke up when she saw that Jasper had something to say, “You said I only needed to eat more egg whites! I don’t want to eat egg yolks!”
Jasper sighed helplessly.
“I remember you also don’ t like to eat the filling when you eat dumplings and only eat the skin.”
“The skin is tasty! The filling is too much for me.” Wendy said boldly and confidently.
“I remember you also only eat the top of broccoli and not the stem.”
“The stem is too hard and it’s slightly bitter.” Wendy started to sound less confident
When she saw that Jasper was about to say something else, she puffed up her cheeks and glared at Jasper.
“Are you done?” Wendy asked angrily.
Jasper ate the yolk and said smartly, “I’m done.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1516
Wendy huffed. Then, when she was about to speak, Dawson walked in from outside the dining room.
Old Man Dawson silently walked to the dining table and placed two boxes of pills on the table before turning around to leave. He did not say a single word throughout the whole process.
Jasper and Wendy looked at each other whilst feeling slightly stunned. However, when the two of them saw the pills Dawsonbrought them, they felt extremely awkward.
What pills were they? Two boxes of folic acid pills.
All experienced husbands and wives knew that this was a supplement that all men and women needed to take to prepare for pregnancy.
Jasper rubbed his temple. His father-in-law had gone insane from wanting a grandchild.
Wendy quickly reached out her hand to move the folic acid away. Her face was slightly red when she grumbled, “My dad is really something else. Why did he bring me something like that?”
“He’s giving us a diplomatic note I guess,” Jasper said with a smile.
Wendy did not dare to answer him. She blinked as she pointed at the television screen where the news anchor was still communicating with a so-called special commentator. Wendy said, “Is he right?”
“I guess so.” Jasper nodded.
“Unfortunately for people in this circle, most of the news broadcasts are severely delayed, so their professionalism should be recognized. This is basically the situation, and his point of view is correct.”
“Which means you’ll really affect the global economy once the United States commences trading and you start your fight with Wall Street?” Wendy asked.
Jasper waved his hand and said, “That is a bit of an exaggeration. It’ll just affect the financial circle at most. However, now that the global economy is being increasingly integrated, finance is the core component of the economy. If some financial problems occurred, it would be a great blow to the economy.”
“If the global stock market falls sharply, winter for various industries will come early this year. Wealth will evaporate and capital will shrink, causing a chain reaction.”
Wendy did not say anything as she just stared at Jasper blankly.
“What are you thinking?” Jasper asked curiously.
Wendy slowly turned to look at Jasper. Her pupils slowly focused again and she slowly gathered her wandering thoughts before she stared at this man’s face.
“I didn’t expect you to get to this stage so fast. You were a nobody in school, and even after you started your business, you were always so low profile.”
“Right now, you’re able to fight against the biggest economic system in the world and the strongest capitalists. The result of your fight will influence the economy of the world. If a man can get to this stage, it seems the heavens will be good to him.”
When Jasper looked at Wendy who was looking at him with stars in her eyes, he chuckled and walked behind her. He placed his hands on Wendy’s soft and round shoulders before massaging them slowly.
“I’m just doing something I want and think I should do.”
After Jasper said this, his tone changed. He started to jest, “In the end, I became the focus of the world. I’m very surprised too.”
“You’re so annoying!” Wendy detected that Jasper was mocking her and she grumbled before slapping Jasper’s hand away. “Okay, I need to go to work now.”
“It might start to get very stressful. You should delegate your work whenever you can. You don’t have to do everything yourself. It’s not worth getting worn out over,” Jasper exhorted.
“I thought you weren’t going to care about the company anymore. Right now, everyone in the company is anxious. Despite the shortage of capital, thankfully Terizone and Abbylon can support themselves now.”
“We don’t even need to worry about Sena. The profits they reaped last month was second only to the electronics company. The real estate company is miserable as always. A lot of big projects that are about to be done have all stopped because of funding problems.”
“Ask them to think of a solution first. Why should we keep them if they keep looking for headquarters whenever they’re in trouble? Sean is so unreliable now.” Jasper said with a frown.
“It’s fine. Sean is very stressed too. He also knows the company’s situation right now, but he still managed to get a lot of things done after bracing himself.”
“I know about the financial situation of the real estate company. We have to cut the funds in half for all our projects. I heard they even created a new sales method by selling the property in advance so that they can easily raise funds.”
“A few days ago, he dropped by for a meeting, and I saw he had more white hair on his head. Don’t cause too much trouble for him.”
“Selling the property in advance?” Jasper said in surprise.
He knew that in his previous life, the concept of pre-sales in real estate only emerged in later years. It was first developed by the top five famous real estate companies in the country. No matter how much it has been criticized, one had to admit that such a brand-new sales routine had greatly eased the financial pressure of the real estate development company and shortened the capital recovery cycle.
Unexpectedly, Sean was the first to propose such a concept due to financial pressure he was facing.
“Yeah, you don’t say. I’ve looked it up and this presale proposal can cut the capital return cycle in half. Plus, the house buyers are not so opposed to the idea, so I find it very creative,” Wendy smiled and said.
Life at the Top Chapter 1517
Jasper nodded and said, “This is a good plan. Send a document in the name of the head office to praise them. Give a good review to the individual or team who was the first to propose this during the year-end evaluation.”
“Okay.”
Wendy got up to take her coat and bag. Then, she said, “I’ll go to the office now.”
“Go ahead.”
Jasper walked Wendy to the door and watched her leave. Then, he went back upstairs to sleep.
Because of the time difference, he would have to stay up late tonight. Thus, Jasper had to catch up on his sleep during the day.With that, Jasper slept until 9 at night.
After he got up and washed up, he saw that Wendy and Dawson were still busy at work and were not back yet. So, Jasper called Julian to leave the house.
“Did Dean do anything today?”
Jasper asked while they were on the way to Southface River Tower.
“He was in the hotel we arranged for him the whole time. He only went out 4 times from yesterday till today. On two of those occasions, he went to eat in the restaurant in the hotel. He did not interact with anyone aside from the servers.”
“The third time was at 9:20 am this morning. He went to an orphanage in the south of the city and he also bought some daily necessities and some children’s clothes to donate to the orphanage. He left after staying for about an hour. The last time was 30 minutes ago. He was headed to Southface River Tower, and I think he should have arrived by now.”
Jasper frowned slightly when he heard Julian’s report.
Julian asked, “Do we need to bug his room?”
“Did you guys manage to do that?” Jasper asked in surprise.
A normal person was not allowed to use any tapping device unless they had a special permit.
However, the procedure and process of applying for such a thing were very troublesome, so normal people would not be able to obtain it.
Julian smiled. “I have my ways.”
Jasper shook his head while laughing. He said, “No need. He’ll show any plans he has soon enough.”
The car continued onward. When Jasper arrived at Southface River Tower, it was still early. He went to the office, and even though it was after work hours, most of the employees were still working overtime since there was currently a lot of work at hand.
He saw Wendy in a meeting through the glass of the meeting room. After he watched her for a while, he left. He did not plan to disturb her.
After he left the office, he went to the top floor.
“Mr. Laine is here.”
Dean approached him and smiled courteously.
It was not just Dean, Henry and Todd were also here. Jasper shook all of their hands and smiled. “You’re so early.”
“There’s still an hour before we start, but we’re very excited too. Hence, we decided to come early to take a look around,” Dean smiled and replied.
“Damn, you don’t say? I’m a little nervous.” Henry rubbed his hands together and looked excited.
Todd looked calmer. He was staring out at the trading hall that was starting to look busy with a twinkle in his eyes. “How long did it take for you to prepare all of this, Mr. Laine?”
Jasper replied flatly, “About a month.”
Todd lifted his eyebrows slightly and asked, “Did you come across an incident like today back then? The terrorist attack hadn’t yet happened a month ago, right?”
When Dean heard this, he became interested too. It seemed that aside from Henry, the other two were very interested in Jasper’s answer.
“It’s an exaggeration to say that I can predict the future, but I’m used to being prepared for anything.” Jasper grinned and said.
“Always prepare for the worst, so if it really does happen, you won’t be caught off guard.”
As Jasper said that, he pointed to the trading hall and said, “Honestly, even if those things were not being used right now, they would still be put into use one day.
“That makes sense.” Todd nodded and he said respectfully, “There’s a reason why Mr. Laine is where he is today.”
“You speak too highly of me,” Jasper waved his hand.
“Mr. Laine…”
An employee from Terizone’s headquarters approached Jasper respectfully and said, “The connection of the three locations is successful. Also, the website you asked us to build so that it’ll be more convenient to the investors of the foundation to watch the scene of the three trading halls has been set up.”
It was much more complicated to have a remote connection or watch a live stream in this era compared to in the future.
For future generations, any software with a camera and computer could be connected remotely. Meanwhile, a live stream would be even easier to set up. After all, there would be live stream websites all over the place. Now, the technology for the network bandwidth and software was still very immature. Therefore, what was originally simple became very complicated.
Terizone had to send out a team of more than forty people to the three trading centers before they managed to get it done.
“Start the connection test,” Jasper ordered.
With that, the whole team started the connection.
In just a few minutes, the images of two smaller but equally busy trading centers were displayed on the left and right of the huge LED screen.
Naturally, these were Kayden and the little prince’s trading locations.
When Jasper saw them through the video, he smiled and asked, “Is the signal okay?”
“Magnificent.”
The little prince and Kayden nodded.
The two of them seemed to speak at the same time. “Your team from Terizone is amazing. Are you going to consider selling some of their stocks?”
Kayden and the little prince were all smart people. When they saw Terizone’s efficiency, they instantly detected a business opportunity.
It was only normal that they wanted a slice of this cake.
“No.” Jasper rejected immediately.
What a joke. He could not give out Terizone and Abbylon’s stocks so easily, Jasper would not give them any hope.
While they were talking, the digital clock on the top floor struck 10:29 pm.
Thus, Kayden and the little prince did not dilly-daily. The three of them fell silent at the last minute.
The team of more than a hundred stock traders had their heads lifted as they stared at the time tick by second by second. It was getting closer and closer to the moment of truth.
Life at the Top Chapter 1518
At the same time, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
Wall Street. Inside the trading center of Quantum Fund in Wall Street.
Rogers clapped his hand and looked at his most elite team in Quantum Fund and said, “Guys, look alive.”
“This is a very simple task, but we must do it well. Your bonus, your credit card bill, and your wife and lover are all counting on you to execute this perfectly and bring the money back home.”
Even though it was morning in the United States and the sun was shining brightly in the sky, all the lights on the entire trading floor were brightly lit.
The young or mature faces looked at Rogers as the latter spoke excitedly, their eyes full of greed and desire for money.
Looking at the greedy faces, Rogers smiled and said, “Do you know what I like best about you guys?”
Before anyone could answer him, he replied himself, “I love how greedy you are!”
“In Wall Street, there are no humans, only wolves and lions. All of the wolves need to learn how to eat meat and drink blood.”
“If not, you will not be able to survive the jungle that is Wall Street!”
Rogers had both of his hands on the table and his expression gradually became sinister, “I don’t care what role you play in front of your family, classmates, or friends.”
“Right now, I only have one requirement for you all, and it’s to tear our enemies apart before we take away every last penny they have!”
“Guys, tell me, do you want money? Do you want status? Do you want women?”
“Yes!”
The thirty plus people in the room roared at the same time. All of them were the elites that had been nurtured by Quantum Fund for many years.
They were budgeters who were proficient in estimations, intelligence collectors with a keen sense of smell, dealers with the fastest hands, and analysts with extremely rich experience.
A truly top-notch international trading team would have a trader as its core, but that was definitely not all it had.
It required a budgeter to make accurate price budgets and an intelligence collector to summarize and classify information. It also required a dealer to perfectly execute every buy or sell order within the shortest amount of time.
Undoubtedly, these people in front of Rogers were the best of the best selected by Quantum Fund from the countless elites under their control.
“Very good. I like your ambition and greed.”
Rogers pointed at the clock on the wall and roared hysterically, “So what are you poor fellas with no money and no woman waiting for? Get ready! When the time comes, charge into the market and rip our enemies apart!
“This mission is simple. Anyone with two hands can do it. Even newbies who have only done one transaction before this can do it. I told you how hefty the reward will be. Everyone will get a reward of 500 thousand US Dollars!”
“Even as your boss and after so many years of being in this industry, I’ve never seen such a hefty reward for a single mission. So, get moving!”
Rogers smiled in satisfaction when he looked at his team that was getting busy. Then, he turned around and walked into an office.
This office was separated from the entire trading floor by a wall, but a closer look revealed that this partition was a one-way glass. Therefore, you could not see into it from the outside, while anyone inside could see everything happening outside.
Life at the Top Chapter 1519
Soros was drinking wine with two white-haired old men in this office. The three of them were chatting happily as they wouldoccasionally burst into maniacal laughter.
“Are you done with your pep talk? I was just telling Franklin and Jonah how you’re the best psychologist in the entirety of Wall Street.”
When Soros saw Rogers coming in, he mocked him with a grin.
Rogers shrugged and poured some red wine for himself. He said, “Don’t think I didn’t hear you guys. You were talking about which of the ladies from those rich families knows how to please someone the best.”
“Hahaha..!”
Soros and the other two men laughed at the same time. Franklin looked at Rogers and said, “All jokes aside, you’re recognized as the best psychologist in the capital circle. We heard the roars of those lads outside just now.”
Rogers sat down on the armrest of the sofa with a chuckle. He said to Franklin, “I remember how you have high hopes for that businessman from Somerland, Jasper Laine. Are you siding with him this time?”
“High hopes? Of course, I do.”
Franklin said with a grin. “However, I only admired him when his Sena became a listed company because. At that time, the United States stock market and Nasdaq needed such a brand new and high quality Internet company to stimulate market confidence.”
“But now…”
Franklin shrugged and tipped his head back to down his wine. He continued, “I’ll side with the winners.”
“You underestimate Jasper too much.”
Compared to the other’s carefreeness, the president of the Dow Jones Indices, Jonah, shook his head slightly.
“I have seen Jasper’s trading data on the Dow Jones many times before, and I even checked all the futures transactions that can be found since Jasper’s birth. Eventually, I came across a very interesting piece of information.”
“No matter how ridiculous it initially appeared, or how much it went against the laws of the market, once Jasper made a trading decision, he would not change it. Plus, he is extremely good in short-term trading, that is, trading high-frequency because he seeks to maximize profits in the short term before cashing out.”
“So far, his longest transaction is on the Dow Jones.”
“But this is also the deal that best demonstrates his ability to predict something without being a clairvoyant.”
When Jonah said this, he shrugged and continued, “I don’t know how you view this, but I have to tell you what I think. We shouldn’t underestimate our enemy this time.”
Jonah’s statement caused Soros and Rogers to look at each other.
The two of them smiled when they exchanged glances. Then, Soros got up and said, “Alright, my friend, I understand what you mean. However, I believe this will play out the same way it always does, this occasion won’t be an exception. Victory will be ours.”
‘Did you forget how we failed to snipe the Harbor Dollar a few years ago?’
Jonah thought to himself but did not say out loud.
Instead, he just smiled and nodded.
Rogers lifted his wrist to look at his watch. Then, he got up and said, “Everyone, it’s time. Let’s start.”
When he said that, it was 10 seconds until trading was to begin.
At this moment, countless people from all around the world, from the capitalist big shots in Wall Street to a normal investor in a small country in South Terra, sat in front of their computers as they stared fixedly at the clock of their computers.
A golden age was about to start right there and then.
Life at the Top Chapter 1520
Countdown 9 seconds.
8 seconds.
2 seconds.
1 second.
“Here we go!”
No one knew who yelled this. In the trading hall of Nauritus City, everyone suddenly felt their passion subside in an instant.
This was like facing an important exam. All kinds of tension and anxiety from before were gone the moment they sat down in the examination room to face this exam. Everyone had a serious expression as they dealt with their own affairs meticulously and attentively. On the trading floor, no one in the team of dozens of people was chatting. What was left was the sound of clicking coming from the countless keyboards and mice.
Soon, the intelligence collector was the first to speak and break the silence.
“The Dow Jones Stock Index opened at 7429 points, and opening trading volume continues to increase.”
“The leading rising sector is Internet, energy, and aerospace. Meanwhile the leading falling sector is banking, building materials, real estate, and shipbuilding.”
“One minute after the opening, the Dow Jones stock index fell 9 points and is currently at 7420 points.”
Based on the information gathered by the intelligence collector, the analyst summed up the current situation immediately.
“The rising sectors are basically high-tech industries, while the heavy industries continue to fall, indicating a lack of market confidence.”
“If there is no external intervention, the decline will continue but will not be too big.”
When the analysts and intelligence collectors summarized the data and handed them over to Jake and Baz, as the core traders, the two needed to make judgments based on the current situation.
“What do you think?” Jake asked Baz, who was standing next to him, with a smile.
Jake was experienced and he had long since realized that Baz was nervous.
As a trader, he could not break down under any situation.
Nervousness would most likely lead to mistakes and neglect of details, which was fatal to a very large transaction where even a fraction of a percentage point amounted to hundreds of millions of Somer Dollars.
Baz took a deep breath and said solemnly, “I think that it’s best not to move for now.”
“Explain your reasoning.” Jake continued, his expression showing no hint of approval nor disapproval.
“It has only been a few minutes after the market commenced. All the intelligence and data are not enough to build a reliable model. Besides, our opponents have not yet made any moves. The most important thing is that we are shorting, so the market decline is beneficial to us.”
“If we and our opponents do nothing and the market naturally declines, we will be the natural winners. Therefore, we can take advantage of the conditions to roll with the changes.”
Baz spoke naturally and smoothly. When he finished speaking, he looked at Jake confidently.
It could be seen that Baz, who knew that his lack of experience and instability was his biggest shortcoming, needed Jake‘s encouragement at this moment.
Jake smiled. He turned his head and said to his assistant, “Report this to Mr. Laine and ask him to make a decision.”
The assistant left immediately.
However, Baz was dumbfounded.
“Nothing is happening, yet we’re asking Mr. Laine for directions?”
Baz figured that Jake was making a fuss out of nothing. Shaking his head, Jake said, “The market looks calm now, and neither we nor the other party is making a move, but this invisible confrontation is arguably the most important moment. It can basically set the tone for the rest of the battle.”
Baz seemed to fall deep in thought.
After a while, he smiled bitterly. “Indeed, I have never experienced a transaction of such a large amount. That’s why I neglected the fact that the combined funds between the enemy and us the enemy and us is hundreds of billions of dollars.”
“Once the two sides start to fight, the impact will completely destroy the will of the market itself.”
While they were talking, the assistant who ran off came back with Jasper’s order.
“Sell the high-tech leading sectors such as Internet and aerospace. Throw out 10 billion US Dollars to test the waters first.”
10 billion US Dollars to test the waters!
Baz inhaled sharply. He was shocked at Jasper’s disregard for money and his extreme boldness.
At the same time, he also admired Jake’s ingenious calculations and predictions. Without a doubt, they would not be conservative when it came to this kind of huge transaction.
One needed to know that even though they were both dealers, a dealer in stocks and a dealer in indexes was completely different.
Now they were the dealers of the entire Dow Jones Index!
After receiving Jasper’s order, Jake got up and clapped his hands. After attracting the attention of the brokers around him, he opened his mouth and issued a specific order.
“Short the Internet sector by 5 billion!”
“Short the aerospace sector by 2.5 billion!”
“Short the energy sector by 2.5 billion!”
“Knock the Dow Jones Index down!”
Then the brokers immediately repeated Jake’s words. After they confirmed that the order was communicated correctly, they placed the orders immediately.
At the same time, in the trading centers in Waterhoof City and Harbor City.
The trading team under the little prince and Lord Alvarado and Kayden’s trading team also received the instructions at the same time.
“Short the Internet, aerospace, and energy sectors. The two trading centers will each do so with 2 billion US Dollars, for a total of 1, billion US Dollars. We’ll test the waters first.”
The silence was deafening.
The three trading centers of Nauritus City, Waterhoof City, and Harbor City shorted a total of 14 billion US Dollars in empty orders, which blew up the Dow Jones stock index.
They were firing the first shot in the most famous battle in modern financial history!