Ch. 1531..1540
Life at the Top Chapter 1531
“Jasper, what’s going on? The center in Waterhoof City has become the primary target of Quantum Fund’s attack!”
On the other end of the phone, Lord Alvarado’s agitated voice could be heard.
Jasper frowned and said faintly, “This is just the opponent’s offensive strategy. Don’t panic. Once you panic, you will walk right into Quantum Fund’s trap.”
“That’s easy for you to say. Right now I am losing tens of millions every second, and the rate is fast increasing. Do you have any plans to cope with this?” Lord Alvarado asked bluntly.
“What’s wrong with a loss of tens of millions? No matter how big the loss is, you still have to bear it!”
“Ever since the beginning, we have stood on the weaker side, so we must be prepared to bear huge losses. Do you really think we’re picking money off the ground?”
While he was faced with the irritable Lord Alvarado, Jasper replied bluntly.
Lord Alvarado did not seem to expect that Jasper would use such a harsh tone to speak to him. After a while, he said, “You mean you’re not going to bother about the center in Waterhoof City anymore?”
“We are not sure what Quantum Fund will do yet, so we cannot give a response plan for the time being.”
“We have to plan before we take action with such a huge amount of funds. Otherwise, it will be easy to fall into the other party’s trap. If we lose the initiative, it will be difficult for us to get it back,” Jasper explained patiently.
“Jasper, if you don’t protect us at this time, it will also be difficult for you to recover if we lose too much,” Lord Alvarado said coldly.
Upon hearing these words, Jasper almost broke down.
“Lord Alvarado, it’s meaningless to say such a thing at this time. If you didn’t think of such a thing only to end up being caught by the opponent when you executed your cheap tricks in secret, do you think the opponent would have started attacking at this time?”
“To put it bluntly, you were the ones who handed this information over to the opponents so that they could use it against you.”
“You have to know who our opponent is now. They are the most exceptional elites on Wall Street.”
“They have the most experience in capital warfare in the entire world and they are also the makers of the rules of modern economics. We can’t afford to pull any cheap tricks if we want to challenge such a group of people.”
“Now that things have reached this point, you’re asking me to find a way out, but I want to ask you instead, what you were thinking? You’re the dignified Lord Alvarado, yet you’re so stingy over that small amount of money?”
After Jasper finished talking, Lord Alvarado was quiet. There was only Lord Alvarado’s heavy breathing on the phone.
Meanwhile, on Jasper’s side, everyone, including Jake, was silent.
No one thought that Jasper would scold Lord Alvarado so directly. At this moment, the phone on the other end of the line changed hands.
The little prince’s voice came from the phone.
“Jasper, you don’t need to be angry about this little thing. Since it has already happened, it will be meaningless to complain anymore. What we should do now is to find a way to remedy it and not to complain, right?”
The anger in Jasper’s chest slowly subsided and he said, “I will mobilize some funds to block the attacks for you and you will retreat as soon as possible.”
“Okay,” the little prince answered before hanging up.
After putting down the phone, Jasper returned the phone to Jake with a dark face and said, “Shift some funds to solve the problem in the center in Waterhoof City first.”
Jake shot Baz a look, and the latter went to work immediately.
Jake spoke carefully, “Mr. Laine, although on the surface, the problem is solved, it is inevitable that a scar will be left on both sides. If a similar situation occurs again in the future, I am afraid that it won’t be solved so easily.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1532
“I understand what you mean,” Jasper sighed.
“But there is no other way. We can’t abandon the center in Waterhoof City. It will only further weaken our already disadvantaged side.”
“I’m afraid that Quantum Fund will see through this. If this is the case, the situation will become very troublesome.”
At the same time, in the center in Waterhoof City. Lord Alvarado’s expression was extremely gloomy.
The little prince threw the phone back to Lord Alvarado and smiled. “I told you not to pull those cheap tricks. See? Now you are shooting yourself in the foot.”
Lord Alvarado glanced at the little prince and said coldly, “Don’t forget that you were also tacitly agreeing to it at the time. Now that something had happened, you’re pushing all the blame on me?”
The little prince shook his head and said, “Actually, I opposed it from the beginning, but I know that you were determined, and that my objection would only add to the conflict between you and I.”
Lord Alvarado coldly snorted, “Did you see Jasper’s attitude? What gives? Does he really think he can order us around by stepping on our heads?”
“You still look down on him,” the little prince said insipidly.
Lord Alvarado raised his eyebrows and burst into laughter from all his pent-up anger. “Why should I look up at him?”
The little prince said lightly, “This is the biggest problem you have. You are too conceited.”
“Although you admit that Jasper is taking charge now, you’ve not been convinced of his abilities since the beginning.”
Lord Alvarado said irritably, “Don’t waste your breath. Do you think telling me this is meaningful?”
“Next, Jasper will mobilize some of the main funds to ease the pressure on us. When that time comes, we will withdraw. Power over these stocks can only be surrendered to Quantum Fund.” The little prince shook his head.
Lord Alvarado got up and said, “Out of sight out of mind. I‘ll rest first.”
Looking at Lord Alvarado‘s retreating back, the little prince frowned slightly.
“You should go on with your business.”
After dismissing the people next to him, the little prince returned to the office, closed the door, turned on the computer, and connected to the video call.
After a while, the screen flickered and a reserved and respectful man with a smile appeared.
“Little Prince, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to me,” the man in the video said softly.
The little prince slowly rubbed the ring on the little finger of his left hand and smiled lightly. “Just as expected, Lord Alvarado made the wrong choice because of his impulsiveness and irrationality.”
The man in the video did not look proud of himself at all. He just smiled and said, “A person’s behavioral pattern cannot be changed so easily. It often depends on the inner character that’s hidden in the deepest part of himself. It’s just that some people hide this deep inside and others not so much.”
“Do you think I hide it deep or shallow?” The little prince asked faintly.
When the man was faced with this very difficult problem, his face remained unchanged. He smiled and said, “You’re a potential collaborator, Little Prince. We will not judge the way our collaborators think. This is the most basic form of respect.”
“Interesting.”
The little prince smiled superficially. He did know whether to believe this man or not.
After a while, the little prince continued to speak, “Dean, tell me, you asked me to collaborate with you, but on what?”
Life at the Top Chapter 1533
That was right, it was Dean who was on the video call with the little prince.
Dean maintained a humble smile on the screen. He said softly, “Before we start, I have a question that I want to ask you, Little Prince.”
“I wonder how highly you rate Jasper’s chances of beating Wall Street’s Quantum Fund is this time.”
The little prince chuckled and replied, “I asked you to put out enough bargaining chips for me to talk to you. This is a test for you.”
“You told me that within two trading days of the opening, Lord Alvarado will inevitably have a conflict with Jasper. Sure enough, what you predicted happened on the very first trading day.”
“You passed my test, then you threw a question back to me. Is this a test for me?”
Dean answered in a warm voice, “I dare not test you, Little Prince, but before we can confirm our cooperation, both of us must reach a consensus on certain issues.”
“At least, our view of the upcoming situation needs to be consistent, which will also facilitate the development of our future cooperation.”
The little prince narrowed his eyes slightly. One could not tell how much he believed this statement.
“Almost zero.”
After some contemplation, the little prince gave Dean his judgment.
Dean smiled and said, “However, from the current trend, there seems to be some back and forth from both sides.”
“Although Lord Alvarado’s foolishness caused a lot of losses for the center in Waterhoof City, the damage is far from critical.”
“Meanwhile, Quantum Fund’s offensive is currently blocked by Jasper’s main funds. In the current situation, the two sides are stuck in a deadlock. Why are you so pessimistic?”
“It’s meaningless to waste your breath on this kind of obvious issue.” The little prince waved his hand and said, “Behind Quantum Fund is the capital of the entire Wall Street!”
“So far, Quantum Fund has only used their own power. Wall Street capital aside, even the investment banks behind it have not yet begun to enter the market, yet Jasper has now reached the point of touching his primary capital.”
“The opponent still has a few cards left to play, but Jasper is about to show all of his cards. The power gap between the two sides is far greater than I had imagined before the opening of the market. But now, the facts are clear to see. Everyone can only bite the bullet and move on, including Jasper.”
Dean smiled and said, “You really have a sharp eye, Little Prince. You can see the core of the matter at just a glance.”
“Stop kissing my *ss, I have heard these things since I was a child. There is really nothing new here. In comparison, I am more interested in your so-called cooperation.”
The little prince stared at Dean on the screen. His gaze seemed to penetrate the screen to look directly into Dean’s heart. “To be brutally frank, we have to collaborate on something useful.
“If you ask me to take action against Jasper secretly, then forget it. At this critical time, whoever does so is going to die.”
“Even though Lord Alvarado is arrogant and obstinate, he is only complaining and pulling cheap tricks. Even so, he would not dare to oppose Jasper in the big picture.”
“I don’t know how many pairs of eyes are staring at us, especially in Swallow Capital. They must be paying close attention to this. Everyone is smart. I don’t think you and your grandfather would be so irrational as to do such foolish things, right?”
Dean replied immediately upon hearing that, “Please don’t worry, Little Prince. My grandfather and I are just seeking profit and nothing more. It is still very clear to us what should and what should not be done.
“In fact, what we want to cooperate with you on is also very simple. It’s basically this: when the time comes, I’ll need you to inform me of all Jasper’s plans.”
The little prince raised his eyebrows slightly and said, “Now Jasper and Quantum Fund are fighting for control of the Dow Jones Index. Any decision will skyrocket or plummet one or even several stocks. Are you planning to get inside information in advance?”
Life at the Top Chapter 1534
Dean smiled and said, “The prerequisite for the right to rule is the disbursement of massive amounts of money. If this money was given to the foreigners, they would make a profit, and if it were given to the locals, they would also make a profit, so why not let our domestic funds come back home?”
“If Jasper intends to go short, you can make money by backhanding long hedges, but it’s not kind to secretly stand on the side of Wall Street to increase their financial strength,” the little prince said.
Dean said gently, “You already said that Jasper’s chances of winning this time is almost zero. In order to prevent us from being discovered, we will be very careful with our actions.”
“All the attention is now on the three trading centers Jasper set up. No one will notice such small details. Even if they notice, so what? We obviously have a way to set up overseas accounts, so everything will be conducted under smoke and mirrors.”
“Since Jasper will be done for anyway, we’re technically not helping the enemy if the funds they have collected go back into our hands.”
“In the future, when Western capital enters the country, such an act can still be regarded as preserving the vitality of domestic capital, isn’t it?”
The little prince laughed and said, “What a noble excuse. You’re making money from your country’s troubles, but you’re making it sound so fancy. I thought only Old Master Hurlbutt would say such things.”
Dean smiled and said, “I just wonder what you think about this, Little Prince.”
“What benefit can I get?” The little prince asked.
“30% of the total revenue.” Dean stretched out three fingers.
“That old fox is so generous.” The little prince sneered.
Dean said warmly, “Just because you won’t do something, it doesn’t mean that others won’t do it. Since the results will be the same, this is a trivial benefit. Don’t you want it?”
The little prince narrowed his eyes and immediately understood the hidden meaning behind Dean’s words. Thus, he replied, “Did anyone from Harbor City contact you?”
Dean was silent.
The little prince snorted coldly, knowing that it would be very difficult for him to get anymore information out of Dean. This guy really inherited some characters from the old fox. He was so difficult to deal with.
Until now, the little prince still could not determine how likely it was that Dean had communicated with other stakeholders, but he thought that such a thing was extremely likely he estimated the chances were 80% to 90%.
While he was thinking about this, the little prince said slowly, “I need some time to think about this.”
“Three days.” Dean was not surprised at all. He did not expect to persuade the little prince to join him immediately and replied quickly.
The little prince looked deeply at Dean, tilted his head, and said, “You know, you are like Jasper. You have the same confidence, you make plans before you take action, and you even like to throw a sprat to catch a herring.”
Dean was taken aback. Then, he smiled and was about to speak when the little prince continued, “But you are not as good as him. Jasper got to this stage by himself. Occasionally, the Laws would give him some aid in some necessary places.”
“However, if he was doing something that was not in their best interests, the Laws wouldn’t support him fully. But you’re different. Who are you if you don’t have Gale Hurlbutt?”
“You won’t even be qualified to speak to me.”
After he said that, the little prince hung up the call.
On the other end of the computer, Dean’s face fell for the first time.
Life at the Top Chapter 1535
At this moment, Dean, who had always maintained the image of a modest and courteous gentleman in public, had a sinister glint in his gloomy expression.
The little prince’s words really hurt him. There was a long story behind this.
Gale had never been married in his life, so naturally, he would not have any descendants.
Therefore, he had done one thing for many decades, and that was adopt orphans all over the country. Moreover, he did it very low-key. Until now, not many people knew about it.
However, almost everyone who knew that Gale was doing this all thought that Gale was doing this for the sake of charity, which was undeniably a good thing. As an orphan adopted by Gale, Dean knew that Gale had another purpose for doing this.
That was to raise a successor that he was satisfied with. There was nothing wrong with such a thing, but Gale’s methods were anything but ordinary. He would raise the orphans as if he was raising malicious spirits.
Gale would often test the orphans. These tests would be based on the principle of survival of the fittest. The ones who failed would go back to where they came from, and the winners would be eligible to stay. Over the decades, Gale cultivated a large number of top talents from all walks of life. Dean himself was specially selected and cultivated after Gale came into contact with Jasper.
Hence before Dean met Jasper, he was already aware that the only reason why he was being presented such an opportunity was because Gale needed a young man who was like Jasper in order to defeat Jasper. With this premise in mind, there was no need for Gale to guide Dean, as the latter naturally regarded Jasper as his enemy since the start.
He had to prove himself by defeating Jasper so that he could show that he was the most successful successor Gale had cultivated.
“Jasper, what’s so excellent about you?”
Dean had a sinister look on his face, as if he had just torn off his disguise at this moment. He muttered, “One day, I will step on you in front of everyone!”
In the trading center in Nauritus City.
At this moment, the sky was turning bright, and some breakfast shops were preparing for the business day. Despite facing a fierce battle in the trading hall for the entire night, many of the workers still looked excited and energetic.
Only Jasper appeared a bit tired.
As the person who bore the most pressure, it was no use to tell the others the mental pressure he was under. “Mr. Laine, Quantum Fund’s offensive has slowed down.”
“Mr. Laine, the first trading day is officially over.”
The voices of Jake and Baz could be heard almost simultaneously.
Jasper rubbed his face with both hands, pulled himself together, and said, “Tell me today’s results.”
Jake took the data report and reported, “Today the Dow Jones Index opened at 7429 points. After a trading day, it closed at 7425 points, down 4 points.”
“But it is worth noting that the trading volume of the Dow Jones Index today has exceeded all historical records and more than doubled in one go. The trading volume of the entire Dow Jones Index today exceeded 20 trillion US dollars.”
“It can be said that just today, there will be 20 trillion US dollars of wealth flowing under the combined stewardship of us and Quantum Fund.”
“But it is undeniable that we did not complete the predetermined goal today.”
“We had aimed to penetrate the Dow Jones defensive line at 7400 points today, but we haven’t reached it yet. In other words…”
Jake put down the file in his hand. He looked a little off color as he said, “From a strategic perspective, we were completely defeated today.”
After Jake said that, the team members in the trading center who had been relaxed because they had completed a day‘s work were silent. No one dared to speak or even breathe too loudly.
Clap clap.
Jasper clapped his hands, attracting everyone’s attention.
Then, he stood in the trading center and said, “Everyone, I think after today, you should have a full understanding of our opponents.”
“Seated across from us are the world‘s top professional financial trading team.”
Jasper glanced over the faces of every member present and said in a deep voice, “From the Terra financial crisis to the Internet economic bubble crisis last year, to the currency attacks of various countries over the past few years, this team has dominated all major financial events in the world over the past 20 years.”
“In the most simple terms possible, your entire career has so far played out admiring the brilliant record and history of this team.”
“What we are doing is taking on these legends of financial history that we discuss day and night as challenger. Needless to say, doing so is very difficult. However, temporary failure is not scary, as we are also growing every day! All I need you to do now is to turn off the computer, go back to have a good meal, take a bath, sleep, replenish your energy, and prepare for tomorrow’s battle!”
“In the future, our battles will only become increasingly anxious and fierce, and each day will be tenser than the last, so now is your last chance to relax.”
“Go and rest!”
After he waved his hand, Jasper finished speaking and returned to the office.
The work of the team had ended, but his work was not over yet.
He still needed to meet with the heads of the two trading centers, Harbor City and Waterhoof City. During the video conference, Jasper looked at the footage from Waterhoof City. Only the little prince showed up, as Lord Alvarado was nowhere to be seen.
“Lord Alvarado is tired. He went back early to rest.”
As if knowing what Jasper wanted to ask, the little prince took the initiative to speak.
Jasper nodded and did not comment on this.
“Now, let’s summarize and conclude the losses of each trading center for the first trading day. Harbor City will go first,” Jasper said.
On the screen, Kayden looked a little tired. He said, “The situation in Harbor City is okay. Today’s loss is about 500 million US Dollars.”
Jasper looked at the little prince.
“2.3 billion US Dollars.”
The little prince said lightly.
Jasper let out a sigh of relief and said, “The Nauritus City headquarters has a net loss of 4 billion US Dollars today.”
This number made the little prince and Kayden raise their eyebrows.
Obviously, this number was beyond their expectations.
“This is mainly because we had to help Waterhoof City relieve the pressure. That’s why the figure increased a lot.”
“But it is also undeniable that Quantum Fund is more difficult to deal with than we imagined. Such losses may continue for some time into the future. It is also more than likely that the losses will worsen,” Jasper said calmly.
Life at the Top Chapter 1536
If Jasper was not optimistic, it would make the atmosphere of the whole meeting depressing and dull.
“If this goes on, we’ll still be fine, but I am afraid that other investors will start to lose confidence.”
Kayden spoke slowly to break the silence.
“After all, we lost nearly 7 billion US Dollars on the first day. At this rate of loss, we will run out of ammunition before long.”
Jasper nodded and said, “I have considered this issue, so we must change our strategy tomorrow. This can be from a financial perspective or simply to boost confidence.”
“What are you going to do?” Kayden asked.
Jasper said with a smile, “In terms of our overall strength, we are undoubtedly the weaker side, so we must not let Quantum Fund drag us around by the nose.”
“We have to take the initiative and concentrate our strength to break through a specific point in their defense. This is our only chance.”
“Otherwise, Quantum Fund will be the one with the initiative and they will be able to throw us around whenever and however they want. If that happens, death will be the only thing waiting for us.”
The little prince had a serious look on his face upon hearing what Jasper said. He said, “But this is likely to bring forward the decisive battle.”
“Then bring it forward.”
Jasper said without hesitation, “The crux of the problem now is the trigger point of this decisive battle. If Quantum Fund is the one who triggers it, we stand almost no chance of winning.”
“But if we start early, we still have a glimmer of hope. The only thing we can do now is catch Quantum Fund off guard.”
“I understand what you mean.”
The little prince’s expression became more serious and he said, “But have you ever thought about what happens if you fail…”
“The reports out there must be full of distrust and pessimism toward us. The whole world is waiting for us to fall on our faces and become a laughing stock, so do we still have room to maneuver?”
“We don’t have such a luxury.”
Jasper stood up, his tone was firm as he said, “We have to succeed or die trying. I think we might still win this battle.”
“Even though it was narrow, we still managed to escape.”
The little prince and Kayden looked at each other through the video and then said, “Okay, we will execute all the commands given by Nauritus City.”
Jasper flashed a smile and said, “Guys, even though this battle is difficult, we must not be defeated so easily!”
A few hours later, the sky turned bright. It was like any other day as the citizens of Somerland set off for work and daily life.Wendy exited the room, went to the dining room, and said to Dawson, “He just fell asleep.”
Dawson nodded and said, “Tell the servants to prepare a meal later. He can eat it when he gets up.”
Wendy nodded absently and turned on the television. At this moment, the morning International Finance Channel was playing on the television.
“Good morning, viewers. After the analysis just now, we already know that the Dow Jones Index is currently facing fierce competition between short and long giants. Over this past trading day, the two sides did not have a clear victory or defeat, but according to the assessment of our professional analysts and experts, the pressure on the short side is huge while the long side appears to be executing everything skillfully and easily. This is partially due to the fact that they have a defensive advantage.”
“The current financial war on the Dow Jones Index has been evaluated by countless stock critics and financial experts as the most significant modern financial war of the century. It shows us, in full detail, the methods and skills of the world’s top financial giants as they attack each other with economic weapons.”
The constant reporting by the host on the TV made Wendy a little upset.
“Dad, the current situation doesn’t seem to be very good for Jasper,” Wendy said with a frown.
Dawson said lightly, “What are you worried about? Jasper knows what he’s doing.”
“But it’s impossible not to worry at all… I’m afraid he will put too much pressure on himself.”
Dawson smiled, pointed to the TV, and said, “These people will always only see the surface. You don‘t have to worry too much. This matter has only just begun. The game behind it involves an all-around struggle between two major powers.”
“The level of influence of such an event will be very far-reaching. This was Jasper’s first time taking part in such a thing, and he only became Somerland’s present representative by chance. What he can do is very limited, but in any case, things are as simple as they first appear.”
Wendy asked curiously, “Dad, how do you know this?”
Dawson said, “Do you think I’ve lived all these decades for naught? Just wait patiently and don’t worry, it’s not easy for Jasper to win, but it won’t be so easy for him to lose either.”
“The impact is so great that one cannot win the whole game just because they won in a certain industry. The real game is playing out behind the scenes where people can’t see.”
At the same time, in New York on the other side of the Pacific Ocean, it was early evening. People were just finishing their day’s work and going back to rest Rogers walked into Soros’ office.
“Man, those people are not very satisfied with our performance today.” Soros lifted his glasses and said to Rogers.
Rogers chuckled and said, “What else can they do besides sit in the office and calculate how much money they made?”
“We are no different, so your mocking tone makes me uncomfortable.” Soros laughed.
Rogers opened a bottle of red wine and sat down on the sofa looking a little tired. Then, he said while pouring himself a glass, “I said before that Jasper is not a particularly easy person to deal with, so it takes a little effort and time to deal with him.”
“But the capitalists focus on time and efficiency,”
Soros said solemnly.
“Old friend, if we do things too fast, we won’t be able to highlight our value.” There was a sinister glint in Rogers’ eyes.
“Well, I promise you that on the next trading day, I will give them an answer that satisfies them.”
Soros nodded, patted Rogers on the should er, and said, “I understand what you think, but a lot of the time we need to compromise.”
With a shrug, Rogers raised his head and took a sip of the red wine. He murmured, “I am really fascinated by the power of money, and I am a little reluctant to leave it.”
Putting down the wine glass, Rogers said calmly, “Today, I am just playing with him. Tomorrow, I will make Jasper go bankrupt.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1537
When Jasper woke up, it was already early evening. He had slept for more than ten hours. Instead of feeling refreshed, Jasper’s head felt heavy. When he came out of the room, Dawson and Wendy had not gotten off work and came back home yet.
The housekeeper, Mrs. Clarkson, saw Jasper and said in surprise, “Mr. Laine, you look unwell.”
Jasper rubbed his face and said, “Maybe I caught a cold. Is there any cold medicine at home?”
There were always some basic medicines at home and a few spares could be found in the first aid kit during an emergency, so obtaining a box of cold medicine was not a difficult task.
Mrs. Clarkson took out a box of cold medicine and gave it to Jasper. Then, she watched him take it before saying, “Mr. Laine, you always stay up late so your biological clock is reversed. No matter how busy you are, you have to take care of your body.”
“As the old saying goes, the body is the capital of the revolution. You can‘t feel it since you are young, but you will have to repay the debts to your body when you’re at. my age.”
Listening to Mrs. Clarkson’s nagging, Jasper smiled and said, “I know, I know. When I’m done with this, I will take a good rest.”
“You people always say the same thing. What do you mean by after you’re done or after you have finished this thing at hand? When will there ever be an end to your work? It is necessary to know how to balance work and rest, or else money will mean nothing even if you have lots of it when you eventually break down.”
As she was nagging, Mrs. Clarkson brought out a bowl of chicken soup. She said, “Miss Wendy specifically asked me to make this chicken soup for you before she went out. It has been simmering for a day. It was made from an old hen that has been raised in the countryside for three years, so it’ll be very nourishing. Hurry up and drink it so that you can eat dinner later.”
Jasper took a sip of the chicken soup. It tasted mellow and rich, and his mouth was filled with the unique fragrance of chicken.
“Wow, it’s delicious.”
When Jasper saw that Mrs. Clarkson was going to cook, he said hurriedly, “You don’t have to prepare my dinner. I’m going out soon and won’t be back tonight.”
Although Mrs. Clarkson wanted to continue nagging, Jasper had soon finished the chicken soup and went out in a hurry.
Looking at the empty bowl on the coffee table, Mrs. Clarkson shook her head and muttered, “At least drink another bowl.”
After exiting the house, Jasper did not drive. He was not far away from the centre, and there was still some time before the market opened, so he planned to walk over.
The cold breeze blew over, causing Jasper’s nasal congestion to worsen, but he was now a lot more awake. With the plan that was going to be executed in a few hours occupying his thoughts, Jasper was simulating and deducing the next possible situation.
Quantum Fund was the strongest opponent he had ever encountered, and this time, the opponent was much stronger than himself. This was like throwing a sprat to catch a herring. There was only a small chance of surviving, and there was almost no chance of winning. However, the reality was that Jasper had to fight. Even if the odds of winning were so low that it only existed in theory, he could not give up. Otherwise, he would lose the game, and everything would come to an end.
“Hey, Old George, the news has been talking about the stock market over the past two days. Haven’t you been trading stocks? What’s the situation?”
A group of people passed by Jasper and the topic they talked about piqued Jasper’s interest.
“I don’t want to talk about it. ”
A slightly old man in the crowd shook his head and said with a solemn expression. “The United States is not at peace during this period. Our representatives are fighting the big shots from the United States stock market and Wall Street, not to mention the domestic class A shares. Even the global financial market is full of turmoil.”
“The current situation is not peaceful at all. The domestic investment market sentiment is generally pessimistic. They believed that Somerland capital is unlikely to best Wall Street. Once we lose, the domestic capital market will drop by a dramatic margin. The first thing to suffer will be the class A shares securities market, so the prices will plummet.”
“I’m doing pretty well. I only lost 30%. The director of our department has lost more than 60%.”
Among the crowd, a figure cried out in a deep voice, “Damn, our country’s capital is really butting heads with the US capital? This is crazy, right? How can we rival them? What are you waiting for? Pull out and run away!”
“I plan to wait and see. If I can, I’ll add another position.”
Old George gritted his teeth.
“Damn, fullness for the bold, famine for the coward. I was too cowardly, so I missed several opportunities before. This time, everyone thinks it is impossible to win. But what if? If we win, I’ll buy the bottom and cover up the position, when that happens, I will make a lot of money!”
“People like you are also the ones who will lose the most.”
“Shut your trap!”
The group of people talked and laughed as they walked away.
Jasper shook his head, let out a sigh, and muttered, “Who can see into the future?”
After he arrived at the trading center, everyone greeted him. Then, Jasper saw that Jake and the teams were already in their respective positions, preparing for the intense trading session ahead.
The collection of intelligence, the analysis of data, the deduction and arrangement of the plan, and the re-derivation of the emergency plan. All these things had to be done half an hour before the market opened. This was the most basic difference in quality between a n ordinary team and a top team.
Jasper was discussing the next steps with Jake and Baz when he saw Henry excitedly running in from outside.
“I got him! I got him!”
Henry’s words caused Jasper to dismiss both Jake and Baz.
“Who did you get?” Jasper asked hurriedly.
“Dean! This little bastard hides so well! ” Henry still looked excited.
“This time, I got him. This blasted kid is keeping in touch with Harbor City in secret. The one he contacted coincidentally happened to be the father of one of my boys!”
“His old man talked to Dean in the study last night and my boy heard him. Although he didn’t hear exactly what he said, it was definitely Dean, because his father called him Mr. Hall in their native tongue.”
Henry was ecstatic and he was filled with a sense of accomplishment befitting of an agent who had just obtained incredible secret information.
Jasper raised his eyebrows slightly.
“In that case, there’s a 90% chance it’s him.”
Henry then said, “What 90%? I say that it’s definitely. My boy‘s family is in the cable business. In recent years, there has been a boom in domestic construction. He has always wanted to find opportunities to enter the market on the mainland.
“Isn’t that old fart, Gale, behind him? If Gale supports him, his business would be much easier.”
“It’s such a coincidence too. Not only did they communicate in their native tongue, but they also had the same surname. I don’t believe that such a coincidence can exist in this world.”
After he finished talking, Henry stared at Jasper heatedly and asked with an excited expression on his face, “So? Do you want to kidnap him, or do you want to throw him to the fishes after knocking him out?”
Life at the Top Chapter 1538
Frankly speaking, Henry’s proposal was tempting. Jasper glanced at Young Master Law and said bluntly, “Just chop him up and feed him to the dog, okay?”
Henry looked shocked. “You’re so ruthless. I can’t even do that.”
“Stop bullsh*tting.”
Jasper waved his hand and said, “At this moment, anyone is allowed to mess up except for Dean. This is because we don’ t know what he intends to do.”
“Then should we just let it happen?” Henry asked unhappily.
In Young Master Law’s worldview, there were only two solutions to Dean playing the traitor in their team, knock him out and throw him into a cavern, or throw him directly into the river to feed the fishes.
The method he chose would depend on the severity of the matter and the family background of the other party. He also needed to consider whether he could cover it after the other party was disabled.
As for the third option, there was no such thing.
Unless Young Master Law suddenly had a personality change.
“What else? We’ll alert him no matter what we do.”
After Jasper said that, he saw that Henry was disappointed. He smiled and said, “But don’t be discouraged. At least there is good news in that we have basically confirmed that Dean is problematic. Since we have confirmed this, then we will be prepared no matter what he does in the future.”
“Fine, it was your idea anyway. I’ll ask my boy to find a way to record the conversation between his old man and Dean later. Then, I’ll see ifI can find anything,”
Henry rubbed his chin and said.
“Then I will leave this to you, ” Jasper said with a smile.
“Did you notice something wrong?” Henry asked suddenly.
“What do you mean?” Jasper frowned.
Although Henry was seemingly an idle hedonist, he was a very clever man. Despite this, so far he had just not used his cleverness in the right way. However, once he had his own ideas, even Jasper would marvel at the guy. His thinking was so unique that he could even be inspired by it.
“Did you not feel that Harbor City is too quiet?” Henry lowered his voice and said mysteriously.
“You mean… Fabian?” Jasper raised his eyebrows and said suddenly.
Henry clapped his hands and said, “That’s right!”
“We know that son of a b*tch’s character too well.”
“Think about it, he has worked so hard to push you to the present situation. He is the kind of person who kills people and still has to stab them two more times to ensure that he gets rid of the problem permanently. How could he not take this opportunity to cause more trouble to you?”
Henry’s eyes flashed with wisdom as he said, “I think this son of a b*tch is using the same ambush tactic I used before.”
“He’s in the dormant stage now. First, I’ll find out when and where the idiot who offended me will appear, figure out his pattern, and then I’ll get my gang and bring weapons to silently stop him along the way.”
“When I finally do show up in front of him, that’ll be when I’ll hit him in the head with my bat.”
Henry stared at Jasper, who was looking serious, and laughed, “Is my description vivid enough?”
Jasper narrowed his eyes and said to Henry, “Do you think Dean may be related to Fabian?”
Henry was taken aback. He scratched his head and said, “I really didn’t think about this.”
With a soft exhale, Jasper rubbed the bridge of his nose and said, “We’ll need some time to confirm this matter, but you did remind me of it. During this time, my attention was completely on the stock market and I was not wary of Fabian anymore. Fortunately, you reminded me in time.”
Henry felt smug when he heard these words.
“Mr. Laine.”
Jake knocked on the door and came in to interrupt the conversation.
“The transactions have begun.”
“Let‘s go out.”
Jasper temporarily dismissed the thoughts in his mind, stood up, and said.
After the Dow Jones Index closed, the second trading day officially began.
As soon as he arrived at the trading hall, Jasper heard the voices and the intensive keyboard clicking away. To be honest, he liked what he was doing right now more than fighting with people like Fabian.
On the big screen, there was footage of the centers in Waterhoof City and Harbor City on both sides.
Inside the center in Waterhoof City, Lord Alvarado was also present this time. The two looked at each other through the screen and smiled at each other. No one mentioned the unpleasant experience yesterday. They were all adults, and they knew how to hide their emotions.
Kayden was still in charge of Harbor City.
Although Kayden was very busy, he had no choice. The confrontation with Quantum Fund was the most important thing right now, so Kayden had canceled all his private trips. He would also use the daytime to deal with urgent official duties that had to be personally handled by himself. To be honest, he was no better than Jasper.
“Everyone, after the trading hours ended yesterday, we negotiated today’s action arrangements. However, Lord Alvarado was not there at the time. Now, I would like to ask Lord Alvarado, do you have any differing opinions?”
Lord Alvarado looked like a different person on the screen. He shrugged and said calmly, “I have no opposition.”
Jasper spoke after nodding, “Very well, since everyone has no other opinions, then today I will implement the decision I introduced before. In this process, the absolute cooperation of the two centers in Waterhoof City and Harbor City is paramount.”
“Please also understand that Nauritus City is aware of your losses and pressures, and we will not deliberately betray or abandon either side. We will be digging our own graves if we do that.”
“But similarly, please be sure to work together with me. The enemy is too strong and if we have any more internal disputes, then we can just give up on this battle.”
Everyone knew who Jasper was talking to and they all shared a tacit understanding.
Meanwhile, Lord Alvarado maintained a relaxed and casual look. Not only did he show no dissatisfaction, but he was also the first to speak after Jasper finished talking. “Yes, I absolutely support this.”
At this moment, the dense data stream on the large central screen began to refresh.
Countless numbers representing massive wealth were constantly changing. Each percentage meant the flow of tens of billions of dollars of wealth. Jasper took a deep breath and said, “Well, let’s trade.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1539
The second trading day was full of hostility right from the beginning.
The confrontation between Somerland capital and Wall Street capital, which had attracted global attention from the first second of the second trading day, made people all over the world who were watching the Dow Jones Index unaware of the tension from the previous day.
Tony held the teacup and looked at the transaction information on the computer screen with a deep gaze. In this large conference room was more than a dozen computers. Two to three people were sitting in front of each computer.
It was not that the development bank had no money to equip everyone with a computer, but that these two or three people had their own duties and their own tasks to complete. Hence, they needed to cooperate.
“Mr. Pratt, things are not quite right.”
A young man with glasses as thick as the bottom of a beer bottle, who was sitting in front of the computer nearest to Tony, raised his head with a nervous and serious expression.
“As soon as Quantum Fund opened today, their purpose was very clear. They launched the most ferocious offensive against all of JW Foundation’s positions. At present, JW Foundation is under great pressure.”
“According to our pre-analysis, it is indeed possible for Quantum Fund to do so. There are two choices if we combine JW Foundation’s performance yesterday with the best response we anticipate.”
“Either temporarily abandoning a portion of their positions for the time being, or hedge Quantum Fund on the sector that both of them are fighting most aggressively for.”
“These two choices each have their pros and cons, but JW Foundation has made the third choice.”
Tony watched the transaction data as he listened to his subordinate’s report.
To be able to serve as the Secretary- General in a bank as important the Development Bank, Tony not only needed to use political means but also needed extremely impressive professional skills.
He immediately understood the current situation. Frowning slightly, Tony said, “Jasper did not care about the position that was being attacked, but instead he launched a charge against Quantum Fund’s base camp.”
“That’s right.”
The young man stood up and walked to the computer located in front of Tony. Then, he used the keyboard and mouse to open a trading chart and said, “This is the stock market of Layman Investment Bank. Layman Investment Bank not only placed the largest investment in Quantum Funds among all the Wall Street capitalists this time, it is also one of the largest shareholders of Quantum Fund.”
“From this perspective, if Jasper launched a retaliatory attack on Layman, it would be excusable.”
Tony’s eyebrows furrowed tighter. Then, the young man said, “The problem is that Layman Investment Bank is too large. Jasper’s current principal and financial leverage barely reach the level of 100 billion US Dollars. He can try disrupting Layman’s huge balance, but it’s impossible that he hasn’t thought about the consequences of completely angering Layman.”
The young man nodded, pushed up his glasses, and calmly analyzed, “In the current situation, all of Wall Street’s capital is integrated. Even Colossal Investments, which has the best relationship with Jasper, did not choose to stand on Jasper‘s side. It can be seen that Jasper’s offensive against Layman Investment Bank is likely to be regarded by the entire Wall Street capital as provocation for a full-scale war. They have no reason not to fight back.”
“That punk…”
Jasper’s confident face appeared in Tony’s mind. He frowned, “What the hell is he trying to do?”
The young man hesitated for a while and suggested, “Mr. Pratt, would you like to remind Jasper?”
Tony glanced at him and said, “Remind him? In what capacity and position do you want to do that? It’s not like you don’ t know that we represent the government. At this critical moment, we have to be aware of everything, but we can’t act ourselves. Countless eyes are watching us on the other side of the Pacific.”
The young man hurriedly answered, “I didn’t think it through.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1540
Raising his hand and putting the warm teacup on the table, Tony said, “Parker, how many years have you worked in SBS Bank?”
“Four years, sir,” Parker replied.
“Well, four years is not too short.”
Tony continued meaningfully, “I remember that you also came to the headquarters as you climbed up rung by rung from the bottom. At that time, I think I was the one who issued your transfer and review report. I remember that your evaluation from the higher-ups stated that you’re very professional at work and have good ideologies and awareness.”
“And ever since you came to the headquarters, you performed very well. Now, you are the only head of the department under the age of 35. Old Frank from the securities regulatory commission asked me for you multiple times, but I always declined. With your ability, you can work hard for another two years, and then be delegated to become at least a regional bank president.”
Parker hurriedly smiled and said, “Sir, this is what I am expected to do. Thank you for the guidance.”
“I didn’t guide you much. You have that ability, so no one can stop you from making progress.”
Tony smiled. He stared at Parker suddenly and said, “Your surname is Alvarado. I remember your hometown is in the Northwest, but your ancestry is from the south. Bruce Alvarado is your father, right?”
Parker Alvarado smiled stiffly.
He was an Alvarado.
He was also Lord Alvarado’s brother. However, the path he took made him destined to be unable to take over the Alvarado family who valued low profile individuals. However, this did not stop him from working hard for the family.
At work, he always kept the family’s ancestral instructions in mind, and very few people knew of his true identity.
Tony knew it, but he was not surprised.
After all, for people of Tony’s level, many so-called secrets were not really secrets. Moreover, as his direct boss, this was something Tony would have inevitably found out.
“Yes, sir, ” Parker admitted, bracing himself.
“Your brother is cooperating with Jasper, and you are here with an important job. Ethics dictate that you shouldn’t touch these things to avoid suspicion.”
Tony stated calmly. When he saw that Parker wanted to explain, he waved his hand to stop him and continued, “Needless to say, although there are multiple interests involved, you brothers have very special backgrounds, and the general rules do not apply to you. The Alvarados won’t take advantage of this minor thing to gain any benefits.”
After he said that, Tony’s expression became serious. “But you have to remember what the nature of this matter is now! Aside from the fact that I have to report to the president every day, there are countless departments and people paying attention to us even in Swallow Capital, right under the feet of the Somer emperors.”
“You are from a prestigious family, and you have an inherently sensitive identity, so when you do things, you must also remember your duty.”
“Did you contact your brother yesterday?”
Tony’s words caused Parker to break into a cold sweat.
Before Parker could speak, Tony said nonchalantly, “Don’t think that nobody knows what you’re doing. Besides, if you don’t want people to find out, you shouldn’t have done it in the first place. If I know about this, do you think that those guys from the departments in Swallow Capital who were specially hired to watch the children of the aristocracy would be unaware?”
“I don’t have other ulterior motives for telling you this. I am also optimistic about your ability and can’ t bear to see you go down the wrong path, so that’s why I reminded you. More importantly, you didn’t say anything to your brother that you shouldn’t have, so you should behave yourself, understand?”