Ch. 171..180

Life at the Top Chapter 171

“Hahaha, this is f*cking hilarious. Look at this f*cker’s face. He looks like he just got kicked in the face by a donkey. Hahaha…”

When Henry Law grew bold, he did not care if Zane was Bob Lancaster or someone else’s son. He simply dissed him mercilessly.

After hearing what he said, everyone’s expressions turned odd. They wanted to laugh but did not dare to. It was hard to suppress their laughter, though.

Zane was so infuriated that he was about to spit blood. However, he did not dare to do anything to Henry Law. He could only repress his anger and glare at both Henry and Jasper with a seething gaze.

The auction, which had been nearing its end, concluded after this interlude.

However, everyone felt dull for the remainder of the auction.

After all, they had just watched Jasper go against Mitch and Zane in two epic showdowns. Everything else paled in comparison to that.

After the auction ended, the host rushed down the stage while breaking out in cold sweat. He had even forgotten to greet everyone in the hall.

This auction could be regarded as a traumatic memory that he would never forget for as long as he lived.

He would be easily wiped out if he had made a slight mistake while striving for survival amongst these big bosses,

It was too f*cking scary.

Just when everyone thought that the charity gala had ended, Michael Lane suddenly walked onto the stage with a wide smile on his face.

His appearance caused all the wealthy men and women to quiet down. They looked at Michael curiously while wondering what he was about to do.

“Everybody, I’d like to take this opportunity to make an announcement.”

Standing on the stage, Michael grinned. He scanned the entire hall before his gaze finally landed on Jasper.

Many people took note of this detail. Everyone focused their attention on Jasper.

“Today, I just signed a deal with Mr. Jasper Laine who’s from Mainland. In line with our principle of being fair and open, I’d like to let everyone know about it in advance.

“The subsidiary under Gladness International Corporation, Gladness Entertainment Movies, was officially sold to Mr. Jasper Laine at a price of 1.5 billion Harbor Dollars today. From today onward, he will be the head of Gladness Entertainment Movies.

“I believe that under the guidance of Mr. Jasper Laine, Gladness Entertainment Movies will definitely achieve greater heights in the future…”

Michael continued speaking on the stage. However, everyone below the stage could no longer pay attention to what he was saying.

They were all so shocked by the news that they lost the ability to form words.

Gladness Entertainment Movies was a well-known film company in Harbor City.

Gladness Entertainment Movies had been a constant in the industry ever since films from Harbor City began rising in popularity. The company owned the copyrights of many popular movies. Many artists were signed under the company as well.

Nevertheless, Gladness Entertainment Movies, one of the most prominent companies in the film and entertainment industry, would be handed over to a Mainlander today just like that?!

1.5 billion Harbor Dollars!

This was a fair price point that befitted the company’s worth.

Those who were quick-witted immediately recovered from their shock. The real deal was likely to include something worth far more than 1.5 billion Harbor Dollars.

However, Michael and Jasper did not say anything about it. Nobody could guess the real terms listed in the deal.

Nonetheless, the change of ownership of Gladness Entertainment Movies had become a reality.

“How is this possible?!”

Zane shouted in shock.

“Gladness Entertainment Movies has been operating well all along. There has been no news about this at all. How could it get sold off just like that?”

Zane’s family was considered to be the most highly involved in the entertainment industry among all the top wealthy people of Harbor City.

Although Bob Lancaster was in the real estate business instead of entertainment, he had the nickname of ‘Harvester of Female Celebrities’.

With the net worth of his personal assets, he had close relationships with the bosses in Harbor City’s entertainment industry.

However, the Lancasters had not received any news regarding Michael’s decision to sell off Gladness Entertainment Movies.

Mitch squinted his eyes and looked at Jasper. “Did he come to Harbor City for Gladness Entertainment Movies? Does he want to set foot into the entertainment industry?” he asked in an icy voice.

Most of the wealthy people from Harbor City had their eyes set on Jasper, who was now the center of everyone’s attention.

Right then, they suddenly realized that this young man from the Mainland would come to occupy an important part of Harbor City in the future.

After Michael got down from the stage, he walked toward Jasper while gesturing to him affectionately. There was a bright smile on his face.

“Your move caught me by surprise, Mr. Lane,” Jasper said.

Michael chuckled. “The entertainment industry is different from other sectors. Bosses in the entertainment industry should keep a high profile. Otherwise, the artists under the company will question their boss’ ability,” he said.

Jasper shrugged. “It’s alright. Anyways, once the deal is made official, we’ll have to announce it to the public as well. It’s only a matter of time,” he said.

After the news regarding Jasper’s acquisition of Gladness Entertainment Movies was revealed, the charity gala officially came to an end.

The wealthy people gradually left the hall. However, they all had one name in their mouths… Jasper Laine!

At the side door located in a more discreet area of the hall, Kennedy Langdon and Bob Lancaster looked at Zane and Mitch, who both had despondent expressions on their faces, with indifferent gazes.

“You guys have thoroughly disappointed me,” Kennedy reprimanded them straight in the face.

Mitch’s expression dulled. He gritted his teeth in anger. “That Mainlander is freaking despicable!” he exclaimed.

“Despicable? Anyone capable of doing big things is despicable. If you can’t get on your opponent’s level, you’ll just be trampled by them,” Kennedy said icily.

Beside him, Zane had his head lowered. He did not dare to utter a single word.

Bob Lancaster took a long glance at his son. “You guys are no match for him,” he said.

Refusing to accept his defeat, Mitch argued, “This is just one failure! I’ll eventually find the opportunity to crush him once and for all!”

“That’s enough,” Kennedy chastised him impatiently. “There are more important businesses coming up soon. They cannot be delayed any longer. Both of you should head back first. In the meantime, don’t do anything foolish!”

After that, Kennedy and Bob walked out of the hotel and entered a Rolls-Royce which was parked beside the building. They were in a hurry and were guided by their bodyguards.

A middle-aged man clad in a business suit was seated inside the car. He gave off an air of superiority.

The middle-aged man had a burly physique, blonde hair, and blue eyes. He must be from the west.

He was slowly swirling a glass of wine in his hands when the both of them got in the car.

After closing the door of the car, the man looked at the red wine sliding down the curve inside of the glass. He chuckled. “Mr. Langdon, Mr. Lancaster, it seems like your sons are still pretty naive,” he remarked.

The fact that their sons were incapable was a private matter. They could teach and scold them themselves. However, it was different when it came from someone else’s mouth.

Therefore, Kennedy Langdon did not seem to be in a good mood either. “Mr. Rogers, let’s talk about our plan,” he said in a blunt voice.

“According to what we previously discussed, Quantum Fund has already convinced a group of Wall Street capitalists. They’re all extremely interested in this plan. All you need to do is to cooperate with us from within Harbor City,” Rogers stated matter-of-factly.

“The United States’ internet economy bubble is about to be disrupted. Once the disruption occurs, we will start immediately. It’ll soon become a festival where we celebrate getting our hands on trillions of capital!”

Life at the Top Chapter 172

“You can rest assured about all your affairs in Harbor City, Mr. Rogers. We’re always monitoring the major wealthy families of Harbor City. There has been nothing out of the ordinary in terms of their performance. However, a Mainlander named Jasper Laine has joined the Laws lately…”

Detecting the hesitation in Kennedy’s speech, Rogers frowned. He put down his glass of wine and said, “Tell me your worries, Langdon. This plan is of an extremely large scale. Factors beyond our control should not exist at all.”

Kennedy then began to explain, “Not long ago, Bob and I discovered that the Laws have hidden a large sum of funds. We have no idea where the funds have gone up till now. It seems to have happened around the same time as Jasper Laine’s arrival.”

Bob added, “However, the Laws have always been doing business in the real estate industry. Other than the financial crisis three years ago, they rarely involved themselves in the capital sector. Therefore, we’re still in the midst of investigating. We’re not sure what the Laws intend to do.”

“I know the Laws from Harbor City. They rarely do business involving capital. You guys should continue to monitor their activity, but don’t do anything rash. After all, they’re still the top wealthy family in Harbor City. They must be on alert at all times,” Rogers said calmly.

“As for Jasper Laine… What’s his background?”

Kennedy replied, “He’s from Mainland and has been pretty close to the Laws lately. The stock market is his forte.”

“He’s the one who made your sons suffer, right?” Rogers asked in amusement. There was a playful glint in his gaze.

Kennedy and Bob’s expressions darkened almost immediately.

“Young man, the higher you soar, the harder you’ll fall. Countless young talents emerge on Wall Street every year, but eventually, elders like us are the ones who have the final say.”

After the charity gala ended, Jasper left the hotel with Anna and Henry.

Before they left, Jasper met Queenie Shaw and Zoelle Griffin once again. Only this time, everything was different.

“Mister… Mr. Laine,” Queenie greeted Jasper courteously.

At the same time, a surge of complicated emotions surged through their hearts.

This world changed way too quickly. A few hours ago, they had just met for the very first time.

However, the man in front of them was now their boss.

Queenie’s eyes glowed as she recalled Jasper’s glory in tonight’s charity gala.

However, once she took a glance at Anna Law, who was standing beside Jasper, she immediately extinguished all her thoughts of him.

One had to know their own place. Queenie personally thought that her looks outshone a lot of other celebrities from the entertainment industry of Harbor City. However, in front of Anna Law… She should not humiliate herself by comparing the both of them.

“Hello,” Jasper greeted. He did not act haughty in front of them. In his opinion, these celebrities were people who worked and earned money on his behalf. They were the ones generating wealth for him.

Therefore, there was no need to act all high and mighty in front of them.

It would be meaningless that way.

Right then, the Laws’ car arrived.

“I’ll head back first. After a while, I may go to the company. Let’s have a chat then if the opportunity arises,” Jasper said politely. After that, he left together with the Law siblings.

Watching Jasper leave after getting into the Rolls-Royce, Queenie pursed her lips.

“He’s very different from the other wealthy people,” Zoelle suddenly said.

Queenie nodded. “Yeah, how often do the other wealthy people treat female celebrities like us as decent human beings?”

The both of them sighed. The future held endless possibilities, but they had their own difficulties that outsiders did not know of

The Laws’ study.

Jasper and Zachary were both seated in the study.

“I previously had a discussion with Michael. It’ll be alright as long as we settle the transaction payment before you leave Harbor City,” Zachary said.

Jasper nodded. “That would be the best. After all, the 1.5 billion Harbor Dollars can be withdrawn at any time, but it’ll affect the follow-up plan,” he repli

Life at the Top Chapter 173

Zachary smiled. “Don’t refrain from speaking up if you need help. The Law family has ample wealth.”

Jasper raised the teacup and took a sip. He smiled. “I don’t think that’s necessary… Has the Law family prepared the funds?”

Zachary’s expression grew stern. “Give me something to go with here. How much do I need exactly?”

“It’s hard to tell for now.”

Jasper thought back to the United States stock market that he had been following the past few days and frowned. “The United States stock market is wrecking up a weird storm. I’ve noticed that someone’s already trying to control the market over there and they’re covering quite a large area of stocks as well. It’s a gamble of at least trillions of dollars over there.”

“Trillions!” Zachary found it hard to believe despite having seen his fair share of money.

‘Using trillions as a base unit…

‘Only the country’s GDP had that power!

‘Only the country’s GDP was worth enough to be measured by trillions.’

That showed how exaggerated and terrifying the amount was.

“But that’s the United States stock market. As the world’s economic center, there’s nothing any single entity or force can do to stop it once the strangling begins. So all we’ll do now is focus on Harbor Stocks.”

Jasper thought about it for a moment before he replied, “As for funds, the exact amount we’ll need will depend on how big a wave is made once the bubble pops over in the United States. With how things look now, the Law family might need this much.”

Jasper raised three fingers.

“30 billion?” Zachary frowned.

“Yeah, 30 billion. You might only need to take out ten billion in the beginning, but I’d say it’s safer to have 30 billion ready to mobilize at any time just in case,” Jasper replied.

Zachary’s expression was solemn as he fell into deep thought. A moment later, he replied, “Alright. I promise you, money-wise, it won’t be a problem.”

Seeing how Zachary was agreeing so easily, Jasper had a better understanding of how deep the roots of Harbor City’s rich families went.

It was 30 billion, yet Zachary’s reaction told him that 30 billion was not his limit.

“How much can Michael gather?” Jasper asked.

Zachary replied, “Michael’s wealth is more fixed than fluid, or he wouldn’t need to sell Gladness Entertainment Movies. From what I can tell, I think he’s got around five billion?”

Jasper gave it some thought. ‘I probably won’t be able to gather more than five billion either.’Thank goodness that Jasper had earned quite a bit from Harbor Stocks these few days, especially from Kayden’s company’s stocks. The moment Jasper sold his stocks, he would make at least twice or thrice the profit.

In addition to the funds that he could transfer from Mainland, five billion was an easy amount to gather.

By then, he would probably find himself with around 40 billion worth of funds. That was enough for this battle.

“Now we wait.” Jasper smiled.

Zachary opened the windows in the study, allowing the chilly midnight Harbor City wind to rush into the study. The warm temperature indoors immediately dropped, causing him to shiver.

“It would be a waste of your time on earth not to achieve great things, Jasper.”

“I see that Uncle Law is open-minded.”

Jasper stood next to Zachary and smiled, looking at Harbor City’s dazzling night view.

“I’m not the open-minded one here. This is the aura I get from you.”

Zachary turned to clap Jasper’s shoulder.

“The Law family may be helping you now, but I can’t help thinking that it’ll be you helping the law family in the end.”

Jasper took a sip of the hot tea. The burning liquid entered his mouth and scalded its way down his throat like a sip of strong alcohol. Only then did he part his lips to reply.

“Since we’re allies, we become one whole entity.”

Life at the Top Chapter 174

The following morning, all of Harbor City’s gossip magazines released breaking news as if an explosion had occurred.

‘Mysterious Mainland Youth Crushes Son of Plutocrat At Charity Dinner In Front Of All Harbor City’s Magnates!’

‘Mysterious Mainland Youth Throws 30 Million, Gains Favor Of Law Family’s Princess!’

‘Gladness Entertainment Movies’ New Owner, Mysterious Mainland Youth Buys Harbor City’s Fourth-Largest Film Company with Striking 1.5 Billion!’

All the gossip magazines shared the same protagonist, and that was the mysterious Mainland youth.

Paparazzi had managed to take a picture of Jasper’s side profile.

The image was one of Jasper linking hands with Anna, and the two had smiles on their faces as they talked and walked on the red carpet.

This mysterious youth from Mainland was rich, handsome, and full of charisma.

Jasper’s name had instantly swept all over Harbor City.

Some people even began to wonder when Jasper and Anna’s wedding would be held.

Meanwhile, people in the business world were more interested in news about Gladness Entertainment Movies now that Jasper had bought it.

1.5 billion.

That was hardly a small sum.

What was once Harbor City’s fourth-largest film company had just changed its boss, one from the Mainland too, no less. It was on a path to a fresh start.

Quite a few people began to bemoan Jasper’s identity as a Mainlander on social media, only for the Law family to quietly get rid of such comments.

With the Law family’s current position in society, one word from them was all it would take to rid such negative comments from the internet.

From that, people in the business world came to understand that the relationship between Jasper and the Law family ran deep.

Countless people began to speculate about Jasper’s identity, wondering if he was from a rich family back in the Mainland.

Meanwhile, the outside world was in an uproar about all sorts of news. As such, Jasper shut himself within the confines of his hotel.

He was watching the activity on the United States stock market.

Due to the difference in time zones, Jasper had burned the midnight oil twice in a row.

“How about you go take a nap? You’ll get sick staring at this all day.”

Anna turned to tell Jasper who looked exhausted.

Anna wet a towel with hot water as she spoke and passed it to Jasper.

Henry’s jaw fell to the floor beside them.

This was his first time seeing Annie serve anyone.

Jasper took the hot towel and wiped his face, looking more alive now. He shook his head. “Their movements are only getting bigger over at the United States stock market. I can’t afford to take a break at all right now.”

Henry leaned over to take a look at Jasper’s screen and asked strangely, “Aren’t the stocks for the internet rising? Holy crap, look at that jump. Wow!”

“God will drive men crazy before He bestows death. The same goes for the stock market. Prices skyrocketing for no reason and without warning is a common tactic for gaining capital.

“They’ll raise stock prices to attract buyers, only to resell all their stocks when the time is right before they finally go short. That way, once these falsely high-price stocks no longer have the capital to sustain them, they’ll have no other option but to plummet.”

Anna was not completely unknowledgeable like Henry. She had a vague understanding of the financial market, so she added, “That’s right. That’s the logic behind it.”

Jasper nodded in approval. “The entire internet economy is essentially a castle in the sky right now. It may look stunning, but its roots have already completely eroded. All it takes is one opportunity, and the entire structure will fall apart in an instant.”

Life at the Top Chapter 175

“Doesn’t that mean the people who are starting to invest in the internet now are screwed?” Henry asked.

Jasper thought about how the dot-com bubble had popped in his past life and how multiple people in Harbor City had gone bankrupt overnight, turning to suicide through jumping off buildings.

Some people even said that the ground in front of every high-rise in Harbor City was filled with blood afterward.

Others said that while the police dealt with a case of suicide by jumping, someone else would jump from the building before the body below could even be moved away.

It had been a heart-shuddering sight.

“I suppose they dug their own graves,” Jasper replied plainly.

“The United States currently leads the western capital since their economy is overheated and their loan interests are low. It urges investors to put money into the stock market, so there’s a large number of fluid funds there. Business’ financial statements end up looking great too.

“Especially the internet industry. There’s a guarantee of two to five times the return once it enters the stock market, so it puts analysts, investors, entrepreneurs, venture capitals, and the bank into a frenzy.”

A message popped up on the computer as Jasper spoke.

It was KK.

A message from Jack.

Having worked in Weresoft’s internal management for years, it was no surprise that Jack could get wind of Weresoft’s news before the rest of the world.

From what Jasper remembered of his past life, two iconic incidents signified the popping of the dot-com bubble.

The first being Weresoft, the world’s biggest internet company, losing its antitrust lawsuit and facing the dilemma of having to close down.

Although Mr. Granger had resigned and the new CEO, Thomas, overturned the verdict in the court of appeal, but that was something that would happen later. Right now, the current news was indeed greatly affecting the internet stock market in the entire world.

This was a fuse, a report that would directly trigger the explosion of the dot-com bubble.

Barron’s then published an article with figures from an investigation done on more than 200 listed internet companies.

It was a report that directly dried up the cash flow of internet companies, resulting in company executives going mad and cashing out their stocks. With multiple actions taking effect, many internet companies began their path toward bankruptcy and reorganization.

With these memories of the future, Jasper had told Jack to keep an eye out for Weresoft’s antitrust lawsuit through the contacts he still had in Weresoft.

Tapping on the notification window, Jasper fell silent as he read Jack’s message.[The trial has come to an end in the United States and the high court ruled that Weresoft has lost the case. The verdict was passed a few minutes ago and it’s about to go public soon. Weresoft is being forced to split up!!!]

The three exclamation marks represented the surge of emotions Jack was currently going through.

As the world’s largest internet company and a company with the highest net worth in the world, Weresoft splitting up would undoubtedly immensely affect stock markets worldwide.

It did not matter that Jasper knew Weresoft would evade the fate of being split up as the rest of the world right now did not.

Even Anna and Henry gasped in shock at the news.

“Weresoft is being split up? Oh my God!”

Jasper glanced at the time. It should be eight a.m. over in the United States right now.

According to history, the first article directly popping the dot-com bubble worldwide would be published this afternoon.

It would be followed by investors being frightened by both major newsflashes. Managers and retail investors would proceed to pull their stocks out maddeningly and the stock prices would plummet…

Such was fate, and no one would be able to save it anymore.

Jasper suddenly shot up and spoke firmly, “I need a team of the best stock traders and an absolutely quiet environment. Right now!”

Henry’s scalp tingled as he felt the premonition of being in a toppling building. It was as if there was an invisible tsunami coming right at him.

At that moment, not even the richest trust fund babies dared to fool around anymore. For once, Henry’s expression turned solemn and he pulled out his phone.

“I’ll inform Dad right away!”

Life at the Top Chapter 176

Zachary was in a meeting with senior executives of the group when he received Henry’s call.

He raised a hand to halt the man speaking and picked up the phone.

“It’s starting, Dad! Jasper’s plan is starting! Our stock traders need to get in position now!” Henry spoke agitatedly.

Zachary, a man who rarely lost his composure, felt his emotions go haywire at his son’s words.

“I’ve already contacted the professional team. Bring Jasper back immediately. There’s no safer or more quiet place in Harbor City than our home. The people and equipment will be waiting for him there.”

With that, Zachary ended the meeting and rushed off, leaving behind the senior executives in the room to scratch their heads and share looks of confusion.

On the way back, Zachary lined the people up while he texted Michael the details.

Since they had already decided to involve Michael in this, there was no way they would neglect him when things were happening.

Zachary was efficient. Everyone he had prepared was mostly in place by the time Jasper, Henry, and Anna had returned to Law Manor.

The manager leading the team was Zack, someone Jasper had met once before.

“Hello, Mr. Laine. I’ll be the manager leading this team of stock traders. We’ll do our best to follow your instructions.”

Zack immediately walked over to speak when he saw Jasper.

This manager who had a quick mind, worked cleanly, and acted instead of speaking had left a good impression on Jasper.

“We’ve already worked together before, so it’s just the same thing as then. Execute my instructions as fast and as efficiently as possible. Leave everything else to me,” Jasper stated as he shook Zack’s hand.

Zack replied solemnly, “Don’t worry, Mr. Laine. These 15 stock traders here are an old team of mine. Their skills are guaranteed, and we’ve already signed an NDA of the highest order.”

Jasper nodded. He was not surprised for this was what he and Zachary had already discussed.

As the stock traders would be following Jasper’s orders directly, it could be said that they were Jasper’s left and right-hand men in this business war. What was most important was not high efficiency but rather, absolute trust.

Before these traders entered the room, the Law family’s bodyguards had taken all their phones and checked them for any form of communication devices.

Moreover, they were not allowed to take a step out of Law Manor before their mission was complete. The Law family would be in charge of everything they did, be it an intake or the letting out of food. Bodyguards were tasked to follow them even when they took bathroom breaks.

Naturally, their pay would also be a generous one.

They earned, in one day, what ordinary people could only earn in three months.

Zachary had especially cleared a large living room for this battle. When Jasper and Zack walked over, there were already 15 stock traders sitting in front of newly installed equipment, ready to begin.

Glancing at the large LED display on the wall, Jasper gave his first order for the war.

“Open up Harbor City stock market. I want the internet sector strictly monitored from now on and any change of stock prices exceeding 3% reported.

“Open a short position at the bottom. Zack, equally split and transfer the prepared 15 billion worth of funds to each of the traders’ accounts, then let me authorize it after you’re done.”

Zachary and Michael’s promised funds had already arrived earlier today and the funds that Jasper transferred from his account in Mainland had also smoothly arrived with John’s help.

At that moment, Jasper currently had a whopping 40 billion in his hands.

30 billion was from the Law family while he and Michael both contributed five billion.

This 40 billion would prove to be Jasper’s weapon to move all of Harbor City’s finances at his will.

Zack’s team was very efficient, and it was less than a minute after Jasper’s order that Zack reported the completion of tasks.

After entering the password authorization to the master computer with the highest authority, 15 billion funds were then split up and entered into each of the 15 traders’ accounts.

Zack’s heart raced as he saw the large balance before him.

Life at the Top Chapter 177

Up until that moment, Zack had no idea what the Law family and Jasper wanted him and his team to do. However, the shocking sight of 40 billion in cash signified that a storm had begun to brew over Harbor Stocks.

He did not dare ask nor think into it, throwing away all thoughts that he should not have. He waited in focus for Jasper’s next order.

Just then, the doors opened to reveal Zachary and Michael walking in with solemn expressions on their faces.

“How’s it going, Jasper?” Zachary asked.

Jasper relayed the information he had gotten from Jack.

“Weresoft… is splitting up?” Zachary asked in disbelief.

Michael was more sensitive, for he had switched to working in the finance industry, after all. “It’s going to affect a lot of people.”

Jasper nodded. “From my understanding of Weresoft, there’s no way they’ll be so willing to split just because they’re forced to. However, once the news gets out, then it will come with drastic effects.”

“Will this be what induces the popping of the bubble?” Michael asked.

Jasper shook his head. “It’s one of them, but unless I have it wrong, another reason will appear very soon. I don’t know what it’ll be, but it’ll definitely appear today. By then, the future will be set.”

The fuse leading to the first world war was the Sarajevo assassination incident. There were too many contradictions, and conflicting forces were still keeping up the delicate balance. Yet one falling leaf was all it would take for this balance to topple and crash.

Weresoft losing their lawsuit was the first leaf, and the balance had already been toppled. It was still a slow process, but the next leaf would undoubtedly trigger the figurative avalanche.

“Mr. Laine, there’s a shift in Ardent Tech’s stock prices! It just dropped by 4%!”

Zack’s voice suddenly cut through Jasper and the other two’s conversation.

The three turned to look at the screen, and before their eyes were Ardent Tech’s stock prices on the large LED display, dropping a heavy 4% as if being axed.

At that moment, Harbor City’s investors had yet to realize the impending storm. Many merely assumed that it was a conspiracy within the stocks.

However, people with sharper senses began to realize that something was different this time.

“Keep watching and monitoring,” Jasper ordered without turning back.

The first change brought the second and the third changes.

“Sunny Internet’s stock prices dropped by 3.5%!”

“Carefree Net’s stock prices dropped by 3.6%!”

“The entire internet sector had an overall drop of 3%!”

“Its Hansel Index keeps dropping! It’s currently at 17,970 points!”

Updates after updates were reported.

The atmosphere within the large living room slowly turned nervous and heavy.

Michael and Zachary looked at Jasper, waiting for him to react.

Jasper did not say anything.

A quick moment later, Michael asked, “The stock prices are already dropping, Mr. Laine. Won’t we start investing?”

“Not yet.”

Jasper shook his head and replied, “It’s not the time to start investing yet. There’s no way the idle funds and organizations dealing these internet stocks will go down without a fight.”

Michael frowned. “But Mr. Laine, if the future is already set, it’ll be too late when we do start investing.”

“You’re welcome to take your funds out if you don’t trust my judgment, Mr. Lane,” Jasper replied calmly.

Michael frowned and spoke distastefully, “So you’re going to be so stubborn?”

Life at the Top Chapter 178

Michael was enraged when Jasper talked back at him.

After all, Michael was still his elder, especially in terms of working in the business world. His Gladness International was a large corporation.

Everyone respected him, in front and behind his back.

Yet Jasper’s words had cornered him and made it difficult for him to accept.

“We’ve already agreed, Mr. Lane. I need to have absolute authority,” Jasper stated.

Michael replied roughly, “All I did was make a suggestion. You’re the one who’s acting like a tyrant who won’t listen to others’ opinions.”

“I didn’t say that I won’t, but I’m trying to think and make a decision here. Your self-righteous suggestion will only divert my attention.” Jasper’s expression hardened at Michael’s accusation.

“We’re a team now. If we win, we split the winnings, and if we lose, we all shoulder the blame. If you’ve already decided to give me the full authority, then I’ll greatly appreciate it if you remain a silent bystander most of the time, Mr. Lane.”

Michael pointed at the market and laughed. “The market is dropping right now. If you’re not going to start investing, then what if we miss the opportunity?”

“Let’s all take a minute.”

Zachary spoke in understanding and turned to Jasper with a light-hearted expression. “Mr. Lane might be a little confused here, Jasper. How about you explain it to him?”

“The dealer!”

Jasper pointed at the market and raised his voice. “There’s no way internet companies will just stand there and watch as their own stock prices begin to drop. Not when a dealer is controlling the stocks in every company. No way.”

“So you’re telling me that no one has seen the horrible drop in the entire sector?” Michael scoffed.

“Of course, they have,” Jasper replied without hesitation, “But most of their funds are in the stock market. If they want to pull out, they need to raise the prices first.

“Not to mention that the status of senior executives and bosses depends on the price of their stocks. They will definitely make a move.”

Just as Jasper finished speaking, Zack’s voice suddenly rang out.

“The overall price of the entire internet sector has just jumped back up!”

“All stock prices that dropped just now are rising at different rates again!”

“The market is picking up again. Businesses have begun to oscillate and recover!”

Michael’s head snapped up as he stared at the electronic screen. Each green line that showed a decrease had turned red and started to rise.

“I…” Michael felt like there was a hand suffocating him and he could not speak.

The turn of events had given him a whiplash.

“Haha. Nothing to say this time, huh, Mike?” Zachary chuckled.

With Zachary smoothing over the situation, Michael then apologized to Jasper. He had an embarrassed expression on his face, but he was a man who knew when to leave things and move on. “My apologies, Mr. Laine, I’ve spoken out of turn. I did give you the authority when it comes to the stock market, so I shouldn’t have suspected your decision.”

Jasper’s expression warmed as he replied gently, “Like I said, Mr. Lane. We’re a team.

“You know too that we already have 40 billion funds at hand, but we’re in for a financial war involving hundreds of billions in the future. So I have to ensure my authority to command.

“My apologies if I offended you just now, Mr. Lane.”

Jasper had already spoken so understandingly and humbly that Michael was at a loss for words.

“Alright. I promise to watch my words,” Michael replied in admiration.

Jasper smiled and saw Zachary, who stood behind Michael, giving him a big thumbs up. Jasper turned to instruct Zack’s team, “Prepare to open a position!”

The clickity-clack of fingers on keyboards brought the living room into a frenzy, and the 15 professional stock traders immediately opened a position.

All it would take was an order from Jasper to buy any stocks, and they would immediately enter Harbor Stocks with a large number of funds.

Life at the Top Chapter 179

At that moment, fierce competition began among the people who were watching the rise and fall of the internet sector in Harbor Stocks. A large number of funds were entering the market every second.

Bearish people wanted to knock down the stock prices, bringing down with them all of Harbor Stocks and its Hansel Index. Meanwhile, bullish people continued to defend their territory and refused to let the prices drop so easily.

A war without the use of gunpowder continued to spread.

At that moment, in a quiet villa within Harbor City, the clicking of keyboards continued to sound out.

Kennedy stared at the display screen solemnly and kept firing orders.

A short distance away, Rogers sat idly as he sipped red wine.

“We’ve accumulated enough bargaining chips, Mr. Rogers,” Kennedy turned to tell Rogers.

Rogers put the glass of red wine down and looked at the screen, a playful smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he spoke, “News of Weresoft in the United States should’ve arrived at Harbor City by now, yes?”

Kennedy replied, “People more well-informed should already know by now. Quite the amount of funds have begun to enter the market.”

“Good!”

Rogers rolled his shoulders and walked over to the door. “I’ll tell the people at Wall Street to start moving. There’ll be an exciting battle there in no time, and I’m sure Harbor Stocks will immediately make their move as well.”

“Solo, that old man, didn’t manage to defeat Harbor City’s economy three years ago, but this time, I’m going to make sure Harbor City’s economy loses the past five years of their development!”

Bob spat at him sullenly as he watched Rogers leave to contact his Quantum Fund Group. “These white people from the United States are just coming here to dig up the graves of Harbor City’s ancestors. And here we are, handing them the shovels.”

Kennedy glanced at Bob plainly and spoke, “Ancestors don’t exist in the capital market, but if you mind, you’re free to leave.”

Bob smiled embarrassedly. “I don’t care if they live or die. The more they lose, the happier I become. After all, that’s how we profit.”

Five minutes later, Barron’s, the dominating financial magazine, had published an emergency report in the United States.

Its contents were no different from Jasper’s memory of his past life.

They had investigated more than 200 internet companies and realized that the senior executives there had all begun to cash out. The companies’ performances began to fall, and a lot of them on the market were facing dilemmas of bankruptcy and restructuring.

With that report published, the public opinion around Wall Street that had been shrouded in the gloomy clouds of Weresoft losing the antitrust lawsuit immediately exploded.

The capital’s senses were the most sensitive, and they had immediately affected the stock market.

All three of the United States’ indexes, The Dow Jones, the S&P 500, and the Nasdaq Composite, plummeted drastically.

Without warning, the dot-com bubble crashed worldwide.

In a flash, trillions of funds turned into maddening strangles in the United States stock market, and enormous amounts of funds disappeared into thin air in mere seconds. Countless people were immediately faced with bankruptcy.

The tragedy hit like a tsunami, and it swallowed the entire world whole.

Harbor Stocks’ Hansel Index was immediately affected, and countless investors immediately tried to retreat. Every investor began to sell their stocks at maddening speed in fear of being affected.

However… they were too late.

“Quick, what’s the trading volume of the internet sector?”

“It’s three times larger than it was three minutes ago! It’s continuing to grow!

“The Hansel Index just dropped by 200 points!

“The stock market crashed!”

Zack’s frantic and exceptionally excited voice was quickly followed by Jasper’s new instructions.

“Open a position! Open a position! The Hansel Index, it’s dropping! Open a position now!”

Life at the Top Chapter 180

In the futures market, one could decide whether they wanted to buy or to sell. In other words, to take a bullish or a bearish stand.

It was a simple idea. Taking the bullish stand meant that you believed the stock index would increase, so when it did, you earned profits.

Taking the bearish stand meant that you believed the index would drop, so when it did, you earned profits.

All in all, it was a gamble of whether the stock indexes would drop or rise.

Jasper believed that the Hansel Index would drop, so he chose to take a bearish stand.

When in truth, the falling of the Hansel Index was a trend that not even God could change.

The figurative tsunami had appeared at sea level, and the only thing anyone could do now was run as high up as possible, since stopping the tsunami was impossible.

With both Weresoft losing the antitrust lawsuit and Barron’s article, sorrow filled Harbor City’s stock market.

The entire market was starting to crash, and retail investors were trying to escape. Everyone was selling their own stocks, but where would they find an investor who would take over the market at such a time?

For stocks to be sold out, it first required someone to buy them or the transaction could not be completed. Without anyone purchasing, the falling of prices was the only outcome!

Harbor Stocks right now and stock markets all over the world were facing the same situation.

Countless shares were dropping drastically and therefore lowered the overall stock indexes.

Almost every stock price was dropping!

Countless people were hugging their heads in disbelief at the current situation of Harbor Stocks’ trading market. Wails, sobs, screams, and shouts filled the city.

The scene was one of absolute chaos.

At the same time, media companies were trying to report the latest news of the stock market as quickly as they could.

Now the entire world knew that the dot-com bubble had popped.

Such a situation only promoted more fear.

Harbor City’s government quickly set up an emergency press conference stating that they would do everything in their ability to guarantee the safety of investor’s funds while providing a series of favorable measures for internet companies.

Harbor City’s government was trying to use politics to reignite the stock market to ensure that the city’s economy could continue to develop.

Yet with the major trend of panic spreading through the entire market, the government of Harbor City’s press conference produced no effects.

Stock prices continued to drop.

The drop in the stock index was beyond what anyone had ever seen.

Like a nightmare, it reminded Harbor City’s investors of the horrific memories from the financial tsunami three years ago.

Every single citizen had to pay for the economic fallout of one single district.

The most straightforward and simple result was that the market price of companies would drop too low, thus leading to their cash flow breaking up and lastly the company closing down. The first thing that happened was the axing of employees.

Having lost their jobs, employees no longer had any economic income and their entire family’s financial stability would be put at risk.

Too many people would lose their jobs, and the worst, as well as the most direct result, would be social chaos.

Similar tragic consequences had happened overseas before.

Citizens were terrified.

In less than half a trading day, the Hansel Index had continued to drop. By the time the market closed for the day, the Hansel Index had dropped to 14,979 points!

At that moment, everyone knew Harbor Stocks was screwed.

Those who took the bullish stand had lost everything in this war, down to their defenses. All they could do was watch as those who took the bearish stand celebrated joyfully.

They were tasting the fruits of their victory.

In Law Manor, Jasper let out a long exhale the moment the stock market closed.

“Report,” Jasper ordered.

Zack was flushed with excitement. He had never felt so ecstatic in the more than ten years since he started working in this industry.