Ch. 1821..1830
Life at the Top Chapter 1821
“Other tricks? What else could they do?” Jasper looked at Lord Alvarado and asked.
Lord Alvarado, who never thought that his words would make Jasper react so much, was stunned for a moment. Then, h e said, “I’m not one of those bigwigs from the United States, so how would I know what they’ll come up with?”
After speaking, Lord Alvarado and the little prince saw that Jasper was still pondering. So, they looked at each other and Lord Alvarado could not help saying, I just said it casually. You don’t have to be so serious about it.”
“No, I think what you said makes sense.”
Jasper looked at Lord Alvarado and said seriously, “The United States has the world’s top think tanks, while the global economic situation is shaped by them. How can such an opponent be a fool who can’t even react in time?
“Perhaps they have already foreseen this. Although this crisis is indeed a serious blow to the United States economy, it has also helped them find and solve the problem in advance like a surgical operation.
“In this case, they may really transfer this loss somewhere else. After all, the United States is great at turning their own domestic issues into foreign wars.”
Jasper’s words shocked Lord Alvarado.
“Are they going to war with Somerland?”
Upon hearing that, the little prince glared at Lord Alvarado like he was looking at an idiot before Jasper could speak.
“How could two nuclear powers go to war? What are you thinking?”
Lord Alvarado breathed a sigh of relief and said, “That’s fine, that’s fine. I thought they’re going to war after hearing what Jasper said, and I was scared to death.”
The little prince ignored him, instead, he looked at Jasper and asked, “What do you think they will do?”
“No idea.”
Jasper shook his head and smiled bitterly, “This is just my current speculation. I haven’t even seen the slightest indication, let alone be sure of what they’ll do. After all, I am not a god.”
“In this case, I don’t think it’s helpful to overthink. It’s better to concentrate on handling the things in front of us. As for everything else, we’ll just have to be cautious.”
Jasper approved of what the little prince said.
“Very well.”
At this moment, Swallow Capital.
It was the same villa that was filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers.
Adele ran into the villa gleefully and spotted the man in the wheelchair who was reading under a tree with a parrot on his shoulder. Then, she ran over excitedly.
After slapping the parrot away, Adele said excitedly. “They triggered the subprime
mortgage crisis!
“The subprime market of the United States fell by 38% and the financial world i s wailing right now. I was so shocked when I saw the market.”
“Yeah, I know.”
The man who had his head lowered and focused on his book replied indifferently.
“Hey, what attitude is that? Give me some
reaction.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1822
Adele was angry when she saw the man acting like a corpse.
The man said lazily, “We expected this, so what’s there to react? Should I force myself to be surprised? That would be tooboring.”
Adele pressed her lips together and said, ” Who was the one who was not optimistic about Jasper before? How did yousuddenly turn to expect this? You changed so fast.”
“It is indeed expected, but it does notmean I’ve changed my mind. I am stillvery worried for him.”
The man closed the book and raised his hand. Then, the aggrieved little parrot who had been driven to stand on thebranch immediately flew back with flapping wings. It rested on the man’s palm and rubbed its head affectionatelyagainst his arm.
“I’ll turn you into stew sooner or later.”Adele glared at the little parrot and huffed.
The man ignored Adele’s childish remarks and said slowly, “The current situation is actually not as optimistic as expected. Indeed, the subprime mortgage crisis has broken out, but what happens then?
“For the United States government, they need to control the scope and extent of the crisis and then retaliate. For Jasper, what he has to do now is determine how t o expand upon the results and then deal with the United States government’s retaliation.
“The United States has never been a country that suffers a loss and swallows its anger. There are too many lessons and examples for us to learn from in this regard.
“Hence, all you can do now is to pray that Jasper will not indulge in the illusion of victory. What’s more, this victory does not belong to Jasper but to the capitalists i n Harbor City who have ties to the politicians.
“They sacrificed 200 billion and it can be said that Harbor City has been emptied
now. Hence, Jasper needs to consider how to pay back this money and favor now.”
Adele thought for a while and said unwillingly, “They’re willing to do this. What’s more, they are not doing this for Jasper. Even if they want someone to pay back the favor, it should be Swallow Capital. What does it have to do with Jasper?”
“How foolish.”
The man shook his head and said, ” Imagine if it was someone else in Jasper’s position. Do you think the people in Harbor City would be so eager even if it were me?
“Even the seniors at the very top are alarmed by this.
“Have you realized that initially, everyone thought that the biggest backer behind Jasper was the Laws, and it was unknown when everyone started sharing this sentiment? After that, Jasper was valued b y the higher-ups for a series of achievements, and when they decided to list him as a benchmark to cultivate him,
many people thought that Swallow Capital
was the one backing him.
“However, Swallow Capital does not exist to be anyone or any forces’ backing. If they did so, Swallow Capital would only back up its people.
“So now, Jasper’s real backer are the capitalists in Harbor City.”
After he said that, Adele shuddered as if she had been electrocuted.
She only felt that a lot of things about Jasper became clear after these words, as i f she had suddenly been enlightened with perfect wisdom. She had always felt muddleheaded as if she was separated by a layer of glass, but now everything seemed to be incomparably clear.
“I guess it is that way,” Adele murmured.
“So, Jasper can sacrifice anyone, but the Harbor City capital absolutely can’t perish in this battle. Otherwise, do you really think no one will contest Jasper for this position?
“The merit of achieving something big is great, but to set a benchmark for an era is. o loss significant than the general
election. Furthermore, it might be even more influential. Who is willing to lose this identity?
“If a death-exemption plate still existed i
n this time and age, this would be it.”
When Adele heard this, she was
immediately anxious,
“I have to go. I need to take care of
something.”
Looking at Adele’s hurrying figure, the Iman shook his head. An extremely rare touch of worry flashed across his tranquil eyes that normally could never be disturbed.
“Adele, my dear sister, you can marry
anyone in this world, but not him.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1823
Jasper was eating when he received Adele’s call.
After he listened to what Adele said, he heard a final sentence which he could not tell if it was said seriously or out of professional habit. “The above news is worth 5 million, please transfer it to my fixed account.”
Jasper almost sprayed the soup from his mouth onto the face of the little prince, who was sitting opposite him.
“I already have a preliminary plan with Harbor City capital. I won’t say how much I’ll earn, but there will certainly be returns, but the biggest problem now is that Harbor City is very weak. I am worried that their safety will be threatened.”
Adele was not a fool. When Jasper said that, she immediately understood what it meant.
“The local area surrounding Harbor City will be fine because Swallow Capital is keeping an eye on them. Do you mean their overseas assets?”
Jasper nodded and said, “That’s what I’m saying. You have to know that at least 70 % of the top families in Harbor City have assets overseas. After all, Harbor City is too small, so how could it support so many top capital families?
“Wall Street capital and the United States government will turn their attention to the overseas assets once this is over. When that happens, it will be very troublesome.
“If I can’t protect the industry that I have worked so hard to build for so many. years, what’s the use of making up for the money deficiency afterward?”
Jasper sighed, “You must know that any industry is the same. Once the scale of the industry reaches a certain level, it cannot be bought with money.”
For example, Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes in the automobile field, mobile phone brands like Apple in the future, and also large groups such as Siemens and Rony were all unable to acquire with money. Hence, it would be useless no matter how much money you had.
However, Jasper’s worries were not shots i In the dark.
Sentel Corporation, who had just withdrawn and left, was the perfect painful example of this.
Harbor City’s capital was certainly strong, but unless they grouped together, no individual was Sentel Corporation’s opponent.
However, even if they were grouped, they would also barely win against Sentel because their power was too scattered. They were involved in all industries, so they became bigger but not stronger.
If this was the case with Sentel, then Harbor Capital would be no different.
“Do you have any plans?” Adele asked curiously.
“No,”
Jasper answered directly.
Adele found it hard to accept this kind of
directness.
“Hey, are you giving up just like this?
From what I know, nothing can stump
you.”
Jasper snapped, “Do you think I am God? Even though there is a god here, there are still some things that they can’t do, let alone me.”
“So should we just watch and do
nothing?” Adele asked anxiously.
“How much hush-hush money do you
have then? Do you want to sponsor me? Of
course, things will go smoother if the
money is enough,” Jasper joked.
Unexpectedly, Jasper’s unintentional
words sounded genuine to Adele.
“I really don’t have much money. I have donated the money I have earned over the years to children’s education, but I can still get you 60 to 70 million if you want.”
Upon hearing Adele’s serious tone, Jasper was surprised, “You don’t do much business, but all of them make you a lot of money. Have you donated all of it?”
“Yeah, what do I want so much money for? Even if I don’t make a penny and I just lie at home motionlessly, I’ll get a fixed allowance. I live in military housing,
so I have shelter and food. Do you think that I am money crazy? I’d be insane to keep so much money that I couldn’t spend. I have allowed thousands of underprivileged children to go to college anonymously over these years.”
Jasper could not help but admire this top political third-generation upon hearing her proud words.
He knew that according to the temperament of Swallow Capital, how could they allow Adele to jump and fool around in this gray area?
Moreover, as far as he knew, the surviving leading figure of the Browns was a man who was not prepared to turn a blind eye to such a thing. That was the way of the older generation.
However, they could even acquiesce to Adele doing this. At the end of the day, it all still depended on Adele’s pure and innocent heart.
“Awesome. I have a whole new outlook on you, but you have to keep an eye on the donated money. After all, most of the so
called charitable funds in Somerland are
not very professional.”
Jasper’s request made Adele giggle. She said, “Don’t worry, they won’t dare to embezzle a single cent belonging to me.”
Jasper patted his forehead. This was true. Only those people in the charity who were not right in the head would embezzle the money Adele gave them. If they did so, they would not have the life to enjoy it even after they took it.
“Seriously, do you want me to lend you m y money first?” Adele asked.
“No, I was just kidding. You should keep it
for yourself. That little amount doesn’t
help much anyway,” Jasper said
helplessly.
“Alright, I’m a bit reluctant to give it to you anyway.”
“By the way, the annual weekly special of
Time Magazine will be released tomorrow. I suggest you pay attention to i t. There is news about me,” Jasper laughed and said.
Adele was taken aback when she heard that. She replied, “You were interviewed by
Times Magazine? What did you say? Your current status is not the same as before, so you have to be very careful when you speak.”
“What else could I say? It’s just some
random nonsense. You’ll know after
reading it.
“Alright, I have some friends here, so I
won’t talk so much with you. I’m hanging
up now.”
After the phone was hung up, Adele was
still a little unhappy because she had not
fully expressed herself.
“Hmph, I don’t even bother to pay attention to the ones who want to chat with me. Don’t expect me to answer your call next time, you arrogant rascal!”
After grumbling for a while, Adele ordered someone to buy the latest annual weekly special of Times Magazine tomorrow and send it to her.
“It must be some small interview, yet he’s still so proud of himself. Forget it, since h e told me to, then I’ll show my support.”
On Jasper’s end the little prince and Lord
Alvarado looked at Jasper with amorous eyes.
“I’m very sure that’s not Wendy.” The little prince laughed.
“And I’m very sure it’s a woman.” Lord Alvarado smirked evilly.
“Also, I’m very sure it’s a young and beautiful woman.” Then, the two of them said at the same time.
Jasper said, not knowing what reaction to give them, “You can tell she’s young by her voice but how do you know that she’s beautiful?”
“Did women that are not beautiful appear around you before?” Lord Alvarado said jealously.
Jasper thought about it and seemed to find it true.
The women who were always around him were always outstanding and extremely beautiful.
“It’s Adele. We were just chatting.”
Jasper said carefreely. When Lord Alvarado and the little prince heard her name, their expressions changed.
Life at the Top Chapter 1824
As the young generation leaders who were as famous as the crippled Brown, it was only natural that two knew Adele.
Not only did they know each other, but they also interacted with each other a lot.
It could even be said that they knew more about Adele than the crippled Brown.
However, it was precisely because of this that they were so surprised after knowing that Adele was the woman who flirted with Jasper on the phone.
“Dude, are you for real? Was that really Adele?” Lord Alvarado asked incredulously.
“Why do you guys look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Jasper asked suspiciously.
The corners of the little prince’s mouth twitched, and he replied, “The Adele we both know is arrogant and unreasonable, and she also has a fierce temper. No one i n Swallow Capital dares to provoke that woman. Do you know what she’s most famous for?
“In her senior year of high school, two brainless boys from the residence harassed her and bullied a femaleclassmate of hers. That woman went straight home and stole a gun from their home security team. Then, she drove themilitary jeep straight into the compound,held the gun against the two idiots’ foreheads, and forced them to kowtow to admit their mistakes.
“The most outrageous thing is that after this matter was over, she got away scot free. The elders of the two guys from the residence were asked to keep their mouths shut. I heard that Grandmaster Brown took care of this personally.”
The little prince added, “I heard that the woman spotted a pair of antique vases worth more than ten million SomerDollars in those two guys’ house. Coincidentally, these vases had appeared i n an auction not long ago.
“The grandmaster slammed his fist onthe table on the spot and asked theauthorities to catch them that very night.They would be very dignified politicians i
n any generation, yet, they fell from grace
like that.”
“Since they are public servants, how would they have the money to buy vases worth more than ten million at the auction and place them at home? There had to be something fishy going on,” Jasper said.
“This is true. We are not saying that Grandmaster Brown is wrong, but you see, how old was the girl back then? She was in her third year of high school and had just reached adulthood. However, she went to their place seeking revenge in a fury. After that, she noticed something that shouldn’t have been in their home and could even recognized it. How many children at that age could do such a thing?
“So, after this incident, almost no one at Swallow Capital dared to provoke her. It’s not because she’s doughty, nor is her grandfather so powerful, what really. annoys people is that the woman is so cunning. The Brown siblings are truly the same in this aspect.
“So how can we not feel shocked when we saw you flirting with such a tigress?”
Jasper was dumbfounded after listening t o the little prince’s sorrowful explanation.
In reality, this was the first time he had heard about Adele’s past. It seemed that there was quite a history to her.
If this matter was true, then Adele must b e even more cunning than he thought.
Besides, there was no need for the little prince and Lord Alvarado to lie to him about this.
“Perhaps we just clicked easily. That wasn’t flirting. We’re just close, and that’s why we can talk so carefreely.”
Even Jasper did not believe what he said.
However, no matter what they thought, it
was over now.
After they ate, the exhausted trio went back to rest.
Because of the time difference, the United States was turning bright the moment Jasper lay down.
A piece of huge news broke out on this new day that attracted countless people’s attention. Its popularity surpassed even news of the subprime mortgage crisis.
Life at the Top Chapter 1825
The annual special of Times Magazinewas released.
Originally, this was not something remarkable. It was just a magazine no matter how many people read it as it wasnot as important as the money and stocks in their pockets. However, the key to this issue was the cover photo. It featured someone from Somerland who countless people from the United States wanted to skin alive.
Jasper Laine!
Since the founding of Times Magazine, there were only a handful of Somerland people who had been on the cover of theannual special. The people from Somerland who were featured before Jasper could be counted by one hand.
Now, in this special period, Jasper, a manand businessman from Somerland whofundamentally detonated the subprimemortgage crisis, was appearing on thecover of Times Magazine. This felt like aresounding slap to the faces of the peopleof the United States.
“This businessman from Somerland, whois less than 30 years old, used his actions to tell the world that nothing isimpossible.”
This short sentence was the caption onthe cover.
On the cover photo, Jasper was in a formalsuit and was sitting idly on the sofa,looking up at the sky outside the window.
This profile was selected for the BestPhotography Award in 2001 and wasnominated as one of the 100 mostinfluential celebrities in the world in 2001.
Times Magazine transcribed the lastinterview with Jasper and fit it in threepages. They did not change any of thecontents and they tried to show Jasper’soriginal attitude to everyone in the world as authentically as possible.
“He said that he was a businessman whodidn’t care about politics, but hiscommercial means caused the UnitedStates to be in terrible shape.
“He said he doesn’t care about his wealth,but his every move has profoundly
affected all aspects of Somerland society. Tens of thousands of families rely on the jobs he provides to make a living.
“He said he was not a nationalist, but he kept his best industry in Somerland and gave the United States a financial war.
“He is only 27 years old. When most of his peers were still looking for work to adapt t o society, he set off financial turmoil that i s about to take over the world.
“Real estate, internet, and finance are known as the most promising and explosive industries in the 21st century. When everyone remains ignorant of the unknown, he has completed the industry layout in the East.
“In five years, this man has grown from nothing to being at the top of the wealth pyramid. This is him, the cover character of this issue of Times Magazine, a controversial man, Jasper Laine.”
This admonition was known as the most profound textual sketch of Jasper in the Western world.
From the upper class to the lower class,
from the grassroots to the rich, from the bigwigs to the common people, everyone was focusing on this photo and cover.
There was no doubt that this time, the Times Magazine annual special had become a hit.
The civilians wanted to know how Jasper did it.
The rich also wanted to know how Jasper did it.
However, each class was different, so
their perspectives and goals were also
completely different.
The former wanted to imitate Jasper and wanted to be the second Jasper.
The latter gritted their teeth and dreamed about killing Jasper.
As the admonition on the cover stated, a controversial figure had emerged in the 21st century. He had become the first businessman to truly spread his name around the world since Somerland’s reform and opening up.
Life at the Top Chapter 1826
If the foreign public opinion was mixed, then domestic public opinion tended to be flattering.
From financial news to entertainment news, from local reports to SCTV, all the media outlets were doing the same thing,which was praising Jasper consistently.
This kind of praise reached anunprecedented peak under themanipulation of an invisible hand.
In this promotion, Somerland’s media obtained all the detailed informationabout Jasper’s fortune that foreign media could not.
From starting in real estate stockspeculation to the establishment of JWnow.
Naturally, there was inevitablebeautification on certain aspects. Forexample, Jasper’s initial property sellingand stock trading were promoted to beinga post-planned move and exploits ofsomeone with a unique vision and asurprisingly keen grasp of the stockmarket.
They never mentioned any of thegrievances throughout Jasper’s rise. Whatwas left was the pristine image of anexcellent entrepreneur who grew with hisown two hands.
This publicity that was overdone wasinterpreted by Somerland’s elite as anattempt by Swallow City to thoroughlysupport Jasper as a benchmark figure ofthe era.
After all, before Jasper appeared, no onehad been treated like this and evenSwallow Capital remained hesitant.
No one dared to say whether the societycould accept it or whether the peoplecould accept it once such an image is trulyestablished. Furthermore, no one knewwhether Jasper himself could still be true to himself in this endless glory andspotlight.
Especially the last point. If SwallowCapital spent great effort to establishJasper and Jasper eventually became adisappointment and started misbehaving,then he would be slapping SwallowCapital across the face and it would also b.
an extremely corious waste of social
resources.
In this process, public opinion on the Internet had truly entered the high-ups’ field of vision for the first time.
People were surprised to find that the cornerstone of the domestic Internet today actually belonged to Jasper.
Terizone, the undisputed overlord in social media, Abbylon in the field of online shopping, and Sena in gaming.
These three domestic giant Internet companies had exploded dazzlingly during this wave of propaganda.
At the same time, people saw the advantages of online media overwhelming traditional media in the new era.
Furthermore, they were promoting their boss, so there was no reason for Terizone, Sena, or Abbylon to not work hard.
“Jasper, hurry and look at this.”
Jasper, who had just gotten up and was about to regain his senses to rush back to the trading center, was caught by Wendy.
Jasper leaned in front of the computer to take a closer look, and when he did, his face fell.
He did not know which bastard actually posted a speech he made at JW’s internal meeting on the Internet.
“In terms of corporate management, organizational structure, and cultural construction, JW has to learn from large foreign groups because they have much more experience than us. They have already emerged as multinational companies while we were still at war. If someone is better than us, we must learn from them. This has nothing to do with the stand of the nation and state.
“But you have to remember one thing, JW will always belong to Somerland. Any branch or subsidiary projects that need a partner will follow the same conditions. W e will always choose domestic suppliers to partner with unless there is none in the country, or if there is a huge disparity between local and foreign companies, we can partner with foreign companies for the sake of the final result.
“One more thing. Recently, I heard thatsome branches did not sign laborcontracts with their employees, which hasled to a series of disputes. This is the hardlimit of JW. I have already fired thehuman resources manager while the headof the branch has been demoted. Theywon’t be allowed to have a post-levelpromotion within the next three years.
“Signing a labor contract with anemployee and paying five socialInsurances and one housing fund as perthe law is a legal obligation of anenterprise. Just like paying taxes, this is avery serious matter, and I can’t run from it no matter what reason I have or even ifthe employee disagrees. The ones whowork for me but provide sh*tty jobs willnot be hired. Anyone who goes againstthis principle in the future should justleave the company.
“I have to praise Terizone on this becausethey have done a good job, but I have tocriticize Abbylon.
“This branch is a business departmentwithin Abbylon, and currently, Abbylon is
always working overtime. Wayne, I heard
that you advocate voluntary overtime within Abbylon, is that true?”
Facing Jasper’s questioning, Wayne, who already held a dominant position in the domestic Internet circle, looked embarrassed in the video.
“Um… I didn’t mean that, I meant that
the company needs dedication…”
“Bullsh*t.”.
Jasper interrupted Wayne directly and rudely. He did not care if he had humiliated Wayne, the internet tycoon. H e said sternly, “The company belongs to the boss. Of course, the boss can have a dedicated spirit, but what does it have to d o with the dedication of the employees ?
“If an employee does not work hard during work, they can be dealt with as per the rules and regulations, but they are free to do whatever they want outside of working hours. How can you ask others to contribute their extra time to the company for free?”
“There are a few urgent projects, and I don’t have a choice. The entire
management committee has been working overtime for several months,” Wayne replied while smiling bitterly.
“Then spend money to recruit more people. If you can’t do it, transfer some from Terizone or Sena. Even if you work overtime, you have to pay enough overtime compensation for those who volunteered. I gave you 2% of your turnover every year for extra labor. What did you do with that money?
“In short, I only have two opinions in today’s meeting. One is the choice of suppliers. We can choose the ones in Somerland to help out. If there is really no way, then we’ll consider foreign companies. The other one is whoever tries to pull dirty tricks with me in terms of employee treatment, I’ll let them experience how it is to be a regular employee.
“Regarding the second one, I will issue a document in the name of the president’s office and send a copy to the main leaders of the head office, branches, and major business groups. That’s it, the meeting is adjourned.”
At the end of the video, Jasper could see that the webpage was full of praises for him.
After all, most netizens were ordinary white collar workers or people who had ordinary 9 to 5s. They needed a conscientious boss like Jasper who could b e considerate of them.
Among them, there were many employees from JW telling others their opinions. They stated how good the benefits of JW were and the boss rarely put on airs. Even the deputy or head of the branch would roll up their sleeves and quarrel with the employees about problems they encountered at work. Other than that, there were also occasional examples of employees who contended on strong grounds and got promoted or a pay raise.
“Bullsh*t.”
Jasper laughed and cursed.
Life at the Top Chapter 1827
Running a company took profound knowledge.
One could not always act rashly or keep pandering to the consumers.
Jasper knew this very well.
Jasper remembered that at this meeting, h e also mentioned the need to strengthen the training for employees’ abilities and qualities, as well as introduce some stricter assessment methods. To put it bluntly, his capitalistic nature was also exposed at this time, but the video did not mention it.
After he looked at this webpage again, he realized that the truth had been revealed.
This was the news channel on Terizone’s official website.
It would be impossible for them to talk bad about their big boss.
Besides this, Terizone had purposely emphasized Jasper complimenting Terizone and criticizing Abbylon in the video,
Although the two companies did not overlap in business, everyone wanted to b e the number one in the field of the
Internet within JW, so the fight between
Hudson and Wayne had never stopped. The employees of the two companies even often ridiculed each other and lookeddownupon each other.
Abbylon called Terizone a group of coderswho only created chat windows.
Terizone called Abbylon a bunch of street vendors selling goods.
In short, it was a love-hate relationship.
On the contrary, Sena understood that
they were in the gaming industry under
Jack’s leadership. They were making
money, but at the same time, they knew
they were destined to not be number one.
Hence, they decided to make a fortune
quietly so that was why they were the
safest.
Jasper knew this but he did not care.
If everyone under him was getting alongwell, he would become agitated as theirboss.
“Look at this.”
Wendy took out a magazine mysteriously…
“The special from Times Magazine isout?”
Jasper took the magazine over to have alook. Then, he beamed and said, “Not bad,not bad. This picture looks good. It showsmy handsomeness in great detail.”
“Not only that, a lot of the netizens arecalling you the people’s husband now!”Wendy mocked.
Jasper almost vomited blood.
He never expected that he would snatchthe title belonging to Cody Whorton tenyears later.
However, he fitted this title much better
than Cody.
Jasper did not have time to feel pleasedwith himself. He quickly flipped open themagazine and spent a few minutesreading the report.
“Sigh.”
He tossed the special on the table and sighed.
“What’s wrong? I read the interview andthey didn’t say anything bad about you.Why do you look so upset?” Wendy askedquickly.
“The write-up is fine, and they managed to get the message I wanted to conveywithout contorting any facts. However,I’m disappointed because of this.”
Jasper shook his head and said, “Thereason I accepted this interview is toessentially use this chance of being on thecover to promote myself and increase theUnited States’ fear toward their domesticfinancial crisis. Also, I want to enlarge thedegree of the influence of the subprimemortgage crisis. However, the focus is all on me now and the thing I wanted them toexaggerate has been weakened andbrought out of the limelight.
“This is not what I expected.”
Wendy said, “How could everything in theworld be in accordance with your wishes?Not to mention, they have already.published the last few words you said.Anyone who invests in the United Statesfinancial market has to pay attention towhat you said, so I don’t think you need to
be too worried and pessimistic.”
“You are right.”
Jasper nodded. Then, he kissed Wendy on the cheek and said, “I’m going to the trading center now. You should also take a break. Just treat these as entertainment and don’t take them too seriously. There are definitely advocates deliberately promoting this. The most important thing is to do our own business well.”
Wendy blushed, nodded, and gave him a reply in the form of a hum.
Jasper and Wendy talked for a while. Then, when it was almost time, Jasper headed to the trading center.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he arrived at the
company, he heard a female voice yelling right after he got out of the car, “Mr. Laine!”
“Honey!”
Jasper was taken aback.
After he turned around, he saw a few well dressed girls looking at him with excitement..
Jasper immediately understood that he was caught by his ‘fans’.
Jasper turned around and entered the company after he waved and smiled at them.
“Mr. Laine, I’m really sorry. Those girls insisted on waiting for you at the door of the company. We tried to get rid of them a few times, but were unsuccessful. There are even two law students and they said as long as they don’t come in, we don’t have the right to kick them out.”
The head of the security department came over to apologize.
“It’s okay, I’m not a celebrity. However, if you continue to run into similar situations, you can set up a canopy outside the door and get some chairs for them to sit on. I will come through the basement from now on. If they can’t see m e, they will eventually stop coming. This way, we won’t offend anyone after getting a good reputation, plus I will avoid myself the trouble.” Jasper said as he walked.
“Okay, Mr. Laine, I will do it now,” the head said with a smile on his face.
“Thanks for your hard work.”
Patting the head of the security
department on the shoulder, Jasper went
straight into the elevator.
The head of security watched the elevatordoor closed with excitement. Then, hetook a look at his shoulder that had beenpatted by Mr. Laine, raised his head,puffed out his chest, and shouted at hismen who were feeling envious, “Did youhear that? Hurry up and execute what Mr.Laine ordered. Go build canopies outside!”
Upon arriving at the top floor of thetrading center, as soon as Jasper steppedfoot into the command room, Jakeapproached him.
“Mr. Laine, I was about to call you. There is a new situation that had developed.”
After he said that, Jake did not wait forJasper to ask before taking out adocument. He said, “The latestannouncement issued by the UnitedStates Ministry of Commerce shows thatthe Ministry of Commerce is launching acommercial investigation against a total of 13 companies in the United States. The
contents include tax review, business
scope review, and transaction review. The Ministry of Commerce is pushing for a bill to increase tariffs on a total of 7 categories and 19 minor categories of products, including rubber, leather products, and seafood.”
As Jasper heard that, he took the document over. The more he looked at it, the tighter he furrowed his brows.
“Almost all the 13 companies under investigation are companies belonging to Harbor City, and the product categories for which they want to increase tariffs are also important industries for Harbor City capital. This is a targeted response.” Jasper frowned.
“Mr. Laine, if this is the case, the pressure on Harbor City will be very high. Considering that they have almost no liquid funds, once a chain reaction occurs, it will be very troublesome.”
Upon hearing what Jake said, Jasper narrowed his eyes and slowly said, “It seems that the United States is not in enough pain. Let’s increase our strength today.
Life at the Top Chapter 1828
Right after Jasper and Jake discussed what they were going to do after the market opened, far away in Harbor City.
Zachary pushed open the door with a tired look. He threw the briefcase onto the sofa, sat down, and raised his hand to loosen the button on his collar. When he saw the empty home, Zachary called out impatiently, “Mrs. Inez? Where’s
everyone? Didn’t I say that I want to have a bowl of dessert every day after getting off work?”
At this time, a servant hurriedly came from the direction of the kitchen. She said
aggrievedly, “Mr. Law, yesterday you said you wouldn’t want it today.”
“I said I wouldn’t want it? When did I say that? Do you still want your job?”
Zachary was furious. Mrs. Inez was feeling very aggrieved. Just as she was about to explain, an old voice
could be heard, “Mrs. Inez, you should go on with your business. Zachary is in a bad mood lately, so please don’t split hairs
with him.”
When Mrs. Inez saw Old Master Law’s gentle smile on his face, she quickly bowed and said, “Old Master, you are here. It’s great that you’re here. I’ll go on with my business now.”
After Mrs. Inez left, Zachary said gloomily, “Dad, why are you here?”
“Did something happen to the company?”
Old Master Law sat across from Zachary and asked.
Zachary sighed and said, “Several companies we hold are currently being investigated by the United States Ministry of Commerce, and no business activities are allowed during the investigation. Therefore, the contracts we have with
those companies will be breached. Now, those companies are seeking compensation from us. I am seriously in deep trouble.”
Old Master Law said, “If the company has no problems, then they can just investigate however they want. They won’t find anything anyway.”
Zachary smiled bitterly, “Dad, do you still not know how those people are? Even if there are no problems, they are
suspending our business for the sake of this investigation. After doing this for a few months, it doesn’t matter how good
the performance is, the company will be finished. Plus, we also have to face compensation lawsuits from our partners
for breach of contract.”
“These costs are expected. The others are i n a similar situation, and it is not just us, right?” Old Master Law asked.
Zachary had a gloomy expression. He
nodded and said, “Yes, especially the
Boyles. Almost all shipping involving the
United States has been halted and the
losses are extremely heavy. Now those
cargo owners have to call another ship to
pick up their cargo on the high seas. All
the expenses must be paid for by the
family, not to mention overdue
compensation. However, the cost of
transshipment itself is an astronomical
figure.
“I also heard that the Boyles’
granddaughter, the one who was studying
in the United States, was also taken away for investigation. Right now, they do not know whether she is even alive. They did everything they could, but they still could not contact her. They are panicking right now.”
Old Master Law raised his snow-white eyebrows and said, “Did our friend in the United States try looking for her?”
“They tried, but the United States government is being very stubborn. It’s useless no matter what anyone says,” Zachary said angrily.
“She is just a female international student in her twenties, and she has nothing to do with these things. They’re just looking for a reason to detain people. What insufferable bullies!”
“It’s useless to say anything now. Contact Jasper to see if he can do anything about i t. Money doesn’t matter, it’s just something trivial, but we can’t let anything happen to her,” Old Master Law said.
Nodding, Zachary sighed, “Now I can only
ask Jasper. I didn’t expect that one day, we would also ask Jasper for help.”
“Why? Do you feel uncomfortable with that?” Old Master Law asked with a smile.
“Dad.”
Zachary sighed and said, “I admire Jasper very much, and you know this. I will help him as much as I can and will do so very willingly. To put it bluntly, I treat him of our entire family and even all of Harbor City capital to help him. What will we do in the future now that our foundation has been hollowed out?”
Life at the Top Chapter 1829
“Who said the foundation has been hollowed out?”
Old Master Law raised an eyebrow.
“Our foundation has never been pinned o
In someone or a certain force, let alone
that wealth. Our real foundation is
Somerland and the mainland. Do you still
not understand such a simple truth?”.
“Dad, I understand these principles very
well, but the actual situation is that it is
not just our family-all the other families
are also struggling. At this point, it will be
difficult to even scratch out a living, so
what do you say?” Zachary seldom
retorted the old master in this manner.
“You fool!”
Old Master Law shouted, “Let me ask you,
what will Wall Street do if Jasper loses?
What will the United States government d
0?
“We have discussed this issue a long time
ago and we have reached a consensus. If
Jasper loses, the entire Somerland
financial market will be attacked by Wall
Street. If that were to happen, the fruits of
the reformation and opening-up will become something that everyone can pick at will. If the mainland’s financial system collapses, the Laws and the other families will truly be in huge trouble!
“Why else do you think those old guys would bet on this with me? They can all see this clearly.”
Zachary rubbed his face and said in
distress, “Dad, what if we lose this time…”
“I’ve left you a fund. This fund is enough for Henry’s children to live comfortably throughout their lives. This is our last life saving card, but I don’t think we need to use it. As long as Jasper is still alive, he won’t allow us to fall to that point.”
As soon as Old Master Law finished
speaking, Zachary’s cell phone rang.
Zachary was shocked and immediately
answered. After a while, Zachary abruptly got up and
said in surprise, “Are you for real?”
Old Master Law looked at Zachary quietly, and he had no idea what was said on the other end of the phone, but he knew it
would not be a trivial matter if it was able t o shock his son so much.
“I’ll go back to the company right away.”
After Zachary finished speaking, he hung up the phone and spoke to Old Master Law with a smile on his face, “Dad, Jasper did not let us down. He took the opportunity presented by the subprime mortgage
crisis to short all United States’ stocks relating to basic infrastructures like real estate, building materials, transportation, and so on. Now, the entire United States stock market is like a cripple whose backbone has been broken.
“And just now, the Agricultural Bank, ICBS, and Construction Bank jointly issued an official letter to several families i n Harbor City, stating that whenever there is a need for funds, they can provide. an interest -free loan of 10 billion Somer Dollars!”
Old Master Law chuckled softly upon hearing the words. “Good. Very good. How spectacular.”
“Dad, I’m going to the company first.”
The old master said with a nod, “Ask Jasper to find a way to help the Boyles granddaughter first and then straighten out the company’s affairs. You can take care of the rest.”
“Okay.” Zachary nodded and went out excitedly.
Soon, the house was empty and Old Master Law was left alone.
The old man stood up and walked to the window. At this moment, the spine that had been slumped this whole time was upright. His awe-inspiring aura from back then was once again present. How could a mad dog dare to bare its fangs at a ferocious tiger?
Life at the Top Chapter 1830
On the way to the company, Zachary called Jasper.
Upon learning about the Boyles’ situation,
Jasper frowned slightly.
He could not help but think of an event that happened in his previous life before h e was reincarnated.
The boss of HW, Mr. Reagan’s daughter
was detained by the United States for
various reasons.
This incident caused a great uproar at the time, but since the United States had done it, they were not afraid of a bad image, and decided to continue this until the very end.
Thus, she was unable to go back to Somerland until Jasper was reincarnated.
Although the Boyles’ granddaughter’s was far less influential than Mr. Reagan’s daughter, who was detained in Jasper’s previous life, the nature of the matter was exactly the same.
Hence, it might be quite difficult to help her.
“Tell Mr. Boyle and Old Master Boyle that I will try my best to at least bring her back home safely,” Jasper said firmly,
“That’s good. If you encounter any difficulties, don’t force it, we can come up with other methods,” Zachary said.
With a smile, Jasper said, “It’s nothing more than a matter of interest. As long as the interest can be discussed, there won’t be any difficulties in this world. Please wait for my good news.”
After finishing the phone call with
Zachary, Jasper looked up at the screen.
At this moment, all the US markets had plummeted, whether it is the Dow Jones Index or the NASDAQ.
Leading the decline were the real estate, building materials, and infrastructure sectors.
Whether domestically or abroad, these sectors had a common feature, which was a large market cap and a large amount of funds.
Their stock price might only be a few dollars or even a few cents per share, so they appeared cheap, but the total value of the available shares was quite unbelievable.
However, this would bring about a problem because it accounted for a large proportion of the large inventory points, and it is difficult for the ordinary market t o produce large fluctuations.
Hence, such shares belonged to the class suitable for long-term investment and long-term financial management.
However, these stocks also had a very important feature.
Once it collapsed, it was hard to save it.
It was like a giant walking on land. It would be hard to take down such a giant, but once it was overthrown, it would be difficult for it to get up.
Had it not been the subprime mortgage crisis that caused all the same types of stocks to fall, coupled with the panic in the market that caused huge amounts of funds to retreat from the stock, futures,
and other securities markets, it would be unrealistic for Jasper to crash the market s o easily.
Now, thanks to those fleeing funds, Jasper only spent 20 billion US Dollars to crash the two major stock indexes of the United States into the abyss after Jasper issued a n order in the morning.
At this moment, the United States finance market was like a buff man with a broken spine. No matter how fierce he looked, he could only lie on the ground and let those who were much weaker than him take advantage of him.)
This situation would continue to develop and deteriorate before the Federal Reserve and the United States government took further measures.
By this time, Jasper had already dialed Celine’s number.
“Tell me, what’s the matter? I knew there won’t be anything good when I saw your number.”