Ch. 1871..1880

Life at the Top Chapter 1871

If the Atticus family knew that the old master was not in good health, it would be normal. However, it would be a bit

outrageous for them to know that heart. failure was the cause of the old master’s hospitalization this time.

Someone in the hospital or the family must have informed Sawyer.

“Mr. Kennedy, don’t look at me like this, I’m just being kind.”

After realizing that he had crossed the line, Sawyer took a step back and said with a smile.

After all, they were partners who were about to cooperate and there was no need to make the relationship too rigid.

Kennedy obviously felt the same. Therefore, he slowly looked away and said, “We’re almost there. If you have

anything to say, you should say it in front of Half-the-Harbor Langdon.”

The convoy entered a villa in the heavy

rain and found Half-the-Harbor Langdon

waiting to greet them under the eaves of

the main house in the villa.

The car door opened. As Sawyer and Kennedy got out of the car, Half-the Harbor Langdon was already approaching them while smiling.

“You’ve came from afar. Welcome.”

Kennedy smiled and stretched out his

hand to grip Half-the-Harbor Langdon’s

hand tightly. He said, “I’ve been looking

forward to this meeting for a long time.”

Sawyer also shook hands with Half-the

Harbor Langdon after letting go of

Kennedy’s. He smiled and greeted, “How

have you been recently, my old friend?”

After Sawyer said that, Half-the-Harbor

Langdon’s smile froze for a few tenths of

a second.

Even Kennedy was looking at Sawyer like

he was a buffoon.

‘What’s going on with this old thing

today? Why does he keep spewing

nonsense from his dirty mouth?”

With a wave of his hand, Half-the-Harbor

Langdon took advantage of this gesture to

loosen his grip on Sawyer’s hand. After

that, he said, “If you read the news more, you’ll know that I’ve been doing badly recently. Moreover, I’m about to become the world’s laughing stock.”

“Heroes make mistakes sometimes too. This difficulty and obstacle are nothing to you. I believe that Mr. Joe will definitely get through this phase,” Fabian walked over and said.

Half-the-Harbor Langdon laughed and said, “Thank you for your kind words, Fabian.”

“Everyone, it’s windy and rainy outside, s o let’s go in and sit down for tea as we chat.” Kayden found a gap in the conversation and said with a grin.

After the group entered the house, they exchanged a few words before Half-the Harbor Langdon took the initiative to speak, “Everyone, I believe you guys know why I invited you to come over. Now, allow me to be blunt, Harbor City is. my home, and yet I can’t go back. Also, I believe the two of you’re not so happy with your recent situations too, right?”

Kennedy said blankly, “Now, those other families are all siding with the Laws. They

have decided to team up and support Jasper to the bitter end, regardless of consequences. They have forgotten that Harbor City is the most developed economy in Somerland, Could the mainland have developed so fast over the

past two years without our investments?

“They are getting rid of us now that we’re not useful anymore!”

Sawyer frowned slightly and said, “Ken, careful. We are only targeting Jasper. It has nothing to do with other people. Don’t magnify the issue.”

Kennedy also realized that his complaint was a bit too much. Therefore, he took a sip from his teacup and stopped talking.

Half-the-Harbor Langdon saw and smiled. Then, he said, “I think Ken has a right to say that Harbor City can never be Jasper’s back garden. What is this? While we were out there doing business, Jasper was still spinning around in his mother’s womb, but now we all suddenly have to be his subordinate?

“I don’t agree with this. But since Harbor City isolates us, we will form our own team. It’s just business. The world is huge, and we can do it everywhere. One person can’t stay on the top of the clouds forever. When it comes to methods, us old bones will have far more in our arsenal than the youngsters.”

Life at the Top Chapter 1872

As soon as Half-the-Harbor Langdon spoke, Kennedy and Sawyer narrowed their eyes and looked at each other.

They rarely saw the introverted Half-the Harbor Langdon showing such an intense mood swing.

It could be seen that Half-the-Harbor Langdon genuinely despised Jasper in his heart.

“Then, Joe, how are we going to cooperate?” Sawyer asked.

Half-the-Harbor Langdon said slowly and firmly, “We can no longer take Jasper lightly. Frankly speaking, if Jasper doesn’t

die this time, any one of us three will need to bend to his will the next time we run into him. We’re no longer his opponents if

we try to fight him alone.

“Hence, since we want to cooperate, we must truly cooperate deeply regardless of each other’s positions and background. It i sa strategic alliance in the true sense, not those loose partnerships that may be dissolved at any time.

“So I figured I’ll take out my Fongroup, Ken, you can take out your family’s Hope Group, and Sawyer, you can take out your Atticus Group. Then, we three can do a cross-ownership.”

Sawyer and Kennedy were both shocked when they heard that.

This was more than just cooperation. This was like tying the three companies together on the same boat to prosper or sink together.

“We’ll also share the resources and risks.”

Half-the-Harbor Langdon added another sentence before looking at the two of them. He asked, “What do you think?”

Sawyer frowned slightly and asked, ” Then how should we allocate the cross – shareholding ratio?”

The foundation of the Atticus family was always weaker than Kennedy’s family, so Sawyer was more tempted by this cooperation.

Half-the-Harbor Langdon heard

Sawyer’s question and answered with a smile on his face, “This is easy. Market value is one aspect, and our respective resources are also one aspect. However, m y suggestion is to cross-hold 15% of the shares. This way, it will not affect our controlling rights over our respective industries, but at the same time, it will also provide additional protection.”

Kennedy asked slowly, “If we cooperate, which of the three of us is the primary and who is the secondary?”

Half-the-Harbor Langdon said, “Our cooperation is not to distinguish between lowliness and nobleness. The core concept is still resource-sharing and risk sharing. Therefore, we do not have a primary or secondary distinction. There are exactly three companies, hence it is completely possible to vote on major matters. Then, the minority shall obey the majority.”

“I think that’s fine,” Sawyer said first.

Kennedy snorted but did not answer.

He figured he was at a disadvantage.

“I think it is better to have a clear distinction between primary and secondary. This will make it better when wi e have to cooperate in a certain field in the future as we will simply listen to whoever has the right to speak and is more familiar with this field.”

Kennedy’s proposal made Half-the

Harbor Langdon laugh. He asked, “So

what if it’s fighting against Jasper?

“Which of the three of us has the most power in this field and who is more familiar with this matter?”

Kennedy was speechless when he was asked this question.

No matter how brazen and shameless he was, he could not say that he was the most experienced in fighting Jasper.

“I think the voting system is the best.” Sawyer said meaningfully to Kennedy, “M r. Kennedy, times have changed. Don’t expect to be the boss everywhere. Now is the era of win-win cooperation and win – win democracy.

“What’s more, allow me to be rude, our

enemy is right in front of us, and if Jasper continues to rise, based on his vengeful character, he will definitely seek revenge against us sooner or later. By then, it won’t be so easy for us to cooperate anymore. Therefore, it’s better to form an alliance as soon as possible and deal with Jasper together. This way, we will still have hope of making a comeback.”

Half-the-Harbor Langdon looked at Kennedy, who had his head bowed and was remaining silent. He said, “Ken, your family has always wanted to join my investment project in the United Kingdom. I can give you 30% of the share there.

“Plus, to show my sincerity, I can sell you guys any of my industries in Harbor City that you’re interested in.”

This sentence became the last straw that defeated Kennedy.

“Really?” Kennedy asked, looking up at Half-the-Harbor Langdon with burning eyes.

Half-the-Harbor Langdon took a sip of his tea and replied, “When did I ever lie to you?”

“Okay then, but I need to discuss the

specific details with my family,” Kennedy

said immediately.

If Kennedy agreed to this, then this

matter was nearly done.

Half-the-Harbor Langdon smiled and

said, “Of course. Well then, I shall wish us

a happy cooperation.”

“Haha! Have more tea!”

A few hours later, someone knocked onthe door of the guest room assigned to Kennedy.

After Kennedy opened the door, he saw Kayden standing at the door. So, he smiled and asked, “Kayden, you’re still u

p. Can I help you with anything?”

Kayden smiled and said, “I have some questions I want to ask you.”

With a nod, Kennedy said, “Come in.”

After letting Kayden in, Kennedy sat on

the sofa and asked, “What do you want to

ask?”

Kayden asked, “Uncle Kennedy, I don’t

think the Atticus family is qualified to cooperate with us. What do you think?”.

Kennedy narrowed his eyes slightly and asked slowly, “I don’t understand what you mean. If they are not qualified to cooperate with us, why did you and your father invite them over?”

Kayden said softly, “Someone needs to be sacrificed in order to deal with Jasper. I don’t want to be sacrificed, and I’m sure you don’t want to be sacrificed too. Then, naturally, we need to have someone who w e can sacrifice to enter this alliance. Uncle Kennedy, do you agree with this statement?”

Kennedy smiled and said, “Kayden, you mean you want us to unite and take action against the Atticus family?”

Shaking his head, Kayden said, “No, we are still partners for now. Since we are all partners, how can we take action against each other? I simply mean that if there is a need, we can actually use the Atticus family as a shield.”

Kennedy patted the armrest of the sofa and sighed ruefully, “Interesting, very interesting. I’m very interested. So, why

don’t you tell me how this will go?”

At the same time, Half-the-Harbor Langdon welcomed Sawyer into his study.

“Joe, is the cooperation we negotiated before still valid?” Sawyer asked straightforwardly.

Half-the-Harbor Langdon smiled and said, “You helped me convince Kennedy t o join and I will give you a 20% discount o in the property you want to buy from me in Harbor City. Of course, it is still valid.

“After this, you can make a list of the properties you want. I’ll ask someone to trade with you then.”

Half-the-Harbor Langdon’s words

delighted Sawyer.

“Joe, in a sense, you and I are almost the same. We all lack a real heritage and the W. Langdons’ old master is still alive. I’m afraid that we will suffer in the future in this regard,” Sawyer said profoundly.

“Oh? What do you have in mind then, Sawyer?” Half-the-Harbor Langdon asked calmly.

Life at the Top Chapter 1873

Sawyer looked at Half-the-Harbor Langdon’s neutral expression, but in reality, his heart was fed up with this.

If he did not have another choice and was not forced to do this, he would not bother t o entertain Half-the-Harbor Langdon,

the world-famous traitor. When Kayden and Jasper worked together, he was able to make Kayden

turn traitor at the most critical time. Now that the three of them were working together, it was really hard to say how

much loyalty Half-the-Harbor Langdon would have.

Even so, in order to ensure self-interest, Sawyer still had to say and do what was necessary.

“What opinions can I have?”

Sawyer smiled and said, “You know,

Kennedy is just powerful because he’s relying on his father. He has never bothered about you or me. Did you see his

reaction when you offered to cooperate? If it weren’t for you agreeing to let him pick some of your property in Harbor City, he’d still be reluctant to cooperate with us. “Also, you and I know Kennedy’s character. We both know he is not the kind of person who is willing to be directed by others.

“Compared to being ordered around by Kennedy, I believe in your character more, Joe. So, it is better for us to join hands and reach a tacit agreement before voting on some important matters. Of course, I will fully support your decision. Kennedy will have no choice but to accept unless he can steel his heart and have a fall-out with us.

“I have thought about it. With his character, he will not have a complete fall -out with us. Otherwise, he will have offended us and will then have no room to maneuver, especially with the Laws pressuring him on the other side. No matter how strong the W. Langdons are, they are still not strong enough to hide the truth from the masses. When the time comes, won’t you be the one with the final say among the three of us?”

Half-the-Harbor Langdon looked at Sawyer and asked with a half-smile, ” Sawyer, what do you want from me now

that you’re supporting me so much?” Sawyer smiled and said, “Actually, my

request is very simple. How about 15% of

your project in the United Kingdom

Half-the-Harbor Langdon said slowly, ”

You’re not greedy.”

Sawyer shrugged and said, “This is a deal

where you’ll only make a profit. It’s up to

you whether you want it or not.”

“If I say no, you will find Kennedy and tell

him the same thing you said just now, but

the target will be me, right?” Half-the

Harbor Langdon seemed to be able to see

through Sawyer’s soul as he said that.

Sawyer responded without changing his

expression, “No, I told you that Kennedy

and I are not the same. Plus, he despises m

e to the bones, so we can’t cooperate.”

“You’re wrong. I think as long as the

benefits are sufficient, any two people in

this world can cooperate.

“But…”

Half-the-Harbor Langdon stood up, smiled, and stretched out his hand toward Sawyer. He said, “Since I think this sale is a good deal, why should I say no? Then, I shall wish us a happy cooperation.”

“Haha, I know you, Joe, you are a sensible person. We’ll take what we need from each other for mutual benefit.”

“I like what you just said. Mutual benefit.” A few minutes later, Kayden walked into

Half-the-Harbor Langdon’s office. Before he could get there, he saw Sawyer coming out of his father’s office.

When he saw the grin on Sawyer’s face, Kayden turned slightly to let him pass and greeted Sawyer while he was at it, “Mr. Sawyer, you’re still awake.”

“I’m going now. Are you going to talk to your father?” Sawyer asked. He was in a good mood.

“Yes, there are still some arrangements tomorrow that I need to confirm with my father,” Kayden replied.

“Alright, very good.” Sawyer patted Kayden on the shoulder and praised, “Joe is spared of so many worries by having a son like you.”

Life at the Top Chapter 1874

“Mr. Sawyer is too kind. Please watch your steps”

After watching Sawyer leave, Kayden narrowed his eyes slightly. Then, he turned and entered Half-the-Harbor Langdon’s study.

“Dad, you have such incredible foresight. Sawyer did come to you while I went to look for Kennedy,” Kayden said as soon a s he entered the room.

Half-the-Harbor Langdon, who was using this time to deal with some official duties, replied without looking up, There’s no incredible foresight in this world. I just put myself in their positions and made some guesses based on their respective personalities.

“How was it? Did the conversation with Kennedy go well?”

Kayden sat across from Half-the-Harbor Langdon and said, “Yeah. Kennedy is just like you predicted. I didn’t spend much effort and he agreed.’

“It’s good that he agreed. That way, we

have room to maneuver.”

Half-the-Harbor Langdon rubbed the bridge of his nose in exhaustion and said slowly, “Kayden, you have to remember that there are no friends or relatives in this world. When necessary, even father and son or even siblings can turn against each other. Benefits are the only eternal thing.

“Only in this way, will you not have to

worry about being betrayed.

“What we have done is actually just to prevent ourselves from being scammed by them, so no matter what you do in the future, you must think twice and consider all possible and impossible results. A relatively complete layout will be the foundation of your invincibility.”

Kayden nodded after he heard Half-the Harbor Langdon’s lecture.

He looked at Half-the-Harbor Langdon’s tired face and said softly, “Dad, you grew a lot of gray hair during this time.”

“I’m very stressed.”

Half-the-Harbor Langdon sighed and

said, “We lost tens of billions of US

Dollars in Layman’s M&A case. Now,

Fongroup’s entire capital chain is on the

verge of collapse. If there is even a little

disturbance, we will be exposed. So every

step I take is like walking on thin ice, and

I am being very careful. It was too painful

this time.”

“It was that f*cker Jasper who pushed us t

o this point.” Kayden gritted his teeth.

“Don’t blame others. We didn’t think

about it clearly back then.”

Half-the-Harbor Langdon said with a

sullen face, “If you lose, you lose. If you

don’t even dare to admit that you lost,

how can you win back what you lost?”

Kayden said angrily, “But I’m just not

reconciled.”

“It’s good that you’re not reconciled. If

you’re not reconciled, you have to win it

back. Those punks from the United Stated

and Jasper will pay back this debt. This

day will come soon.”

Although they knew that Half-the Harbor Langdon, the Atticus family, and Kennedy were colluding, Jasper had no way of knowing the specific contents of their cooperation.

Right now, Jasper had no time to worry about what these three people would do.

He had received news from the little prince, Lord Alvarado, Simson, and Moses, and they had done everything he asked them to do.

“Thanks for your hard work.”

Jasper said to the four people in four different windows in front of the computer.

“Let’s not wait too long. Let’s set the date for tomorrow., We’ll hold the economic forum on the top floor of the Pearl Tower i n Waterhoof City and we’ll regard it as a meeting for everyone. You guys will be responsible for sending notices. Since this is too urgent, we won’t be making invitations. Oral notices shall prevail. Let’s call it the first Somerland Business and Economic Forum.”

Life at the Top Chapter 1875

Everyone was very busy right now because they were working together, so Jasper ended the video call after guiding them and making suggestions after making sure everyone understood the vgeneral plan.

At this time, the United States stock market closed for the day. Today, the

subprime market collapsed drastically Except for the United States government’s announcement of the postponement of

the settlement date of the subprime market stock index, everything else went smoothly.

Meanwhile, the domestic stock market had also opened. There was no doubt that Soros vented all the shame suffered by the United States financial market today onto the domestic stock market in Somerland in a retaliatory manner.

Thus, the domestic stock market in

Somerland was hit hard again.

At one glance, it was all limit-down

stocks that had fallen by 10%.

The Somerland stock market had just

started, and it was still in its infancy, so

how could it withstand such devastation?

The whole market was full of grief and

there was an atmosphere of pessimism

and despair everywhere.

At least the stock market had a 10% limit

line to protect them, the most

exaggerated was the futures market.

Today, in addition to cotton futures, the

soybean and corn futures were also faced

with Soros’s offense.

However, unlike cotton futures, Soros

went long on these two products.

Only today, the price of soybean and corn

futures skyrocketed. Soybeans soared

from 3300 Somer Dollars per ton to 3900

Somer Dollars per ton, while corn futures

skyrocketed from 1500 Somer Dollars per

ton to an exaggerated 2200 Somer Dollars

per ton.

This single-day increase directly broke the historical record.

However, behind this was a huge

conspiracy propogated by Soros and

backed by the United States government.

After learning that Soros was going long o

n soybeans and corn, the first thing Jasper

thought of was the food war that took

place around 2007 before his

reincarnation.

At that time, the four major international

grain merchant groups attempted to

control domestic grain prices and

frantically increased the prices of main

grains, but at that time, Somergrain,

which had risen at the time, relied on its

reserves that were as deep as the sea to

forcibly beat the four major grain

merchant groups, that were controlled by

the capitalists, to the ground.

At present, Soros or the United States

government might not have plans to take

this same path.

Jasper immediately searched up the main

food prices in the current international

market.

Sure enough, this year’s food prices were

generally bullish. The prices of major products such as wheat and soybeans had increased by 20 % -40% since the previous year.

“Baz.”

Jasper called Baz into the office.

“Keep an eye on the price of food futures. Tomorrow is the weekend, so both the United States and our country will not trade. You and your team will need to work hard these two days to make a report on the trend of international food prices over the past year, as well as the degree and summary of capital participation of Wall Street on this commodity for me. The more detailed the better.”

Baz was taken aback. Although he did not understand the intention behind Jasper’s command, he nodded and answered, ” Okay, I understand, Mr. Laine.”

After that, Jasper gave no more orders.

He watched the prices of soybeans and corn, which were finally locked in a super high position, until the break, then sighed slightly.

After the wave of attacks today, it was unknown how many accounts would be liquidated and how much funds were evaporated in the country today.

He was not a god, so he could not handle everything. He was helpless in the face of these losses. Although it was unknown how many families had been destroyed behind these accounts, this was always the case with a financial war.

Even if there was no gunpowder, its cruelty was no less than in a real war.

Moreover, the same thing happened in the United States, where he was the instigator, so Jasper did not have the right to feel sad.

After trading closed today, the domestic financial community quickly responded to today’s market conditions.

Western capital’s long grain futures was something that no one would have imagined. Since there was no precaution, the losses were extremely heavy.

Everyone was counting how many accounts had been liquidated in the domestic futures market and how much money had evaporated from the stock market. They thought that this was just normal financial trading by Wall Street Capital and did not think whether there was a deeper meaning to it.

Just when all kinds of voices were raging,

a piece of gossip excited countless people.

The first Somerland Business and

Economic Forum hosted by Jasper, the

actual founder of the JW, would be held in

Waterhoof City Pearl Tower on Saturday.

Even the financial circle and the capital circle in the country right now were still i n their infancy, and they were imitating the ways of foreign countries in my things. To put it bluntly, they were in a barbaric era.

Therefore, when they heard the term ” economic forum’, most people were dumbfounded and did not understand what this forum meant.

However, this did not prevent it from giving a boost to everyone’s confidence..

Because it was said that this time, the

economic forum was mainly about domestic businessmen who were about to unite to fight against Wall Street capital in the west.

Most importantly, the government was also a part of it.

Furthermore, a big tree was a good shelter. In a sense, Jasper’s name had become the support pillar of countless people.

As long as Jasper was around, everything could be saved.

Regardless of how the outside world discussed and speculated, preparations for this economic forum, which was deliberately not kept confidential, had already begun.

On that day, Waterhoof City Airport was extremely busy. Furthermore, the attendance rate of VIPs on flights from all over the country was surprisingly high.

As a result, the communication between the pilot and the tower was, “Tower, let mi e land first, there is a VIP on board.”

“Your VIP’s status is n ot high enough, get in line. There are three VIPs with much higher statuses that are landing right now.”

The so-called VIP was the special treatment that airlines gave to certain distinguished and noble guests. Flights with these guests onboard could usually land and take off on time.

These flights heading to Waterhoof City today were all carrying VIPs who were celebrities in the business world.

A boss with a net worth of one hundred

million or two hundred million was not

eligible to participate.

All traffic within three kilometers of Pearl Tower was controlled. The Waterhoof City government personally organized security forces to enforce martial law on Pearl Tower, claiming that it was for equipment maintenance and repairs. Hence, people who come to sightsee would be prevented from getting close.

Moreover, the surrounding five-star hotels were all full. Luxury cars of all colors came forward in line. The event caused an enormous uproar, and all this was for a non-governmental economic forum that was going to be launched over ten hours later.

Life at the Top Chapter 1876

Among the flights to Waterhoof City was a

private jet that flew directly from Meleya t

o Waterhoof City International Airport.

The exterior of this private jet was painted

with Coyle Brothers Group and Kelly

Group in both Somerish and English..

The owners of this plane were the famous

overseas Somerland businessmen, the

Coyle brothers.

After the plane was parked on the tarmac,

a gray-haired old man got off the plane.

Then, he got into the MPV that had

already been prepared before heading

towards the hotel.

This old man was Terra’s Sugar King,

Robert Coyle, the head of the family group

and the actual controller of the Coyle

Brothers Group.

“Mr. Coyle, we just received the news that

Jasper, the actual controller of JW, is

already waiting for you at the hotel.”

Robert’s assistant said softly inside the

MPV.

Robert nodded and said, “I wanted to

meet this kid a long time ago.

Coincidentally, I can use this good

opportunity to satisfy my wishes.”

Next to Robert was his nephew, Wilbur

Coyle.

Wilbur frowned and said, “Uncle, I’m afraid the reason Jasper is holding this economic forum is to unite everyone to fight against Western capital. As far as the current situation is concerned, Somerland can’t fight against United State capital.”

Robert smiled and said, “So, what do you have in mind?”

Robert was actually more concerned about his nephew than his own son..

Although he had gradually handed over the power of the family and business to his son, it was his nephew Wilbur that he admired and was satisfied with the most.

It was with his support that Wilbur created the foundation of the Oceanic Kelly Group. In addition to this, Robert brought his nephew Wilbur instead of his son this time.

Wilbur replied, “Jasper specially invited u

s through Somerland’s official channels

this time. I am afraid that he is only after

our financial resources and he’ll only be

satisfied if we spend some money.

“I have read about Jasper’s rise, and I

found that this guy who is 12 years

younger than me is a real monster. He

started from a rural man with no

background and no foundation to a

veritable first-generation young

Somerland businessman. How many

years did he use to achieve all of that?

“After looking at every step of his

business strategy and plan, I realized that

they are always far-sighted

considerations behind every decision he

makes. So, I recommend that we don’t

easily agree to any request or suggestion

from Jasper and we observe everything

carefully.”

“Your idea is good, but it still lacks some

high-level views of the overall situation.”

Robert said earnestly, “Yes, Jasper is the

one hosting the Somerland Economic

Forum this time, but everyone with a

discerning eye can see that Swallow Capital is behind Jasper on this.

“Even I can be sure that the highest level of

f Swallow Capital has made a decision. They have already made a decision to let Jasper hold this economic forum and have even showed up to support him.”

Robert raised his hand and patted the back of his nephew’s hand. Then, he said with emotion, “In the next 20 years, no, 3 0 or even 40 years, if Jasper does not make any fundamental or principled mistakes, then he will not fall.

“If Kelly Group and us Coyle brothers want to develop in the country, we must have a good relationship with people like Jasper. So what if Jasper wants to use us?

“Countless wealthy businessmen and billionaires are participating in the economic forum this time. Since we can reach some tacit understanding with Jasper, it is already a recognition of our strength. Plus, this is also good for the future development of Kelly Group in Somerland.”

Wilbur answered in a puzzled manner, ‘

Uncle, when Somerland faced

international sniping, you spent a lot of money and great effort to help the country tide over the difficulties. Even now, our brand Arowana has developed smoothly in Somerland. We don’t have to humble ourselves for someone else.

“After all, the Arowana brand is only a sub. -brand of the Kelly Group and edible oil industry is only a sub-industry. Can the Arowana brand support the entire Kelly Group singlehandedly?

“Haven’t you been eying the domestic

real estate industry and financial

investment industry for a long time?

Jasper has a huge say in these industries.”

Robert answered warmly, “Due to historical reasons in Somerland, the national conditions and culture are also very special. This country is our roots and we are of Somer descent. No matter where we go, we cannot change this identity.

“Your grandfather, your father, and I,

have been committed to the development

of Somerland over the years but we’re not

doing it for the group or the Coyles, instead it is for the principle that people should not forget their roots.

“The reason why the Kelly Group could develop to how it is now is because of the family philosophy stating that we’re of a common origin. If I can help the motherland and accelerate its development, it’ll be a win-win situation. Hence, it is worthwhile to compromise and exchange interest during this

process.”

After speaking, Robert saw that his nephew still had something to say, so he smiled and said, “No matter what, we’ll decide when we see Jasper.

“Don’t underestimate Jasper just because he’s younger than you. Don’t talk so much later, instead, you should observe and learn because it’s good for you. It is not easy nor simple for such a young man to get to where he is now. There will be something worthy in him that you should learn from, understand?”

Although Wilbur was still dissatisfied on

the inside, he nodded and said, “I

understand.”

After more than an hour, the convoy

passed the traffic control checkpoint and arrived at the Shangri-La Hotel that was

not far from Pearl Tower.

The entire hotel had already been booked

out by JW, and everyone who had been

settled here was important to this

economic forum.

Jasper, who had just arrived from

Nauritus City, was waiting at the door of

the hotel.

Logically speaking, with Jasper’s current wealth status and prestige, if he did not want to, no one would be worthy of him waiting for them at the door. Yet, Jasper still came.

It was not for anything else other than

because Robert was a patriotic

businessman worthy of respect and

remembered by everyone in Somerland.

His dedication to the motherland was

second only to Old Master Law in a sense.

The convoy came to the door and Jasper personally walked to the car to open the door. Then, he smiled at the slightly surprised old man inside, “Mr. Coyle, I a m Jasper Laine, a superficial junior. I thank you for coming.”

Robert laughed and raised his hand to get out of the car with Jasper’s help. The nearly eighty-year-old man said to Jasper vigorously, “Mr. Laine, you are so polite. I’m just an old man, how am I worthy of your politeness?”

Life at the Top Chapter 1877

Mr. Coyle is the leader of overseas Somer descent businesspeople, and a model that all young people in Somerland should learn from. Mr. Coyle deserves this respect no matter the time and place.”

Jasper’s smile was like a breeze in spring, and it made everyone feel very comfortable.

The words he said sounded nice, but the most important thing was his sincere attitude. It felt as if it came from the heart

and was said without any pretentiousness.

Indeed, with Jasper’s current status and value, he did not need to suck up on Robert even if the latter controlled 80%

the sugar industry in Meleya and had 10% ruling right in the global sugar industry.

Hence, those words were definitely sincere.

Because of this, Robert was in a good mood.

He proactively stretched out his hand and said, “It is so gratifying for us old men to see young people like Mr. Laine succeed in our nation.”

The two of them shook hands tightly in

mid-air.

And this scene was also captured by a media reporter who had already been prepared at one side.

In this photo, the protagonists were Jasper and Robert. They represented the new generation and the older generation o f Somerland business leaders respectively. Meanwhile, all the top business leaders were in the background.

Abbylon’s Wayne Marlon, Terizone’s Hudson Moore, Sena’s Jack Tanner, Hill Capital’s Ray Engels, Vast Mountain Capital’s Penn Summers, Leno Group’s Colby Willows, HW Group’s Felipe Reagan, National Electronics’ Jenny Durham, Sunny Electronics’ Milton Short

After looking at them closely, almost all o f them were the top bigwigs of the business world in this generation.

However, they could only be Jasper’s background at this moment.

Afterward, this photo was also selected as the first place among Somerland’s top ten social activities of the year. Until many years later, it was still discussed enthusiastically by some rising stars in the Somerland business community.

After exchanging some pleasantries downstairs in the hotel, Robert discovered that Jasper did not intend to lead him into. the hotel. S,o he asked, “Are there any other guests coming?”

Jasper smiled and answered, “Yes, they are special guests from Swallow Capital, and they will be here soon. Mr. Coyle, do you want to go in and take a break first?”

Robert’s eyes lit up.

He knew that the economic forum this time would not be that simple and Swallow Capital had to be supporting from the back.

However, he did not know the extent of Swallow Capital’s support for Jasper in this economic forum.

Now that Swallow Capital was sending someone to participate as special guests, Robert immediately understood the deep

meaning behind this.

After looking at the bigwigs in the domestic business circle who were

following Jasper, Robert understood.

This was to build momentum.

Swallow Capital created momentum for Jasper, and at the same time, Jasper was also creating momentum for himself.

So, naturally, Robert would do him this

favor, which came at little cost.

“No need. Even though I am old, I am still

pretty healthy. I will wait here with you.”

Robert smiled.

Jasper nodded and said warmly, “If you feel tired, I will immediately arrange for someone to send you upstairs to rest.” Robert smiled and waved his hand, motioning Jasper to not bother about him.

Then, Robert went to chat with the background characters behind them who were eager to come up and greet him.

“Mr. Laine, hello. My name is Wilbur

Coyle…”

As soon as Robert left, Wilbur

immediately came up to greet Jasper.

Back when Robert was there, he would not

have had the chance to speak. Now that

Robert was gone, it was obvious that he

was deliberately giving time and space to

let Wilbur get to know Jasper. Naturally, h

e understood his uncle’s good intentions.

Jasper interrupted him directly and said

with a smile, “I know, you are the boss of

Oceanic Kelly and Arowana Cooking Oil is

your brand. To be honest, my family has

always used your brand’s cooking oil.”

Wilbur’s eyes lit up and he said hurriedly,

“Thank you for the compliment, Mr.

Laine.”

Jasper looked at Wilbur, who was 12 years

older than him, and smiled. “I have heard

of Mr. Wilbur’s deeds, and I heard that

you intend to develop in the domestic real

estate industry.”

Wilbur nodded and said, “The rapid

development of the domestic economy is a

n ironclad fact. Regardless of the country,

rapid economic development cannot be

separated from the support of the real estate industry. Therefore, I am very optimistic about the future of the domestic real estate industry and have always wanted to get involved.”

Jasper nodded and said, “JW Real Estates has some experience in the domestic real estate industry. If we have the opportunity, we can exchange more information. JW Real Estates is mainly engaged in the residential real estate industry. I wonder, which one Mr. Wilbur i s focusing on right now?”

One could tell whether someone was an

expert the moment they opened their

mouths.

Most people only knew the concept of the real estate industry, but they did not know that it was very broad and there were many sub-categories to it.

For example, the residential category was similar to the Verde Town, Poli Real Estates, Somer Vanke, Jade Laurel Garden, and so on, and they were mainly for residential commercial housing projects.

On the other hand, there was also commercial real estate. Millenia Group,

owned by Cody Whorton who gained popularity in later generations, was the leader in this category. Moreover, Stylish Property, Delight Property, and Nature City were doing commercial real estate with large shopping malls as the core.

Wilbur was intrigued. If Jasper was just being polite when he said that they could exchange information, his intentions were made clear now.

It was not easy to start in the real estate. industry without the support of others.. Getting the funds was relatively easy, but the key factors were connections, government agreement, and resources.

“I am looking at commercial real estate. I want to build a few large shopping malls i n first-tier cities in Somerland.”

Wilbur was a little excited. If he could get Jasper’s support, then his long-prepared plan could be implemented.

Jasper nodded and smiled, “Okay, this would be very valuable for investment in the future. We shall talk about this if we have the opportunity…”

Jasper’s words were interrupted by a

convoy.

Unsurprisingly, this was the government representative from Swallow Capital.

The Secretary-General, Tony, got off first, then Mr. Mason and Ms. Garcia.

What surprised Jasper the most was Mr. Mason and Ms. Garcia seemed to be waiting for someone after they got out of the car.

Obviously, there was someone very important still inside the car.

Just as Jasper stepped forward, the last

person in the car got out.

When he looked at the smiling and energetic middle-aged man in front of him, Jasper finally knew what infinite royal graciousness meant.

Even if he was insensitive to politics in his previous life, he would still recognize this man in front of him.

The current second-in-command in finance, the future second-in-command of the national economic and financial work in the State Council, and the fifth ranked top bigwig, Sim McNeal.

Sim’s appearance not only made Jasper feel overwhelmed by favor from his superior, but it also shocked the background characters as well as Robert, who were standing behind him.

They never expected Swallow Capital to send such a bigwig to an economic forum organized by a non-governmental organization.

Life at the Top Chapter 1878

“Jasper, your comments caused us to hold so many meetings for several days in a row. We’re old men who are almost at the age of retirement and yet we’re all shouting over your opinions with red faces. We’ve even suffered so much hair

loss! You have to be responsible for that.”

Sim was very straightforward and entertaining in conversation. He walked u p to Jasper and guffawed without any

pretensions.

This tone and demeanor were not like two people who were meeting for the first

time, nor was it the attitude of a senior official to a merchant.

It was affectionate and amiable, like the onversation of an uncle with his nephew.

When these words went into the ears of outsiders, they sent an important message aside from also making the

listeners feel jealous over the warm attitude.

Jasper’s opinions could go directly into the ears of the officials and those old folks in Swallow Capital would then hold

meetings to study them behind closed doors.

This was not simple at all.

This was not something a businessman could do.

Because of this, everyone was looking at Jasper weirdly.

Some were envious, some were dubious,

but more of them were in awe.

Jasper did not know how conflicted the gazes were behind him. He smiled bitterly and said, “Mr. McNeal, I just gave some immature suggestions from my own standpoint. Many of them are naive and not comprehensive enough, so that’s why they caused so much trouble for everyone.”

Mr. McNeal waved his hand and said with a smile, “Your opinion, in the words of an old man, is like a child shooting a cannon. It looks strange, but it’s loud. At the same time, it’s surprisingly accurate too. If you’re not prospering in your current career, I really want to take you to my side as a secretary.”

Jasper had a strange look on his face. This was not the first time he heard something like this.

Mr. Mason beside him burst out laughing. It was him who said this to Jasper last time.

After Mr. McNeal and Jasper exchanged some pleasantries, they shook hands and chatted with the background characters behind them.

After all, they were all the bosses of large domestic companies and they had been waiting here for a long time. All they wanted was to shake hands and curry favors with Mr. McNeal, so naturally, Mr. McNeal would oblige them.

Of course, the first one to receive this honor was Robert.

One was a well-known businessman of Somer descent abroad, and the other was the second in charge of finance. The two had known each other a long time ago.

“Mr. Coyle, thank you,” Mr. McNeal said

meaningfully, holding Robert’s hand.

Robert smiled and replied, “I am of Somer

descent, so It is incumbent.”

Mr. McNeal said nothing more as he

nodded heavily.

After that, it was basically the same with

everyone. Yet, when it came to National

Electronics, as the only woman on the

scene, Jenny was behaving rather

reserved.

It was not because she was the only

woman at the scene. More importantly,

her husband, the founder of National

Electronics, was still behind bars. So, she

was naturally uncomfortable facing a

senior official like Mr. McNeal.

“I know you. You’re Mr. Gregson’s wife.

After that horrible thing happened to your

husband, you supported National

Electronics by yourself, and that’s why

it’s still standing now. Good job. Women

are capable of big things too.”

Mr. McNeal paid special attention to

Jenny as well. Jenny quickly replied, “Thank you, Mr. McNeal. After what happened to my husband, we reflected on all the bad behaviors we had back when we started the business. Now, all of those bad behaviors have been eliminated and we’re striving to be a good company that abides by the law.”

Life at the Top Chapter 1879

Mr. McNeal nodded and said profoundly, ” That’s good. Run your business properly. We welcome all legal companies to develop and operate in a healthy and orderly manner, and we will try our best t o provide the best management environments for companies like yours.”

After the small delay downstairs, everyone was a little tired because they had all traveled a long distance. Additionally, the economic forum would begin in a few hours, so as per Mr. McNeal’s suggestion, everyone returned t

o their hotel rooms to rest.

Meanwhile, after whispering a few words with Wilbur, Jasper went directly into a suite that had been prepared a long time ago with Mr. McNeal.

Mr. McNeal, Ms. Garcia, Mr. Mason, and Tony were all present in the room, and Jasper saw them talking when he walked in.

“Jasper, the economic forum has made a lot of noise,” Mr. McNeal said to Jasper.

Jasper nodded and said, “Everyone knows what’s going on right now, so they also fully support it.”

“That’s good.”

Mr. McNeal sat on the sofa and said to

Jasper, “Did you inform Mr. Coyle?”

Jasper said, “Yeah, I believe Mr. Coyle

should be here soon.”

“Alright, the reason we’re meeting before the economic forum is that you said Wall Street capital might take action against the foodstuff in the country. This is not a trivial matter, so we can’t be careless in handling this. How sure are you?”

Jasper said sincerely, “When it comes to certainty, this is completely my guess, so I am almost unsure. However, the facts are clear. I believe Swallow Capital asked some professionals to analyze this too and the conclusions drawn should be similar to mine, right?”

Mr. McNeal and Mr. Mason glanced at each other and said with a smile, “You little rascal… Indeed, after you pointed this out, we did find that Wall Street capital is likely to launch an attack on foodstuffs and use it as an entry point.”

While they were talking, Mr. Coyle arrived.

This time, he did not bring Wilbur along and came alone.

Obviously, after Wilbur told him that Jasper invited him to a closed-door meeting, he realized that the things discussed in this closed-door meeting would be very confidential. Hence, the fewer people knew about this, the better.

“Mr. Coyle, please sit down.”

After Jasper got up and gestured for Robert to sit down, he sat on the other side by himself and saw Mr. McNeal eying him. He mulled over this for a while and then expressed his thoughts.

After more than ten minutes of narration, Jasper added, “So, Soros was not shooting in the dark when he suddenly went long o n corn and soybeans after shorting cotton. futures. We think he still has something u p his sleeves which might end up being a huge conspiracy, a conspiracy to attempt t o monopolize our domestic foodstuff.”

What was foodstuff?

It was people’s livelihood and the most basic and fundamental commodity for a country and society.

Since ancient times, people had relied on food. If a country could not even guarantee its own food security, then there would be no need to talk about financial security and national defense security because the rest would be considered nonsense in comparison.

Meanwhile, Robert was particularly

sensitive to this.

He was Terra’s Sugar King, and sugar, like salt, was a basic living material of human beings. It could be said that Robert had spent his entire life dealing with these seemingly insignificant things that nobody could do without.

His brows had been tightly furrowed since the start of Jasper’s narration.

After Jasper finished speaking, Robert said decisively, “If this is the case, then w e must take any measures to stop them!” “With more than one billion people in Somerland, the annual foodstuff demand i s huge. Once there’s a problem with this system, the radiation will cause huge turbulence that’s effect will be even worse than a direct military invasion!”

Life at the Top Chapter 1880

Robert’s words deeply impressed Mr. McNeal.

He nodded and said, “Yes, and it is for this reason that when Jasper reported this speculation, it immediately attracted our attention. Unfortunately, after comprehensive analysis, we agreed that the worst has already occurred-Wall

Street Capital does intend to manipulate domestic foodstuff prices.”

“Is there anything I can help with?”

Robert directly asked this key question. He knew that if he were told such a thing i n advance, then they must want him to

make some contribution. Moreover, Robert did not intend to refuse because he had been helping the country

this whole time. Mr. McNeal solemnly said, “If the situation is dire, we may need to use the power of Kelly Group to mobilize large quantities of grain from abroad into the domestic market to stabilize prices.

“Moreover, Western countries are deeply

terrified of our country’s rise, and the

higher-ups might not be able to help with

this matter, so it can only be done in the

name of Kelly Group. However, Kelly

Group will inevitably be sanctioned by the

United States.”

When a company was sanctioned, it would

mean that it would not be able to do

business with any individual or company i

In this country until the sanctions were

over. It was tantamount to cutting off the

wealth derived from trading in an entire

country.

Especially for large sugar conglomerates

like Kelly Group, as this kind of blow was

likely to destroy the Kelly Group.

However, Robert just thought for a few

seconds before he said, “I’m still going to

say the same thing. I am of Somer

descent, so this is incumbent.”

“Marvellous!”

Mr. McNeal stood up and said excitedly. ”

Mr. Coyle,

thank

you for having such a

high notion of your duty. The country and

the people will thank you for your dedication and sacrifice.”

Robert waved his hand and there was a free and unaffected smile on his old face. He said, “I have lived to this age, and I have enjoyed the glory and wealth that others can’t enjoy. Plus, I have experienced the ups and downs that others have never experienced.

“But among so many things, the thing that I can’t forget up to now is that when the country was falling backward and was bullied and beaten, it was a nation that was trampled under the feet of many. Anyone could kill and rob us whenever they want. Now, Somerland can no longer repeat the mistakes of its late youth period.”

Jasper said softly, “Mr. Coyle, don’t worry. The humiliation of the nation from a hundred years ago will never be repeated.”

Robert nodded in relief, patted Jasper on the shoulder, and said, “The world belongs to young people like you after all. Old bones like us will help you a little longer on your path to the future since we

still have some energy left. After that, it will be people like you who lead the next generation into the future. Good luck, kid.

“The strength of a person or even a company is nothing. True strength comes only when the country and the nation are strong. I hope that in my lifetime I can see people from Somerland walk the earth with their chests puffed out and backs straight. By then, no one will treat us as second-class citizens and no one will dare to treat us as second-class citizens!”

Jasper took a deep breath. The reason why the people from Somerland were so indomitable and the reason why they could pass on five thousand years of history and culture was not based on anything else, but the selfless dedication and contribution of brave and loyal men like Robert and Old Master Law.

At this moment, he was feeling a little hot -blooded and almost could not control his emotions.

“Mr. Coyle, you can rest assured that you will be able to see that in your lifetime.”

Robert laughed and said, “Well, I will go back and arrange some things first. Hopefully, in doing so, if we ever get to that stage, we won’t need any hasty last – minute efforts. I will now tell the people under me to take advantage of the situation before it deteriorates to that

point. We will be purchasing the foodstuff on the market in advance, and since there will be a lot of work, I will not stay here any longer.”