Ch. 1891..1900

Life at the Top Chapter 1891

They took the elevator to the very top floor of Pearl Tower. The world renowned economic forum would happen

at the semi-circular space at the top of the tower.

Most of the millionaires who had arrived. ahead of time had already received the news of this, and they could not stop

themselves from crowding around the elevator doors.

The elevator doors opened to reveal Jasper, who strode out of the elevator with his chest puffed out.

Right behind him were the little prince, Lord Alvarado, and other people who were all considered to be the best amidst the

best in this economic forum, which itself was a gathering of the elite.

They gazed at Jasper as he walked towards them, his snow-white shirt peeking out from his unbuttoned suit jacket. He

needed nothing else to add to his unique

aura, as he would always be the most eye catching person even whenever he stood amidst a bunch of other bigwigs.

The business bigwigs present could not stop themselves from clapping as they

welcomed Jasper’s arrival.

After all, those in attendance were rich

and powerful businessmen who approved

of Jasper. They did not mind placing

Jasper on a pedestal during such

occasions.

Jasper smiled and nodded his greetings. In terms of age, Jasper was definitely the youngest person present. Some of the

bigwigs here even had children older than Jasper was.

Therefore, Jasper naturally had to show his gratitude for everyone’s support.

He made small talk with everyone he saw,

regardless of whether he knew them or

not.

Things went well with those whom he

already knew, and those that he did not

already know were smart enough to hand

him their name card and introduce

themselves. These people were all rising

stars in the country’s domestic markets.

Even those who seemed slightly less accomplished would do well in the future.

For example, companies like Leno Group

and HW Group were present.

Additionally, all of JW’s subsidiaries were present too. Examples included Wayne of Abbylon, Hudson of Terizone, and Jack of Sena.

He was still exchanging greetings with M r. Reagan from HW Group when a middle aged man with a square jaw and no other features to speak of appeared beside him.

“Good day, Mr. Laine. I’m Gideon Sacks,

the owner of Grand Hyatt Real Estate

Company. This is my business card.”

Jasper was stunned.

No wonder that square-jawed face seemed somewhat familiar. It turned out h e would be the world-renowned Mr. Sacks in the future.

Strictly speaking, Gideon Sacks was

definitely a legendary entrepreneur.

Before making it big, he was only a merchant who treated the business as a game with the few assets he had to his

name, just like most people from his era.. Those who came before him were even nicknamed “profiteers”.

However, Gideon was different from the other profiteers, who had gradually become a relic of the past as time passed. After returning from a trip to Swallow Capital, he immediately established Grand Hyatt Corporation. From then on, he embarked on a prosperous path where he obtained all the assets he desired.

Now, Jasper was no longer your average audience member who merely looked on i n awe. He knew that Gideon definitely had a family member in politics who backed him up. Thus, he was not too surprised that Gideon could be here as a representative of Grand Hyatt

Corporation despite not being entirely qualified yet.

He must have attended because someone

wanted him to do so.

“Hello.”

Jasper took the name card and smiled as h e shook Gideon’s hand. Jasper was interested to see what advice the man who would become world renowned in 20 years had to offer.

Life at the Top Chapter 1892

However, no matter how influential Gideon Sacks was in the future, he was a nobody that no one paid attention to now.

Gideon was obviously flustered and nervous at how Jasper treated him so graciously.

“Mr. Laine, you’re my idol!” The first sentence that left Gideon’s mouth nearly made Jasper pass out.

‘Bro, you’re several decades older than I a m. I don’t think it’s entirely suitable for you to practically be drooling at me and talking to me this way in public.’

“Mr. Sacks, you’re too kind,” Jasper said a s he chuckled dryly.

Seemingly sensing how his enthusiasm was making Jasper feel uncomfortable 1 Gideon hurriedly said, “Mr. Laine, please don’t take it the wrong way. But I really need to express my admiration for your business management skills and wisdom. You managed to expand JW Company from a small, unknown company to where it stands now in just a few years. Could there be anyone who’s not in awe?”

Jasper was tired of listening to the same ass-kissing spiel.

However, it still felt pretty good when Mr. Sacks said it to him.

“To be fair, I got a lucky break. We’re currently in a time where various industries in the country are expanding

rapidly. Earning money isn’t that difficult as long as you’re willing to be a little brave and smart.”

Jasper smiled humbly and waved his arms. as he spoke.

Gideon hurriedly agreed before saying carefully, “Mr. Sacks, there’s something that L…”

Gideon was in the middle of his sentence when a plump, energetic man walked towards them.

A rare sort of gung ho energy seemed to

flow from the man’s movements, and the

reason why it was rarely seen in an

average person was that it was something that could only be cultivated through being disciplined in an army..

Jude Woods from Millenia Group was here. Millenia Group was established in 1988

while Jude was a boss with several billion dollars to his name.

Gideon could not compete against Woods, be it in terms of status or money.

Thus, when Gideon caught sight of Jude, h e immediately held his tongue. He was smart enough to step aside, but

still gazed at Jude with a slightly

indignant look.

However, Jude did not realize a dramatic

act was happening in Gideon’s mind as he

walked over to Jasper and politely handed

him his name card. He was just about to

introduce himself when Jasper smiled and said, “I know you. You’re Mr. Woods from Millenia Group,” as he took the card.

Jude asked in astonishment, “Mr. Laine, you know who I am?”

Millenia Group was starting to grow in

fame, but most of their power still lay

within the southeast provinces. They had

not even started exerting their influence

across the northern provinces, much less

Waterhoof City, which was one of the

most affluent places in the world.

After Jude had taken out a loan at the bank

and spent three nights camping out on

porches before arriving at Waterhoof City,

he had mentally prepared himself to be

treated as a nobody.

He had not expected Jasper to correctly

identify his name and background.

Jasper smiled and said, “Millennia Group

owns several shopping complexes in

Raydon and Daswon. Millenia Group’s

business model is something not often

seen in the country, as they focus on

commercial real estate and cultivating a

central shopping district in cities. It’s a

good idea, and time has proven that

Millenia Group is doing well. It’s not that

weird that I’ve heard of you.”

Jude felt amazing upon hearing what

Jasper said, especially after being treated

like a nobody all day long.

So what if no one else knew him? None of

that mattered so long as Mr. Jasper Laine

knew him and praised him!

Jude’s chest puffed out several inches

more as he said happily, “Thank you for

the praise, Mr. Laine.”

As Jasper gazed at Woods Sr.’s grinning face, he could not help but be reminded of Woods Jr., who would become a nobody after he returned to the country in the future.

“Your son is furthering his studies

overseas, right?”

Jude had no idea why Jasper was suddenly talking about his son and was visibly stunned before he instinctively nodded and said, “Yes.”

“Not bad.”

Jasper grinned and patted Woods Sr. on the shoulder. “Keep up the good work. I’ve got my eye on you.”

“Mr. Laine, there’s something I would like to discuss with you in private. I was wondering if you could spare me the time?” Jude suddenly asked.

Gideon’s face turned a delicate shade of

green when he heard that.

Privately?

He was the only outsider present now, so he was giving a hint at him to leave, wasn’t he?

What pissed Gideon off even more was

that he had taken the words right out of

his mouth.

Although he was so angry that he wanted t o kick the fatty, Gideon arranged his features into an understanding smile and said to Jasper, “Mr. Laine, I see a friend of mine over there. I’m going to go say hi to them.”

“Feel free,” Jasper said as he smiled

pleasantly.

After Gideon left, Jasper said to Jude, “Mr. Woods, we don’t have much time left as the forum is about to begin. Please make whatever you have to say to me short.”

Jude’s military background meant he did not like to drag things for longer than they needed to either. He did not find Jasper’s choice of words inappropriate, but rather, felt that they resonated deeply with him.

He said while nodding, “Well, I believe you know that I’m from Raydon province, Mr. Laine. I heard there was a

misunderstanding between you and

Grandland Corporation?”

Jasper had a half-smile on his face as he gazed at Jude and asked, “Why, Mr. Woods, are you trying to make peace?”

Jude’s roots were back in Raydon, and the power both he and his wife’s family held there was one of the main reasons why Jude had been able to rise through the ranks so quickly. Thus, Jasper was not the slightest bit surprised that Jude had connections with the Habers family, the local tyrant family in Raydon.

Jude was smart. He had unlocked multiple secrets of life and knew he could not be forceful in dealing with this matter upon

noting Jasper’s expression and tone.

Hence, he immediately replied, “No, no. I’m just on good terms with the Habers family, and they begged me to help put in a good word for them to you, Mr. Laine. I found the request difficult to refuse since we’re friends, and I thought it would be wise to bring it up to you as it’s quite an important matter.

“The Habers family wants you to know that they’ll do their best to have all your

needs met. That’s what they’ve said and what I’ve quoted. Moreover, they wanted me to bring you a piece of news. Several trading companies have come to Raydon and gotten in contact with grain

producing companies both big and small over the past few days to purchase large amounts of food. It seems that all these trading companies have some form of offshore assets.”

Jasper frowned when he heard that.

It seemed that Soros was not just messing around in the stock market. He had also begun butting into actual trading activities.

“Was it a large number?” Jasper asked.

Jude smiled bitterly and said, “That I’m

not sure. You’ll need to confirm it with

someone from the Habers family, Mr.

Laine.”

Jasper gave Jude a long, knowing look before saying, “Time is almost up. I have t o host the economic forum. We’ll discuss this later.

Life at the Top Chapter 1893

Jude obviously still had plenty to say, but he forced himself to stop talking when he heard what Jasper said. Instead, he

nodded and said, “Alright, take your time, Mr. Laine.”

Jasper chuckled and patted Jude on the shoulder before he turned and walked toward the stage that had been

specifically built for the event.

Around ten chairs were placed on the stage. Naturally, only the most important people had the right to sit on those chairs.

Not even Woods, who would become the country’s richest man in the future, hadthe right to do so now. Those who were

allowed to sit there were the mostpowerful businessmen in the nation.

For example, only presidents of large andwell-established corporations like VastMountain Capital and Leno Group had

seats here.

The podium placed center stage was where Jasper would be making his opening speech.

Once Jasper walked onto the stage, all the

presidents, whether they were sitting on

stage and holding conversations or sitting

in the audience and exchanging

pleasantries, immediately stopped what they were doing and gazed intently at Jasper.

Jasper, decked out in formal attire,

became the crowd’s focal point. It was

then that people realized that at some

point, this absurdly young man had

become used to being the center of

everyone’s attention as well as the

recipient of their admiration.

The speakers amplified and broadcasted

Jasper’s light cough throughout the venue.

“Gentlemen, I have taken the lead in

hosting the first Somerland Business and

Economic Forum, but it would not have

been made possible without the support o

f the eighty-nine attendees as well as the

support from the government. Before I

officially declare the start of this forum, I

want to thank everyone for their

attendance and thank you for finding the

time during this important period to

gather together and have a fruitful discussion.”

The start of Jasper’s speech was met with thunderous applause.

Everyone here had a high social standing,

so naturally, there were no loud whoops o

f approval. However, that did not stop

them from applauding loudly.

Jasper raised his hands and signaled for them to stop, and everyone was quick to obey.

When he gazed at the faces in the audience, Jasper recognized a few businessmen who would make it big in the future, and he also saw a few faces he could not recognize. Despite that, Jasper knew that if they were here at this point, they were forces to be reckoned with.

And these forces would explode with a shocking amount of power.

“Those who’ve spoken to me in the past know I don’t enjoy being buried under mountains of paperwork, drowning in seas of meetings, or long-winded opening speeches. So, I’ll be quick. Since this is an economic forum, allow me to bring up a topic of discussion that will allow

everyone to think outside the box and pick each other’s brains as we work together to resolve the problems we are facing.”

Jasper cut straight to the chase and

redirected the conversation to the core

problem.

“We’ll be discussing just one question in this economic forum. How will private capital respond to foreign capital trampling on and plundering Somerland’s economy?

“This issue concerns the development of all our industries. It does not matter if you’re conducting business online or physically. It also does not matter if you sell bath products or heavy machinery. The country’s economy serves as a platform everyone relies on for development. If we allow others to

destroy this platform, we’ll all lose our sources of income.”

Jasper grew solemn as he said that, and he also raised his voice slightly.

“So, we must resolve the problem of survival before we discuss how we can improve our lives.

“That’s the topic of conversation for today, and it will serve as the core intention behind our discussions later o n.”.

“With that, I declare the start of the first. Somerland Business and Economic Forum. Let us welcome Mr. McNeal from the State Council Finance Department to take the stage.”

Thunderous applause rang out, and everyone watched excitedly as Mr. McNeal walked upstage with a pleasant smile on his face. After exchanging a handshake, Jasper turned and walked towards his seat in the center before quietly waiting for M r. McNeal to begin speaking.

As the economic forum officially started, a press conference was silently making waves far away in New York, United States.

Reporters filled every inch of the large press conference venue, and everywhere you looked, you would see cameras, microphones, and audio processing equipment.

The reporters’ eyes glinted as they gazed a t the three people seated on the platform.

These three seats represented three

different companies.

Joe Langdon from Fongroup, Kennedy

Langdon from Hope Group, and Sawyer

Atticus from Atticus Group.

These three groups were the most well

known groups owned by people of Somer

descent globally. Although Fongroup had

become the punchline of various jokes

after merging and acquiring Layman, it

did not stop the company from

experiencing an exponential growth in

fame.

Everyone knew that this glasses-wearing

old man, who looked gentle and docile

when he smiled, could use several

hundred billion US Dollars to purchase a

bankrupt bank without even batting an

eyelid.

“Mr. Half-the-Harbor Langdon, does the

cross-ownership among the three groups

mean you may merge to form one mega

corporation?” a Meleysian reporter asked

excitedly.

Joe smiled as he shook his head and

replied, “No. Although our companies are partaking in cross-ownership, we will be conducting operations and audits independently without getting involved in the other corporation’s managerial activities.”

“Moreover, we will only have cross

ownership of dividend shares. We won’t b e entitled to join the company as a part of their board of directors, nor will we have the right to make any decisions or cast our votes. Thus, this is merely an in depth collaboration from a financial and economic point of view. We have no plans to merge our corporations.”

He had just finished speaking when

someone else asked a follow-up question.

“Mr. Kennedy Langdon and Mr. Sawyer Atticus . From what we know, Fongroup suffered several hundred billion dollars worth of losses after Mr. Joe Langdon merged and acquired Layman Investment Bank. Aren’t you afraid of getting dragged into that mess by collaborating with him now?”

Beep…

All the reporters present gazed at their colleague with respect when they heard the question.

These three people were all bigwigs in Harbor City, and Harbor City reporters would never dare ask such a question. Thus, the only person who would dare ask a question like that would be an American finance reporter who worked for a local company.

Joe glanced at the blonde-haired woman. Usually, he might have snuck an extra look or two at the gorgeous woman’s enticing figure, but now, he had no interest in that…

Life at the Top Chapter 1894

It was obvious that this blondie had no idea of a saying that was popular amidst the older generation of people of Somer descent: don’t rub salt into one’s wounds.

Her question was equivalent to slapping Joe right across the face, and it made the venue’s atmosphere turn eerily bizarre..

The reason behind this bizarreness was because, on one hand, you had the reporters who were so excited their eyes were turning bloodshot whereas, on the other hand, you had Joe Langdon, who had such a sour expression on his face that it could curdle milk.

Kennedy was feeling awkward too because he had no idea how to respond to a question like that.

Joe reached over and took the microphone, then asked, “Miss Reporter. May I know if you have any experience in financial investments besides your income from this job?”

The gleeful look on the blondie’s face

turned into a stunned expression. She had

no idea why Joe would ask her a question

like that, but she still replied, “Yes, I’ve

bought some funds.”

“And how are your profits?” Joe asked.

The reporter answered honestly, “The US

economy is rubbish now, so my losses

have totalled to about half a year’s worth o

f my salary.”

That statement resonated deeply with the

hearts of most of the American reporters

present.

As one of the most well-developed

countries in the world, the United States

had a wide financial investment coverage.

Most families would also work with a

fund management company to invest

their funds.

When you looked at the United States’

economy, it was impossible for a scenario

wherein they did not suffer any losses to

exist.

Therefore, the blondie could consider

herself lucky that she had only lost half a year’s worth of her salary.

“Very good. I have one last question for you. Would your friends cut ties with you because you’ve lost half a year’s worth of your salary?”

Everyone fell silent when they heard what Joe said.

Feelings of resentment also began washing over them.

You think several hundred billion US Dollars is equivalent to half a year’s worth of our salaries?

God d*mn it!

Obviously, Joe did not care what the reporters thought of that as he continued saying, “It’s normal to have both profits and losses in your investment journey.. Fongroup has been expanding at such a rapid pace that it needed to be taught a lesson and to calm it down.

“I don’t think this loss is an entirely bad thing, as it has encouraged everyone in Fongroup, including myself, to reflect on our business investment strategies and locate the problematic areas within

ourselves.

“Thankfully, I have located the diseased portion and am working on getting rid of i t. This cross-ownership with Hope Group and Atticus Group is also part of my plan i n exploring more options that allow me to run Fongroup even more effectively.”

There was a reason why Joe had managed t o establish Fongroup and expand it to where it stood today.

It could be said that Joe Langdon was amidst the brightest stars within the business lords of Harbor City.

A person like that would not be defeated b y a reporter.

Thus, with just several statements, he not only managed to answer the prickly question that the reporter had asked, but h e also managed to redirect everyone’s attention back onto the three companies’ collaboration.

It was not something that an average person could pull off.

Just as this slight crisis was averted, a reporter standing in the corner of the room raised their hand to ask a question.

Just then, Joe was passing the microphone

over to Sawyer. After all, it was a collaboration between the three families. Sawyer could not be

left behind if Joe and Kennedy had already

spoken.

Sawyer swept his gaze across the venue after taking the microphone. He was thinking to himself that these reporters were a tough bunch to deal with when he noticed the petite reporter standing in the corner. He could tell the reporter was from Sunrise Land based on height alone.

He must not have been thinking straight when he signaled for the reporter to ask their question because his instincts told him a reporter from Sunrise Land would b e easier to deal with.

The selected reporter from Sunrise Land had an excited expression on their face as they stood up, but the question they asked made Sawyer want to push them back down onto their seat.

“Excuse me, but all three of you have had

Jasper Laine teach you a lesson. Now, a majority of the Harbor City business group supports Jasper Laine, while you three are the only ones who have a grudge against him. May I know if this collaboration is just to spite Jasper?”

The corner of Sawyer’s mouth twitched.

It was an unwritten rule that there were things that you could not discuss publicly despite it being public knowledge, as bringing it out into the open would put everyone in an awkward position.

However, this idiot decided to mention it now, and Sawyer had no choice but to respond.

Sawyer took a deep breath and arranged his features into a wooden expression before saying, “Our collaboration is so that we can all make improvements upon ourselves. We have no intention of spiting anyone.

“So, is it purely a coincidence that you chose to host this press conference on the same day as the economic forum that Jasper is hosting back in Somerland?”.

The reporter from Sunrise Land immediately continued asking questions.

“Tsk.’

Sawyer took a deep breath and gave the

reporter a warning glare.

‘You little midget, you’d best believe that

I’ll find out which company you work for

and cause them to go bankrupt if you

don’t watch what you say.

However, this reporter did not seem to

read the expression on Sawyer’s face

accurately. Not only did they seem

unafraid, but they even gazed expectantly

at Sawyer as they waited for an answer.

As everyone stared at him, Sawyer had no

choice but to grit his teeth and say, “It

was a coincidence.”

The reporters tittered. Naturally, no one

believed this perfunctory answer.

The reporter from Sunrise Land was

obviously dissatisfied. They were about to

ask more questions, but Sawyer managed t

o speak before they did. “Alright, every

reporter is only allowed to ask two

questions. Now, let’s welcome Mr. Joe

Langdon in announcing a resolution that

all three corporations came to.”

Sawyer immediately shoved the microphone over to Joe once he finished speaking.

As for Joe… the corner of his mouth

twitched.

He gave Sawyer a death stare.

‘You just said you haven’t made any plans against Jasper Laine, but now you want m e to announce the resolution we arrived a t. Aren’t you shooting yourself in the foot?”

The reporters’ interest was piqued by this resolution that Joe was about to announce, and they all gazed at him expectantly and excitedly.

Life at the Top Chapter 1895

Now, even Joe felt that things were getting awkward.

However, he managed to diffuse that slight awkwardness in the time it took to take several breaths.

Joe’s felt like drawing a pig’s head on Sawyer’s name card as he gathered his thoughts and said slowly, “We three have

come to several conclusions after various consultations and rigorous market research.

“Firstly, on the basis of trust in collaboration, we have established a defensive and offensive alliance.

“Based on Somerland’s current financial situation, we three have decided to halt all investments in Somerland and

temporarily pause work on the contracts we have signed, including, but not limited to, the rubber supply, electronic device

materials supply, and financial support for sharing technological skills.

“Secondly, we will terminate all current collaborations that have ties with JW Company. If any of our collaborators are also working with JW Company, they must complete their collaboration within a predetermined date, or else we will terminate our collaborations with said company.

“Thirdly, given the current economic downturn in the United States, and the fact that all three of us view the United States as the most powerful country in the world and have plenty of confidence in the future of its economy, we will be investing a total of 500 billion US Dollars i In the American market. We will also use 100 billion dollars from that total to help repay the country’s debt.”

An uproar arose in the venue after Joe made those three announcements.

It could almost be described as if a bomb had detonated.

Reporters of Somer descent present went red in the face from, anger.

Whereas local reporters had a delighted expression on their faces.

As for those from other countries, most of them had a gleeful expression on their faces as they seemed pleased with what had just happened.

Anyone who had even the slightest bit of brains and smarts would have understood the two messages they were trying to send through those three announcements.

Firstly, Fongroup, Hope Group, and Atticus Group had utterly betrayed Somerland.

Secondly, they had turned to the United States immediately after betraying Somerland. Not only had they invested 500 billion US Dollars, but they had also repaid 100 billion US Dollars worth of the country’s debt to showcase their loyalty.

It would have been a huge deal even on a normal day.

Much less now, when the entire world knew that the United States and Somerland were using the power of their nation’s private capital to fight an economic war.

These three corporations had invested the money they earned in Somerland within the United States. It was equivalent to them delivering ammunition to the enemy while also backstabbing their people.

When these two matters stood side by side, the issue of the three companies coming together to work against JW Company seemed much less eye-catching.

“Joe Langdon! Your actions are a textbook example of forgetting your roots!”

Amidst the chaos, a man’s voice rang out above the others as he stood up from his seat among the reporters, pointed at Joe, and yelled in Somerish, his face turning bright red as he did so.

Most of the foreigners had no idea what h e was saying, but they could tell it was not something nice when they looked at the expression on his face and listened to the tone of his voice.

Joe seemed to have expected this to happen, and he calmly gazed at the press pass laying on the reporter’s chest.

Hugo Cena, a reporter for Senson Daily.

There was a massive gap between the two of them, both in terms of social standing and wealth, so Joe could not be bothered t o pay any attention to him.

All he needed was to give him a look before security guards immediately appeared to drag the reporter away.

Hugo wrestled himself out of the guards’ grips and seemed to not care about the consequences as he roared, “I’ll describe what you said and did in great detail so that everyone knows how a modern traitor looks. You’ve betrayed your country. Look at you now. Do you think you can call yourself a person of Somer descent?”

It could not be denied that reporters had a way with words. He had not uttered a single curse word during his whole spiel, but it was enough to cause an ugly expression to appear on Joe, Sawyer, and Kennedy’s faces.

They felt as if they had swallowed a fly. They couldn’t spit it out or swallow it, and it felt deeply uncomfortable.

“Drag him out!” Sawyer finally roared,

unable to stand it anymore.

The two bodyguards hurriedly grabbed

one of Hugo’s arms each and dragged him

out of the room.

Hugo’s skinny arms and legs were no

match for these two strong, muscular

guards. As he struggled, he shouted, ”

We’re all people of Somer descent. Some o

f us shed blood and lay down our lives to

defend the nation’s dignity, but you three

are willing to betray your country and its

people for your benefit. Just you wait.

People like you will never end up well in

the long run!”

Sawyer had an ugly, twisted expression o

In his face as he huffed coldly and said, ”

You could spend your whole life working,

and you still wouldn’t have as much

money as we have in our wallets now! No

good ending? What right do you have to

say we won’t end up well? Broke b*stard!”

The remaining reporters grew even more

excited when they heard Sawyer cursing.

They knew they had gotten a huge scoop this time..

“Thus, in my personal opinion, I think we should work together to counterattack the sneak attacks Wall Street has launched on the domestic financial market. However, this collaboration will be different from J W Foundation’s vision. JW Foundation plays as the offense and needs even greater cohesion and a more systematic way of conducting operations. Thus, all investors will invest their money in JW Foundation, who will then uniformly manage it all.

“However, because we’re playing defense now, we are collectively defending all domestic industries, which means it would be unsuitable for all assets to be grouped, as it would also lead to a reduction in the listed companies’ defenses. My idea is for everyone to establish a point of communication where we can share information as well as the commands given. We can utilize the different points of flexibility within each industry to protect ourselves.”

Jasper adopted a comfortable position as h e sat on the platform and spoke into the microphone.

“In other words, we’ll conduct business a s usual, but we must put more effort into observing any changes that occur within each industry. Moreover, once the Western capitalists begin targeting their attacks, we must immediately come together and fight against them.”

Jasper had just finished speaking when M r. Willows from Leno Group spoke. “But will the Wall Street capitalists’ attacks become more rampant if we only defend without attacking?”

Jasper replied, “Yes, but they won’t have the chance to do so. JW Foundation will increase the scale of the attacks launched against the United States market.

“Thus, from my point of view, this domestic financial market situation will only be temporary. All we need to do is hang on for a while longer and avoid becoming overwhelmed. After all, their base of operations is located in the United States.”

Life at the Top Chapter 1896

Jasper’s reply did not put these old,

experienced presidents at ease. In order to the level where they were now, they not only had to possess exceptional

intelligence but were also widely-read critical thinkers.

Thus, they would not blindly believe what anyone said, not even if it was Jasper. Instead, they would put whatever they

heard through their thought framework and try to locate any problems that might exist.

Soon, someone spotted a problem.

Mr. Reagan from HW Group said, “But in terms of strength, when you put it on paper, our side would be the one that

collapses first.” Mr. Reagan gave Jasper an apologetic look after he said that.

Jasper smiled and gave him an understanding wave. He had just been stating the facts and was not trying to pick a fight with Jasper.

“In truth, even if Mr. Reagan had not brought this matter up, I would have discussed it as well. After all, I’m sure that this is something everyone is worried about, and it is a perfectly valid and important problem.”

Many nodded their heads in agreement when Jasper finished speaking.

“That’s right. On paper, we’re no match for the United States in terms financial capital. However, that in and of itself is problematic.”

Jasper raised a finger and said with conviction, “Both the Somerland officials and the United States officials have not made the necessary preparations for our countries to engage in an economic war. Thus, at the end of the day, this is something that’s between private capital and companies.”

That was a given.

If the United States decided they wanted to engage in this economic war against Somerland, Jasper would not waste his time talking.

There was no point in fighting a war they had no chance of winning.

Moreover, based on current international situations, the United States would not. engage in an economic war against Somerland that would ultimately also pit the countries against each other.

It was not a problem of whether they would win or not, but rather, it was because it would lead to a complex international situation that affected many other bodies once it started.

The smaller scope made Jasper feel that this matter could still be kept under control.

“Capitalists only have one attribute, and that is they are profit-oriented. Once the capitalists realize their potential losses will be much larger than their earnings, they’ll flee. This is something that no one can stop.

Jasper narrowed his eyes slightly and said, “If you look at Wall Street, you’ll see

that there are more than 300 companies o n Wall Street alone. However, the question is, how many of those companies are actual brick-and-mortar companies? The answer is zero.

“Wall Street uses capitalist methods to control the real economy into making money for them. It is their greatest advantage, but also their biggest weakness.

“As for what I have to do, I have to cause the Wall Street capitalists to suffer major losses. They’ll flee once their losses cross a certain threshold. You can make high earnings quickly by using capitalist methods, but you lose that money even quicker. Thankfully, JW Foundation has. already completed half of that work, and only the other half remains. That is what I will continue to work on.

“In summary, as long as our country manages to tough it out make it through the hardest stage at the start, victory is not impossible.”

Many people heaved sighs of relief when they heard what Jasper said, and they felt their racing hearts calm down slightly.

After all this, the economic forum was

drawing to an end.

The result and purpose Jasper had been after had also been achieved.

At least all the entrepreneurs who attended the forum had reached a consensus Everyone now knew that at this point, they should not be holding personal gains or losses against each other now. If they lost this game, everyone would be done for, and things would not look pretty for them.

If they wanted to remain in this game and continue earning money to maintain a high social standing in the country, they would have to grit their teeth and tough it out.

Without considering anything else, at the very least, these entrepreneurs were all feeling the most interconnected they had ever felt.

Of course, even though the formalities had been taken care of, they still needed t o discuss plenty of details.

It would require Jasper and other people

who were at least in charge of leading

companies within the industry to conduct

private discussions. It was a time

consuming and troublesome matter, but

with Jasper’s prestige and the

government’s backup, it was just a matter

of time and effort. Jasper wanted to get

everything done in the next two days

before the market continued operations

like normal.

Just as Jasper was about to end the

economic forum, Wendy hurried over

with a solemn expression on her face and

gave Jasper a meaningful look from where

she stood. Jasper’s brows furrowed

together slightly. He knew for sure that

something huge had happened if Wendy

had come over now and requested to talk t

o him.

However, it remained unknown if it was a

good or bad thing.

Jasper handed the microphone to Wayne

and signaled for him to continue hosting

the economic forum before walking off

stage.

After all, in his past life, Wayne’s favorite

thing to do after making it big was to

share his personal opinions and preach

about life to others. Hence, Jasper was not

worried he would mess things up.

When Jasper walked over to Wendy, he did

not even need to ask what was going on

before Wendy spoke in a harried voice.

“About ten minutes ago, Half-the-Harbor

Langdon, Kennedy Langdon, and Sawyer

Atticus acted as representatives from

Fongroup, Hope Group, and Atticus Group

respectively in achieving a strategic

alliance, cross-sharing up to 15% of

stocks as they pledged to protect each

other’s interests.

“Moreover, during their press

conference, they announced three

resolutions that go against the Somer

people.

“Firstly, they’re completely backing out o

f Somer’s financial market. Then, they’re

terminating all collaborations with JW

Company and any companies that work

with JW Company. Lastly, they’ve decided

to invest 500 billion US Dollars into the United States financial market, using 100 billion US Dollars to settle the United States’ debt. The minute the press conference ended, they’ve already repaid 2 o billion US Dollars’ worth of the country’s debt.

“As a result, the United States national debt market is quickly regaining its footing and gradually rising. As the stock market is still closed now, we’re still unable to observe how it will affect Harbor City’s stock market. However, the internal analysis shows that the Harbor City stock market is probably going to see a major drop, and that might bring about serious repercussions.”

The crease between Jasper’s eyebrows deepened as Wendy spoke.

“Press conference from ten minutes

ago?” Jasper asked.

Wendy nodded and said, “Yes.”

“Looks like it was done to spite us.”

Jasper narrowed his eyes slightly and chuckled coolly as he said, “So, they’re all just as bad as each other. Fine, it’s a good thing they’re working together now. I can get rid of them all in one go!”

Life at the Top Chapter 1897

Wendy gazed at Jasper worriedly as she

said, “Don’t be reckless. I think we should

discuss things with Harbor City before

deciding on how we’ll deal with it.”

Jasper shook his head and said, “Harbor City has coughed up practically all its resources, so I’m not planning to look for them regarding this matter. They’ve always given JW Company protection before this. I think it’s time JW Company repaid that favor.

“Here’s what we’ll do. Take our plane back to Nauritius later and gather all the company’s resources, especially the ones that have to do with real estate. We’ll prepare ourselves to enter Harbor City’s stock market at a moment’s notice.”

Harbor City had a well-developed economy, and it relied heavily on their estate market.

This could be seen from the number of millionaires who had earned their fortune through dabbling in real estate.

Thus, the real estate market would be one’s top choice if they wanted to assist their economy.

“Enter Harbor City’s stock market? We don’t have the financial assets to do that,” Wendy said.

Jasper chuckled and replied, “Who said we’re going to take over the whole stock market? What we need to do now is buy a

piece of land from the Nauritius government at a suitable time and loudly proclaim our plans for a huge construction project. JW’s branding is strong enough to act as a support pillar for many things now. As long as we continue showing our favor towards Harbor City’s real estate, their real estate market won’t collapse.

“If their real estate market doesn’t

collapse, their finances will be fine.

“Moreover, both Fongroup and Hope Group have a stronghold in real estate. They wouldn’t dare allow anything to happen to Harbor City’s real estate market no matter how much they hate me. If they did do that, nothing much would have happened to me before they went

down first. We have to attack their main industries if we want to attack these three corporations. We can target Fongroup and Hope Group through the real estate market, but as for Sawyer Atticus, I’ll

have to think of something I can do to the

rubber market.”

Wendy felt much more at ease when she saw how quickly Jasper had come up with a strategy.

“Alright, I’ll go and make the preparations now, but…”

Wendy seemed hesitant as she said, “I’m afraid we won’t be able to work with Sean with regards to the real estate market.”

“What’s happened to Sean?” Jasper asked

as he frowned.

His sharp eyes had noticed something odd

in Wendy’s expression. Wendy sighed and said, “I demoted Sean.”

Jasper was stunned.

To be fair, as managing director of JW Company’s real estate group, Sean’s position in the hierarchy was only slightly lower than Wendy’s, who was the CFO. Moreover, Wendy was mainly in charge of financial matters and did not need to be in charge of human resources.

Moreover, Jasper had signed an agreement for Wendy to be the president o fJW Company so she could take his place i n managing the company while he was busy with the stock market. By right, Jasper had no position in JW Company as o f now.

However, everyone still knew that Jasper was the boss, and Wendy was the co-boss.

The couple had the same amount of

power, and this was just so they could

implement executive orders in a more

systematic, logical, and legal way.

However, Wendy would not have utilized her power in managing human resources unless it were a major emergency where she had no choice. Not to mention, the person she demoted was Sean Tucker, an integral member of the company’s group o f directors.

Moreover, Sean was a talent that Dawson himself had sent over from Schuler

Group. In some ways, he was someone with ties to Wendy’s family, so why did she demote him?

Seemingly sensing Jasper’s confusion, Wendy explained, “There was a company scandal last week.

“It happened in the real estate department. A high-ranking vice president brought a female employee along to meet clients and took advantage of f her drunken state to touch her inappropriately. Thankfully, the female employee struggled hard, so that… didn’t happen…

“The female employee lodged a report to the higher-ups at the company, and she also made a complaint to Sean. However, Sean did not want the issue to have an even greater impact than it already had and chose to ignore it. It resulted in the issue gaining even more attention, and rumors began spreading outside.”

Jasper was even angrier now than when h e heard how the three companies were working together against him.

“What *sshole vice-president is that? He answers to Sean Tucker, doesn’t he?”

Jasper was a smart man. He had long

since gained a thorough understanding of the kind of person Sean was. He was talented, and his morals were

alright as well. His main problem was that

he was prone to covering up mistakes.

Sure enough, that had caused Sean to get

into trouble.

“Yes.”

Wendy sighed before she continued saying, “I only learned about this when the police informed me. So, I fired that vice-president, and I got Sean to take a month’s leave to self-reflect.”

“Wow, it’s just been a few months since I stopped paying attention to the company, and we have a rapist now! Thank God no sexual activities were actually carried out. If not, I would be happy to deliver him straight into jail myself!”

”

Jasper was so angry that he began

laughing.

“Do these b*stards think they’re above

the law now just because JW has made it

big?”

Jasper was so angry that he wanted to

grab Sean and slap him across the face.

“This is no longer an issue of business management, nor is it an issue of dividing factions. They’ll become criminals if this goes on!”

Furious, Jasper said without hesitation, ” Hand that vice-president over to the police, let them deal with him. As for the affected female employee, visit her on my behalf and send my regards. Do your best t o satisfy whatever demands she may have.

“As for Sean Tucker, send him to Nauritius to work in the sales department. No one is allowed to give him special treatment unless I say so. Anyone who gives him special treatment can go work a s a sales employee alongside him. If he thinks he’s being treated unfairly, he can screw off.

“JW will never allow something like this t o happen, be it in the past, the present, or the future. Anyone who does this will be handed over to the police immediately . Also, send a notice out to all the employees at headquarters and also our branch companies from the president’s office.

“From today onwards, every employee will have the right to refuse an offer to attend a business meeting with their senior, regardless of position or job scope. If they feel coerced, they can report the employee anonymously. The president will be in charge of processing these reports for the time being, but we’ll establish a department dedicated to managing this shortly.”

Life at the Top Chapter 1898

Jasper had a reason to be angry. It was not a massive issue no matter how horrible JW’s external environment was

since they could always think of a way to resolve or avoid the issue.

For about 99% of companies in the world, their biggest problem was how they could earn money and get enough revenue to survive. However, the remaining 1% of corporations were well-established enough that the external environments would not be able to affect them easily. They had already integrated themselves into the ecology of one or more industries.

If you took a careful look at these bigwigs,

you would notice that they all set the

standards for their respective industries.

One could even say that their companies

would never cease to exist as long as the

industry remained relevant.

This sort of position could be seen in Weresoft for operating systems, VW Group for cars, and Facebook or Terizone

for social media platforms.

JW had not attained this position yet, but they were already considered your standard bigwig amidst the domestic market.

Due to constrictions posed by the country’s policies and the speed wherein reform happened, JW was the actual leader among private enterprises.

Thus, to Jasper, external troubles were not as lethal to him. It was internal troubles that would sour JW’s name and even run them the risk of business failure.

This incident itself might not be a big deal, and no one would take action against JW if it happened once or twice. However, these things would be like termites once they began occurring. One or two holes on a large building were nothing. However, if those holes multiplied to become hundreds or even thousands of incidences, they could become interconnected and cause the entire building to collapse.

Take the United States’ debt crisis as an example.

Jasper knew that this was not his work,

but instead, the United States’ economy

had already been in trouble since the

start. It was why it had brought about

such a serious outcome.

Jasper did not want history to repeat itself.

Thus, they needed to nip the problem in

the bud.

Wendy noticed Jasper’s anger in his tone

and attitude. She nodded slightly and

said, “Alright, understood. I’ll do as you

say immediately.”

Jasper sighed before saying gently to

Wendy, “Managing a company has always

been a complicated task, and your

workload becomes even heavier when you

started managing a company as large as J

W. There will always be unexpected

incidents that cause you to lose your

footing temporarily. Thank you for all

you’ve done.”

Wendy smiled and said to Jasper, “My

work is nothing compared to what you do.

Alright, I’ll take care of the company’s

matters. You focus on settling external

conflicts. I’ll wait for you to come home.”

Jasper returned to the podium after

Wendy left.

At the time, Wayne was still preaching life

lessons. However, what had changed from

his previous life was that the values he

shared had changed from his own into

JW’s values.

No doubt that Wayne had a talent for

public speaking. If not, he would not have

had the ability to keep the eighteen

founders by his side and establish

Abbylon Group when he was so poor he

could not even afford to pay their salaries.

The majority of those present at the

economic forum had been deeply affected

by his speeh and became extremely

excited. Their enemies seemed to be

nothing more than toothless tigers now,

while a bright future was waiting for them

right around the corner.

Jasper did not interrupt him and sat down

instead. He was just about to catch a quick

breather when Mr. McNeal turned to him

and said, “You heard?”

Jasper nodded.

Life at the Top Chapter 1899

He knew what Mr. McNeal was referring t o. There was no way the officials would not have heard of it if he had already

gotten the news.

Besides , Jasper had noticed Mr. McNeal answering his phone when he was talking to Wendy.

“This is very bad.”

Mr. McNeal sounded hostile as he said, “A s opposed to the tangible effects, I think the symbolic meaning behind it is more important. This is setting a bad example for people of Somer descent across the world.”

Jasper lowered his voice and answered, 44 But it’s not necessarily a bad thing for the world to get a good look at their faces now. But what do the higher-ups have to say about this?”

Mr. McNeal answered, “What else could they say? The officials aren’t allowed to voice their opinion on this because

entrepreneurs should settle their affairs

themselves. The officials won’t interfere with the market’s daily workings. You know what I mean?”

Jasper nodded understandingly.

“The officials’ role here is merely to pass judgments and set the rules. They can’t get involved themselves, or else they’ll

incite panic amidst the entrepreneurs. Under the premise that the entrepreneurs themselves do not have a plan, the

officials are unable to get involved. You require an entrepreneur like me to take care of them, which is one of the reasons

why people like me exist.” Mr. McNeal smiled as he listened to Jasper and said, “Don’t worry, we won’t make you work for nothing. Haven’t they halted all their investments in the country? Are you interested in them?”

Jasper’s eyes lit up.

The Atticus had made such a low number o f domestic investments that it was practically nothing, whereas those

Fongroup invested in had long since been seized for investigation. Jasper had also picked out a few of the most desirable assets for himself. However, Hope Group was different, as it had several projects that Jasper was eager to have.

“Hope Group is one of the largest realtors i n Harbor City, and they’re famous even throughout the entirety of Southeast

Terra. They have several domestic projects that are bound to rake in large amounts of revenue, so, naturally, I’m

interested.”

“But I’m a little strapped for cash over here,” Jasper hurriedly added.

Mr. McNeal waved a hand and said, “Let’s not talk about this now. We can discuss nmoney when you’re not as out of pocket. We have no reason to worry you’ll run away. What’s most important now is that we take care of the problem at hand now.”

Jasper narrowed his eyes slightly and said, “They’re all from Harbor City. Since the problem came from Harbor City, then

we should take care of it the Harbor City way.” “Alright.” Mr. McNeal did not ask for further details. He knew that Jasper would not go overboard and that he would take care of matters in a way that left most people satisfied.

Several minutes later, Jasper took over Wayne’s spot again and stood behind the podium as he said slowly, “Everyone here has already talked about what should have been discussed today. Based on my previous plans, I should be announcing the end of the economic forum today. However, I just received some news that I would like to share with everyone before w e wrap up.”

Then, Jasper watched as the expression in the audience’s eyes turned from one of curiosity to one of ferocity as he told them about the three-way collaboration between Fon group, Hope Group, and Atticus Group.

There was no need nor any way of keeping it a secret. Everyone had their ways of attaining information, they would have

learned of the press conference once they left the venue anyway.

Thus, instead of leaving them to worry and make wild guesses, Jasper decided to lay everything out in the open.

“Harbor City does not need these rotten

apples, and the people of Somer descent do not need traitors like them either. We can’t sit back and await their execution if they’ve declared war on us. Let’s treat them as practice for what we’ll be doing when the stock market reopens in two days. We need to get rid of these traitors!”

Life at the Top Chapter 1900

On the night the economic forum ended, Wendy took the private airplane and led J W Company’s executive team straight to Harbor City..

JW Company’s trip was an official activity, so they informed the officials at Harbor City before setting out.

Thus, two directors from the finance and business planning division accompanied the deputy chief executive to welcome them personally.

Harbor City was a special administrative region. The deputy chief director here had a higher position on the hierarchy than the grand magistrates of top provinces..

This also meant they were being treated

with the utmost respect.

Having said that, Wendy was the current president and chief financial officer of JW Company, so she deserved to receive this special treatment.

At this moment, the press conference hosted by Joe, Sawyer, and Kennedy in the United States had just ended. At the same time, the economic forum hosted by Jasper in Somerland had just finished as well. It was an odd time.

All this news had washed over Harbor City’s business circle like a hailstorm, and new versions of gossip popped up all over the place. Wendy’s visit on behalf of JW Company now was dissected by countless people and converted into countless different theories.

However, no matter which person you got your gossip from, the core message did not change. There was no doubt JW Company was here because they wanted t o do something about the press conference the three families hosted.

Everyone gazed intently at Harbor City’s government buildings, awaiting the outcome of Wendy’s meeting with the Harbor City government.

Harbor City’s government officials did

not make everyone wait for too long.

Seen, another press conference was

bested where the Harbor City government

and JW Company announced the

outcomes of their meeting to the public.

“Firstly, I would like to extend a warm

welcome to the reporters who came. My

name is Zachariah Quigley, and I am the

director of the Department of Business

Planning, I’m here today as a

representative of the Harbor City

government in making a statement to the

public.”

Zachariah, who wore glasses, gazed at the

crowd of reporters beneath him and

smiled before holding the document he

held up in his hands and read, “After a

friendly discussion between the Harbor

City government and JW Company, the

government and JW Company have

arrived at an agreement that is in

accordance with the law and official

policies.

“Firstly, the Harbor City government will

provide tax incentives to JW Company.

The details are as follows: the

corporation’s income tax will be reduced b

y 70% for the first three years, and 40% for the next five years, and they will also get a 20% reduction on their business taxes.

“Secondly, the Harbor City will sell the following pieces of land to JW Company: Sharp Promenade, which is located in the Nine Dragon Area of Harbor City, as well a s Lot C13 and Lot A55 on the west end of Victoria Harbor. Since these two pieces of land belong to the Harbor City

government, the transaction will not need to go through an auctioning process. The Harbor City government will transfer them into JW Company’s accounts right away. All proceeds will be used in improving Harbor City’s infrastructure.

“Thirdly, the Harbor City government will now focus on checking the reasonableness of all commercial activities in Harbor City, and anyone caught breaking the rules will face serious consequences.

“Fourthly, the Harbor City government will be lifting all former restrictions imposed on several imported and exported products. The first batch of products that will have restrictions lifted

includes rubber, rubber-made products, and all raw materials needed for rubber processing. These aforementioned products will have their import restrictions fully lifted.”

The contents of the agreement seemed fine, except for the second and third articles.

The meaning behind the second one was clear. The Harbor City government was selling land that had belonged to the Harbor City government to JW Company. I t might seem like an illogical thing to do, but there was nothing much worth discussing.

Usually, land that was sold using legal methods had to go through an auction because the land did not belong to the government. According to the constitution, the land belonged to the state, and thus, meant it belonged to the country’s people.

The government was just a representative who took care of the land on behalf of the country’s people. Since it belonged to the state, it could not be sold as one wished, and instead had to go through an auction t o be sold to whoever bid the highest. It was a fair-and-square process.

However, if the land belonged to the government, they would then be one of the parties signing the contract. There was no difference in how companies were treated compared to individuals, and it was perfectly alright for them to sell their land privately.

These two pieces of land were the most precious pieces of land in Harbor City, which itself had a scarce supply of land. Therefore, many people had tried countless ways to obtain that land for themselves, but had always failed.