Ch. 1931..1940
Life at the Top Chapter 1931
What worried Zed the most now was that Wendy’s accident might cause the originally negotiated Ocean City Plan to beleft stranded. If this was the case, although the Nine Dragon Corporation and the Boyles would not incur any hugelosses, this project had succeeded in piquing Zed’s interest.
He believed that as long as it was an absolutely profitable business, coupled with JW’s cooperation, then this projectwould grow to become even bigger and at a faster rate than he had ever imagined.
Zed’s main purpose for this trip was to determine whether the Ocean City Plan could continue.
Fortunately, Jasper had given him a reassuring answer.
“Mr. Walters, I don’t actually intervene in the Ocean City business, but I have another business here that I think hasroom for cooperation for the both of us.”
Jasper waved his hand to dismiss the servants from the room. Then, he got up and took the empty bowl to fill somepaella before handing it to Zed.
This scene shocked Zed and he quicklystood up to receive it with both hands.
Zed was also a famous rich man in Harbor City. Even if some people say that he has the wealth and status today because of his status as the Boyles’ son-in-law, it did not prevent him from being looked up to by the vast majority of Harbor City people.
However, who was Jasper?
To be more realistic, even if they weresitting together with the head of theBoyles, Jasper would be on the same level.with them.
This also made him understand that the cooperation that Jasper was about to mention next was definitely not anythingsimple.
“It’s an honor that you’re willing to giveme an opportunity and are willing tosupport me. If I can contribute, I willdefinitely not hesitate to do so, Mr. Laine.”
Jasper chuckled and said, “I want to buy some ships from the Boyles.”
These words stunned Zed.
He did not understand what Jasper meant.Nor why he said such things.
“Um… the Boyles don’t sell ships. Even ifwe do, it’s the ones that are going to besold as scrap metal. Moreover, I am notthe one you should discuss this with. I amonly responsible for the business of theNine Dragon Corporation.”
Jasper smiled and said, “No, you’re theone I should talk to.
“What I want to buy are the ships owned by your family that are currentlytransporting the Atticus family’s rubbersupply in Southeast Terra.”
As soon as he said this, Zed’s facechanged drastically.
Jasper did not keep Zed on tenterhooks. He took a tissue to wipe his mouth and saidfaintly, “The conflict between me and theAtticus family is irreconcilable. Since hedecided to kidnap my person, then I’ll
light his several ships of rubber on fire. It’s only right to make the Atticus family face large-scale breach of contract and high price claims, right, Mr. Walters?”
When he saw Jasper looking at himself with those shining eyes, Zed barely suppressed the storm in his heart and replied with a dry chuckle, “Yes, that’s right.”
As if not aware of how insincere Zed’s words were, Jasper continued, “There are five ships in total, each of which is a huge ship with a displacement of more than 100 thousand tons. According to the market price, it’ll be worth about 45 million Harbor Dollars, so I’ll offer 400 million for those five ships. What do you think?”
Zed felt his scalp tingle as his throat tightened. He said with difficulty, “M-Mr. Laine, I don’t understand what you mean.”
“Don’t you? Then I will make it clearer.
“If the five freighters that were loaded with all the rubber production of the Atticus family for the entire quarter were burned on the high seas, then the Boyles will not only receive huge insurance compensation but also my 400 million bucks. As for the Atticus Family, they will only get piles of breached contracts.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1932
Zed looked conflicted.
Frankly speaking, he really regretted letting Jasper continue talking.
This matter would involve too many parties and he dared not offer any
promises at all.
This was not something he could decide at all.
However, Zed was not so stupid to ask Jasper why he did not want to go and discuss this directly with his father-inlaw…
His father-in-law was the patriarch of the Boyles, and he represented the most direct and fundamental will of the Boyles.Therefore, Jasper could not talk to the
It was conceivable that even if this matterwas done, Jasper would create a fake company out of the blue to deal with the transaction when it was time forpayment. At the same time, JW and his name would be wiped clean from thismatter.
After thinking about it, Zed painfullyrealized that with his identity, he wasreally the most suitable candidate this negotiation.
“That punk…”
Zed lifted his eyelids and glanced atJasper. He was silently struggling inside. Jasper saw through Zed and said, “In fact,Mr. Walters, you don’t need to be sotroubled. Is the current situation stillunclear? You should just do the thingsthat should be done, and no one willinvestigate you. No one will stop youeither. After it happens, you will not getany benefits on the surface, but in fact,you will emerge the winner.”
Jasper leaned slightly closer to Zed andpointed at himself. After that, he pointedoutside.
“What you can get is the goodwill of me,the Boyles, and the entire class.upperEven though you are already a member ofthe upper class, you will not refuse thesethings that really belong to you, no?”
This sentence was like a sharp sword as it slashed through the last point of defense i
in Zed’s heart.
Right.
The goodwill of Jasper and the other bigwigs, including the Laws, was what truly belonged to him.
Everything he owned right now came from the Boyles, and he would be nothing after leaving the Boyles even though he had no such thoughts…
However, if one could own some capital of their own, such as a favor from Jasper, it would likely be a hidden trump that would play a huge role in the future.
And if he refused, what would he get?
Could he still depend on Fabian?
Zed was not so stupid.
Now the interests of the Boyles and other bigwigs were tied to Jasper. The entire upper class circle in Harbor City was backing Jasper. If Jasper lost, the upper class would also lose.
Therefore, it was all but impossible for the Boyles to stop him from doing this.
and even his father-in-law would add
fuel to the fire.
“Okay! I will do it.”
Zed’s attitude cracked Jasper up.
After reaching out his hand, Jasper said, ”
Then I wish us a happy cooperation.”
“As you wish!”
After half an hour, Zed left the hilltop villa
happily.
Then, Henry immediately ran over.
He knew Jasper’s plan.
“Is that rascal reliable?” Henry asked.
Now, Henry was the most interested party when it came to destroying Fabian and Kayden, so he was naturally very concerned about this plan.
“This was my first contact with him. How can I know if he is reliable or not?” Jasper said.
Henry widened his eyes and said, “And you still asked him to do such an important thing?”
“He is the most suitable person. If he
refuses, it’ll be hard to find someone
else.”
Jasper did not explain much. He patted Henry on the shoulder and said with a grin, “But there must be someone keeping an eye on us, such as you and Conrad.”
Henry said with a vigilant look, “I just came back from the United States and you’re asking me to keep watch again?”
“This time it’s easy. Now that Zed has agreed, you and Conrad can get involved i n the next step. Just keep an eye on this matter and don’t let anything bad happen. It’s very simple. If the arrangements are made properly, this will be done in a few days. Do you think I’ll ask you to set the fire?
“The main thing is that I need Conrad to b e the frontman. You’re too popular in Harbor City and it is easy for someone to notice you, but once the matter is over, everything will be fine.”
After listening to Jasper’s words, Henry curled his lips and said, “Whatever, I can’t escape this anyway.”
After dealing with these things, Jasper
went upstairs and rested for a few hours.
After all, he had not had a good rest during this period, and he had just stayed up all night. Even someone made from iron would not be able to handle this.
By the time Jasper woke up, it was already dusk.
Jasper opened his eyes and saw Wendy blinking at him.
He then raised his hand and pulled Wendy
onto him. Jasper asked, “How long have
awake?”
“About half an hour. I know you’re resting here, so I didn’t want to disturb you,” Wendy said softly.
“I will go back to the mainland later, but the matter here…”
Before Jasper could finish, Wendy said, I’m not done with my business here, so I will stay.”
Jasper said apologetically, “Actually, I want you to go back to the mainland with me.”
“Apart from me, who will you allow totake over my task here with no worries?”Wendy said with a smile.
“Anna?”
“…” Jasper was speechless.
“I am now the president of JW in nameand a series of partnerships have justbegun. What’s more, I need to officiallyrespond to all the voices and clamorsfrom the outside world. Otherwise, theHarbor stock market will crash when itopens on Monday.”
Jasper sighed softly and said, “You’re likea mindreader. You can read me like abook.”
“It’s better to know nothing.”
Wendy groaned and said, “I guess this ismy life.”
“Anna…”
Jasper’s words were interrupted again.
“I know. I won’t stoop down to her level.Plus, I don’t have time to fight her.”
Jasper smiled wryly.
At night, on the way to the airport.
Wendy did not come.
It seemed that she was intentionally leaving space and time to Anna.
This reflected the generosity of her as the official girlfriend.
Jasper had a splitting headache when Anna was accompanying him with a straight face.
As expected, the words of a beautiful woman were unbelievable. She said she would not stoop to Anna’s level but she was obviously targeting Anna.
“I left Julian and Fallon with Wendy…”.
“Yes, don’t worry. After those people saw your cruelty and methods, no one will do anything to Wendy unless they are not right in the head,” Anna said lightly.
“Alright.”
Jasper did not know how many times he was interrupted, so he just kept his mouth shut.
“I will attend the press conference with Wendy,” Anna continued.
“With your deterrence and the weight of the Laws, those people won’t do this kind of thing anymore even if they’re crazy.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1933
When Jasper’s plane took off, it was
already 7:20 in the evening.
At this time, almost all Harbor City mediaoutlets received invitations.
The party that sent the invitations was
the branch of JW Company in Harbor City.
There was not much content on theinvitation letter, but it stated that a pressconference would be held at 8 a.m. and allreporters from major media were invited.At the same time, this press conferencewould be broadcast live across HarborCity.
Some reporters with a keen sense of smellwere aware that something big woulddefinitely happen.
This was reminiscent of JW Company’sarrival in Harbor City, which had causedthe greatest sensation in the shortesttime. It was as if JW’s main business wasprinting banknotes, and they did not careabout the amount of money they investedheavily in Harbor City. While everyonewas digesting this, news broke out thatWendy, the president of JW Company, waskidnapped.
After everything that had happened, everyone in Harbor City from the old to the young knew about JW, let alone those i n the media.
Under such circumstances, JW’s press
conference this time was particularly
interesting.
No matter what news was going to be released, reporters had an intuition that it would be of utmost importance.
Meanwhile, the news that was impossible to hide also reached Fabian’s ears instantly.
After narrowing his eyes slightly, Fabian
called Phoenix directly in front of Kayden.
The call was quickly answered.
“”Boss, it’s me.”
Upon hearing Phoenix’s quiet and normal voice on the phone, Fabian felt a little relieved.
“How’s your situation over there?”
Phoenix replied, “We’re fine but it’s so chaotic outside and we dare not go out at all.”
Phoenix, who was now in Harbor City, carefully glanced at Henry, who had a sneer on his face, and Wendy, who was sitting next to him. Then, he read the script that was prepared for him in advance.
One had to admit that Phoenix, who had been on the streets for many years, was still good at acting.
After all, they had seen people from all backgrounds and trades. Therefore, learning how to act according to the situation was a basic skill. Otherwise, they would be dragged outside to feed the stray dogs if they offended some bigwigs.
Phoenix’s words did not arouse Fabian’s
suspicion.
“It’s good that you don’t dare to go out. You must not appear in front of strangers now, or else, even I can’t save you.”
Phoenix swallowed and said, “Boss, don’t worry. At this point, I will go to the end of this matter with you. Are you still worried? Do you want to talk to Wendy?”
“Are you crazy?”
Fabian, who was worried that Wendy would know his identity, roared. Although his tone was harsh, his expression relaxed.
If Phoenix dared to let Wendy talk to him, i t would indicate that there was indeed no problem there.
“Okay, do this well and you will get what I promised. Get ready to live the rest of your life like a king.”
After he said that, Fabian hung up.
´After putting the phone down, Fabian looked at Kayden and said, “Everything should be fine over there.
Life at the Top Chapter 1934
Kayden frowned slightly and said, “If this is the case, the news conference they are preparing for tomorrow should just be asmoke bomb to avoid any problems with the partnerships that have been finalized before and to keep Harbor Stocks fromfalling too much.”
With a grin, Fabian said, “If this is the case, what are we afraid of? Do you think JW can stop the decline of the entiremarket? Impossible.
“At that time, the listed companies under our control in Harbor Stocks will be the first to blow up. We’ll release some badnews, such as how much loss we suffered i In the last fiscal year or last quarter, how much bad debts there are, and how bad our future prospects are, then the stocks will naturally fall. With our short sale,Harbor Stocks can’t possibly hold up.”
Kayden did not say a word as he looked atFabian.
Even though he always felt that thingswere not so simple, but now that theywere at a point of no return, he had to do it. Plus, the initiative was not in his hands, but in the hands of his father and the
other two heads.
He could make comments and give ideas, but he had already paid such a large price before, and now, he had no real evidence, s o how could he stop it?
Two hours later, Jasper landed in Nauritus
City.
The reason why he rushed back was that the market would open tomorrow. He had to be in the command center of Nauritus City no matter if it was the domestic market or market in the United States. At this point, he was inseparable from Nauritus City.
On the other hand, it was because Jude came with the Habers.
It seemed that they were here to express their sincerity and humility. The Habers father and son did not go anywhere after they arrived in Nauritus City, instead, they were waiting for Jasper’s return at the airport.
So, as soon as Jasper touched down, he saw the father and son.
Jude was also standing at one side with anawkward look on his face.
“Mr. Laine, hello, I…”
Braving the bitter wind at the airport,
Weston approached Jasper respectfully.Halfway through the conversation, Jasperwaved and interrupted him, “I know,you’re the actual controller of GrandlandCorporation and the patriarch of theHabers, the great Mr. Weston Habers.”
“I don’t dare to call myself that in front ofyou,” Weston said hurriedly.
“I don’t have much time, so let’s talkwhile we walk.”
After Jasper finished speaking, he walkeddirectly to the car that was waiting there t-o pick him up.
Weston, Channing, and Jude looked ateach other and immediately followed.
Fortunately, the car was an MPV,otherwise, it would be a bit crowded for
four adult men.
After they got in the car, Jasper put up thepartition to block the sound from the backseat from the driver after the car started. Then, he said, “I’ll be straightforward and go straight to the point.
“To be honest, I didn’t plan to see you
two.”
As he said that, Jasper seemed to ignore the embarrassed and aggrieved faces of Weston and Channing. He pointed to Jude and said, “But I still respect Mr. Whorton enough to do this.”
Jude was surprised and delighted by this. He believed that his little power was nothing in front of Jasper. Even if he brought the Habers, he was ready for Jasper to kick him out.
What he never expected was that Jasper would show him respect like this.
This made Jude, who had suffered a lot as he built his business, somewhat flattered.
“Mr. Laine is too courteous,” Jude said quickly.
Jasper smiled and waved. The reason why Jasper agreed to meet the Habers was not entirely because of Jude. Even if Old Jude’s
future industry was pretty big, it was still a thing of the future, which might not be anything special considering JW’s speed o f expansion over the next ten to twenty years.
Everyone’s eyes fell on Weston as Jasper said flatly, “But since you are here and I’ve also met you, I’ll be frank about some things.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1935
“First of all, I want you to tell me frankly how many staple foods those scalpers controlled by foreigners have bought from you.”
Jasper’s question made Weston and Channing feel conflicted.
No matter which company you went to, the sales data was absolutely confidential and it would not be leaked so easily.
However, Jasper was opening with this question. Obviously, the basis for the two sides to continue this discussion would depend on whether they answered this question or not.
So, Weston did not hesitate for too long. After gritting his teeth, he replied, “About 120 thousand tons.”
Although he was mentally prepared, Jasper knitted his eyebrows tightly when h e heard the number.
120 thousand tons!
One had to understand that there were many kinds of food.
Major crops such as soybeans, corn,
buckwheat, and rice could be classified as food.
However, in Somerland, rice was the absolute staple food.
The consumption of rice accounted for more than 70% of the country’s total food consumption.
It was only 2001. Although food security i n Somerland was no longer a problem,
rice production had not yet ushered in a spurt of growth.
According to the information previously obtained by Jasper, Raydon province was one of Somerland’s core grain planting bases. Its output in one season was only about 1 million tons, and the Habers father and son sold 12% of the output in one go.
One might uunderestimate the 120 thousand tons, as even 12% did not seem like a big deal either.
However, one had to know that most provinces in Somerland had very low rice production and the main food supply area was the three eastern provinces, with the largest of the three provinces being Raydon province.
From this, it could be seen that Raydon’s. annual grain output was important even t o the entire country.
If they sold 12% all at once, it would not just be a 12% reduction at their side, but what was even more frightening was that there would be 12% more of these commodities the hands of the United States capital. If this was put on the capital market, with Soros’ dirty tricks, Somerland would have to pay at least 20% of the price to settle this deal.
At this time, Jasper wished to kick the money-hungry father and son out of the car.
“Did you sell everything?” Jasper asked angrily.
“The payment has gone through, and the delivery is about 30% done. After all, such á large amount could not be delivered in a short while.”
Weston became more honest when he saw the malicious look in Jasper’s eyes. He was speaking in a low voice, for fear of angering Jasper more.
“Stop the delivery. From now on, Grandland Corporation can’t part with a single grain of rice,” Jasper said directly.
As soon as these words came out, the faces of both Weston and Channing changed.
Channing subconsciously said, “No way, this…”
Before he could finish speaking, Jasper’s dark eyes started staring straight at him.
Channing was just a prodigal and useless second generation who only knew how to have fun. So, how would he endure Jasper’s gaze? When Jasper looked at him, he forgot what he was about to say.
Weston hurriedly said, “Mr. Laine, the penalty of these contract breaches is very high. Once we unilaterally breach the contract, we might have to give up Grandland Corporation to pay for it.”
“I think they are afraid that Swallow City will discover your company’s transaction with them, so they set the maximum penalty. It was just so that when you are faced with such a situation, you will find ways to continue to fulfill the contract.”
Jasper frowned slightly and continued, Breach the contract first. As for the lawsuit, fight it slowly.”
At this moment, Channing, who had just recomposed himself, began to feel uncomfortable and pissed again.
Life at the Top Chapter 1936
Jasper was pushing the Habers into the fire pit with this one sentence.
The father and son were now afraid ofJasper because they were worried thatGrandland Corporation would not have an easy time in the future. However, Jasper’s condition for forgiving them was basically asking Grandland Corporation to die, so how could they compromise?
Sure enough, not only Channing, but evenWeston hesitated.
Jasper saw all this, and after a littlethought, he said, “Don’t worry, there areways to make up for this loss.
“Put those undelivered grains on the domestic market. If it doesn’t work, the government has a guaranteed purchaseprice at which they will purchase them. Plus, in this current situation, the market price or the guaranteed purchase pricewill inevitably increase by a large margin, so you don’t have to worry about the cost. “I have protected the cost of all the grain and rice you have on hand. Of course, I believe those scalpers must have purchased them from you at anoutrageous price so you feel that you’re losing out even before you get the profit, right?”
Jasper knew what they were thinking without even looking at Weston and his son.
“Whether you are doing business or just being a decent human being, don’t fixyour eyes on the benefits in front of you. What is the use of earning money that’s placed in front of you whenyou won’t even be alive to spend it in the future?”
As soon as Jasper said this, the father andson changed their expressions abruptly.
At the same time, they looked at Jasper in horror.
Jasper said impatiently, “Why are youlooking at me like this? I didn’t mean that if you don’t cooperate with me, I will kill you. Do you think of me as a bandit?
“Just think about why those people from the United States would come all the way t o Somerland to buy food and even spend s o much money.”
Jasper shook his head and said faintly, “If it were other industries, I’d just turn a blind eye. However, you must think twice before you do business with foreigners when it comes to staple industries like food.
“You all know that the futures market has skyrocketed during this period. The United States is now trying to speculate o n domestic food prices. The money you earn right now will be earned back hundreds of times and thousands of times over from our people in the future.
“Even if I don’t talk about these national justices with you and just your interest, d o you really think that I am so capable of completely destroying your industry that’s standing tall in Raydon province like a king in just ten to twenty minutes?
“Don’t you know who you can’t offend the most in Somerland?”
Weston and Channing were speechless.
“As for the default loss, it’ll be made up when Grandland Corporation is listed on the stock market.”
Weston’s heart trembled and
subconsciously said, “We have no plans to go public.”
“What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of losing control?” Jasper asked.
Weston nodded awkwardly.
Jasper didn’t say anything.
At this point, a pot like him should not call a kettle black.
Why was JW not public?
Why were they not public now and had no plans to go public in the future?
Jasper wanted to control this company completely.
However, for the Habers father and son, Jasper had a plan.
“Take out 20% of the shares as tradable share capital, then you’ll still have 80% of the shares on hand. Don’t worry about the issue of control. The most importantthing is what if I can use this 20% of the shares as a foundation and triple Grandland Corporation’s market value?
“If Grandland Corporation is now worth 1 o billion, the total market value of Grandland Corporation can be speculated t o be 30 billion if you take out 2 billion shares. Then the decision will be either 80 % of 30 billion or 100% of 10 billion, I don’t need to say much more, right?”
Life at the Top Chapter 1937
If all the previous contents of this conversation up to now made the Habers father and son extremely uncomfortable,this sentence was a cool drink in a hotsummer, sending chills down the father and son’s spines.
Why were they unwilling to go public?
Of course, it was because they were worried about control. Also, there was another important reason.
This was regarding the particularity of the
food industry.
Foodstuff itself was a resource controlled by the state and it was indeed circulated on the market, but both the scale and the price were subjected to strict official restrictions.
What kind of problem would this cause?
It would make it difficult for food production companies to lose money. It seemed good, but a serious problem wasthat it was also difficult to make a lot of money.
It could be said that it was true that its annual profit could be calculated with a calculator.
Rice was purchased according to the grade, which applied to even the highest quality grade of rice. For example, if the government purchased them for 1 Somer Dollar per half a kilogram, then its market price would not exceed 1 Somer Dollar.
Moreover the government would fix the price for you when it came to your cost, as well as how much money you would need t o produce half a kilogram of rice. Hence, there would be no loopholes for you to exploit at all.
It was precisely because of the small profits that it was very difficult for such a company to go public.
What kind of listed company would capitalists like?
They liked the kinds with high-yield and high-return. It would be best if they could make 100 Somer Dollars with an investment of 1 Somer Dollar. This was the nature of capital, and no one could change it.
Therefore, if Grandland wanted to gopublic, its performance and scale wouldmeet the requirements, but it wasdestined to be unlikely to be favored bycapitalists, so the stock price wouldinevitably be lower.
In the eyes of the Habers, they would risklosing control for no reason as they werealso unlikely to make much money in thecapital market. This was something onlyfools would do.
However, right now, Jasper told them thatthey could triple the market value ofGrandland, so even a piece of wood wouldbe tempted.
It was still that simple truth. As Jaspersaid, 100% of 10 billion and 80% of 30billion, which one would you choose?
Did this still need to be considered?
After all, not every boss in every companywas the same as Jasper, who did not need to worry about not making money.
The most essential difference betweenJasper and the vast majority of ordinaryentrepreneurs represented by the Habers father and son was that other entrepreneurs needed capital to help with development and they were controlled and trapped by this resource, but Jasper… What he needed to consider was how to control the capital.
“Mr. Laine, are you for real?” Weston asked excitedly.
Jasper pointed to his nose and said, “I am saying this with my name, m lying to you?” do you think I a
This sounded crazy, but not arrogant.
In the domestic private capital circle in Somerland, if there was anything Jasper could not do, then there was no need for others to consider it at all as it would basically be impossible. Plus, that kind of thing was a policy’s high-tension line, and was the kind that could not be compromised on.
Weston suddenly beamed and said, ” Alright, I’ll listen to you, Mr. Laine.”
He thought the best scenario of him coming here would be to leave with disappointment. Then, he would slice off
a piece of his flesh and consider it as sacrificing something to save himself.
However, he did not expect to gain such a big benefit.
This delighted Weston and his eyes were
sparkling when he looked at Jasper.
Sure enough, it was not unreasonable for Jasper to achieve what he had today at a young age. He was even younger than Weston’s son, but with this skill and breadth of mind, what great things could not be done?
The change of mentality of the Habers caught Jasper’s eyes, but this was also in line with Jasper’s previous expectations.
Jasper did not care what would happen to the Habers father and son, or Grandland a t all.
Right now, Jasper did not care whether the Habers and Grandland were thriving o r not. The reason for dealing with them before was just to establish prestige.
To put it simply, he was punishing the Habers to set an example to others.
They just so happened to also coincidentally run into trouble.
Now, as long as they were willing to cooperate with the implementation of the whole plan, then Jasper would not mind giving them some benefits.
After all, in the food industry, Grandland and the Habers did have a certain degree o f influence. This much was undeniable.
“Since there is no problem, then it’s
decided.”
Jasper said, “You will immediately order the delivery to stop. If they ask for compensation, ask them to go through the process and file a lawsuit. Basically, it i s a matter of arguing. Just drag this on for as long as possible. This is the top priority and the first thing you should do.
“Secondly, we should immediately start preparations for the listing. Prepare the relevant information in the shortest time and polish your account.
“There will be many heavyweight state owned enterprises listed on the market soon and I will help with the operation and add Grandland to the list. It will be very fast and all you have to do is to prepare the necessary things while I will handle the rest.”
After he said that, Jasper asked Weston, ” Please ask immediately if you don’t understand anything. After this, I may not have so much time.
Weston thought for a while and said, “No
questions.”
At this time, the car had already arrived at the hotel. Jasper nodded and said, ” Alright, I won’t keep you then.”
When the Habers left, Jude planned to get out of the car with him, but Jasper asked him to stay.
On the way to the Nauritus City trading center, Jasper said to Jude, “Mr. Whorton, there is a huge business opportunity and I wonder if you are interested.”
Jude sat upright when he heard this.
If Jasper said it was a huge business opportunity, it had to be a big deal for him.
“Mr. Laine, please tell me first. I’ll see if I can take it.” Jude gave a cautious reply.
With a smile, Jasper said, “Fongroup, Atticus Group, and Hope Group’s industries in the mainland will be packaged as a whole. I took out 40% of it but the remaining 20% doesn’t seem to have many benefits to me. It’s not that these projects do not make money, but the turnaround cycle is too long. On the other hand, there is another 40% which are all good industries with high quality and low price. I am hoping you can take all of them, Mr. Whorton.”
Life at the Top Chapter 1938
Jude froze for a moment.
Then his eyes widened fiercely.
Fongroup’s properties in the mainland were gotten abandoned of some time ago. As a real estate developer, Jude was very aware about this.
There were even two industries that were close to him, so he was very interested. However, people who were not in the core circle were not qualified to deal with this kind of industry.
Due to legal issues, it could not be auctioned publicly, so it could only be absorbed internally.
Since Half-the-Harbor Langdon betrayed the mainland first, he had already given u p these industries. This, coupled with some intervention from Jasper, meant that as long as it was taken down, the problem of the ownership of the industry would definitely be resolved.
However as far as Jude knew, the real high -quality industries had been taken away b y Jasper himself, and the remaining ones were basically divided up by the second generation across a relatively large background.
No one could say anything about this.
It was ill-gotten wealth anyway, so of course, it could only be obtained by ill gotten people.
Now, with the addition of Hope Group and Atticus Group’s properties, they still held a full 40% share, so Jude was envious.
Whether it was Fongroup or Hope Group, they were all big names in the real estate industry. Even the Atticus Group, whose main business was not in real estate, relied on the status of Harbor City-owned bigwigs to acquire the best properties in
the mainland.
In order to win them over, the local government in the mainland would give them the best things at the lowest prices.
If one could obtain a few of these
properties, they would surely make a
fortune in the future.
Therefore, to Jude, this was like a free lunch.
However, the next problem soon followed.
And the question was why?
He and Jasper did not really know each. other and their strengths were very different too. So why did Jasper extend him such a big olive branch?
A second question was that he could not afford it.
He would stuff his growing Millenia Group full.
As if he could see through Jude’s embarrassment, Jasper took the initiative to explain, “No matter how good the industry is, it will need people who know i t to operate it. Fongroup was divided up b y those people, but how many of them really understand real estate?
“Obviously, none of them do. All of them just want to resell at a high price. The ones with a bit of vision would hold the property and after taking it down, they’ll not develop or operate it. They will just wait to receive the real estate dividends and sell it after the price increase.
“Once more of this happens, it will affect
the entire real estate industry, “So, what I need is someone capable
enough to take these high-quality
industries and run them well.”
Jude asked subconsciously, “Then why doesn’t JW Real Estates take it all?”
Jasper said with a half-smile, “If JW swallows such a big cake, people will get jealous.”
Jude felt embarrassed.
It was such a simple truth and yet he did not think of it.
“And many of them are commercial real estate projects. As you know, JW Real Estates is mainly engaged in residential development. There are several commercial real estate projects, such as the World Financial Center under construction in Waterhoof City. But this is not the main business of JW Real Estates, s o I still need more professional people and companies to develop it. That is why, Mr. Whorton, I chose you and Millenia Group.”
Jude said with a wry smile, “But MilleniaGroup is too small, and we can’t affordsuch a big project.”
“Who said that? The biggest problem withMillenia Group right now is that theopportunity for crazy expansion is right in front of you, but there are not enoughfunds to support the expansion, while theissue of funding is the least of my worries.
“In the early stage, I’ll invest 5 billion foryou so that you can obtain all thoseindustries. This 5 billion may not beenough, but you can go negotiate first.How can there be a one-time payment forsuch a large business? First, pay a 30%down payment, after that, use theproperty itself to mortgage the loan, andthen finally, use the revenue to pay it off.”
If one did not know how to gain valuableprizes with worthless things in the realestate industry, then it would be over forthem.
Jude was not yet the real estate tycoonthat he would be more than ten yearslater. Seeing him suddenly realize this,Jasper had a sense of satisfaction, like he was playing a simulation game.
“JW wants to invest in Millenia Group?” Jude asked, feeling somewhat complicated.
He hoped that JW could invest in Millenia Group so that Millenia Group could have a big backing and he would no longer have t o live carefully and frugally.
However, once JW joined the Millenia Group, Jude was worried that he would lose the child he created by himself.
He could not bear it.
Looking at Jude who was hesitating and feeling conflicted, Jasper patted his shoulder and said, “I will give you 5 billion in the initial stage and then I’ll top up another 5 billion, so it’ll be an investment of a total of 10 billion. I only need 51% of the shares in Millenia Group. I won’t join the board of directors or interfere with any of the company’s operations. I can even give up the right to make decisions about personnel and only retain the right to vote on major decisions.
“Also, it is not JW’s investment, but my
private investment.”
Jude was utterly confused. Not only because he was shocked by Jasper’s generosity, but also because he was worried about whether there was any other conspiracy for such a good thing.
Currently, Millenia Group’s assets did not exceed 5 billion Somer Dollars after all the movable and real estate were added in. Therefore, when Jasper said he wanted to invest 10 billion Somer Dollars and only wanted 51% of the equity, plus he would not participate in operations and would not interfere with personnel affairs, Jude was left stunned.
“You don’t need to give me an answer right away. Think about it, but please give me an answer as soon as possible, the opportunity will not wait for anyone. There are a lot of people eying this amazing opportunity and the pressure here is also great.”
Jasper was not worried that Jude would
refuse.
Old Jude was an entrepreneur with a sense of adventure flowing through his bones. He
would not miss out on such a good opportunity.
of adventure flow
If not, how would someone like Old Jude who was in commercial real estate stand u p among all except from the two large state-owned enterprises?
Did you think there were really no discerning people in this world?
With economic development, people had money in their pockets and explosive consumption trends were inevitable. Therefore, commercial real estate was definitely promising.
In fact, if Old Jude did not go slightly insane and acquire the world’s largest movie theater line and copy Old Chet from Grand Saint to start some stupid entertainment integration plan.
Jasper could even give up on the decision making power on major issues. The reason for keeping it was to prevent Old Jude from losing his mind and using his hot money to invest in foreign industries after more than a decade and then finally embarrassing himself.
“I don’t need to consider. I agree!”
As expected, the entire process lasted just a few minutes before Jude gritted his teeth and made up his mind before the car reached the Nauritus City command center.
Life at the Top Chapter 1939
Jude’s choice was not beyond Jasper’s expectations, but his decisiveness made Jasper respect him a little more.
“That’s fine, I will send someone to give you the relevant information. After you are ready, I will arrange the funds for you.This wave of expansion is enough for you to digest for the next two to three years. During this time, you have to digest all of i t and then proceed to the next round of expansion.”
When the car arrived, Jasper got out of the car and patted Jude on the shoulder. Hesaid, “Re al estate has just started inSomerland. It will grow madly within the next ten years. In another five years, there will be peer competition, quality service, and overall planning. But before that, you have a full 10 years to develop savagely, so on’t waste this opportunity.”
“Mr. Laine, are you that optimistic aboutthe real estate industry?” Jude could nothelp asking.
Jasper smiled and said, “It’s not that I amoptimistic about the real estate industry
“It’s because real estate has to stand up and take the lead along with the country’s economic development and GDP growth. Look at all those developed countries abroad, every one of them has experienced or is going through this period. Countless examples are telling us that if a country wants to develop its economy rapidly, real estate is definitely the secret weapon to drive economic growth.
“As for the possible consequences, Swallow Capital will be the one to consider and measure them, while for those of us who are buying and selling, what we have to do is to seize the opportunities of the times.
“Small business’ profit comes from the price difference of buying low and selling high. It challenges someone’s diligence and perseverance. As long as you are industrious and not afraid to endure hardship, you can make a little money so long as the environment is not too bad.
“Medium business depends on the development of the industry, and it challenges someone’s vision and means.
There will be risks at this level. If you win, you’ll get a big profit, and even become the leader of the industry. However, if you lose or choose the wrong industry, you will be bankrupt.
“Big business is about policy changes, it challenges opportunities and courage. In this realm, there is only life and death, and no success or failure. You will rise above all if you win, but if you lose, everything will come to a halt. It depends on your life and your fate whether you’re standing above the tide of time to control the situation or standing below the clouds with everyone else.”
Jude stood on the spot for a long time as h e looked at Jasper, who was walking to the building.
This gruffy man only listened to it once and seemed to have memorized most of it.
With emotion and excitement, he sat back in the car and immediately felt proud.
He, Old Jude, must be the man who stands on top of the tide of the times and controls the situation
“Mr. Laine is back!”
A small commotion broke out when Jasperappeared in the Nauritus City commandcenter.
Everyone was passionate andenthusiastic. It felt as if their backbonewas back.
“Did you slack off the two days I was
gone?” Jasper asked with a grin.
“Of course not. We’re even busier now.Not only did we collect all the main data on the financial markets of the twocountries, but also conducted policyanalysis. We even reviewed the classicfinancial wars in history several timesover. We have accumulated one big box ofdata just from the analysis,” an analystsaid boldly.
“Alright, not bad. You really didn’t slackoff,” Jasper complimented.
After chatting with the team membersand relaxing, Jasper went upstairs andsummoned Jake and Baz.
“There will be a fierce battle tomorrow.
Because of the time difference, the domestic market will open first, so we must prepare for the crash. As for the United States financial market, we must begin to accelerate the layout of bottom fishing.”
Jasper thought for a while, turned his head, and said to Jake, “Tomorrow, your team will work hard during the day, and you must keep an eye on any new moves i n the United States.”
Then, Jasper looked at Baz again and said, “You guys will work overnight with me tonight, be prepared.”
Jake and Baz both had serious expressions on their faces. They nodded and said, ” Understood, Mr. Laine.”
For the average person, flying from Nauritus City to Waterhoof City, and then from Waterhoof City to Harbor City, and then back from Harbor City again in two days with only four to five hours sleep in between would be a high intensity job, but for Jasper, those two days were like a vacation to him.
He would be truly busy once he went back to the command center.
He had to communicate and discuss with the team with every passing minute and second, and he would do so almost non stop.
What they were doing would not allow for any deviations and mistakes. A small mistakes would directly lead to the loss of hundreds of millions or more of funds, which might then lead to partial failures. Once there were too many partial failures and they were all connected, then the whole situation would collapse.
That was why they said a slight
negligence could lead to a great disaster.
Hence, what Jasper and the team were doing now was trying to minimize or even avoid any mistakes.
The night passed in the blink of an eye.
When the sky was getting bright, Jasper finally looked up from the pile of documents.
He felt a little dizzy as he waved his hands to Jake and Baz. He said, “All of you should go out. I get nauseous when I see you guys and those documents and numbers. There are about 2 hours before the opening, so take the time to rest and regain your energy before you start preparing for the battle.”.
Baz and Jake could not take this anymore either. They nodded when they heard that, then packed their things to get ready to go out.
Before Baz left, he saw Jasper messing
around in front of the computer, so he
asked, “Mr. Laine, aren’t you going to
take a break?”
“I want to watch something, you should g o out and rest. Oh, right, ask someone to bring in a cup of strong tea,” Jasper said without looking up.
“Alright.”
After Baz left, Jasper turned on the live broadcast. What he wanted to watch was the scene of
the Harbor City press conference.
The press conference had already begun a t this moment.
When Wendy and Anna appeared
together, it caused countless camera flashes flashing in a frenzy.
Putting aside, the identities and status of the two women, their looks alone could compete with the so-called Miss Harbor City and actresses.
Especially when the reporters saw Wendy. All of them instantly went crazy.
Wasn’t Wendy kidnapped?
Wasn’t JW Company being threatened
when they came to Harbor City?
If this outrageously beautiful woman with outrageous temperament in front of them was not Wendy Schuler, who was she?
Life at the Top Chapter 1940
The timing of this press conference was extremely precise.A few minutes before Wendy appeared, it
happened to be the beginning of the Harbor Stocks call auction.
Because of a series of negative news and Wendy’s kidnapping and disappearance, the confidence of Harbor Stocks’ market investors was generally lacking and sluggish, which then led to the call auction stage where everyone was selling.
According to this situation, Harbor Stocks would be greeted by an earth-shattering collapse once the market was officially pened.
However, when the call auction came to a end and all transaction data was locked, endy appeared.
“I want to thank everyone and the mediafor coming. I am Wendy Schuler,President of JW Company.”
Wendy was sitting on the podium with abeaming face. One could not tell that she had just been kidnapped.
“In truth, the main purpose of this press conference is to inform the public about things that people have been concerned about recently.”
Wendy looked at the eagerly awaiting reporters below. After pondering how she would form her sentence, she continued, ” First of all, there would be no changes or postponement with the cooperation between JW Company and its partners that were previously announced, instead, i t may happen faster and earlier than previously planned.”
This news did not cause any sensation among the reporters. After all, since Wendy showed up and held such a press conference, then the previous cooperation plan must be fine.
The reporters were more concerned about the kidnapping.
Wendy seemed to know exactly what these reporters wanted to hear, and her second sentence was about the kidnapping.
“Secondly, I will also take this
opportunity to offer some explanations regarding the previous rumors that I was
kidnapped that were circulating
“I was indeed kidnapped two days ago, but as you can see, I have successfully escaped. This kidnapping did not cause any harm or impact to my personal life, and it is unlikely to cause any harm to JW’s business plans in Harbor City.
“I want to thank everyone from all walks of f life for your attention and concern. Despite the little accident, both I and JW Company will continue to promote cooperation with Harbor City, Harbor City is one of the economic and financial centers in Terra and the world, so no…”
Wendy’s speech on the television was still going on when a teacup flew over and smashed the television. Then, Wendy’s voice stopped abruptly.
In the study of a villa in a wealthy area in New York, Kayden turned his head and glared coldly at Fabian. He gritted his teeth and said, “Is this the foolproof plan that you mentioned?
“Explain to me why that woman is at the press conference!?
“How is it that we have no idea how ourplan even failed?”Kayden’s roar reverberated throughout
the entire study, but Fabian was evenmore afraid of the somber expressions ofHalf-the-Harbor Langdon, Kennedy, andhis father Sawyer.
“I-I have no idea!”
Fabian was panicking as he said in ashaky voice, “I contacted Phoenix and hesaid that everything is okay… b-but… howdid this happen?”
“You’re asking me?”
Kayden was fuming as he lost his cool
immediately.
He strode forward, grabbed Fabian’scollar, and roared, “I am the one who’ssupposed to ask you how this happened?
“Those scumbags may have been bribedlong ago while you were still kept in thedark, you dumb*ss! Now that this is right in front of you and she’s holding a pressconference. The whole world knows thatWendy is safe and sound now and you stillchoose to believe the words of those hooligans?”
Kayden kept yelling at Fabian and
Fabian’s face turned dark and pale
simultaneously. He felt enraged and
aggrieved.
He pushed Kayden’s hand away and said, “That’s enough. Are you done?
“Do you think I wanted this to happen?
“Before this, you said that I have many tricks in this regard, so you left this matter to me. You were there the few times I contacted them. If you’re so smart, why didn’t you tell me in advance?”
“Now, you’re blaming me after everything has gone to sh*t? Your belated action is just fantastic.”
Fabian’s words completely enraged Kayden.
“Do you know how much money and resources we have spent to do this? Once Harbor Stocks rises by just 100 points, we’ll all go to the side of the road to be beggars!”
Upon hearing those words, Fabian’s
confidence suddenly disappeared.
He moved his lips, but he could not speak.“Enough.”
Kennedy said in a deep voice.
Kayden was the son of Half-the-HarborLangdon and Fabian was Sawyer’s son.Although both of them were extremelydissatisfied and unhappy in their hearts,neither of them said anything. On thecontrary, it was Kennedy who was themost suitable person to speak at this time.
“Now, it’s crystal clear that our plan tokidnap Wendy has failed, and Jasper hasdecided to beat us at our own game.”
Closing his eyes slightly, the corners ofKennedy’s mouth twitched. Then, he said,“If we want to blame someone, we canonly blame the three of us for being hereand not keeping an eye on Harbor City’severy move. Plus, Jasper and the gangmay seem to be innocent, but they’re not.He has the help of those old farts like theLaws and the Boyles, so we can beforgiven for being kept in the dark.”
After he finished speaking, Kennedy opened his eyes and said in a deep voice, ” The most important thing right now is not to hold someone accountable. What’s the use of that? The most important thing now is how to recover the losses.”
“The short position has been locked and cannot be withdrawn. So, how can we recover it? Wendy deliberately chos hold a press conference at this time in order to ensure we miss our last chance of escape and walk into the trap ourselves. It seems that they have been anticipating our plan to short sell Harbor Stocks.” to
Sawyer said grimly, “We are all standing o n the edge of the cliff now, we’ll fall and break into pieces if we’re not careful.”
“There’s no turning back now.”
Half-the-Harbor Langdon finally spoke. His expression was calm, but there was an unrelenting determination in his tone.
“Release all the news that should be released, including the losses of each of our three companies. Even if it is fraudulent, it will also cause panic in the market. Since the conspiracy did not work, then we’ll openly fight Jasper. I don’t believe Jasper can change his fate by just relying on the wealthy families that have already been emptied out by Wall Street.”