Ch. 2001..2010
Life at the Top Chapter 2001
“How pedantic!”
When it came to Sawyer, who was the weakest on the surface, Kennedy was not s o polite, so he just scolded him directly.
“Who are we? We are businessmen! Where there are benefits and interests in the world, there are people like us. As long as there are big enough interests, what are national sinners? That’s just an excuse for a loser!
“If we win this time, then all of our previous losses will be recovered and the entire upper class in Harbor City will be shuffled. In the future, there will be no four richest families of Harbor City because there will only be three- the J. Langdons, the W. Langdons, and the Atticus Family.
“Why do we have to stay here now and be disallowed from going back? Why can’t our respective families in Harbor City even leave their houses? Why is no one cooperating with our business in Harbor City?
“It’s not because we did something unconscionable nor we are national sinners, but it’s because we are losers!
“As long as we win, the Laws will fall and there will be people Harbor City who will kiss our *sses. Don’t you understand such a simple truth, Sawyer?”
The more he spoke, the more excited Kennedy became. Although he was speaking to Sawyer, his gaze kept shifting to Half-the-Harbor Langdon.
He knew very well that Half-the-Harbor Langdon was the true decision maker.
The final decision had always been what Half-the-Harbor Langdon insisted on.
Sawyer was particularly conflicted. He looked at Kennedy, then at Half-the Harbor Langdon, and suddenly said through gritted teeth. “I don’t care. I’m not going to take a stand on this matter, you can do whatever you say you want to.”
“How can that be?”
Kennedy was not happy.
“It was said before that if we encounter something that cannot be negotiated, us three will cast a vote. How will we vote if you abstain from it?”
“That’s enough.”
Half-the-harbor Langdon spoke.
Kennedy immediately shut his mouth and stared straight at Half-the-Harbor Langdon.
“We’ll… not do anything about this.”
Half-the-Harbor Langdon’s answer
caused Kennedy to turn pale with fright. “Joe, why? Don’t you agree with what I
said?”
“I do.”
Half-the-Harbor Langdon answered.
“Then, why…”
Half-the-Harbor Langdon sighed. This sigh interrupted Kennedy’s question.
“You guys forgot about one thing…
“There have been several times when we all agreed that Jasper’s odds of winning were infinitely small and that it is almost
impossible for him to make a comeback, but what happened in the end? The person who opposes him suffered a big loss every time. Among us, we have no less than two losses against Jasper, and those losses were huge.
“This situation is also very similar to the previous ones. No one thinks that Jasper can succeed. Whether it is from history or data analysis, Jasper is bound to lose, but Jasper seemed to exist only to break through everyone’s experience and what
everyone’s accustomed to.
“Now ask yourself, who dares to say that Soros will be able to defeat Jasper this time?”
After these words, Kennedy and Sawyer had different expressions, but they both kept their mouths tightly shut.
No matter how optimistic or arrogant they were, they could not say such a thing again.
They had been proven wrong so many times that it hurt.
After a long time, Kennedy finally said unwillingly, “From what you just said, Jasper is already invincible and there is no way to fight against him. As long as you fight against him, you will lose, right? But how can there be such a person and basis i n the world?”
“The reason why I choose to do nothing is not just because of my personal guesses about him.
“But for good reason.”
Half-the-Harbor Langdon stood up and paced slowly back and forth in the study, indicating that he was thinking seriously.
“Firstly, we don’t see any hope of Jasper winning in this current situation and Harbor City does not have much energy to protect itself, almost all of which is supported by Jasper. However, Jasper himself can’t last long either. If we understand this and Soros understands it too, it’s impossible that Jasper doesn’t understand this.
“But why did he still rush into Harbor Stocks to save the market? Is Jasper really a foolish moth that will fly to the flames?”
“If he is a fool, all of us here are mentally challenged.”
Kayden interjected abruptly.
Half-the-Harbor Langdon glanced at his son, but did not refute it.
When you insulted your opponent, you were often insulting yourself.
Half-the-Harbor Langdon continued, ” Don’t forget, the mainland had been following a benchmarking plan from a very early stage. With the rapid economic development, the thoughts and ideas of the people in the mainland are being severely impacted. This was inevitable after the reform and opening up.
“And a few years ago, the great individuals who had passed away said during the reform and opening up that we should let some people get rich first and then drive everyone to get rich together.
“According to my observations and some news channels, the mainland has been looking for such people from a very early time, but the requirements were simply too high. They can’t have political backgrounds and they can’t have a huge family background either. They would prefer ordinary people who were born and raised among the people. However, how would an ordinary person rise to such a high level?
“But at this time, Jasper appeared, and everything he did was in line with the mainland government’s requirements for this figurehead.
“Thus, I’m sure that the mainland government has been cultivating Jasper intentionally since a very early time.
“Specifically on this matter, Jasper is at risk of being made a burial offering at any time in the Harbor Stocks crisis. Jasper is not a moth to a flame, nor is he foolish. Instead, he’s a really wise man.
“He wants to use his actions to prove to the mainland government that he, Jasper Laine, is a benchmark that can be trusted and can stand up for the country at critical moments.
“No matter what the government thinks, a t least two things can be guaranteed.
Harbor Stocks can’t fail, and Jasper can’t
fail either.
“During the Terra financial crisis, we have experienced and benefited from the mainland’s determination to rescue Harbor City, so there is no doubt about the former.
“And Jasper had seen through this as well.
“This is my first point, as for the second…
“I suspect that Jasper has a bomb in the mainland A-share market. Once this bomb is detonated, it will be enough to blow up Soros into half a cripple.”
Everyone’s minds were operating along Half-the-Harbor Langdon’s story, and at this moment, they realized that they were looking at this incident so superficially while Half-the-Harbor Langdon had already made a painstaking investigation and analyzed the whole thing clearly.
“Dad, what kind of bomb could it be?” Kayden asked subconsciously.
Half-the-Harbor Langdon looked to the horizon in the direction of Somerland, and said softly, “The social security fund for the 1.2 billion people in the mainland.”
Life at the Top Chapter 2002
This short sentence was like a thunderous explosion that trembled the souls of everyone present.
Everyone understood what the social security fund for a population of 1.2 billion represented.
The point was that it was completely legitimate and legal for this force to enter the financial market.
Once Somerland officially made this decision, Soros would get blown up if he was touching the mainland A-share market at this time.
“No, it won’t work… The social security fund is related to the foundation of a country. Does the government have the balls to go so big?” Kennedy murmured.
Half-the-Harbor Langdon’s eyes were on the view outside the window the whole time. He clenched his fists slightly and said, “That’s why I said that this is a financial war on the surface, but in fact, it is a war on the fate of the nation, and the thing we’re fighting for is at least 20 years of development opportunities in the future.
“Being a bystander and not participating i n this grand event will become the biggest regret of our lives.”
While he was being fascinated by the words of his father, Half-the-Harbor Langdon, Kayden accidentally caught a glimpse of the changes in the market on the screen. He yelled, “There are changes i n Harbor Stocks. The real estate sector is dropping!”
Half-the-Harbor Langdon’s Fongroup and Kennedy’s Hope Group were all leaders in the real estate sector. They immediately focused their attention on the market and saw a large number of sky -high short-selling orders hitting the real estate sector, smashing all the listed companies related to real estate until they
could barely lift their heads. At the same time, Harbor Stocks’s stock
index plummeted by 15 points immediately, reaching 8005 points, only 5 points away from the last support level.
It was still similar to the analogy of the embankment. Now, it could be said that the flood water was already at the same level as the top of the dam. If someone exerted a little more force, the embankment would burst.
At this moment, everyone’s hearts were i In their throats.
“The onslaught of concentrated firepower in a short period of time combined with extremely large sky-high empty orders. This doesn’t look like it’s done by Soros at all,” Kayden said with a frown.
“That’s right, Soros’s attack is known for being cunning and changeable, but this is so rough and crude, so it looks like it’s done by the number two Quantum Fund, Rogers,” Fabian also said.
Half-the-Harbor Langdon and the three o f them looked at each other, frowning deeply.
Nauritius CIty.
Faced with the sudden change in Harbor Stocks, Baz subconsciously wanted to go to Jasper.
“Don’t.”
Jake grabbed Baz.
“Mr. Laine must have something very important to take care of right now. Let’s not disturb him for now.”
Baz started laughing in anger. He said, ” But Mr. Laine also said that if there is any unexpected change, we should report it to him.”
“We can handle this trivial matter.”
Jake glared at Baz and said, “You and I can still rest in shifts. How long has it been since Mr. Laine had a good rest? He was forced to see a doctor last time. Didn’t you see that Mr. Laine’s eyes were all bloodshot just now? We can’t do anything else, but we can ease Mr. Laine’s burden a little.”
Baz said hesitantly, “Then what are you going to do?”
“If I were to follow Mr. Laine’s train of thought, Quantum Fund is targeting the real estate sector. I have considered this entry point for a long time, and it is not surprising that they would do this. Compared with other industries, the
collapse of the real estate industry will bring the most economic loss to Harbor City.
“So, what we need to do now is still to support the market, but we have to properly withdraw the support funds from other non-real estate industries and transfer them here. We have to rescue the top ten listed companies in the entire sector.”
Baz was taken aback and asked, “How much money is that? The financial pressure on us is already very high.”
“We have to do it even if it’s a huge amount. If the real estate sector collapses, it will immediately affect the entire market. In that situation, the 8000-point support point will be broken in an instant. All our efforts and the entire rescue plan will be a complete failure!”
Looking at the determined Jake, Baz turned his head to look in the direction of Jasper’s office. Then, he said through gritted teeth, “Fine!”
Right now, in Jasper’s office.
Jasper was on the phone.
“So my overall opinion is that the situation has come to the point where we have to make a big decision, Mr. McNeal we’re running out of time.”
This call lasted more than twenty minutes.
After listening to what Jasper said, Mr.
McNeal was silent for a long time.
“Jasper, you must think this through.
Once a decision is made, it cannot be
changed, and you will likely lose
everything you have.”
After hearing what Mr. McNeal said, Jasper laughed. “When I decided to save Harbor Stocks, I had already placed all of my chips on the table. Frankly, doing that was very inconsistent with the behavior o f a businessman, but I still did it. If I really had to say why, I can only say that I’ve gone mad.
“However, a man of honor knows that there are things that must be done and things that must not be done. At most, I’ll have done the things I’ve done over the past few years in vain. It’s pretty nice to g o back to the small county to start a restaurant and live my life peacefully too.”
Mr. McNeal was also amused by Jasper’s
tone in such a serious situation.
“Have you ever thought of waiting a little. longer? With your ingenuity, it is impossible that you don’t know that Swallow Capital will not stand by and watch Harbor Stocks collapse. When necessary, Swallow Capital will enter Harbor Stocks and protect it at all costs.”
Jasper sighed lightly after hearing that.
Many people, probably Jake included, would think that Jake’s words had played a n important role in Jasper’s entry into the Harbor Stocks.
However, Jake was too shallow in his thinking this entire time.
After all, he was not Jasper, so he could not look at this issue from Jasper’s perspective.
This seemed to merely be a question of whether to protect the market and also a question of whether to benefit oneself or the people, but in reality, Jasper was in a ferocious whirlpool of games at this moment.
In this game, there was the game between him and Quantum Fund, and there was also the game between him and Swallow Capital.
If something happened to Harbor Stocks under normal circumstances, Swallow Capital would have responded instantly.
Jasper immediately figured that Swallow Capital was waiting.
They were waiting to see his attitude and what choice he would make.
Jasper did not want to nor plan to think about it too much. He just felt that as a Somerland citizen, especially someone of his status, sometimes there were things that really needed to be done.
And these things were often not out of consideration for self-interest.
After all, humans could not really become beasts who only thought about themselves.
So, what Jasper said was really no exaggeration. If he took a risk and made the leap, he would really fall to pieces.
“I’ve thought about it.”
Jasper said frankly.
“However, I’ll say something that you may not even believe in, Mr. McNeal, 1, Jasper Laine, only want to have a clear conscience to the world, the country, and toward the people. So that when I grow old, whether I am in deep poverty or have all the riches in the world, I can proudly tell my descendants that I was a hero back then.”
Life at the Top Chapter 2003
“Of course, I believe you. Why wouldn’t I?
Just because it sounds pompous?”
On the other end of the phone, Mr. McNeal said in a very firm tone, “Don’t forget how our country was defeated. In the face of aggression, how many of our ancestors used their own flesh to block the enemy’s bullets and bombs? Those are all extremely dangerous and deadly situations, but in times of crisis, we never
lack people who are willing to give
everything for the country and the people.
“Seventy or eighty years ago, there were s o many martyrs in our nation who sacrificed everything and dyed the flag red with their blood. Right now, it’s not unbelievable that you’re doing something
that other people view as ‘stupid’.” Mr. McNeal paused, and he suddenly
asked, “Jasper, just like what you said before, in truth, we have already made a decision. I am asking you now, are you sure that you can kick the Western capital out of the mainland market in one go if you’re given a social security fund of 600 billion Somer Dollars?”
Jasper stood up suddenly, suppressing the
restlessness in his heart. Then, he asked, ”
You’re leaving it to me?”
“That’s right, we’ve considered it. In the face of such a situation, it’s no longer suitable to use two differing command systems, so we plan to temporarily hand over absolute command to you.
“Of course, it is limited to the liquidation o f the mainland A-share market this time and the loss tolerance that can be given to you is 10%, that is to say, if you are given a quota of 600 billion, once the loss. exceeds 60 billion, you must immediately withdraw the social security fund. Otherwise, it will affect the safe operation of the entire fund.
“You should be clear that once the social
security fund loses too much and a
problem arises, no one can afford this
responsibility.
“So, this is the final plan given by the
higher-ups after several meetings and
discussions.
“We only need your answer to this question. Now that the social security of the 1.2 billion people in Somerland is in
your hands, do you have the guts to use it?”
Jasper did not immediately answer Mr. McNeal’s question.
On the other hand, Mr. McNeal did not rush him. He knew this was a huge responsibility and no one would dare to accept this task without thinking it through.
It could also be said that one would be doing a meritorious service after this was. done well, but after they took what happened back then into consideration, this contribution might not be too big. However, once this was messed up, then they would be done for.
It was not a good deal at all.
So, even if it was very urgent, Mr. McNeal.
was willing to give Jasper some time to consider.
“Jasper, even if you reject me now, it wouldn’t affect anything. Everyone will understand. You’ve already done what you needed to, which itself was beyond
everyone’s expectations. Right now, the voices speaking out against you in Swallow Capital are growing smaller. This was all achieved through your own hard work.
“Nobody is perfect. You don’t have to be so hard on yourself.”
“I accept.”
Jasper told Mr. McNeal his answer right
after Mr. McNeal finished his sentence.
“No one will be more suitable for this job.
than me, but I have a requirement. The
limit of loss has to be at 30%.”
In Swallow Capital, Mr. McNeal, who was holding the phone, un-furrowed his brows when he heard Jasper accepting this task. However, before he could completely relax, he frowned again when he heard Jasper asking for a 30% loss limit.
“30% is impossible. It’s too high. We can’t make up for the loss,” Mr. McNeal answered.
“JW Foundation still has a lot of assets in the United States.”
Jasper said in a low voice, “However, JW Foundation can’t take back the assets and the United States won’t allow it. So, after everything settles, I’ll come up with a plan to make up for the social security fund.”
Mr. McNeal said in a low voice, “Jasper, you’re just stirring up trouble. Do you think you can make up for something that’s full of uncertainties just because you say you can?”
Life at the Top Chapter 2004
“But Mr. McNeal, ask the people in the policy institute how they expect me to get rid of Soros with just a deficit of 60 billion? If he uses his full force to attack u s, this small amount of money would be gone in an instant. I can disregard my interests, but you have to at least give me enough ammunition if you want me to go onto the battlefield, right?
“Up to now, I have relied entirely on myself to raise funds. I have used all kinds of means, be it despicable or righteous. At the very least, I didn’t embarrass Swallow Capital, but right now, if Swallow Capital can’t make a radical transformation, there’s no way this will work.
“I’m a human, not a god. Soros has at least 200 billion US Dollars on hand that h e can use now while the social security fund is only giving me 600 billion Somer Dollars. I am confident that I can win but I can’t accept the 10% loss limit. Find whoever that can do this, so that I won’t treat this as a joke.”
Since he was very emotional, Jasper’s voice was raised. After he finished screaming, he eventually realized who he was on the phone with.
“Sorry, Mr. McNeal, I was a little
emotional,” Jasper said.
“It’s okay, I understand.”
Mr. McNeal rubbed his eyebrows and said, “Don’t hang up yet.”
After speaking, without waiting for Jasper to respond, Mr. McNeal switched the call t o a very special line.
On Jasper’s side, he waited for about 10 minutes before a voice came from the other end of the phone.
“Mr. Laine, hello.”
Upon listening to the voice on the other end of the phone, Jasper found it to be very familiar. It was as if he heard it every day, but he just could not remember the voice belonged to. Hence, Jasper subconsciously asked, “Hello, may I ask who you are?”
Those who could make Mr. McNeal transfer the call would only hold a higher status than him.
However, Jasper was very puzzled. Mr. McNeal was the one with the highest position among the people in the system whom Jasper had come into contact with. Why did this old man’s voice sound so familiar?
Before Jasper would understand what was going on, he heard the old man on the other end of the phone telling Jasper his name.
Jasper’s brain buzzed and he stood up subconsciously. Then, he said respectfully, “Hello, sir. I am Jasper Laine and I am humbly sending my regards to you. How are you feeling?”
“Great. I’m feeling amazing.” The old man’s voice was bright and clear. He was not nervous because of the current situation at all.
“I know about your conversation with Mr. McNeal just now. Not bad, you have the ability and will to breakthrough. Most importantly, you’re responsible. Normal people will not dare to take charge of
this.”
Jasper was feeling awkward. “You speak too highly of me, sir. I’m just doing what I should do. Even if I wasn’t around, there would be others who would’ve volunteered.”
“Yeah, this is good. Alright, I’m asking you one question.’
Jasper’s body went tense and replied, ” Please go ahead. I’m listening.”
“I will give you a 40% loss limit, but the premise is that the social security fund can only stay in the A-share market. Under the current situation, after considering the comprehensive factors, this fund must not flow into Harbor Stocks, but I hope you can put an end to this in the shortest time whether it is the A -share market or Harbor Stocks. I can allow losses, but it can’t be too large. Can you do it?”
“Yes, sir!”
Jasper answered firmly.
“If you give me a 40% loss limit, I am sure that Quantum Fund will suffer a disastrous defeat once again!”
Life at the Top Chapter 2005
“Haha, okay, you’ve agreed then. This is a military order, so if you can’t do it, you. will be killed.”
Jasper answered seriously, but the old man on the other end of the phone laughed heartily. In his gentle tone, it seemed like he was joking with a junior.
This kind of relaxation and cheerfulness relieved the pressure and heaviness in Jasper’s heart to a certain extent. He smiled and said, “Don’t worry, at least so far, I’ve been a man of my words and I’ve not broken any promises.”
“Okay, then our conversation ends here. M
r. McNeal will contact you later.
“Good luck, kid. We are getting old and the future of this country depends on the younger generation to grow up and take over the burden.”
Jasper replied earnestly, “You must maintain good health too. State affairs are endless. If seniors and leaders like you are healthy, it’ll be the greatest wealth and support for us juniors.”
After hanging up the phone, the old man raised the phone in the spacious and solemn office again.
“It’s me.”
On the other end of the phone, Mr. McNeal said respectfully, “I’m listening.”
“Hand the social security fund to him and set the loss limit at 40%. Do it now,” the old man said.
Mr. McNeal was stunned for a moment before a storm surged in his heart.
Handing over the national social security fund to a businessman and giving him a 4 0% loss limit was almost equivalent to confirming that Jasper’s value was more important to Swallow Capital than the 40 % social security fund.
What kind of honor was this?
And what kind of risk would there be?
At this moment, Mr. McNeal, who had seen all kinds of great upheavals, was somewhat envious of Jasper even though h e had been working in the system for most of his life.
No one had been able to enjoy this kind of honor since the founding of the country.
Jasper was the first.
However, as the person directly in charge of this business, Mr. McNeal still said, ” Isn’t this too risky? Once we really reach. the loss limit, I am afraid it will cause a very bad reaction.”
“The experience, lessons, and achievements of the past ten years of reform and opening up tell us that we should not be afraid of needless things when we do carry out a task. If we’re already scared before we do anything, then we will never be able to accomplish anything.
“Our career is inherently difficult and dangerous, and we rely on countless people to wade through it bit by bit. Why should we be scared of loss? If we are afraid of loss in everything we do, then we won’t be able to achieve anything.”
When the old man was talking to Mr. McNeal, he was more serious than when h e was talking to Jasper. He taught Mr. McNeal a lesson the moment he opened
his mouth.
“Yes, yes, you’re right. My vision is not broad enough,” Mr. McNeal said quickly. “There was a resolution on this matter
after a meeting and some people did oppose it, but everyone’s starting point was good and I voted in favor. Now that a collective resolution has been formed, there is nothing else to say.
“The reason why it was not been made public earlier and was even kept a secret from you is because it depends on what Jasper does. If he doesn’t dare to do it, then everything will stop. If he dares to do it, then we will dare to let him take care of it. If a kid under 30 years old is not afraid, then why should us old farts be afraid? The sky won’t fall.”
“I understand.”
After the call was over, Mr. McNeal immediately made arrangements in person. In the shortest possible time, Jasper had the command of 600 billion in social security funds.
Jasper was not clear about the total amount of social security funds. The
information that could be found publicly o In the Internet might be altered. After all, this was related to the cornerstone of the country’s social stability, so unless it was necessary or unless they were someone with a core responsibility, they would not be able to know the exact figure.
So, Jasper figured that 600 billion might not be the total amount under the social security fund. However, according to the implementation of the social security policy to the present and the fact that they were in 2001, the time and base of the national social security payment were still very low. Because of this, Jasper knew that the 600 billion Somer Dollars was already the maximum that the social security fund could use.
This showed Swallow Capital’s determination.
Jasper also felt a lot of pressure when he got command of it.
To be honest, there was a population of 1.2 billion in this country and a lot of people’s retirement money was in his hands.
If something happened, he would be a sinner for all the ages.
It was unknown if it was a coincidence or not, but just when Jasper got command of the social security fund, Soros happened t o take action in the domestic A-share market.
JW had shifted all the funds that could be mobilized over to Harbor Stocks, which caused the domestic A-share market to be very weak
Although the capital in the market was still present, it was too scattered to form a unified and effective command. Therefore, even if the total sum of this capital was huge, they would immediately
collapse when met with real disaster.
This time, Soros obviously wanted to completely crash the domestic market, so he used a very large and exaggerated method right from the beginning.
Thousands of shares reached the limit down!
The domestic stock market was the opposite of foreign stocks and Harbor Stocks. The decline was green while the
rise was red.
When thousands of stocks fell to the limit at the same time, it created a spectacular scene. The entire screen was a bleak green and people were scared witless.
Funds were fleeing frantically, but it was
too late.
Under Soros’ unpredictable offense, even the most efficient team who had been following Harbor Stocks’s dynamic, was unaware that their hometown would be raided.
Having said that, even if there was, they would not believe that Soros would deal such a heavy blow to the domestic A share market at this time.
This was the same even for professional institutions, let alone retail investors.
A lot of people were still at work, and they had no idea about the situation of the stock market at all. Thus, they also had no idea that their stock accounts had suffered huge losses.
“Thousand shares have reached their limit down.”
When Baz got the news, he was looking at the spectacular scene displayed on the big screen. He was so frightened that he could not hold back any longer, so he went straight to Jasper’s office.
“Mr. Laine…”
“I know.”
Jasper, who knew what Baz was here for, walked out of the office.
He looked up at the magnificent scene on the huge electronic screen and sighed softly.
Indeed, no one could fight head-on with
the power of Western capital in this era.
In Jasper’s memory, the limit down of a thousand shares appeared only when the domestic financial market touched down with the transformation of economic development before his reincarnation.
However, even at that time, there was a foundation from the economic growth that was accumulated from over 20 years o f reform and opening-up. That was why it did not cause too much loss to the national economy.
And the current Somerland economy could not withstand the torment of a thousand shares falling to the limit.
“Now that you’re here, don’t leave anymore,” Jasper said softly.
Life at the Top Chapter 2006
“Create a position.
Jasper’s thinking was clearer than ever.
At this moment, it seemed that an inexplicable force was injected into Jasper’s body, allowing him to sweep away the fatigue accumulated over the past days. His mind was extremely clear.
“With PetroSomer and Somerland Petroleum as the core, create positions with the current price in the main support sectors such as energy, heavy industry, technology, communication, and so on. D o the same for the top three state-owned enterprises in all industries as well and establish the first core line of defense. This core line of defense will be our bottom line as we continue. The bottom
line can only be raised but not lowered.
“Secondly, we will establish a second line of defense with listed state-owned enterprises in the textile, food, clothing, sports, entertainment, and other light industries as the core. This second line of defense is our defensive and counterattack position. These sectors are closely related to people’s livelihood so it’s big enough to hold a lot of money to play on this battlefield.
“Finally, use the financial, Internet, transportation, information, and other tertiary industry sectors as counter offensive points to create positions. This position requires a large number of listed companies whose annual financial reports are positive and increase in value. This part of the sector can be sacrificed as cannon fodder to consume Soros’ cash.”
Jasper’s orders came out one after another, and his entire tactical idea was displayed vividly.
If they were to take the heavy industry and the national industrial cornerstone as the core, this would affect the normal operation of the entire society so they could not make a mistake. Hence, this part took top priority in the tactical system.
Secondly, the light industry, which affected all aspects of society and people’s livelihood, was used as the core battlefield to compete with Soros.
As for the tertiary industry such as
finance and the Internet, it was also the
industry with the most layout and had the largest proportion of assets across the entire JW system. It would be made into cannon fodder that would be sacrificed to delay Soros’ attacks.
One for delaying, one for competing, and one as the core. This was Jasper’s overall idea.
With this idea, there was no doubt that Jasper did not take into account JW’s own interests, because once such a strategic layout was implemented, the Internet and financial industries where JW were heavily invested were most likely to suffer a devastating blow
Normal people would not have such courage.
However, Jasper did exactly that.
At this moment, he was not looking at things from the perspective of the boss of J W. Instead, he was solving this problem from a strategically situated perspective o f the overall development of society as a whole.
If necessary, JW could be sacrificed.
Because as long as the cornerstone of domestic society and the foundation of people’s livelihood were preserved, JW could be reborn from the ashes in the shortest time after its sacrifice..
But if the core and cornerstone were lost, then Somerland’s economy would crash and JW would be finished.
Not only JW, thousands of enterprises would face a frenzy of bankruptcy. Western capital would continue to barge i n, dumping their products directly into Somerland and then harvesting all domestic enterprises with absolute capital advantage. This would be a hopeless situation and a spectacular mess.
There was no problem with Jasper’s order, but Baz and Jake stood still for a long time.
“What’s wrong?” Jasper asked with a frown.
“W-Where’s the money?” Baz asked cautiously.
Jasper patted his forehead and said, “Just do it. We have 600 billion available.”
Baz was startled.
600 billion was not a small number.
Where did Jasper get the money?
The point was, who could produce such a large amount of money in the country right now?
Unless…
Baz was terrified.
Before he could speak, Jake had already pulled him away.
“Are you stupid? You shouldn’t ask questions that shouldn’t be asked.”
Life at the Top Chapter 2007
Jake clearly understood something and warned Baz.
Baz hurriedly nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.
The 600 billion capital brought not only changes in the capital itself, but also brought heightened confidence.
This 600 billion, plus the meaning behind it, was enough to give Jasper unparalleled confidence.
At this moment, he was no longer even the boss of JW, but to some extent, the representative of the will of the country.
It was this change in identity that brought about a subtle change in Jasper’s mentality.
And the most direct manifestation was that Jasper’s decision-making became bolder and more radical than before.
Under the construction of the three lines o f defense, the domestic A-share market immediately stopped plunging and recovered.
Why did Jasper make the state-owned enterprises the core and was so determined to protect them?
Because the reality of the domestic economic situation right now determined that state-owned enterprises were the most stable rock.
Capital could easily destroy, acquire, and destroy a private enterprise, but as a state -owned enterprise with special policy protection, it was in no way easily influenced by capital.
In addition to that, it was only 2001 and some large state-owned enterprises had not yet embarked on the road to capitalization, especially in key industries such as oil and communications. Even in 2020, the state had not allowed capital to enter and the state would represent all of the state-owned enterprises.
Therefore, to protect the market, one must first protect state-owned enterprises.
If a state-owned enterprise stood tall, then the A-share market might come back to life.
This was also under the special domestic system. Although state-owned enterprises had rigid management and lagged in responding to market changes, they had brought benefits under various negative conditions.
The policy was the imperial edict in the country.
What Jasper had to do now was to thoroughly stimulate the power of the national capital through the blind worship of state-owned enterprises by the people in Somerland.
Once the power of a country with a population of more than one billion which had already achieved initial economic results through the reform and opening u p exploded, it was definitely not something that Soros could compete with.
Through the long fight, Soros, who knew Jasper’s style very well, immediately smelled the changes brought about by Jasper’s completely different strategies and reactions this time.
“Something’s not right.”
Soros’s eyes were fixed on the market.
At this moment, the grand scene of the limit down of thousands of shares had eased and there were even a few of the heavy-asset state-owned enterprises that had begun to slowly rise in stock price, but this wide-ranging and wide
spreading method was definitely not
Jasper’s style that Soros was familiar with.
“This might not be Jasper’s decision. Did Swallow Capital finally deploy someone?” Soros muttered to himself.
In this critical moment, Jasper losing
Swallow Capital’s trust would be the
greatest advantage to Soros.
He was already familiar with Jasper’s methods.
If this one someone else, there would inevitably be the challenge of getting to know their style again. However, Soros was confident that no one would be more annoying than Jasper.
“Sir, at least 200 billion Somer Dollars in cash and hot money was poured into the Somerland A-share market and is now supporting the A-share market.”
The reports of his subordinates confuse Soros.
“200 billion. Is there any new announcement from the Somerland government?” Soros asked.
“No… Oh no, Somerland’s Ministry of Finance and Central Bank has just issued a joint announcement!”
Life at the Top Chapter 2008
“Bring it here!”
Soros shouted. After he said that, he could not wait for his subordinates to print out the announcement, so he walked quickly t o the computer.
“Given the current increasingly complex domestic and international economic situation, after the batch listing of state owned enterprises with important assets, the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance had obtained authorization to approve the entry of social security funds into the market. The total amount of social security funds entering the market this time is 600 billion Somer Dollars. It will follow the laws of the market economy to ensure the positive appreciation of the social security fund through capital operations…”
Soros did not finish reading the contents o f the announcement which only had a few hundred words. He understood what kind of decision Swallow Capital had made from just the first half of the announcement.
“Damn it, these punks from Somerland have decided to take this step after all!”
Soros was a little out of breath.
He knew that Swallow Capital would definitely protect the domestic A-share market and that no country would allow its financial market to be trampled and harvested by foreign capital, yet he did not expect Swallow Capital to respond so quickly.
His estimation was that it would take at least 2 trading days for Swallow Capital to react and take appropriate measures, and 2 trading days were enough for him to evaporate at least 100 billion of Somerland’s capital wealth. If the limit down of thousands of shares continued for 2 trading days, the consequences would be devastating.
However, things did not go according to plan.
The influence of this silent announcement was absolutely enormous.
The total social security fund in a country like Somerland would be terrifyingly huge. Also, because of its overwhelming participating population, its social
security fund was the top priority over its overall social stability.
The day had finally come for the Somerland government to use the social security fund.
Although the announcement did not mention what Wall Street capital had done in the domestic financial market, a discerning person could see at a glance that the batch of state-owned enterprises going public from before and the social security funds entering the market now was to resist the invasion of Wall Street capital.
In the financial battlefield, there was no smoke of gunpowder, yet murderous intent was everywhere.
On the day when the thousand shares fell t o the limit, Swallow Capital immediately officially announced that the social security fund would enter the market. It represented not only financial implications, but also carried a political overtone.
Therefore, when the outside world felt
Swallow Capital’s determination to protect the domestic financial market, private capital immediately swarmed.
Foreigners who would go on strike or demonstrate at any time would never understand the dependence and trust of the people of Somerland in the government.
This was also Jasper’s purpose.
Jasper wanted to accomplish a great task with little effort by clever maneuvers. The 600 billion social security fund was used a s an opening to mobilize the enthusiasm o f national capital.
Otherwise, Jasper would not dare to boast that he could use 600 billion social security funds to fight Soros’ at least 200 billion US Dollars even if he was stupid.
According to the exchange rate, the power in Soros’ hands was more than double that of Jasper’s 600 billion.
When the difference in strength was too great, all techniques were just bells and whistles.
Only the capital of all of society could fight against Quantum Fund.
“Sir, after the announcement was issued, hot money began pouring in. We’ve suppressed the stock price and shipping, but these crazy investors bought in like their lives depended on it. Right now, the situation is out of our control.”
Every word of the subordinate’s anxious report penetrated Soros’s heart.
Soros felt as if he had just woken from a
dream.
“It’s Jasper. This is still Jasper. This is Jasper’s style! Swallow Capital did not lose its trust in him, but instead, they placed even more trust in him. Only a madman like Jasper could come up with the crazy plan to list the social security fund at this moment!”
Soros roared.
He was sure that Jasper was the only person in the word who could stab his weakness with every move he made.
“You want to fight? Come on!”
There was a mad glint in Soros’ eyes.
At this point, both he and Jasper had nowhere to retreat. The two of them seemed to be standing on a tightrope high in the sky. If they retreated, the abyss would be waiting for them. Thus, they could only press forward.”
If they met on a narrow road, only the brave would win!
“Avoid the sectors where Somerland’s important state-owned enterprises are located. Go all out to short the financial, Internet, and real estate sectors.”
The one who knew you best was indeed your enemy.
Just as Jasper knew Soros, Soros also knew Jasper.
He knew that Jasper could not protect the entire A-share market at this time, and he could only make a choice.
For the Somerland financial market, the most important were those cornerstone industries. When it came to the Internet and finance, they were not so important, but they were Jasper’s lifeblood.
“80% of JW’s assets are located in the
Internet, finance, and real estate sectors.
I’ll beat you to the ground and see if you want to save them or not.”
With Soros’s order, a huge amount of capital began shorting these three sectors. Countless stocks were being shorted frantically as the stock price fell repeatedly.
At this moment, the benefits of Jasper’s insistence to not list JW was immediately reflected.
Among these three industry sectors, the stock price of almost all listed companies dropped by more than 80% in an instant. I t was a spectacular scene.
However, the direct impact on JW was very small.
This was because in the JW system, there were almost no listed companies except for Sena.
However, the indirect impact of this was also immeasurable.
Because of Soros’s move, the ecological chain of the entire industry was destroyed.
If the ecological chain was destroyed, it would be impossible for the remaining companies to support the entire industry and the only thing that would follow was for them to collapse along with rest of the industry.
Jasper was informed of the changes in the stock market immediately.
He frowned as he was watching all of this. He knew Soros’ plan.
However, there was nothing he could do.
“Mr. Laine, the three main sectors of finance, Internet, and real estate have almost crashed.”
Baz was looking at this scene. Even after a long period of training and despite the fact that he was bolder than before, his hands and feet still turned cold.
“If this continues, these three industries will be destroyed. Securities, insurance, and wealth management derive from the financial industry… Computers,
information, and high-tech derived from the Internet… Building materials and construction derived from real estate…
The loss is simply too great.”
“Let them fall.”
Jasper said, “Let them fall. It’s just a limit down. We can afford the loss.
“Even if the market value of all these industries shrinks by 10%, we can bear such a price and must bear it.”
After taking a deep breath, Jasper decisively ordered, “The goal is for all state-owned enterprises in the first line o f defense to raise their stock prices by 5 points as a whole so they can hedge the impact on the market caused by the limit down of the three sectors. We can’t destroy the market confidence that’s only starting to rise now.
Life at the Top Chapter 2009
Under the mutual attack and defense between Jasper and Soros, an unprecedented situation was presented in the domestic A-share market.
With the cliff-like decline of the tertiary industry and the steady growth of the heavy industry, these two opposed trends appeared together in the financial market.
Generally speaking, financial markets had their own set of rules.
Taking the real estate industry as an example, the rise or fall of the real estate industry would immediately affect the market changes of upstream industrial chains such as building materials and construction. One had to understand that i t was impossible to build a house without steel bars, cement, and sand.
Meanwhile, the rise and fall of the building materials and construction industries would affect the market of the upstream mining industry.
The expansion or contraction of the overall industry would directly affect the salary and income level of the workers in the industry, thereby influencing the stability of thousands of families and cause resulting changes in the consumer economy and consumer goods…
Therefore, the economic system of any country and society was a cycle, and had natural domino effects. A problem in one o f the sectors would inevitably affect the entire system.
Therefore, in a financial system, it was almost impossible to see several industries soaring while several other industries were plummeting with such a huge disparity for no reason unless it was man-made.
This situation in the domestic A-share market showed that the struggle between Jasper and Soros had reached a white-hot stage.
It did not need any foreshadowing or prelude at all. The moment it started, it would become the most violent battle.
In the Nauritus City command center, Jasper was staying idle.
Since the two sides had completely shed all pretense and started fighting, then they should hit where it hurt and draw blood with every move. The team of traders would be in charge of the specific operations and Baz and Jake would be giving orders in the middle. After Jasper came up with a strategic plan, they needed to control the flow of the entire situation.
Before the general direction changed, all h e needed to do was wait for the situation t o change or the confrontation between the two sides to begin to tilt.
It was just that Jasper’s brain was still running fast. He was constantly analyzing Soros’s next actions and what strategy he could use to deal with these possibilities.
At this moment, Jasper received an unexpected call.
It was Dean.
“Mr. Laine, 30 minutes ago, I was appointed by the Chamber of Commerce. From now on, I am the executive vice
president of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce and I will be presiding over the work.”
Jasper was taken aback for a moment.
Was Gale someone who would delegate power so easily?
This was not in line with Jasper’s understanding and judgment of him.
“What happened?”
Jasper, who was keenly aware that something had gone wrong, asked calmly.
“It’s grandpa… He was diagnosed with a terminal illness six months ago.”
Dean’s tone sounded very complicated, it was unknown if he was happy, disappointed, or sad.
Jasper froze when he heard the words.
Gale’s scheming and calculating face appeared in his mind, but the first sentence he said was, “How could this be? His body is still strong,”
“He’s just bracing himself this whole time, and since there is no need to worry about the cost of his treatment, in the past six months, apart from himself and the medical team, this news had not gotten out at all. At this moment, Mr. Laine, you are only the second person who knows about this.”
Jasper exhaled and said, “He asked you to make this call, right?”
“Yeah, grandpa said you must be able to figure it out. If you do, then I’ll hand him the phone,” Dean said in a low voice.
“Hand the phone to him then. Let me talk
to him,” Jasper said.
There was silence on the other end of the phone. Then, Jasper heard Gale’s voice that was full of vigor. “Sly child, there will eventually be something that you can’t expect. I only have a few days left now.”
Jasper replied calmly, “Old Master Hurlbutt, why did you do that?”
Gale laughed. “Why not? Just think of this as gaining an advantage. If I can still live for two or three more years, then I would have kicked Dean out the door.”
“So does it mean that you actually know and even acquiesce the things that I arranged for Dean to do before, including the connection with some people inside the Haddock Chamber of Commerce?”
Jasper voiced the question in his heart.
To be honest, Jasper felt that things had been going too smoothly at that time.
It was going so smoothly that Jasper thought there was an invisible hand that was adding momentum to this while helping Dean seize the throne.
However, Jasper was very busy at that time, and the matter of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce was really just a minutia of what he was facing back then, s o Jasper did not put much thought into it and did not delve into the matter.
Now that he thought about it, it had to be because Gale knew he did not have much time left, which was why he was intentionally letting this happen.
“I do not have time to train a successor who can truly satisfy me. Dean is a good kid, and he is good at everything, but he is not ruthless and decisive enough. With such a character, he can lead the Haddock Chamber of Commerce smoothly with me around, but if I am gone, him alone will be insufficient to suppress those devils in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce.”
Gale spoke without any scruples, and then he even followed with a sentence, Actually, in my mind, the successor I am most satisfied with is you, sly child.”
Jasper was elated when he heard that.
“Old Master Hurlbutt, should I thank you for the compliment?”
Gale laughed and said, “I know you are very ambitious, sly child, and with your current strength, you really do not need to care about the small business of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce.”
Jasper chuckled along but after that, he was silent.
Jasper and Gale did not say anything.
After a long time, Jasper sighed softly, ” Old Master, do you have anything you want to say?”
“I will hand over the Haddock Chamber of Commerce to Dean. In truth, I know what you want to do, and I also know very well that regardless of if I die or not, you will need to use the rest of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce’s resources if you
want to push Dean to the top to do
something.”
Gale seemed to have prepared his lines
long ago, as he said slowly but firmly, “If
I had more time, I would not agree. However, one cannot go against God’s wish, so Dean will cooperate with you in the things you want to do, but in reality, h e cannot stop you either. After all, this is the price you pay for helping him climb up the ladder.
“After I die, he will completely take charge of the Chamber of Commerce in the shortest ssible time with your help. You can do whatever you want at that time. I have talked to the several core figures in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce and I will help you arrange it properly, but there is one thing I would like to ask you to agree to.
“Regardless of what happens, the Haddock Chamber of Commerce cannot collapse.”
Life at the Top Chapter 2010
Gale’s tone came off a bit bleak, but it also sounded more like a request.
Gale was just an old man who had come to the end of his life, and no matter how powerful he was before, how high his status, or how much wealth he had gathered, at this moment, just like thousands of people before him who had reached this stage, he just wanted to fulfill his last wish.
Jasper paused and replied, “Old Master, in my opinion, when it comes to the Haddock Chamber of Commerce or other chambers of commerce, there is a reason for their existence. I have no intention to regard the Haddock Chamber of Commerce as my enemy or even to compare it with other chambers of commerce.
I have had more contact with the Haddock Chamber of Commerce, so I understand better that this chamber of commerce is essentially focusing on profit and practicality, and this trait is precisely why it is more suitable to be my partner.
“If the interests are there, then the
cooperative relationship will not be
broken. This is an eternal truth.
“So, I promise you I will not take the initiative to let the Haddock Chamber of Commerce perish and such a chamber of commerce that has been passed down for hundreds of years will not perish either.”
After Jasper finished speaking, Gale laughed.
“Good, very good.”
Everyone was smart, and since things had reached this point, there was no need for any fancy language traps or modifiers..
Therefore, this exchange was actually the sincerest exchange between the two since Jasper first met Gale.
“I already understand what you are trying to say… Alright, the doctor is here again, I should hang up.”
After hearing what Gale said, Jasper suddenly realized that this was probably the last communication between the two, s o Jasper immediately said, “Old Master, what else do you want to tell me?”
Gale paused for a moment before saying slowly, “Sly child, do not embarrass the folks of Somerland.”
After speaking, he hung up the phone.
In the end, Gale did not make any more
demands.
This was although they both knew that so long as it was not too much, Jasper would probably agree.
Such as his funeral or Dean’s status.
Gale said nothing.
However, his last sentence made Jasper understand why Gale chose Dean in the end and chose to acquiesce in cooperating with Dean to seize the throne.
He did not have time to choose a more suitable successor, which might be one of the reasons.
However, someone like Gale had been in the business world all his life. At this moment, which one of the few big shots i In the domestic business world was not his junior?
Even at an advanced age, he still controlled the Haddock Chamber of
Commerce for decades without wavering.
How could such a person not have several backup plans for an event as major as his heir?
However, he made the final decision.
There was helplessness in this choice, but other than that, he felt much more at ease. Other than that, he also had the pure heart of the older generation.
After putting down the phone, Jasper took a brief moment to recompose himself and then looked up at the market.
At this moment, it was approaching the market closing time.
The battle between Jasper and Soros was still fierce, and it seemed that no one had any plans to give up first.
The trading volume of the entire A-share market had more than doubled in the past half a trading day, which meant that every minute and every second, massive funds were being traded in the market. They were either buying or selling, and the stock price was fluctuating like an
electrocardiogram, whereby anyone with a weak heart would not be able to bear this stimulation.
When the time was up for the morning trading, all data stopped being refreshed and all transactions were locked.
The morning market was closed.
Jasper let out a breath and began to listen t
o Baz’s summary report.
“Mr. Laine, the transaction volume of A shares in the morning exceeded 1 trillion Somer Dollars, which is 10 times more than the usual. Among them, we have used more than 200 billion of the funds, while the funds that have been traded so far are 170 billion. According to the team’s estimation, the capital used by Soros is about 300 billion after being converted into Somer Dollars. The margin for error o In this will not exceed 1%.”
Baz’s expression was solemn and serious. Then, he continued, “According to our analysis, after the 1000 shares fell to the limit, funds from all parties fled in panic. Later, with the news that the social security fund entering the market, there
was a large flow of funds returning, but the overall situation showed a trend of high quantity but low quality. The vast majority of well-funded institutions are still on the sidelines and are hesitant, while on the contrary, a higher proportion of retail investors rushed back.
“In terms of profit and loss, since we raised the stock price of the 170 billion funds we have traded so far regardless of the cost, the average loss ratio is very high. The numbers sits at about 11 billion while the loss is about 6%. We can’t report on the profit and loss situation on Soros’s side due to insufficient data, but according to the assessment of the situation of the market, they are likely to have made a profit.”
Jasper was not surprised by this result.
“We are raising the stock price, while Soros is blindly suppressing it. Although the two sides are moving in different directions and since we’re investing in different sectors and industries, you will not form a hedge. We do not hedge against Soros as no one can stop him.
Furthermore, we require costs to raise the stock price, so it is normal for us to lose money and for them to make a profit.
“Soros is still the one with the upper hand.”
Jasper sighed and said, “It’s not just because of the financial strength of both parties, but the most important thing is that we don’t have time.
“Relying on the news of the social security fund entering the market to stimulate private capital to enter the stock market is the best solution for the current situation, but Soros is indeed cunning. He has already anticipated our intentions and has attacked those positions we gave up at any cost. His real purpose is not to the market value of the stock market, but to make private capital hopeless.
“If the social security fund enters the market but the stock market still does not have enough upward momentum, private capital will not dare to come in. If private capital does not come in, even the social security fund can only watch Soros crash the market.
“So we have to strive to expand the results in a short period, and what Soros has to do is to continue to maintain a high -pressure attitude even if the market does not crash. If it does not rise, we would have fallen into a desperate situation of a slow death.”
After Jasper said that, he slammed his hand down on the desk heavily. He said sternly, “Do you have any good suggestions for this situation?”
Baz hesitated for a while and said, “Mr. Laine, do you want to talk to the other big enterprises and capitals?”
“I’ve addressed the ones who I should talk to during the forum very clearly, but it’s up to them whether they want to do it and how they approach the matter. After all, we can’t put a knife to their neck and force them to save the market.”
After Jasper finished saying that, someone arrived.
The little prince, Lord Alvarado, and the gang were here.