Ch. 2071..2080

Life at the Top Chapter 2071

“You!” Rio’s eyes narrowed and he was about to explode with anger.

Then, Dio spoke slowly from one side, “Dean, I advise you to give up your seat. Haven’t you noticed that the Haddock Chamber of Commerce is about to become a mess? Everyone’s business has been sluggish recently and someone needs to come forward and take charge of the overall situation! And you, who don‘t have as much experience as us, naturally do not have this ability. Therefore, it is the best choice for you to give up your position.”

“Only in this way will you not let down Old Master Hurlbutt and Haddock Chamber of Commerce!”

Dio was not as overbearing as Rio, but every sentence he said devastatingly criticized Dean.

Dean was silent for a few seconds. He admitted that in terms of management, he was indeed not good enough. He was miles away from the benchmark, especially compared with his grandfather Gale.

Since the passing of Old Master Hurlbutt, the Haddock Chamber of Commerce had changed a lot. Many members of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce who were in various industries had suffered blows and huge losses.

“Yes, the current situation of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce is indeed not very optimistic, and someone needs to come forward and preside over the overall situation. But this person can only be me, and is definitely not you!”

Dean smiled lightly.

“Don’t think l don’t know what you guys are up to. Don’t you just want to snatch away my rights and use the Haddock Chamber of Commerce to make more money? To put it bluntly, you are not doing this for the Haddock Chamber of Commerce, but for yourself! You are parasites in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce!”

Rio slammed his hand down on the table and stood up as soon as Dean finished speaking. However, judging from his posture, it was evident that Dean’s words struck his weak point. It was not a good feeling to have your true intentions exposed.

“Who gave you the courage to speak to me like that?”

Rio took a step forward. The prestige and pressure he was exuding was suffocating. After many years of fighting in the business world, Rio looked prestigious even when he was not angry, let alone when he was furious.

“I did,” At this moment, an even more prestigious voice came from the guest room.

“It’s you! J-Jasper, why are you here?” When Rio saw Jasper, he was stunned.

Even though he had some level of authority in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce, and he could be unrestrained in front of Dean, he did not dare to act rashly when he was in front of Jasper. Back then, when Jasper and the Haddock Chamber of Commerce were fighting hand to hand, the entire organization was not Jasper’s rival.

Rio was just one person, and he was only in the lumber industry in Haddock Chamber of Commerce, so who was he compared to Jasper?

They were worlds apart if his business were to be compared to Jasper’s huge commercial empire.

Thus, when he saw Jasper, Rio’s attitude changed immediately.

At this moment, Rio and his gang finally understood that the reason why Dean could be so stubborn was that Jasper was backing him.

“Mr. Laine, this is just a misunderstanding. If there’s nothing else, that will be all for today. We’ll be leaving first.”

Rio did not want to interact with Jasper too much. He was acting without justification when he came here anyway. After all, the current president of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce, Dean, was an heir whom Gale elected personally, and it was as orthodox as it came.

“Wait…” At this moment, Jasper’s domineering voice sounded again.

Rio and his gang were slightly stunned, and they could only sigh silently about how unfortunate they were.

“Didn’t you come here to discuss something with Dean? Go on then, I won’t disturb you guys.”

After he said that, Jasper turned around and went back to the guest room.

‘Continue? Won’t disturb?’

Rio and the gang were stunned. They all knew that although Jasper was saying it so casually and it sounded seemingly uncaring, in reality, this sentence meant everything. Jasper, on the surface, said he would not disturb them, but he was already supporting Dean.

They were all old foxes who had been in the business world for many years. If they could not tell what Jasper was doing, all those years of being in the business world would have been in vain.

“Sit down and let’s continue talking. Weren’t you saying that you want me to give up my position to you just now?” Dean said with a smile.

“Dean, don‘t think that you can have this position just because you have Jasper’s backing.”

“Listen here, only the members of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce can resolve matters within the Chamber of Commerce. At the end of the day, Jasper cannot represent the Haddock Chamber of Commerce. If you simply rely on him, you will only attract more dissatisfaction from the elders of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce!”

“Hmph, Jasper can only protect you for a while, but do you think he can protect you for the rest of your life?”

“You just wait and see!”

As soon as Rio said that, he left quickly with his gang.

After the three of them left, Dean looked toward the guest room. It turned out that Jasper had been staring at them from the door of the guest room.

“Sigh, Mr. Laine, I’ve let you down. I’m nothing compared to those old foxes. I can’t hold them down at all,” Dean sighed.

However, Jasper smiled in relief, “You did a pretty good job. Those old guys are old foxes who are good at plotting and scheming in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce. Understandably, you don’t have as much experience as them so you’re helpless against them.”

Jasper patted Dean’s shoulder. He could see himself in Dean. Back then, Jasper also had to face this kind of ordeal. Dean sighed and he looked helpless. He had the ability, but right now, it was limited and it was nothing compared to those old foxes in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce.

Right now, Dean had also lost confidence.

When Jasper saw Dean being so dispirited, he smiled faintly.

“Relax, don’t overthink. You have to know that since Old Master Hurlbutt trusted you with this position, he must have his reasons. Even if you don’t trust yourself, you trust Old Master Hurlbutt’s judgment, right?”

Looking back on Gale’s life, he had a unique vision, and every decision he made was carefully considered.

Upon hearing this, Dean raised his head slightly. “Mr. Laine, please rest assured, I won’t be knocked down so easily and I’ll make them pay!”

Jasper nodded slightly. “Remember, you are the only one who can defeat yourself. This is also my creed.”

Life at the Top Chapter 2072

However, this incident was not as simple as it seemed. That was because the head of Haddock Chamber of Commerce had way too much authority. The hidden benefits he received were simply unimaginable!

“Rio Potter and the others won’t stop here. That’s why you must be careful at all times. Don’t allow for anything that they can use against you,” Jasper said thoughtfully with narrowed eyes.

“I know. I’ll keep your advice in mind, President Laine.”

“Alright; That’s about all for today. I’ll return to Nauritus City first. Contact me anytime you encounter any trouble that you can’t handle on your own.”

Jasper left after speaking. He would help Dean and the Haddock Chamber of Commerce as much as he could. Gale had told him to do so while he was still alive, and Jasper would not forget that.

***

At the same time, in a villa within Swallow Capital.

Rio and the others were gathered. They were discussing a counterattack.

“I didn’t expect Jasper Laine to be there. Otherwise, we would definitely have been able to force Dean to give up on his position today!”

Dio nodded silently after hearing what he said. There was a complicated expression on his face. “Yes, I can only say that it was beyond my expectations. Jasper is way too powerful right now. We can’t afford to offend him.”

Jethro, who was standing by the side, asked in a low voice, “Rio, what should our next step be? We can’t give up just like this, right?”

“I don’t know what to do for now. Dio is right. We can’t compete against Jasper,” Rio sighed. “Jasper’s presence at the venue today is a clear sign that he’s on Dean’s side. We can only wait till Jasper leaves Swallow Capital. There will definitely be a way around this.”

Dio and Jethro immediately agreed after hearing what he said.

They were sly wolves that had survived in the market for a few decades. Anyone at their level understood what Rio meant. All three of them understood the fact that they could not offend Jasper right now. They could only finish what they intended to do after Jasper left. Once they completed the deal, it would be too late and Jasper would not be able to change the outcome either.

***

The next morning, Dean sent Jasper away at the airport. He then received a text before he could even sit down after arriving home. Dean smiled after reading the contents of the text message.

Jasper had just left. Could these people not wait for a second longer?

In the past, Haddock Chamber of Commerce often organized group conferences as well. Everyone could discuss business, collaborations, and so on during these events. Gale had been the one leading most of the gatherings. To phrase it nicely, they would be holding a conference for company members. However, today’s gala was obviously a set-up. Although Dean did not want to attend the meeting, he had no choice but to do so due to his identity.

After sending a text to Jasper, Dean got up and headed to the venue of the gala, Red Star Hotel.

Meanwhile, the entire hall of Red Star Hotel had been booked for the event. The female ushers stood in a row before the door and greeted the bosses of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce courteously.

Naturally, not everyone could make it since the members of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce were spread all over the country. However, those with free time and those who stayed in Swallow Capital all managed to make it.

After half an hour, more than forty people made it to the event. The majority of these forty people were all on the side of Rio and the others.

“Everyone, I’d first like to thank all of you for making it here today. Today is an event where old friends like us get to gather for a chat,” Rio smiled as he greeted all the guests.

As soon as he finished speaking, the voice of an old man rang out.

“Rio, just get straight to the point. I heard that you were the one who suggested holding today’s conference. What do you intend to do?”

Rio was slightly stunned after hearing his words. Immediately after, he noticed that Dean had arrived in the hall of the hotel as well. He laughed and brought up the main topic straight away.

“Alright, I know that everyone’s time is extremely precious. I won’t keep up the suspense anymore.”

“All of you know that a lot of conflicts have risen within the Haddock Chamber of Commerce after Old Master Hurlbutt passed away some time ago. This has caused a lot of problems.”

“Dean should be the one taking the lead to resolve these conflicts and problems. It’s just a pity that he can’t do so for the time being. That’s why I thought about this. Shouldn’t Dean have given up on his position?!”

Rio did not waste time with any nonsense and got straight to the point irmnediately. He fixed a heated gaze on Dean, who had just arrived at the hotel.

The old man let out a heavy sigh after hearing what he said.

“You bastard! Rio, since when have you had the final say in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce?!” The old man’s voice was firm and powerful despite his old age.

“Mr. Shamus, you’re old. I won’t recommend you to involve yourself in the issues of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce.” Rio narrowed his eyes and looked at the old man.

This old man’s name was Shawn Shamus. He had been working under Gale in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce all along. He was close friends with Gale as well. However, he did not show himself frequently and had always kept a low profile. When Gale passed away, Shawn had visited his funeral as well. He stood outside the door and mourned him silently for a total of three minutes. He then left quietly. Nobody knew about any of this.

Gale had recommended Dean as the next leader of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce. Therefore, Shawn was beyond angered after hearing what Rio had said.

“Rio, don’t think that I don’t know what you’re up to. Gale hasn’t been gone for long, yet you’re already thinking of taking over?”

Shawn gripped his cane and thumped it against the floor harshly. A hole appeared on the delicate wooden floor due to the cane’s impact!

“Mr. Shamus, have you lost your mind after getting old? I’m doing this for the Haddock Chamber of Commerce. Why are you making it sound like I’m trying to take over the company? Besides, shouldn’t the leader of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce be someone equipped with great capabilities?”

Rio smiled in distaste as his gaze landed on Dean.

Dean clenched his hands into fists after hearing what he said. Given his experience, he was truly considerably lacking as compared to everyone else. However, not only was Rio denying Dean’s abilities as a leader, he was also denying Gale’s decision at the same time!

This was extremely disrespectful!

Life at the Top Chapter 2073

“Stop it!”

“It was Gale’s choice to let Dean take up the position as the head of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce. How much has Gale contributed to the group when he was alive? Aren’t you afraid that karma will hit you in the face if you dare say that Gale has chosen the wrong person?!”

Shawn let out a deep breath after speaking. He was old now. He did not wish to earn a fortune. He only wanted the members of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce to be united so that all of them could run this organization well. Besides, Gale was to be credited for everything that the Haddock Chamber of Commerce had achieved thus far. As Gale’s close friend back when he was still alive, he would not allow anyone to cause trouble.

“Stop making noise!” Rio was evidently impatient.

Everyone in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce was scattered now that Gale was gone. Everything was now out of order. He could only gain control by suppressing everyone with absolute strength.

“Dean, why don’t we get down to business? Let me ask you this one last time. Are you going to give up on your position or not? Even if you don’t give up on your position, we can carryout a vote to select a new candidate as the leader of the group. What do you think are the odds that you’d win?”

“You!”

This was a blatant threat!

Dean did not expect Rio to go to such crazy lengths over this position!

“I’ll give you a minute’s time to consider this.” Rio smiled and raised his hand to look at his watch.

“You have 58 more seconds.”

Plenty of people were giving Dean “advice” by the side.

“Dean, you’d better give up your position.”

“Your abilities can’t compare to that of Rio’s. If you continue taking up this position, you’ll only delay the development of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce!”

“Yes, you aren’t suitable for this position. There’s no need for you to keep holding onto it.”

Everyone who spoke up were all on Rio’s side. At this moment, Dean’s heart wavered. Sometimes, one’s will would crumble under extreme pressure.

Suddenly, Dean felt like he caught sight of Old Master Hurlbutt…

“I…”

At this moment, Dean really wanted to give up on his position and just let things be… However, just then, a figure slowly strode into the hall.

It was Jasper Laine!

He did not say a single word, but Rio and the others all lowered their heads guiltily as soon as he cast a single glance at them. The atmosphere within the hall instantly dampened.

Dean was about to give up on his position. Why was Jasper here? Should he not be back in Nauritus City?

“Jasper Laine, you’re in no place to be involved in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce internal affairs, right?” Rio’s voice no longer sounded as confident as it did just now.

“I didn’t say that l’d be involving myself in your affairs,” Jasper said with a faint smile.

There was a nonchalant expression on his face.

Rio let out a sigh of relief after hearing what he said. However, in the very next moment, Jasper laughed out softly.

“I can’t involve myself in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce’s affairs, but I’ll definitely involve myself in my friend’s affairs.”

‘Friend?’

Everyone was stunned. They all knew who was the friend that Jasper was referring to. That was right. It was Dean!

Jasper never went around telling everyone who his friends were. However, he came here just to tell everyone in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce that Dean was his man. Nobody could touch him!

Rio’s expression darkened as he said, “Jasper Laine, I won’t touch Dean, but you shouldn’t think of controlling what goes on in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce either! You don’t get a say in whether Dean decides to give up on his position or not. I don’t get a say either!”

“The employees of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce will have a vote. Those who agree that Dean should give up on his position, raise your hands!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Rio was the first to raise his hand. Dio was the second to do so. Jethro glanced at both of them. He then looked at Jasper as well. He raised his hand slowly after hesitating for a few seconds.

Rio had unleashed a clever move. He tried to make everyone raise their hands to force Dean to give up on his position. Half of the people within this hall was on his side. As long as these people raised their hands, he could call for a selection of a new leader for the Haddock Chamber of Commerce even if Dean was not willing to give up on his position. Unexpectedly, nobody except the three of them raised their hands even after a few seconds!

“What are you guys doing? Raise your hands to show your stance!”

Rio glanced at the people on his side. However, those people intentionally avoided making eye contact with him. They all pretended to be lost in thought!

“Stop calling them out. They won’t dare to raise their hands,” Jasper said slowly as he laughed mockingly.

“Cowards! You’re all a bunch of cowards!” Rio shouted out in anger. “Mr. Leon, Mr. Weiss, and the few of you! Didn’t you agree to help me out today?”

“Say something!” Rio roared as he pointed at a few people.

However, the few people that he pointed at all sat in place quietly. They did not say a single word…

Everyone knew how to weigh the pros against the cons of the situation. It definitely was not a good thing if they offended Jasper in Somerland.

Just then, Jethro lowered his raised hand as well.

“Jethro?!” Rio’s eyes widened as he roared out loud.

Jethro was not in a good mood either. He felt extremely hesitant right now. He went to Dean’s place with Rio and Dio yesterday where they had all met Jasper. He was aware that Jasper knew that he was on Rio’s side. However, he was now afraid. He was terrified that Jasper would seek revenge against him.

Just then, Jethro made a bold decision…

“I’ve decided to quit the Haddock Chamber of Commerce from today onwards!”

His decision to quit the Haddock Chamber of Commerce was definitely the most shocking thing to everyone within the hall. That was because the Haddock Chamber of Commerce was extremely reputable within the business world. One could obtain first-hand news and extra resources within the group. It would be immensely helpful for those operating businesses.

At the same time, it was almost impossible for outsiders to join the Haddock Chamber of Commerce. One would no longer be able to join the group again after they quit!

Meanwhile, Jethro had just firmly told everyone that he would quit the Haddock Chamber of Commerce!

From this alone, it was evident just how much pressure Jasper had put him under with just these few words alone!

Jethro decided to quit the Haddock Chamber of Commerce after clear reasoning. There was no other way for him to cut ties with Rio. He was hoping to just survive by quitting the Haddock Chamber of Commerce, and at the same time, he was telling Jasper that he had cut ties with Rio. He no longer had anything to do with the Haddock Chamber of Commerce anymore.

Life at the Top Chapter 2074-Jasper did not say anything. He smiled meaningfully and watched the dramatic scene in front of him.

At this moment, Dean walked toward Jasper. If Jasper did not show up, he would really have been forced to step down today!

“Mr. Laine… I…”

“Okay, don’t say anything.” Jasper waved his hand lightly before turning his head and looking at Rio with interest.

“Jasper, I’m telling you, don’t be such a savage!” Rio yelled.

Today, Rio was definitely the one who had been hit the hardest. In just a few minutes, he had fallen from heaven to hell. Just now, he almost succeeded in taking the position, but Jasper appeared in time, and in just a few words, all the partisans were frightened and his dream was shattered.

“Rio, do you know what it means to not see the wood for the trees? There will always be people better than you, do you understand?” Jasper said with a grin.

“Nonsense, of course, I know that!” Rio became more and more emotional. He was completely different from his usual calm and experienced self.

Jasper shook his head. “You‘ll know soon.”

Jasper had already arranged for Jake and others to carry out a crackdown plan against the Potter family’s industry, stocks, and so on. He believed that they would get the news soon, hence Jasper walked toward the door after saying that.

Dean hurriedly followed behind him. “Mr. Laine, wait for me… Thank you, Mr. Laine…”

“You don’t need to thank me. As the saying goes, a great favor is not enough to be thanked with words. You just need to remember the words in your heart, and you don’t need to say them. Also, as of today, I can be sure that no one in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce will covet for your place again. Next, you should work hard and manage the Haddock Chamber of Commerce well. It’s best if you lead Haddock to further glory.”

To be honest, Jasper was expectant of this.

He had high hopes for Dean, and he even felt that Dean’s achievement in the future would not be inferior to Gale’s.

A great favor was not enough to be thanked with words?

Dean knew very well that Jasper’s help toward him today was very important, and it could be considered a great favor. However, to Jasper, it required a very slight effort.

“Mr. Laine, to be frank, l was so envious of you just now. You just said a few words and those people from Haddock were scared into retreating. If I had your ability, I wouldn’t have been bullied by Rio.” Dean chuckled.

“Remember, everything in this world is made by your own hands. The only person you can rely on is yourself. I hope you can become stronger in the future.”

After speaking, Jasper became silent.

Dean had the Haddock Chamber of Commerce as his backing. As long as he managed the Haddock Chamber of Commerce well in the future, his future would be boundless. He was wondering if the two would become enemies because of their interests in the future.

Jasper did not know either, but he could only hope they would not.

“Mr. Laine, let me treat you to dinner tonight, I know a new restaurant…”

“No need, I still need to take care of some things over in Harbor City, so I have to go back.”

Dean nodded when he heard Jasper say that.

“Well, when you’re done with what’s going on in Harbor City, you must come to find me.”

“Sure.”

Jasper did not speak anymore. He nodded slightly and left. He bought the ticket and returned to Harbor City that night.

***

7.30 pm, Lane Automotive Factory.

Knowing that Jasper was back, Rowan hurriedly waited at the door.

“Mr. Laine, Homer announced that they would increase their investment in the country. I don’ t know what they want to do.”

‘Increase their investment?’ Jasper smiled softly.

“I think Homer wants to quickly expand in the domestic market and seize the market opportunity. If they seized the key moment, they would occupy the majority of the market share…”

Suddenly, Jasper remembered the memory of his previous life. In his last life, Homer ventured into the domestic market at this time and quickly established themselves in Somerland. So much so that later, everyone would think that cars from Sunrise Land were better.

This concept continued to influence the people for many years.

In truth, Homer made clever use of the preconceived psychology of the masses. However, this time, Jasper was back, and he was familiar with the development trend of the automobile industry in Somerland in the previous life. Therefore, he had to seize the opportunity. The ultimate fate of Homer was either a reverse acquisition or a complete withdrawal from the domestic market.

“They will expose themselves sooner or later if they have ulterior motives. Just focus on our own matters first. As for Homer… I‘ll see how many tricks they still have.”

After listening to what Jasper said, Rowan admired him even more in his heart.

“Okay, then let’s wait and see how it progresses silently.”

Jasper nodded and remembered one more thing before warning Rowan.

“It’s a critical period right now and I’m worried that Homer will not give up their evil ways. They will definitely try to create problems from within the Lane Automotive Factory, so you have to keep an eye on the car factory.”

Rowan patted his chest and assured him, “Don’t worry, I‘ll definitely pull myself together to make sure that even a trouble-making fly won’t be able to enter the factory.”

“Great!”

After Jasper hung up, he was lost in thought again. If he based it off the trajectory of his previous life, then Homer would definitely increase their leveraged investment now. Then, they would use huge funds to carry out comprehensive coverage of advertisements in the country as propaganda.

Now that he was able to predict Homer’s next move, he naturally had to strike first…

Life at the Top Chapter 2075-In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. In these three days, the turnover of Homer’s factory reached nearly one billion dollars. The shares of Homer Group also skyrocketed by nearly 20 points in just three days. However, at this moment, the outside world suddenly delivered some bad news.

In the past three days, Homer’s sales were on the rise. It was a pity that such a grand event only lasted until the morning of the third day before coming to an abrupt end. This was because the attention of all consumer groups was attracted by another electric vehicle newly launched by Lane Automotive Factory.

The advertising slogan of Lane Automotive Factory was ‘the era of smart electric vehicles is coming, and it’ll only take one hour to take you to any place in the world!’

Such a fanciful advertising slogan captured the hearts of a large number of consumer groups. Not to mention the cool appearance of this new energy electric vehicle that was even more eye-catching.

The advent of this smart electric car attracted the attention of all car dealers in the outside world, but there were also various doubts associated with it.

However, even if there were significant doubts, it could not change the unstoppable strength of Lane Automotive. One had to know that consumers were always curious about new things.

“Mr. Laine has completely rewritten the history of automobiles in Somerland this time!”

Jasper glanced at them with a smile and said in a flat tone, “Okay, I’m fine if it’s someone else, but stop sucking up to me, you two. The renewal and reformation of an era is not so easy, and the various problems that will arise next are the real tests for us. However… The reason why we were able to catch Homer’s factory off guard this time is because of everyone’s cooperation. You all did a great job.”

“No, it’s all thanks to your superb leadership, Mr. Laine.” Beckett touched the back of his head a little embarrassedly and said.

Jasper smiled and did not speak. Instead, he simply drank the half glass of red wine in his hand.

“Tomorrow I will visit the Laws and then go back to Nauritus City. I will hand the car factory in Harbor City to you then.”

Upon hearing that Jasper was leaving so soon, both Rowan and Beckett looked reluctant.

“Mr. Laine, are you leaving so soon?”

After getting along with them during these days, Jasper had already forged a deep friendship with them. Now, they were genuinely reluctant for Jasper to leave.

Jasper glanced at them and could not help frowning. “Say, what’s that expression on your face? I’m just going back to Nauritus City, I’m not going to die. If you miss me, just come to Nauritus City at any time to find me!”

Rowan smiled and suggested again, “Well, why don’t we call the gang and celebrate tonight? I know a new food stall that just opened on Queen Road. The location is good and many beautiful women will go there to stream at night…”

Jasper smiled and said, “Do you want to go eat with me or see beautiful women?”

“Uhm… Do I have to distinguish it so clearly? Can’t I look at beautiful women while eating?” Rowan smiled and shrugged.

Jasper pondered for a while, thinking that things in Harbor City had basically come to an end.

After he went back this time, he would not know when he would be back again. Hence, he nodded.

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight!”

After Rowan and the others left, Jasper got another call from Larry.

“Jasper, you must be very proud of yourself now, right?”

“Well, not really,” Jasper replied in a flat tone.

Larry, who was on the other end of the phone, had a dark look on his face. “Jasper, do you know what will happen to me if you do this? I know you have a lot of capital, but even a dog will jump over the fence if it’s driven to desperation. Do you really want to drive me into a dead end?”

Jasper did not want to continue talking nonsense with Larry, but now that the other party had taken the initiative to call and threaten him, he had to retort.

“Larry, do you think you have a chance to make a comeback? To put it bluntly, the real controlling party behind Homer is foreign capital, and you are just a lackey. This time, your employer has suffered a heavy loss. Instead of spending the time to threaten me, you might as well think about how you can survive!”

Jasper hung up the phone after he finished speaking.

And just as he said, after this, Larry never appeared in front of his eyes again…

Life at the Top Chapter 2076-At eight o’clock in the evening, Jasper drove directly to the food stall. Of course, Rowan and Beckett had arrived early, and the waiter was bringing barbecue and beer to the table.

“Mr. Laine, you’re here!” Rowan grinned at him and waved.

Jasper glanced at them, strode over, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

Beckett filled the glass in front of Jasper.

“Mr. Laine, have you heard? The news broke an hour ago that Homer held a domestic press conference and decided to officially withdraw all production lines from Somerland!”

Jasper lowered his eyes when he heard this. He was not surprised by the news coming from Beckett. On the contrary, all this was actually what he expected.

“With the strong rise of Lane Automotive Factory, it is inevitable that foreign-ovmed cars will gradually withdraw from the domestic first-tier market. However, domestic cars still have a long way to go in the future. You should continue the process even when I’m not here.”

“Haha! Of course, of course!”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Laine, we won’t let you down!”

Rowan, Beckett, and the others patted their chests to assure him.

Just as he was talking, a Maserati drove over and stopped by the side of the street. Then, the siblings, Henry and Anna, got out of the car. Anna‘s exceptional temperament and gorgeous face immediately attracted a lot of attention when she appeared. However, to her, aside from Jasper, no one was good enough for her.

“Jasper, I’m sorry, something happened at home so that’s why we’re late.” Henry walked toward them with a smile.

Rowan deliberately joked, “It’s not too late, but if you were a little later, we would have already gone home.”

Anna ignored them and went directly to Jasper to pull out a chair before sitting down.

“Jasper, I heard you’re going back to Nauritus City soon, right?”

Jasper nodded. “I’ve dealt with the matters here in Harbor City and it’s time for me to go back.”

There was a trace of reluctance in Anna’s eyes. She said, “I was originally going to go to Swallow Capital, but there are a lot of things going on at home recently, so I can‘t leave. But when I’m done, I’ll go to Nauritus City to see you.”

“Okay, then I’ll be waiting to see you in Nauritus City,” Jasper said with a smile.

At this time, Henry said , “By the way, Jasper, before we came, Grandpa asked me to bring you a message. He said that he wanted to see you and had something to talk to you about.”

Jasper nodded when he heard that. “What a coincidence. I planned to visit him tomorrow too.”

Upon hearing that, Henry suggested again, “Why don’t you come back with me and stay at our house tonight so that you can save yourself a lot of trouble tomorrow morning.”

“Alright.”

After the party, Jasper went to the Law Manor with Henry and Anna.

It was already two o’clock in the morning and Old Master Law had already gone to rest. Hence, Jasper did not bother him anymore.

Anna asked the family’s servant to arrange a room for Jasper.

He had drank a lot today and after entering the house, he took a shower and went straight to sleep.

In his dream, Jasper saw that five years later, Somerland was prospering, engulfing the entire world… It was not until he woke up the next day that Jasper realized it was just a sweet dream. However, it did not matter because he knew that this day would come sooner or later.

It was nothing but a matter of time!

After washing up, Anna came to look for him.

“Jasper, my grandpa has woken up and is waiting for you in the dining room now.”

“Okay, I’ll go right away.”

Jasper simply packed up and followed Anna to the dining room.

He saw that only Old Master Law was present, but Henry was not there.

He smiled and greeted, “Old Master, you’re up early.”

Old Master Law looked at him kindly. “I heard good news about you again. In truth, I couldn’t wait to see you yesterday. However, I figured you might not have any free time, so I waited until today.”

Jasper was keenly aware that Old Master Law had something to say to him.

“I wonder what you want to say to me, Old Master Law.”

Old Master Law chuckled. He first glanced at Anna and instructed, “Jasper and I have something to say, you should go do your thing.”

“Okay, I’ll leave now.”

Anna stuck out her tongue as she spoke. Then, she winked at Jasper before leaving.

After Anna left, Old Master Law spoke slowly again, “Since you signed a non-interference agreement with Soros and the others some time ago, Harbor Stocks began to quickly recover. Shares in the liquor, metals, and information industries that were previously sanctioned in the United States also rose sharply. At present, Harbor Stocks is showing an upward trend in a large area. Furthermore, the ecological balance that was destroyed before has now completely returned to normal.”

Old Master Law said and looked at Jasper, his expression a little excited.

“You have contributed greatly to the recovery of Harbor Stocks to what it is today, Jasper!”

Life at the Top Chapter 2077-Jasper bowed his head and smiled. “Old Master Law, don’t praise me like that, I’ll become arrogant.”

Old Master Law sighed and said with emotion, “With the recovery of Harbor stocks, the Laws have basically recovered during this period. With the Lane Automobile Factory listed, Harbor City’s economic circle is completely thriving right now!”

However, as he said this, Old Master Law paused, and his expression became a little dignified.

“It’s just that, of course, even if part of the economy has recovered, it will take some time for the financial circle of all of Mainland Somerland to fully recover. In my opinion, those who hide in the depths will not give up, so you must be careful.”

In reality, the main purpose of Old Master Law meeting Jasper today is to remind him of this. Old Master Law valued Jasper, someone of the younger generation, from the bottom of his heart. Even if he knew very well that as long as Jasper existed, his grandson Henry might have to live under his shadow for the rest of his life.

If it were someone else, Old Master Law would definitely erase their name and person from Somerland. After all, no one would want to see an insurmountable obstacle in front of their children and grandchildren in the future. However, this person was Jasper…

Old Master Law, an old fox who had been through so many ups and downs all his life, knew that he could only win over people like Jasper and not offend them. Besides, Harbor City has been moving closer to Swallow Capital recently. Their family also urgently needed to find an ally like Jasper to pave the way for their future transfer to the mainland.

After listening to what old Master Law said, Jasper nodded with a smile. “I have already thought of this a long time ago. After returning to Swallow City this time, I will definitely face a more difficult test. But

since I have chosen this path and pledged my allegiance to my ideals, then I will move forward no matter how difficult the road ahead is.”

When Old Master Law saw how high-spirited Jasper was, he felt as if he was looking at himself when he was young.

After breakfast, Jasper bade farewell to the old man and drove directly to the airport.

In the afternoon, Jasper was going to go back to Nauritus City to have a look at JW Group, but he received a call from the crippled Brown on the way.

“Jasper, are you free these two days? Do you want to come to my house?”

“I was just about to get on the plane, you’re so well informed,” Jasper said with a smile.

“Alright, I originally wanted to go back to JW Group first, but it’s fine, I’ll go to you first.”

After he finished speaking, he hung up the phone. Jasper changed the itinerary. After a few hours of flight, Jasper landed in Swallow Capital and came to the crippled Brown’s house.

As soon as he walked in the door, he saw both Adele and Celine.

The crippled Brown was sitting on the sofa with a cup of hot tea in his hand. After he spotted Jasper, he asked with a smile.

“This is the Darjeeling that was just delivered from Southville. Would you like some?”

“Okay, it seems that I came just in time for good tea.”

Jasper knew that the crippled Brown had a tea estate at Southville.

The tea produced yearly was specially dedicated to the upper class of Somerland because the annual production was very little. It could be said that it was extremely hard to obtain.

At this time, Adele giggled and said, “Jasper, my brother and I have heard about your record in Harbor City this time. You’ve made a name for yourself internationally the last time you single-handedly forced the Rothschild people to back away. This time, you came up with electric cars and caught everyone off guard. In the future, you might gain the title father of domestic cars.”

Celine also said with a smile, “Yes, I was really not optimistic about the domestic auto industry. If I had known that you still had this in you, I should have invested in you!”

When he heard them saying that jokingly, Jasper shook his head with a smile. Then, when Adele also saw that his brother had something to say to Jasper, she got up and grabbed Celine.

“I bought a few paintings at the auction two days ago. Would you accompany me to see them?”

Celine nodded understandingly, “Okay.”

After the two women left, only Jasper and the crippled Brown were left in the room.

The crippled Brown took a deep look at Jasper and said directly, “Originally, I was not optimistic about you going to Harbor City to engage in the auto industry, but the result has once again refreshed my understanding of you. Sure enough, you always catch us off guard and it seems there’s nothing you can’t do.”

Jasper shook his head with a smile and glanced at the crippled Brown when he heard this.

“You didn’t specially call me here just to compliment me like the outsiders, right? If that’s the case, I’ll go first so that you won’t waste your time.”

The crippled Brown shook his head with a chuckle and said calmly after taking a sip of tea.

“I warned you long before you went to Harbor City. Those people have been eyeing you since the last financial war. But they didn’t do anything before. This time, you’ve made such a commotion in Harbor City. I’m afraid those people can’t wait to sharpen their knives to teach you a lesson.”

Jasper laughed when he heard that “What are you afraid of? Worse comes to worst, I’ll just adopt measures appropriate to the actual situation. If I was afraid of these things, why should I stand up and oppose the people from the United States in the first place?”

Jasper was right, but the crippled Brown was still a little worried and added, “Anyway, you still have to be careful.”

Life at the Top Chapter 2078-After chatting with the crippled Brown for a while at his house, Jasper got up to leave, went directly to the airport, and flewback to Nauritus City.

Jasper had always been resolute in his work. After running around for a long time, he was also desperate to go home.

When he got back to his house, he opened the door and saw Wendy lying on the sofa while flipping through the pages of her documents. She looked surprised when she saw Jasper.

“Why did you come back so soon without calling me in advance?”

“I wanted to give you a surprise,” Jasper said as he undid the tie around his neck with one hand. “Look at you, you are off the clock, but you are still working. The body is the capital for revolution.”

Then he stepped forward and picked Wendy up before walking to the bedroom.

“Were you missing me these days?”

“What are you doing? We’re in broad daylight…” Wendy bowed her head shyly.

Although the two had been very intimate, whenever she felt the fiery temperature coming from Jasper’s body, her face would still turn red and her heart would race.

Jasper put her gently on the bed. Then, he stared into Wendy’s eyes heatedly.

“We’ve been together for so long, so why are you still shy?”

As he spoke, he kissed her lips, frantically plundering the fragrance between her lips and teeth. They were intertwined with each other from the morning till midnight. Finally, Jasper spared Wendy when she was too exhausted.

The next morning, Jasper woke up, but he did not immediately get up. Instead, he looked down at Wendy’s sleeping face in his arms. There was a look of guilt on his face.

Wendy never complained to him, but he also knew that it must be very hard for a woman like Wendy to be in charge of the huge JW Group during this time. However, to ensure he did not worry about her, she silently bore all the pressure. This moved Jasper very much.

He could not help lowering his head and kissing Wendy’s forehead gently. Coincidentally, Wendy woke up at this time. When she saw Jasper’s actions, she protested coquettishly.

“Hey, why did you kiss me when I’m sleeping?”

Jasper smiled, his face filled with love.

“You’re my wife. Can’t I kiss you whenever I want to?”

After he said that, he pressed his lips against her small lips. A sweetness immediately filled his mouth, which slightly intoxicated Jasper. After a long while, he finally released her.

“Alright, it’s morning. I have to go to the office later. There’s a senior meeting today…”

Wendy glared at him and said, “I really want to be an idler, but you left the JW Group to me at the beginning and now the JW Group is in a period of rapid growth, so I have to go over and manage it in person.”

“Well then, I’ll pick you up from work later. Shall we go to the movies at night?” Jasper suddenly suggested.

Wendy nodded. “Okay, that’s fine.”

Since solving the problem of competing with the stock market in the United States, the international status of JW Group was also rising, which also brought them unprecedented exposure and opportunities. However, at the same time, Jasper was busier than ever.

He originally thought that after signing a non-interference agreement with Soros and the others, he could live a peaceful life. However, soon after, Jasper was sent by the old man above to Harbor City to clean up the mess, which also caused the young couple to be separated for some time, let alone have time to watch a movie…

“Okay, it’s time for me to get up.”

After being entangled with each other for a while, Wendy finally made up her mind to break free from Jasper’s arms.

“I’m going to the office, see you tonight.”

“Goodbye, honey.”

Jasper leaned back on the bed and waved at Wendy with a smile.

After Wendy left home, Jasper also got up to wash up. Then, he went to the kitchen to find something to eat as he received a call from Dean.

“Mr. Laine, I heard you went back to Nauritus City yesterday, right? I just arrived in Nauritus City. Do you have time?”

Jasper thought for a while. It seemed that he had nothing scheduled for the time being, so it would not be a bad idea to have a meal with Dean and then learn about the latest news in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce…

“Yes, of course. You should set a place and I’ll head over later.”

“Okay then, Jasper, you can just come directly to a manor. I will send the address to your mobile phone later.”

Just when Jasper hung up the call with Dean, he suddenly received another call.

“Sir, I have the latest news here…”

“Alright, go on. Jasper s expresswn became heavy.

The person he had arranged for would not call him if there was no important matter.

“After Soros signed a non-interference agreement with you last time, there seems to be a big difference in opinion among the Rothschilds, especially with Miss Bella!”

“Bella?” Jasper frowned slightly, the arrogant and domineering girl’s face appeared in his mind again.

“What does she want?”

“Bella seems to be in preparation to go to Somerland. Although she hasn’t set off yet, if she does go to Somerland, you should pay more attention to it, Sir. That woman is a lunatic!”

Upon hearing this, the look in Jasper’s eyes turned a little more solemn.

“Okay, I got it.”

After a pause, he asked again, “By the way, is there anything else going on in the United States recently?”

Life at the Top Chapter 2079-After a moment of silence on the phone, the person replied, “After the last financial war, the Rothschilds were severely affected, and recently, they are cleaning up the mess. Apart from Bella, who is still eager to try again, the others will not fight Somerland and you for the time being. But the Freemasons have been doing a lot of things recently. Judging from their current actions, they seem to be on the verge of making a move!”

Upon hearing this news, Jasper’s expression became even more solemn.

“Okay, I see, you should continue to observe the situation over there and tell me in time if there is anything unusual.”

After hanging up, Jasper made himself a cup of coffee, sat down on the sofa, and started to think.

Freemasonry’s influence and control over the United States and the West were very strong.

In the beginning, he used the method of a military expedition and finally forced the Rothschilds to back up, which then allowed the domestic economy to recuperate. If the people from the Freemasons wanted to do anything at this time, he would be in big trouble. However, in any case, the current global situation was just like this.

Global finance would never be peaceful, and as long as there was capital, there would be conflict. Even so, he had nothing to fear!

When worse came to worst, he would just adopt measures appropriate to the actual situation.

At two o’clock in the afternoon, Jasper went to the manor that Dean had booked. As soon as he entered the door, Dean stepped forward and greeted him with a smile.

“Jasper, you’re here, please sit down! Today, I asked the chef to prepare 108 unique dishes according to the eight major cuisines!”

“It’s just a meal, why do you have to do so much?” Jasper shook his head with a smile.

Dean said, “I should do this. If you hadn’t supported me, Jasper, I’m afraid I‘d already be kicked out of this position as the head of the Haddock Chamber of Commerce.”

Speaking of this, Dean’s expression was extremely sincere. Then, he said, “Actually, I invited you to dinner today mainly because there are a lot of things I want to tell you.”

Jasper glanced at him and did not speak. Then, he went straight to the table and sat down. Soon, the waiters began to bring exquisite delicacies to the table.

“Jasper, try this cherry blossom sea cucumber…”

As Dean spoke, he enthusiastically pushed the dishes in front of Jasper.

Facing a table of countless delicacies, Jasper did not move his fork. Instead, he looked at Dean and said, “You didn’t invite me here just to eat, right?”

“Jasper…” Dean looked at him. He wanted to say something, but he stopped himself a few times.

Jasper sighed and said, “If you have anything, just spit it out. It’s not like you to dilly-dally.”

After hearing this, Dean had a sad look on his face and said, “Jasper, since the last time you helped me deal with Rio and those who used their seniority to ride roughshod over people in the Haddock Chamber of Commerce, the situation in Haddock is finally stabilizing.”

Jasper raised his eyebrows and asked again, “Isn’t this a good thing, Why are you still making such an expression?”

Dean shook his head, an even more bitter smile appeared on his face. “Jasper, you don’t know. When my grandpa was around, the Haddock Chamber of Commerce had a certain authority in Haddock

Province and even in the whole of Somerland. Though those people out there covet the Haddock Chamber of Commerce, they wouldn’t dare to mess with Old Master Hurlbutt. But now with the passing of Old Master Hurlbutt, although there is no clear sign, I have found that some people have begun to eye the Haddock Chamber of Commerce and have taken action.”

After Jasper listened to Dean quietly, he asked again, “Then do you know who those people are?”

Dean smiled wryly and shook his head. “I don’t know yet, they managed to hide very well. And at the moment, they have only made a few tentative attempts at the Haddock Chamber of Commerce and there is no concrete action yet, so it is difficult for me to determine their identities.”

Speaking of this, Dean suddenly raised his head and he became more serious.

“However, I have a hunch. Those people are likely to be high-level families of Swallow Capital, but they are hidden so deeply that people can’t detect them at all!”

Dean was actually very worried about this. The Haddock Chamber of Commerce had a lot of power, but in the huge country of Somerland, there were still quite a few chambers of commerce like the Haddock Chamber of Commerce. Moreover, no one knew if the Haddock Chamber of Commerce would still perform as well as before now that Gale was not around.

If the top family of Swallow Capital was really eyeing them this time, then the Haddock Chamber of Commerce might be in trouble.

Life at the Top Chapter 2080-When Dean thought that he might destroy Gale’s hard work with his own hands one day, he would be too shameless to face Old Master Hurlbutt after he died.

After a moment of silence, Jasper took a deep breath, and after listening to what Dean said just now, he was keenly aware of something in his heart.

In order to fight the financial war with the United States the last time, almost all of Somerland’s capital was now intertwined to fight the outside world under his call. However, now the crisis on the outside had receded, the people in the country were starting to only once again focus on their own affairs.

This naturally included those who did not want to see him rise and those who could not tolerate his existence. However, right now, his JW Group had become famous and it had even been recognized by the old man above. The people behind him naturally did not dare to blatantly take action against the JW Group, but they could start with the people around him, such as the Haddock Chamber of Commerce and Dean.

Thinking of this, Jasper’s hands that were on his knees clenched into fists.

Since the other party took the initiative to provoke them this time, then they should not blame him for being merciless to them when they truly started acting.

After a long silence, Jasper spoke again, “I understand what you said, but right now, they are hiding in the dark while you’re in the light. If they did not want you to notice their identity, there is nothing you can do.”

“But if that’s the case, what should I do?” Dean said anxiously.

Jasper lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment in his heart. Then, he suddenly thought of something and said, “Well, you can cope with the shifting events by sticking to a fundamental principle

and not doing anything. Just wait quietly for the other party to take the initiative to expose themselves. If there is anything later, remember to tell me as soon as possible.”

After hearing his words, Dean was so moved his eyes turned red. Then, he said in a slightly choked voice, “Thank you, Jasper, since the passing of Old Master Hurlbutt, you are the person I trust most!”

“You’re welcome…” Jasper said lightly.

***

After returning from Dean’s place, it was past six o’clock in the evening.

Jasper was driving during the rush hour when he suddenly remembered something. He almost forgot that he had agreed in the morning that he would go to the movies with Wendy in the evening, so he quickly took out his mobile phone and called her.

“Honey, are you still at the company?”

“Yeah, I just finished a meeting here and I’m going home now. Where are you?” Wendy asked.

Jasper breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Alright, I’ll pick you up from the company now and we’ll watch a movie together…”

On the other end of the phone, Wendy was looking forward to it after she heard Jasper saying that. After all, women were like flowers, and they would also yearn for the nourishment of the rain…

When Jasper and Wendy went home after watching the movie, Lord Alvarado called Jasper before they could enter the house.

“Jasper, you jerk, you’ve been back in Nauritus City for a few days, but you didn’t invite us to your house.”

Lord Alvarado’s tone was like that of a neglected wife, and it made Jasper feel inexplicably embarrassed. He came back to his senses and said, “Are you near my house already?”

“I knew you’re a smart guy who can guess anything!” Lord Alvarado said with a smile.

“Alright, you can tell me what’s going on when you’re here. I’ll wait for you at home,” Jasper said with a smile. It seemed that he could not spend alone time with Wendy tonight.

After a while, Lord Alvarado, the little prince, and others arrived at Jasper’s house.

Jasper greeted them, “We don’t have a housekeeper in our house so there is no one here to serve you. Just behave casually.”

However, at this time, the little prince suddenly asked with a serious look, “By the way, Jasper, there seems to be a problem with the Haddock Chamber of Commerce recently.”

When he heard this, Jasper’s expression suddenly became serious, and after looking at the little prince and others, he said, “As far as I know, some people from Swallow Capital have been eager to take action recently.”

Lord Alvarado also touched his chin and said thoughtfully, “Originally, Swallow Capital has a lot of different forces and they couldn’t stand Jasper‘s meteoric rise. If I were them, I would definitely try to prevent Jasper from continuing to grow and develop.”

“Otherwise, once Jasper’s foundation is solidified in the future, it’ll be too late to take action against him,” After his voice fell, the room fell silent for a moment.

This was such an obvious intention and people like Lord Alvarado could easily see through it. So, he continued, “If I guessed correctly, Swallow Capital will soon set off another invisible bloody storm!”

At this time, Simson was the first to speak, “In short, in any case, everyone’s interests are now firmly tied together. If those people really want to do something to Jasper, it will be difficult for us as well. When worse comes to worst, everyone will become losers. I want to see who will win in the end.”

“Yeah, that‘s what I thought too,” Moses stood up and echoed Simson’s words.

For a while, all eyes were on Jasper, waiting for his statement. However, Jasper’s cell phone suddenly rang, and he glanced at everyone, “I’m sorry, I need to go into the room to answer this call…”

After speaking, he stood up and walked into the room. Then, he closed the door, pressed the answer button, and spoke in a relaxed tone.

“Mr. McNeal, why are you calling me at this time?”