Ch. 21..30
Life at the Top Chapter 21
Hearing these words, even Wendy Schuler, who was used to seeing wealth, felt suffocated.
“Oh my,” Wendy murmured, “With this rapid increase in wealth, why do I feel like I’m dreaming?”
“This is just the beginning.” The corner of Jasper’s mouth curled up.
In his memory of the next ten years to come, this wave of crude oil prices was the most likely opportunity for him to get rich overnight. It would be gone if he missed it.
There would be many other opportunities to make money, but there would not be another chance for him to make so much so fast.
Many of his plans in the future relied on this opportunity to work out. Speaking of which, he had to thank Hugh Lewis for the 50 million. Otherwise, Jasper could still earn some money but not nearly as much.
The continuous uptick of news immediately hit the international market like a tornado, and everyone’s panic was directly reflected in the futures market.
The prices skyrocketing in a short period of time blinded countless people. Just when people thought that the newly emerged price was the highest point, the number refreshed in the next second would hit them in the face.
Everyone was screaming frantically, but few people dared to enter the venture at this moment because they were afraid that the roller coaster ride would fall rapidly in the next second.
International capital surged rapidly as countless financial predators rushed into the market like sharks that smelled blood.
As a result, a rare situation appeared in the history of the entire international crude oil futures market.
There was only a buy order, no sell order.
All the contracts in the market were snatched up and sold out. There were no transactions in the active market.
People who only reacted now and wanted to re-enter the market were left without a chance. No matter the money, no fool would ever sell the crude oil in their hands.
This was a goose that could really lay golden eggs.
In this event, the biggest players were naturally those national units that controlled the world, followed by those financial oligarchs and consortia. Retail investors like Jasper were one of a kind and should be very conspicuous.
It was just that no one would ever find out that such a young man had quietly laid a brick at the lowest point.
As a strategic investment, crude oil was of great practical significance. Every country was frantically competing for the remaining crude oil on the market.
For the countries, money was not an issue. They were more concerned about its strategic significance.
Thus, under such circumstances of extremely strong demand, the price of crude oil futures climbed to a terrifying price of 58 dollars.
The current domestic time was 2 AM.
Due to the time difference, the futures market was the morning of the third day.
Even after staring at the screen for seven to eight hours, neither Jasper nor Wendy felt tired. Instead, they were even more excited than ever.
Wendy, who had been persuading him to give up the venture before, was now more excited than anyone else.
“Go up! Go up! Keep going up! It’s up by 0.1 dollars again! Hahaha!”
Looking at Wendy’s demeanor, it seemed like she was happier than making money on her own.
However, Jasper was much calmer as he sipped from a teacup. Usually, he did not smoke or drink alcohol, preferring to drink tea instead. It was because he felt that tobacco and alcohol would numb people’s minds.
Finally, when the price of crude oil reached 59 dollars, Jasper chose to sell all the crude oil in hand.
Life at the Top Chapter 22
The highest price of crude oil in history was 59 dollars. Following this, as the strongest powerhouse announced the release of some crude oil inventories, the price of crude oil would begin to ebb, so this was the perfect timing to withdraw while the going was good.
When the market was most active and Jasper’s large volume order of 11,400 was listed, it immediately caused a reaction from the market. It was wiped out almost instantly, and the outside world began to speculate which institution was holding so much crude oil in its hands.
There were no secrets in the capital market. Soon, news of this large order from a retail investor came out, which immediately caused a sensation in the global financial community.
Everyone wanted to find out about this mysterious retail investor.
At this time, however, Jasper and Wendy were huddled together in the small study room, staring at the dazzling string of numbers in his account.
“After deducting costs and commissions, we made a profit of more than three billion!”
“The account balance is 3,101,240,000!”
Wendy stared at Jasper blankly, her pretty face flushed with excitement. She suppressed her rapidly beating heart and said in an incredulous tone, “You… You’re too amazing! You actually used 60 million to make billions!”
Jasper let out a breath, the corners of his mouth turning upward as he said, “If there are no issues, the man in front of you should now be one of the ten richest people in the country.”
In the year 2000, the seventh in the national Forbes richest list was someone in this country with a total net worth of 350 US million dollars.
At this moment, Jasper’s assets had reached 360 million US dollars. He was well-deserving of seventh-place indeed.
Of course, there were too many hidden wealthy people in this country, and Jasper was not arrogant enough to think that his 3.1 billion was enough to rank him seventh in the country. However, on the bright side, it was a fact that no one could deny.
In eight hours, Jasper realized his dream, doubling his personal assets 50 times over from 62 million to 3.1 billion. He withdrew the money successfully.
This was a miracle that had never been seen in the history of mankind. Those with higher multipliers than him were not as rich as him, and those richer had fewer multipliers.
All this happened in a remote corner of this ordinary county.
When everything was settled and the money was in his pocket, Jasper exhaled in relief when he received the text message from the bank.
The remittance of such a huge amount of funds would cause a reaction from Commercial Bank as soon as he went to work tomorrow. Moreover, Jasper estimated that his big move would also attract the attention of many people in the international market, but he had no idea how big the storm could be.
After being ultra-focused for seven to eight hours, even the young and energetic Jasper felt a little overwhelmed by now.
At this moment, two stomachs grumbling sounded at the same time. Both Jasper and Wendy looked at each other, a little embarrassed.
When people were too nervous or emotional, they would ignore the needs of the body. However, once relaxed, the hunger would follow immediately.
“Let’s go out for supper,” Jasper said with a smile.
It was too late now and the two of them were living in an ordinary small county that was far less boisterous than a big city, so when they got to the streets, the only thing they could find at this time was a snack bar that was about to close.
Had it not been for Wendy’s beauty, the lady boss would not have accepted their business.
Sitting in the simple snack bar, Wendy was obviously curious as it was her first time eating in a snack bar.
“Are you unhappy with me for taking you out for supper in a place like this?” Jasper took a set of utensils and smiled when he passed it to Wendy.
Wendy blinked and joked, saying, “You’ve earned so much. Of course, you have to treat me to a good meal. This meal doesn’t count.”
“Anything you wish for. As long as it’s for sale, you can request it,” Jasper said generously.
As long as it was something that money could buy, it would not be a problem for him now!
Life at the Top Chapter 23
The lady boss served a plate of snacks. Listening to the couple’s conversation, she smiled and said, “You young couple seem to have a really good relationship. Little lady, did your boyfriend make money today? Don’t just ask him to buy you dinner. He has to buy you some clothes too.”
In the eyes of the snack bar owner, Jasper had made hundreds or thousands at best. She would never have imagined that the man sitting in her shop and eating a fried nugget had just earned 3.1 billion.
Wendy chuckled. “Did you hear that?”
“I heard that. Buy, buy everything.” Jasper picked up a fried nugget and brought it to Wendy’s mouth. “Hurry up and eat. You must be starving.”
Seeing the fried nugget in front of her mouth, Wendy was stunned for a while, wondering if she should open her mouth and eat it.
Before this, when the lady boss mentioned their relationship, Wendy did not care. Rather, she did not want to care. Now, however, Jasper’s behavior made her a little bit shy.
Jasper also noticed that his actions were a little improper. Just when he was looking for an excuse, Wendy opened her mouth and gently bit into the fried nugget.
While chewing slowly, Wendy dared not look at Jasper at all. She lowered her head as if savoring the taste of this treat.
Seeing the bashful and charming girl in front of him while also considerate and fearful that she could not recover from her embarrassment, Jasper chuckled lightly.
Triumph in both business and love life. Since his life had ended up like this, what else could he ask for?
After supper, Jasper and Wendy chatted as they walked toward her house in the county.
As the daughter of the richest man in the province, of course, Dawson would not let Wendy suffer. Although he agreed to let her conceal her identity at work, he also bought a large house in the best community in the county for her. It was usually occupied by Wendy alone.
At the door of the house, Wendy said with some regret, “I’m home.”
Why was it so fast?
The girl was a little annoyed. The distance should be quite far.
“I’ll be going back, then,” Jasper said.
Today, the relationship between the two had advanced a step, but before any affirmation, Jasper naturally would not do anything improper.
Nodding her head, Wendy suddenly thought of something and said, “By the way, are you free in a few days? Come with me to the provincial capital.”
Jasper immediately understood that he was about to visit Dawson Schuler, the future father-in-law. He nodded and said, “Okay.”
“Aren’t you going to ask me what we’ll be doing in the provincial capital?” Jasper’s decisiveness made Wendy a little confused.
“It can’t be to see the future in-laws, right?” Jasper told the truth half-jokingly.
Wendy was so embarrassed that she stomped her feet and said, “How clever of you!”
After speaking, she slipped back into the house as if she wanted to escape and slammed the door shut.
Jasper recalled Wendy’s beautiful yet shy and embarrassed appearance as he left with a smile.
In the house, Wendy leaned back against the door and heard the sound of footsteps going away. She was feeling a little lost and nervous. Holding her hot cheeks, she murmured, “This person, how can he be so smart… and so bad?!”
That night, Jasper slept peacefully, but the international capital market exploded.
Less than half an hour after Jasper cleared his account, the world’s largest powerhouse held a press conference to announce the release of domestic crude oil inventories to ease the soaring pressure on crude oil prices. Immediately following that, all the smaller forces behind the powerhouse also declared the same.
As soon as the announcement came out, the price of crude oil futures fell.
Although the price was still outrageously high, it was not as crazy as before. The market had recovered from the previous frenzy, so people immediately noticed the mysterious retail investor who had thrown a large order of 14,400 lots at the highest price point.
“This retail investor, could it be a decoy account of a powerhouse?” The financial predators scratched their heads. Otherwise, how could they explain his sudden actions that were immediately followed by the announcement that resulted in the price drop?
Buying at the lowest point and selling at the highest point was ideal trading rules that every novice would know. However, how many people could actually do it?
This retail investor did it, though.
Therefore, this mysterious retail investor was even more unfathomable.
Slowly, the news about the mysterious financial genius who swept up hundreds of millions of dollars overnight spread wildly. Some media even claimed that this mysterious retail investor was the second Buffett and his talent in the financial field was incomparable.
The sun rose again, and John Jackson came to his president’s office. He made a pot of tea comfortably. While waiting for the computer to turn on, he drank his tea happily while thinking about today’s schedule. Suddenly, the office door was pushed open.
The loud bang caused John’s hand to tremble with fright and hot tea poured over him. John jumped up and shouted at Harold Wood who rushed into the office, “B*stard, you scared me. Are you asking to be fired?”
Harold wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a peculiar expression, “President, something has happened.”
John was taken aback. Frowning, he said, “What’s the big deal for you to be so flustered?”
Swallowing a mouthful of spit, Harold could not restrain his excitement. He said in a very complicated tone, “President, you weren’t in the office yesterday so you don’t know about this yet. That big client, Jasper Laine, entered the crude oil futures market with a full position.”
John was stunned for a moment. Ignoring the tea stains on his body, he said in surprise, “Full position? Is he crazy? Did he lose all his money?”
Before Harold could say anything, John frowned and continued, “This kid is overconfident and doesn’t follow the rules and regulations. Sure enough, he’s in deep trouble now. Entering the market at 50 times the leverage and he still took on a full position with such a big risk. It’s over for him.”
“President, it’s not like that.” Harold looked at John and said with a wry smile, “In the wee hours of this morning, 3.1 billion was credited into his account.
“Because of this transaction, our entire county branch’s annual deposit KPI has reached the target. We even set a new record.
“I watched the news on the way to work. On the international front, it’s rumored that a mysterious retail investor made hundreds of millions of dollars in yesterday’s crude oil futures market. This person is the biggest winner of the crude oil market this time.
“It’s in line with the time when Jasper entered the market and the amount of settlement. I’m guessing that the person being discussed in the entire international financial market is him.
“President, that’s 3.1 billion we’re talking about. With a capital of 62 million, he made 3.1 billion in just one day.”
Hearing Harold’s words, John froze in place as if he had been petrified.
Before he could digest the news, the red phone on the desk rang shrilly.
Looking at this red phone that was used for emergency, John swallowed and murmured, “A call from the president’s office of the provincial branch. This bragging right is over the roof. This kid actually pushed John Jackson’s name into the eyes of the president of the provincial branch?!”
Life at the Top Chapter 24
“Send out my instructions. Keep Jasper Laine’s personal information strictly confidential. No one is allowed to disclose it!” John ordered.
He knew very well about Jasper’s current status and position. It would not be a good thing if such a large customer was taken away. Furthermore, any leaked information would cause unnecessary trouble for Jasper as well.
“Yes!”
Harold nodded, understanding what the president meant. He immediately went to carry out the order.
In the year 2000, at this specific timeframe, the business models of most domestic industries were still at a very basic stage.
In this era when stock trading was still new, making billions of dollars in profits from the futures market overnight was simply a myth.
Jasper knew that he could not hold back the news about him making money in the crude oil futures market and that it would cause a sensation, but he did not expect this matter to cause pandemonium.
Online portals and physical newspapers immediately published the news that a mysterious retail investor swept 3.1 billion in the international crude oil futures market overnight. The news exploded in the faces of countless citizens!
Especially because this mysterious retail investor was a domestic citizen!
Everyone’s jaws dropped at this fact.
3.1 billion!
This was a number that made people feel dizzy even when they said it.
At the start of this millennium when someone with an annual income of more than 100,000 was considered to be a rich person, ordinary folks dared not think of such a large number even in their dreams.
Although all forces were trying their best to find out about this person, as a business that aimed to be the first in the universe, Commercial Bank had solid moral integrity. The news was kept under lock and no information about Jasper was leaked.
At present, the news and reports only garnered a quick glance from Jasper. He did not pay much attention to them.
The excitement was over. Right now, Jasper needed to seize every opportunity to make money and use it to arm and strengthen himself. After all, this country was filled with hidden talents and undisclosed prodigies. In front of the real bosses, his capital was insufficient!
Now, he was still at the fundamental development stage.
He was more concerned about the two behemoths worth trillions coming up in the future.
The first was the company that really changed people’s lifestyles. This company had only been established for less than a year, and Ma Yun was still leading his 18 associates to set up his 1688 website in an apartment. There were still three years to go before the establishment of that super website, Taobao.
Although Tencent, another online social giant, had launched QQ and occupied the first position of domestic social software, suffering from the inability to adapt to change, it was still facing difficulties with server fees.
These two companies were definite targets for Jasper to invest in in the future, but the time had not arrived as they were not facing hardships yet. If he entered the market at this point, the successful businesses may not give up too many shares.
Therefore, he needed to bide his time. These two companies had a bright future, but before they started to make profits, they would experience several crises and go on the verge of bankruptcy!
That would be the time when Jasper made his appearance.
According to Jasper’s memory, Alibaba’s difficulties were still a few months away, but Tencent was almost at the brink right now. Within a month… That would be the best timing.
At this time, Jasper, who was nestling at home, recorded all these things and began to plan how to get Tencent into his pocket.
Just after finishing the plan, Jasper’s cell phone rang. It was Wendy.
Life at the Top Chapter 25
“Jasp, you asked me to help you pay attention to the news about the house a few days ago. I heard something today.
“There’s a villa area in the city. It has been more than half a year since its opening, but the sales are very bleak. The developers can’t support it anymore, so they’re doing promotional activities.”
“The villa area in the city? Is it called Thornton Park?” Jasper asked suddenly.
“How do you know?” Wendy asked in surprise.
Of course, Jasper knew about it. In his previous life, the boss of the company he worked for was the owner of Thornton Park.
Thornton Park was indeed a villa area launched by local real estate developers in early 2000. It was mainly targeted at successful entrepreneurs and business owners, but the positioning was too high-end and advanced. As a result, the number of units sold in the two years after the opening did not even exceed 20%.
Later, the developer went bankrupt and the project was taken over by others. It did not take long for the reversal of fortune. Real estate prices across the country ushered in the first wave of the surge, and Thornton Park, which no one cared about or wanted even if it was given practically for free, became the most expensive residence in the city.
Before Jasper was reborn, although the units here were more than 20 years old, they were still not out of date. Real estate prices soared to a terrifying 267,000 per square feet and a villa was worth more than 50 million.
What about the housing prices in Thornton Park now?
800,000 was enough to buy a unit, furnishings included.
It was no different than picking up scraps.
“I’ve heard it before. After all, it’s the number one residence in the city,” Jasper said with a smile. He made an appointment with Wendy and headed straight out.
Sitting in Wendy’s BMW, Jasper felt that buying a car had to be put on the agenda. No matter what, Jasper Laine was already a wealthy billionaire now. How could he still ride in a chick’s car every day?
Thinking of cars, Jasper recalled BYD that had a great development in the future. Although not the best traditional fuel car, the new electric car was really awesome. In this regard, it seemed that it could be deployed in advance.
In this era, there were opportunities to make money everywhere. Jasper was a little worried about not having enough funds on hand.
The amount of 3.1 billion was enough to scare ordinary people to death, but in Jasper’s blueprint, every targeted investment would touch hundreds of billions in the future.
Chatting with Wendy all the way, the two went directly to the sales department of Thornton Park in the bustling area of the city.
Although promotional banners were hung at the door, it was not surprising that this place was very empty.
For later generations, 800,000 for a villa unit was the same as picking scraps, but in an era when the per capita annual income was less than 10,000, few people could afford it.
Entering the sales department, there was not even a person to greet him. Jasper looked up and saw all the sales ladies wandering around with a couple.
The woman was dressed up glamorously, and it could be seen that her features were rather pretty. However, she exuded a coquettish attitude and her posture was pretentious. The person next to her was a middle-aged man in a suit and LV belt buckle, looking like a successful boss.
However, Jasper and Wendy were very young. They were obviously unlikely to be able to afford a unit here. In contrast, the discerning people felt that the success rate on the other side would be higher.
Jasper and Wendy were unperturbed, looking at the mockup model by themselves. At this moment, however, the woman who was acting coy not far away caught a glimpse of Wendy. She froze for a moment before a sneer immediately appeared on her face.
“Wendy Schuler?!”
Not far away, Wendy looked back as the familiar figure caught her eyes. “Janice Little?”
Life at the Top Chapter 26
“I didn’t expect to meet you at this place, Wendy.”
Janice yanked the man beside her and came over to Wendy. She glanced at Jasper beside her and said disdainfully, “Wendy, you do have a special preference. Is he your boyfriend?”
“Dear, who is this lady?”
The man beside Janice looked at Wendy, immediately attracted by her gorgeous looks and vibe.
If it was not for Janice’s presence, he would have gone forth to court her.
“She was the goddess of our university, but after so many years, she’s still the same way, always putting on an act as if she’s very elegant!” Janice hooked her arms around the man’s arm and looked at Wendy proudly.
During their times at university, they were both goddesses of the university. However, regardless of looks or the vibes they gave off, Janice would always lose to Wendy. That led to her having a miserable life in university.
Janice always bore the grudge. She did not expect to bump into her at this place. Besides, Wendy was with a very old-fashioned man. Surely Janice would not miss this opportunity to tease her.
“Wendy, are you here to buy or just to window shop? The price listed here isn’t that cheap. Don’t think you’ll be able to get a cheaper price just because the entrance states there’s a promotion. You’ll need at least 800,000 dollars just for the cheapest unit. I can see that the man beside you isn’t even wearing any branded clothing. Can he afford it?”
Her comments were ear-piercing. Suddenly, everyone’s gaze shifted over to them.
Wendy’s expression was indifferent as she looked at Janice with a cold gaze. Then, she said to Jasper, “Maybe we’ll come back later.”
Wendy was not willing to cause any trouble. Jasper was not willing to witness her being bullied and gave her a gaze of comfort. Then, without bothering Janice, he immediately shouted, “Where’s the saleswoman? I’m buying a unit.”
“Tsk.”
Janice let out a sneer and looked at Jasper scornfully, saying, “Where did this fool come from? Talking about purchasing houses the moment he starts talking? Do you think you can afford to buy the houses here?
“I’m very aware of the thinking you men have. You shouldn’t put on an act and do irrational things in front of a pretty girl. You should do things that suit your status. Judging from your outfit that’s not even branded, you still dare to purchase a house?”
Wendy whispered to Jasper when she heard Janice’s endless sneering, “Jasp, she’s my coursemate from university, but I’ve never offended her. Even so, she’s always hostile toward me. She never treats me well. Why don’t we come again at another time?”
Jasper understood her statement immediately. The lady with the name Janice had a nice appearance, but with just one glance at her, he knew she was a playgirl. A woman like her would only have her looks as her weapon.
On the other hand, Wendy could easily win her so it was pretty normal for Janice to develop a sense of jealousy against her.
After giving Wendy a look of comfort, Jasper said calmly, “So you think one can only be rich if they’re wearing branded clothing? Then, your mindset is quite shallow.”
“Haha.”
Janice burst into laughter. “Just admit that you’re poor, why bother smooth-talking? You can’t even afford to buy valuable clothing. Why bother talking sense to me? I’ve bumped into lots of poor guys like you who have no abilities but still enjoy talking big.”
While Janice was laughing coldly, the man beside her let out a cough. Then, he said with squinted eyes, “Nice to meet you, miss. I’m Dickson Newton. I own a lighting shop. According to this year’s record, its value would be tens of millions. Say, why don’t we be friends?”
Wendy was disgusted when she saw the revolting middle-aged man before her. She turned around to face Jasper, not even wanting to talk to him.
This made Dickson ashamed. Suddenly, he had an awful expression on his face and snorted. She said to the saleswoman beside him, “Initially, I thought of purchasing a villa unit from you all for my darling to stay in.
“But these two people have made me frustrated. Can you please chase them out? But this pretty lady can stay back.”
The saleswomen exchanged terrified looks and felt troubled.
Life at the Top Chapter 27
Dickson looked at Wendy with a perverted look, and this made Janice feel hateful that she started gritting her teeth. She quickly got herself involved and held onto Dickson’s arm, saying, “You naughty, I’m right here and you’re flirting with another woman.”
Dickson burst into laughter. He raised his palm and slapped Janice’s butt, saying, “Don’t worry, the one I love most is definitely you.”
As he was saying, Dickson glanced at Jasper coldly before snorting. “Hey scumbag, didn’t you hear me asking you to leave? Why are you still standing here?
“And you bunch of saleswomen, are you all deaf? Or do you all think that this scumbag can afford to buy a house here? Let me tell you all, if you guys don’t chase him out, I’m not going to buy!”
Dickson’s comment made one of the saleswomen, who was slightly older and seemed to be the leader, grit her teeth.
“Sir, as you’ve seen, we’re currently quite busy. We can’t entertain you, so please leave.”
Her comment had portrayed their attitude.
Dickson and Janice smiled proudly.
Janice covered her mouth and smiled while saying, “Hey, he’s really bringing shame to his family for being chased out by others!”
“Wendy, you get it now, right?! Ladies should look for a powerful man to rely on. What can a poor guy possibly give you? He’ll only make you get chased out the place like a dog.”
Janice smiled coldly as she said evilly, “Since university, you liked to act all prestigious. Whenever I see your behavior, it just makes me want to puke. Who are you trying to show off to? In fact, you might be way hornier than I think.”
“Shut your terrible mouth!”
A sudden roar made Janice fumble out of terror.
She spun around and noticed that it was Jasper. Janice suddenly shouted with a stern voice, “Who are you to be roaring at me? Do you believe I’ll cause you lots of trouble?”
“I dare you. Let’s see whether it’ll be me who’s going to cause you trouble first of the other way around.”
Jasper’s eyes were glittering coldly. This woman was obviously challenging his limits by humiliating Wendy right in front of him.
“Hey brat, you’re quite arrogant!” Dickson smiled coldly and said in an unpleasant tone.
Coincidentally, at this critical moment, two men came out from the office of the sales department.
“President Jackson, we’ll have to trouble you with our company’s loan. Please take good care of it, or else our company will not be able to continue.”
The manager of the real estate company said to John respectfully and was trying to be on good terms with him.
John remained composed and said politely, “Don’t worry too much, Manager Jones. I know your company’s ability well. However, I’m not the one to decide on the loan. It still requires investigation, so… Hey?! Mr. Laine, you’re here as well?!”
John blurted the last comment after he saw Jasper at the entrance.
Initially, John would only greet Jasper casually, but after finding out about the great events Jasper was involved with last night, John could no longer greet him casually. After all, he was facing the man who now had a net worth of 3.1 billion and was one of the country’s top ten super-rich men.
They saw John calling out to Jasper and coming over with a delightful expression. John even bent slightly with a respectful behavior.
Manager Jones was dumbfounded. The saleswomen were dumbfounded. Janice and Dickson were dumbfounded as well.
Only Wendy put on a cold expression and stared at the group of people with a pitiful look in her eyes.
Life at the Top Chapter 28
Dickson knew about John Jackson. After all, his company’s loan was under Commercial Bank. There were a few occasions when he wanted to get to know this powerful president, but John never spared him any dignity. He did not even have a chance to enter his office.
However, currently looking at John’s action of trying to get on the other party’s good terms made the corners of Dickson’s mouth twitch. He found that behavior and expression rather familiar. That was the lowly expression he made when facing John.
“Mr. Jackson.”
Jasper was astonished as well to meet John here and shook his hand with a smile.
“Mr. Laine, you’re here to buy houses?” John asked.
Jasper nodded and looked at the crowd, saying in a way that seemed calm, “That’s right! Initially, I thought of having a look at the houses and if there’s a suitable one, I’d buy. But the service here has let me down. Just because of two people, they want to chase me out. So, here I am, about to leave this place.”
His comment may have sounded calm, but in fact, there was a dark side to it.
The manager of the real estate company had nearly gotten down on his knees and acknowledged John as his father just to get the loan. As for Dickson, he did not even have the chance to get to know John.
Meanwhile, John was acting respectfully and cautiously before Jasper.
From this obvious scenario, it was evident who was more superior.
Manager Jones of the real estate company was a reasonable man. Seeing that John was about to get infuriated, he immediately dropped to his knees before Jasper with his heart pumping hard. He bent down and bowed in apology. Every gesture was accomplished in a split second.
“Mr. Laine, it’s really our fault for not providing proper hospitality. I’ll fire all these saleswomen. Besides, from now onward, I’ll personally provide my service to you. I’ll give you the best discount and promotion to show you our sincere apology.”
‘He’s a splendid person.’
Jasper looked at him with a smile, but obviously, Manager Jones misunderstood him. After thinking a while, he turned around and roared at Dickson and Janice. “The sales department is serving an honorable client. We’ll be closed for the time being. You two, please make a move!”
‘Yeah, he’s indeed a brilliant person!’
This time, even Wendy thought so as well.
Dickson and Janice finally experienced what utter awkwardness felt like.
The tables were flipped following Jasper’s comment.
Earlier, they were the ones ordering others to chase Jasper and Wendy out, but currently, they became an eyesore that was being chased out of the scene…
Dickson’s face went scarlet. His head was drenched with sweat as he wondered whether he should stay or not.
As for Janice, she was so terrified that her face went pale. She dared not speak a word and only stared at Jasper, finding it hard to believe.
With the intelligence she had, she would never comprehend what Jasper had that would make John want to get on his good terms. With just a word, he could revert the situation to favor him.
‘This brat isn’t just a poor guy?
‘Could it be that all these people are blind?’
Manager Jones got angry when he saw the two people refusing to leave. He did not know about Jasper’s identity. However, he knew that those who could make John behave so politely and respectfully were those he could not afford to offend.
‘Maybe he’s a second-generation son from a big family who has come out on his own to try and have an ordinary life.’
Aside from other issues earlier, if he had reacted any slower, John would have started questioning him. At that time, not just his loan would be in trouble, but whether he could continue being a manager would be questionable too.
He was able to figure out the main problem with just only a tiny detail. That was the reason Jasper thought that Manager Jones was a splendid person.
Just when Manager Jones was about to call the security guards to chase them out, Jasper spoke.
“Forget it. If they’re willing to stand here, then so be it. You’re here to run your business, after all. Each of you will just have to carry out your respective task.”
After speaking, Jasper brought Wendy aside and sat on the sofa in the client room.
John and Manager Jones immediately followed them. The bunch of saleswomen who were getting fired had pitiful looks on their faces. They all glared at both Dickson and Janice. They would never serve them.
Despite not being chased out anymore, both Dickson and Janice felt even more suffering.
“That poor brat is obviously trying to make us look bad!” Janice was so mad that she gritted her teeth. “Dickson, let’s go back first. Later, we’ll think of a way to get our revenge.”
Janice was a fool, but Dickson was not. Even though standing there was more humiliating than walking away, he knew that he should not leave just yet.
Life at the Top Chapter 29
Dickson glared at Janice, who was the cause of the entire havoc, and said coldly, “You’d better shut your crap. If he plans to deal with me later on, I’ll be in trouble. For now, we’ll watch right here. Besides, I’ll be able to prepare myself if I know how powerful he is!”
Dickson, who just blurted the comment, heard Jasper saying his first words from the sofa of the nearby client room.
“The houses look not bad, and the price is cheap. I’m planning to buy all of it.”
Those few simple words echoed like thunderbolts in the quiet sales department.
Everyone, including John, wore an astonished expression while looking at Jasper.
People who always put on an act were those who liked to show off, but this time, Jasper did not plan to put on an act. These houses had the potential of rising in market value by ten times in the future. Whoever purchased one would earn from it. He would not miss this opportunity as just one villa less would mean losing tens of millions of profit.
However, it was always because of that reason that Jasper was like a fool who attracted everyone’s attention.
Seeing the flustered looks on Manager Jones and John’s face, Jasper knew that his comment might have frightened everyone. He said with a smile, “I’m sincerely planning to buy them all. Manager Jones, you won’t think that I’m cracking a joke, right?”
‘F*ck you, this is rubbish!
‘One villa costs 800,000 and even though it’s almost close to its cost price, you’re now claiming that you want to buy all of them? Isn’t this a joke?
‘This is a villa!
‘One of them costs 800,000!
‘These aren’t those vegetables selling at 80 cents by the roadside!
‘Vegetables that you don’t eat can still be used to feed the pigs, but why on earth would you purchase so many villas?
‘To be the landlord?’
Manager Jones was cursing frantically internally.
Of course, he would not know that Jasper really planned on becoming a landlord.
He would own one while his parents would stay in another one. In the future, he would spare a few units to build offices, make them into hostels, and even use them as temporary offices. As for the remaining, he would rent all of it. When the prices rose, he would build a big office building and sell it off. That would allow him to earn a ton from it.
“Well, Mr. Laine, all this while, we’ve never done such a huge transaction on our houses. For now, there are still 24 units of villas that are empty. This is quite a huge number,” Manager Jones said cautiously. Every word he said was done after thorough consideration, fearing he might offend Jasper.
However, what he was trying to convey was pretty obvious. There were 24 units of villas that were empty and purchasing all of them would be impossible.
Jasper frowned.
Just when everyone let out a sigh of relief, he said another shocking comment.
“Only 24 units? It’s quite little, but it’s better than none.”
Jasper thought that there would be at least 30 units, but he did not expect there to only be 24 units left. However, he did not mind. At most, he would only end up earning less.
At that moment, John could make out that Jasper was not joking and really intended to purchase all the villas.
Of course, he was aware that Jasper had the ability to do so. Currently, Jasper’s account had 3.1 billion cash in it. Buying all these houses would not be a difficult thing for him.
“Mr. Jones, my friend has already spoken and he’s really going to buy them. The loan on the houses of your real estate company is about to reach its limit. Now with such huge business in front of you, why don’t you hurry up and propose a better price?”
John reminded him from the side.
Since John had spoken up, there would be no more reason for Manager Jones to hesitate. Regardless of Jasper’s intention in purchasing those houses, as long as he could earn back his cash, he would not be bothered by anything else.
“I can give Mr. Laine another 10% discount from the 800,000 price. This will be its cost value,” Manager Jones said through his gritted teeth.
As soon as he finished speaking, a card was thrown on the coffee table between the two men.
“Sign the contract,” said Jasper simply.
Manager Jones was dumbfounded once again.
‘He… He really takes buying villas as if he’s buying vegetables?’
Life at the Top Chapter 30
‘Just a sentence or two and the deal’s sealed?’
Manager Jones was dumbfounded.
After snapping out, he was feeling thrilled. After the end of drafting the agreement, both parties signed and chopped. It was acknowledged! Then, Jasper immediately transferred the 17.28 million into the company’s account. This made Manager Jones so touched that he could feel the heat in his eyes from the tears.
His company’s financial flow had been about to break. If he had failed to get a loan or failed to sell any houses, the company would need to officially announce bankruptcy. However, currently, all the problems have been settled!
Even though he did not earn much, at least he managed to sell off all the houses at Thornton Park.
“Mr. Laine, you really are my life savior!” Mr. Jones grasped Jasper’s hand and said, feeling moved.
Even though John, who was standing aside, was just an observer, he was envious as well. He thought of his annual salary of more than 200,000 dollars. Even though the amount was way larger than any ordinary people’s salary, when compared to Jasper’s money, it seemed so trivial.
Jasper was feeling quite pleased when he got to earn other people’s income while being regarded as a savior.
Although these houses had the potential to have their market value skyrocket in the future, the real estate company would not be able to withstand it until that time came. In history, their company went bankrupt after half a year. This time, Jasper was considered to have saved them.
Hence, Jasper was just doing what he thought was right with no stress.
At that moment, Dickson and Janice who witnessed everything were astonished to the point where they could not speak a word.
Jasper brought Wendy to the entrance. He looked at the branded clothes Dickson and Janice were wearing before saying with a faint smile, “It seems that relying on branded items to show one’s status is not worth anything.”
After speaking, Jasper immediately left the scene without looking at the pale looks on them both.
“You don’t have to see me off, Mr. Jackson. We’ll be taking our leave now.”
Standing beside the BMW, Jasper smiled at John and said.
John said with a sigh, “Mr. Laine, about last night’s crude oil futures—”
“It was me.” Jasper immediately admitted to it.
Hearing Jasper admitting it personally made John’s expression change drastically.
Even though there was enough evidence, hearing it from Jasper himself still made John find it hard to believe.
“Splendid,” said John sincerely.
“It’s just luck,” said Jasper.
John shook his head and said, “Earning 10,000 or 20,000 is luck, but to earn… that much, it’s way beyond luck. You must not know about it, but this morning, the president of the district branch gave me a call and praised me. These blessings are all thanks to you.”
“Brother, you have the abilities. It’s just a matter of time before you get promoted,” said Jasper with a smile.
“I still have to depend on the help from great people, and that person is you,” John said seriously.
When saying that comment, John felt a pang of guiltiness.
In the days before yesterday, they were both of equal ranking. However, Jasper had now become the country’s number one richest man. John, as the president of the district branch, really got to know someone influential this time.
“Let’s make this clear. We’re both using each other for gains. There are many things I still have to thank you for for helping me out,” said Jasper with a smile and without the domineering vibe that John was worried about.
As someone in such a sensitive position, John had seen plenty of people acting all mighty once they managed to become rich overnight. Whoever they saw, they would act arrogantly, but Jasper was like his usual self and was never proud.
John, who was praising Jasper from the bottom of his heart, chatted with Jasper for a while more. Then, he personally saw him entering the car and left.
Looking at the car, John shook his head and said in an envious tone, “It’s damn good to have money! I’m absolutely envious!”