Ch. 251..260

Life at the Top Chapter 251

Jasper remained calm as he tapped Wendy on the arm, signaling for her to calm down.

“I’ll take care of these two,” Jasper said.

Wendy nodded and said angrily, “Jasp, you must teach them a lesson this time.”

“Teach them a lesson?”

Jasper smiled as he said slowly, “I’ve already taught them a lesson, but it seems that they aren’t in touch with reality yet. Lessons… aren’t enough for people like them.”

Jasper was smiling, but Wendy, who knew him like the back of her hand, knew he was furious.

Wendy knew Jasper was this angry because Mark had malicious intentions toward her. Her heart glowed with the warmth of that knowledge.

“I’m going to have to trouble you with something.”

Jasper said to Julian, “Call them and tell them that your plan has succeeded.”

Julian did not understand what was going on, but he could sense the iciness hidden within the calm expression on Jasper’s face.

Without asking more questions, he nodded and took his phone out to make the call.

…

In a restaurant near Marriott Hotel.

Mark and Steve smoked on cigarettes as they stared at the silent phone on the table, panic building within them.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

Steve immediately answered the phone.

A while later, he hung up and smiled broadly at Mark. “Young Master Zion, it’s done.”

Mark stood and suppressed his excitement as he asked, “Really?”

Steve nodded and said, “That was Julian on the phone. He told me that he has successfully taken control of Jasper and Wendy. All we need now is for you to grace them with your presence, Young Master Zion.”

Mark laughed uproariously as he clapped Steve on the back gleefully. “Not bad! I’ll remember your contributions in this matter!”

Steve laughed with him as he said sinisterly, “I wonder how wild Jasper and Wendy will be this time.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get the chance to humiliate Jasper. I’ll make him lie on the floor and watch me have fun with Wendy,” Mark guffawed as he said.

The two excited men hurriedly stood up and set out toward Marriott Hotel.

Within ten minutes, Mark had brought Steve to the door of the suite.

Mark could not conceal the delighted grin on his face as he knocked on the door.

Just today, Jasper had slapped him and forced him to crawl out of the room. Now, he was back!

Everything had come to a full circle. Now, he was going to step on Jasper’s face and ask him who was the actual winner!

As for Wendy Schuler, she could pretend to be high and mighty all she liked. He would see if she could continue maintaining that aristocratic persona of hers after he ripped her clothes off!

Her screams must be music to the ears!

Mark’s face turned red from excitement as he imagined the scene. He could not wait.

The door soon opened.

Julian was standing behind the door.

“Hahaha, good one, Julian. I admire you!” Mark laughed as he spoke to Julian.

Then, he pushed the door open to enter.

Steve followed behind him.

Julian watched them enter the room before he calmly closed the door and locked it.

Mark and Steve must not have noticed that in their excitement.

The minute he entered the room, Mark roared with laughter as he yelled, “Jasper Laine, you didn’t expect this, did you? I’m back! I can do anything I want to you in Brac County! It’s too late to be sorry now…

“Jasper… you…”

Mark realized that Jasper was sitting comfortably on the couch when he strode into the room.

He forgot what he was about to say.

Silence took the place of his arrogant, smug voice as if someone had wrapped their hands around his throat.

Jasper swirled the glass of red wine he was holding and raised it at Mark and Steve, who were shocked to their cores as he smiled.

He looked calm and elegant.

“Young Master Zion, are you surprised?”

Life at the Top Chapter 252

Mark and Steve felt as if they were going crazy.

Their elation fell from the heights of heaven to the pits of hell the minute they saw Jasper… They did not know what to do.

They really did not know what to do.

In their imagination, Jasper had been lying in a pool of blood, ready to either hurl curses or get on his knees and beg when he saw them.

No matter what, he should not be sitting on the couch in one piece and sipping on red wine, looking as if he was awaiting their arrival?!

Who was the mastermind in their elaborately planned scheme?

Steve began sweating profusely as he panicked.

Mark’s lips trembled as the sparkle left his eyes.

Instinctively, the two looked at Julian together.

Julian had a calm expression on his face as he walked toward the couch Jasper was sitting on. He stood at attention.

An answer that Mark was reluctant to accept surfaced in his mind as he looked at Julian, who stared back with an indifferent expression.

They had been betrayed by Julian!

“Julian Lager, you dare betray me!?” Steve stared at Julian in shock and roared in anger after understanding what was going on.

Julian did not answer, acting as if he had not heard anything.

Mark was so angry that he turned and slapped Steve. Gritting his teeth, he said, “This is the reliable person you found!? A f*cking backstabber!?”

Steve was shocked by Mark’s slap.

He turned his head to the other side, afraid to meet Mark’s furious expression. His entire being had been consumed by feelings of fear and trepidation.

Where had his smugness vanished to now?

Jasper inclined his head and downed the rest of the wine before he gently placed the glass on the side table.

“I suppose that’s all you have?”

When he heard Jasper, Mark took a deep breath and shuddered as he said, “Jasper… No, Brother Laine, this is all that idiot Steve Quare’s fault. He’s the one who coerced me into this. I never wanted to seek revenge against you. He was also the one who got in contact with Julian!

“Brother Laine, please forgive me.”

Mark had not imagined this would happen. His father had wanted him to apologize, and indeed he had come over to apologize earlier.

However, he had been angered by the humiliation and thus orchestrated this plan.

He did not dare imagine what would happen when his family learned of this accident that would undoubtedly affect his family’s shipyard.

Thus, Mark decided to grovel first. No matter what, he would sell out Steve first. What was important was soothing Jasper’s temper.

Steve could not believe that Mark was selling him out. He said furiously, “Mark Zion, you were the one who contacted me in the first place to help you find—”

He had not finished speaking when Mark, who was beside him, kicked him aside and roared angrily, “Would I be in this mess if it weren’t for you? F*cking shut your trap!”

“Enough.”

Jasper’s voice rang out, stopping the two from ripping each other to shreds any further.

“Young Master Zion, we’re all adults here. Don’t treat the other party like an idiot. Wouldn’t it be nice to just let things go?”

Then, Jasper’s gaze landed on Steve, who had a hurt and furious expression on his face. He chuckled as he said, “Steve Quare is a lapdog at best. Would he have the guts to do something like this?”

Mark calmed down after hearing that. He took a deep breath and gazed intently at Jasper as he asked, “What do you want?”

“What do I want?” Jasper’s tone was light and playful as if he was talking to a friend.

However, in the blink of an eye, Jasper had grabbed the wine glass on the table and smashed it on Mark’s head.

The glass shattered into countless tiny pieces with a crash.

Life at the Top Chapter 253

Mark yelled out in pain as he stumbled backward with his head in his hands. Blood oozed out between his fingers.

Jasper took a napkin and carefully cleaned the stains on his fingers. The gaze he directed at Mark and Steve was impossibly cold.

“It’s normal that you want to attack me, but we only look at a man’s power.

“If I lost, that means my ability isn’t up to par. Then I should surrender myself to you.

“However, that means you should do the same if you’ve lost.

“You should have never, ever, directed any of your filthy thoughts toward my woman.”

Mark felt his head throbbing and spinning as he raised it to look at Jasper. At that moment, he did not bother taking any more chances and decided he might as well say while grinning evilly, “Shut the f*ck up with your bullsh*t! Of course, you’re in the right when you’ve won!

“Kill me if you can!

“But do you dare to?

“Do you really f*cking dare kill me?

“You’ll have to pay a life with a life if you kill me!

“I’m the sole heir to the Zion family. You dare kill me while you’re in Brac County?”

Jasper laughed as he looked at Mark who still insisted on having the last say even when there was no chance of escape for him.

“I love seeing how emboldened you are. To you, your family losing its power would be much more painful than dying, wouldn’t it?

“If I can cause the Zion family’s shipbuilding company to go out of business, I can treat the entire Zion family as my playthings. When that happens, you, Mark Zion, will be worth even less than a b*tch in Brac County.”

Jasper patted Mark on the cheek and chuckled while saying, “You’ve made quite a number of enemies in Brac County over the years, haven’t you? Many would like to kill you even more than I do. Why would I dirty my hands with your blood?”

Mark’s pupils dilated when he heard that. He screamed, “It was you who contacted Harbor City and not Dawson Schuler?! You were behind all this?!

“Who the f*ck are you?!

“What the hell do you want?!”

Mark had flown into a state of genuine panic.

It was because he had realized that the actual mastermind behind this since the start was Jasper Laine, someone he had never paid attention to.

This had all been masterminded by Jasper.

How else could Julian’s betrayal be explained?

How else could Jasper’s calmness be explained?

However… How was that possible?

Was he not a poor b*tch? Where did he gain the power to influence the tycoons of Harbor City?

Fear washed over Mark as he thought about that. He suddenly realized that Jasper was filled with secrets and power.

Perhaps he could actually do what he claimed and sabotage the entire Zion family.

Mark did not dare imagine what would happen to him, who had made countless enemies in Brac County over the years, if that happened.

It would be an attack on the enemy while they were down!

Jasper smiled slightly. “I’ll give you another chance. Call your dad and get him to come to talk to me.”

The corners of Mark’s mouth twitched slightly with both fear and disbelief.

He could not think of any reason why Jasper would do that.

However, he understood that the situation was out of his control now. No matter what, he had to make that phone call.

Mark got out his phone with difficulty and dialed his dad’s number.

Jasper walked toward Steve and asked calmly, “How would you like to die?”

Life at the Top Chapter 254

Steve shuddered when he heard what Jasper said.

He had realized something just by listening to Mark speak.

Which was that Jasper had used some sort of method to cause not only Mark but the entire Zion family to suffer extreme losses.

Then, he remembered when he met Mark today. Mark had a handprint on his face and was so furious that he could not wait to swallow Jasper whole…

Steve realized that he was in deep trouble now.

He did not have a background as powerful as Mark’s. His family could not even be called a prestigious family. It was just that his family’s company had the slightest bit of fame and fortune in Brac County…

With this little capital, how could he fight against Jasper who could cause the Zion family to suffer extreme losses?

“Jasper, we were classmates… We were high school classmates for three whole years. You’ll keep that in mind, won’t you?

“I know I’ve made a mistake. How about I kneel to you? I’ll get on my knees and beg for forgiveness!”

As he spoke, Steve fell to his knees and slapped himself without hesitation in front of Jasper.

Steve poured all his efforts into trying to live, slapping himself loudly each time. Within minutes, his cheeks had turned red and swollen.

Jasper narrowed his eyes as he stared at Steve who looked as red as a roasted pig.

To him, Mark was nothing more than a worthless rich kid who was spoiled. He had neither the guts nor brains to be useful to him.

However, Steve was different. He was more intelligent than he seemed and was much eviler. Steve was the one who had instructed Julian on what to do today.

If that had not been enough, Steve could even grovel in the blink of an eye when plans failed. Even a casual onlooker could feel the pain from his slaps.

However, that did not mean Steve was easier to deal with than Mark.

They were the truly poisonous ones. If you did not kill them now, they would cause you more trouble in the future.

Jasper watched quietly as Steve slapped himself repeatedly. He made no action to stop Steve, nor did he say a single word.

Soon, Steve had slapped himself so much that he began seeing stars in his vision. His cheeks were numb, and blood oozed from the corners of his mouth.

When he finally lost the strength in his arms to continue hitting himself, he said to Jasper, “Please forgive me. I swear that I’ll be a decent person in the future. I won’t cause you any more trouble.”

Jasper smiled slightly. It seemed as if he was going to forgive him.

Then, Jasper pulled out his phone just as Steve allowed a flare of hope to ignite in his heart.

He called Xavier Johnson who answered the phone swiftly.

“How do you do, Mr. Laine?” Xavier sounded both confused and respectful.

“Do you dare become the lord of Brac County’s building materials industry tonight?”

Xavier sat upright in bed when he heard what Jasper said. His breathing became quick and labored.

“Yes!” Xavier said in a low voice.

“Alright, spread the news then. Once done, contact the suppliers that you’ve been in touch with and arrange a meeting with them at Future Industries to settle previous payments.”

Xavier’s heart thumped as he asked, “Mr. Laine, has something changed?”

Jasper turned to look at Steve who had a confused and terrified expression on his face. “Steve Quare is beside me.”

That one short sentence was enough for Xavier to realize that something sensitive and sinister was going on. He repressed his curiosity as he said, “I’ll get to it immediately. I’ll give you my word that the front doors of Future Industries will soon be filled with people looking for payment.”

Jasper smiled and asked, “You’re in the building materials industry. Your cash flow is supported by default payments and bank loans, right?”

Xavier nodded and said, “Yes. We usually pay a settlement of 40% and then pay the rest of the money periodically. That accounts for half of our cash flow. Bank loans support the other half.”

Life at the Top Chapter 255

“Do what you’re supposed to do. Tomorrow, no bank in Brac County will issue a loan to Future Industries, and they’ll start demanding payments for loans that have already been made.”

When Jasper finished speaking, he did not wait for Xavier’s surprised reply before hanging up the phone.

At that moment, Steve felt the top of his head go numb as he stared at Jasper.

Jasper was going to kill his entire family!

“What… What are you doing?! Who did you call?!” Steve’s voice shook while he asked his questions.

“Who would most enjoy seeing Future Industries fail in the entire Brac County?” Jasper asked calmly.

Steve shuddered as he roared, “What the f*ck do you want to do?!”

Jasper ignored Steve.

It was because Harvey Zion had arrived.

Harvey had been discussing tactics with his brothers when Mark called him.

All orders for their shipbuilding company had been canceled, and Harbor City refused to give them a chance for a discussion. Harvey could not have kept it a secret from them even if he tried.

Relationships were a complex thing within a family business. Harvey might be the head of the family, but he was not yet at the stage where he could control everything.

He was furious when he heard that Mark, whom he had asked to apologize, did not bear good news. Rather, he was now being held captive at a hotel.

In his opinion, JW Real Estate was showing no respect for the Zion family at all.

The Zion family might be at fault here, but they were still one of the tyrants of Brac County. If JW Real Estate was so aggressive that they not only refused to accept their apology but even captured one of his people, would that not be a loud slap to the face?

Thus, Harvey immediately left with two of his best bodyguards.

When he arrived at the hotel room, Harvey immediately spotted Mark who had his hands wrapped around his bleeding head. He also saw Steve whose face had swollen to twice its size as he knelt before Jasper. His eyes narrowed.

“You’re Jasper Laine?” Harvey asked quietly.

Jasper replied calmly, “You’re the head of the Zion family?”

Harvey huffed, not thinking of Jasper as someone important. He said, “Where’s Dawson Schuler? I want to speak to him. Does he think I would negotiate with any runty scamps he sends my way?”

Jasper shook his head. “Negotiate? I think you’ve made a mistake.

“Besides, we don’t need to trouble him with matters like this. I can take care of it myself.”

Harvey scoffed angrily. “Dawson is too arrogant for his own good. He should know his place as the richest man in the province and me as the tyrant of Brac County. Does he really think the Zion family will sit back on their laurels as he bullies us?!”

“Dad!”

Mark yelled out desperately as he tried to tell Harvey that Jasper was the mastermind behind everything.

However, Harvey frowned and interrupted his son when he saw the state Mark was in. “Stop talking. I’ll take you to the hospital now.”

As he spoke, he got ready to take Mark with him.

Jasper’s low voice rang out. “Who dares leave this room without my permission?”

Julian, who had been standing behind him, stepped forth. He roared as he cracked his knuckles, which sounded more like he was popping corn. It caused goosebumps to appear on one’s flesh.

The expressions on the faces of the two bodyguards Harvey had brought along stiffened as they stood in front of their boss. “Boss, this is not someone we can mess with.”

Harvey had a furious expression on his face.

This was the first time he had been threatened in Brac County!

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“Dad, this was all Jasper’s doing!

“He was the one who contacted the people at Harbor City!

“We’ve all been fooled by him!”

Jasper finally found an opportunity to yell out desperately.

He sounded miserable. It was as if he had finally gotten the chance to bed a beautiful woman but it turned out she had a thicker schlong than him.

Harvey’s eyes widened after hearing that. He stared at Jasper in disbelief.

The expression on his face and the look in his eyes looked identical to the one Mark showed just moments ago.

Then, Harvey laughed.

“Not bad. I’ve been making my way around Brac County for more than 20 years, but this is the first time I’ve had a youngster run circles around me.

“You’re Jasper Laine, aren’t you? Well done. That was wonderfully executed.”

Harvey pushed his bodyguards aside and stared straight into Jasper’s eyes as he said calmly, “You’ve proven yourself by being able to deceive me at this age. Tell me, what do you want?”

Jasper stood behind the couch, using it to rest his arms. He seemed to be smiling as he stared at Harvey and said coolly, “So, you think I’m doing all this to prove my worth to you?”

Harvey’s face fell as he said, “Young man, you were still in your mother’s womb when I took charge of the Zion family’s business. It’s worth more than ten billion dollars! I would advise you not to get too snooty.”

“Is ten billion a lot?” Jasper asked calmly.

Harvey was angry now. In a cold voice, he said, “Don’t be too arrogant. Not even Dawson would speak like that to me.”

“That means you’re not on that level yet. You might think you’re in high society, but those actually in it can’t even be bothered to look at you,” Jasper said playfully as he shrugged.

“The larger the crowd, the higher the number of idiots. You’re one of those idiots. Do you think you’re royalty after making a name for yourself in Brac County, which was just a municipality a while ago?”

Harvey’s expression stiffened as he listened to Jasper speak. He roared, “The audacity! And who do you think you are? God?!”

Jasper smiled as he pointed at Mark. “I’m not God, but your son is.”

Mark’s face turned as white as a sheet when he remembered he had uttered those words before Jasper.

Standing in front of the father and son, Jasper took out his phone once again.

Harvey and Mark had a somber expression on their faces when they saw Jasper do that. Steve was so afraid that he shuddered.

Mere moments ago, Jasper had used his phone to make a call that would cause his family’s business, Future Industries, to suffer from extermination.

What was he going to do with his phone now?

Was he going to piss all over the Zion family?

Steve shuddered, his eyes wide with fear.

Jasper dialed Dawson’s number.

Soon, Dawson’s sleepy voice rang out across the line.

“Jasper, what’s the matter?”

Jasper smiled as he said, “I’ve made matters clear on my end. You can begin exerting pressure from the province, Uncle Schuler. I’ve already dealt with the Zion family’s shipyard. You can ask your friends from other industries for help.”

Dawson grabbed his glasses from the bedside table and walked toward the study.

He did not ask for a reason, nor did he ask for details about the Zion family. He simply answered, “Alright.”

One word was enough.

Schuler Group had recently been transitioning into the real estate industry and causing economic growth. Thus, they were extremely important to both the provincial and city government.

As Schuler Group’s fame and power rose, so did the number of people who wanted to curry favors with them.

Thus, Dawson could not care less about who the Zion family was. If Jasper said they were to be defeated, he would make use of his resources to ensure that was done.

After Jasper hung up, he looked at Harvey whose eyes were glinting despite the stony expression on his face. He said calmly, “You were right about one thing.”

Both Harvey and Mark looked at him.

“If I did the math correctly, I was indeed still swimming in my mother’s womb when you took over the Zion family’s business.”

Then, Jasper shrugged and walked over to Harvey from the couch. He still had a calm smile on his face.

“However, now that I’m out of my mom’s womb, I’m in such a high position that you wouldn’t be able to see it even if you incline your head and stand on your tiptoes.

“Meanwhile, you’re still rolling around in your business that’s worth a measly billions of dollars.”

Jasper’s words stung Harvey as much as if he had been slapped.

It felt as if a layer of his flesh had been scraped off his face.

Just then, the ear-piercing sound of a phone ringing echoed.

It was Steve’s phone.

He felt terrified beyond measure as he answered the call.

His father roared furiously on the other end of the line.

“Where are you?! Hurry back! All our suppliers are demanding payment right now!

“And you’re still loitering?! Get your ass back right now!”

Steve’s lips trembled as he said, nearly on the verge of tears, “Dad, we’re done for. We’re all done for.”

The furious man was stunned for a moment before he said through heavy breaths, “What do you mean?”

Steve lay paralyzed on the floor, his eyes vacant as he stared at Jasper and said, “It’s not just us. The Zion family is done for as well.”

As if it had been a signal, Harvey’s phone rang as well.

Harvey answered the phone with great difficulty.

His brother, whom he had posted at Ambition Corporation as a spy, was on the other end of the line.

“Brother, they know who I am. Xavier Johnson’s men are on the hunt for me now. Brother, what should I do?

“I just went home, and the entire family is in chaos. All our partners want to dissolute their contracts with us!

“What’s going on!?”

Amidst the chaos, Harvey lost the strength in his arms. As his phone fell to the ground, he could still hear his brother’s desperate voice.

Harvey shuddered and stared at Jasper with wide eyes. “Who the f*ck are you?!”

“Jasper Laine. J for Julius, L for Lord.”

Jasper relayed this coolly to Harvey before he placed his hands behind his back and left the room.

Julian was right behind Jasper. He did not give the room a second glance as he walked after Jasper.

Mark was as white as a sheet as he stared at Harvey, who had a hideous expression on his face. He asked nervously, “Dad, what should we do?”

Life at the Top Chapter 257

Harvey’s face turned a bright shade of red as he curled his hands into fists and roared like a wounded animal.

“What should we do? How am I supposed to know that?!”

Harvey glared at Mark before he raised a hand to give Mark a resounding slap across the face.

“I asked you to come to apologize. Is this how you apologize?! Huh?!”

As Harvey bellowed, his vision went black and he nearly collapsed onto the ground.

In the end, he gritted his teeth and said, “The Zion family will preserve whatever power it can. As for the rest… we’ll talk about them in the future!”

…

Jasper had gotten himself another room to work in so that he would not interrupt Wendy’s sleep.

When Jasper returned with Julian, he found Wendy curled up lazily on the couch and watching television.

“Done?” Wendy asked.

“Yes.” Jasper nodded and asked gently, “Aren’t you going to bed yet?”

“I was waiting for you,” Wendy answered in a matter-of-fact tone.

Laughing softly, Jasper said, “It was a success. We should be able to move the project forward tomorrow.”

“How are you planning to get rid of the Zion family?” Wendy asked curiously.

Jasper thought for a moment. The Zion family owned several businesses, but only the shipyard was worth something. He did not have his eyes set on anything else either.

“I’ll have Mr. Lambert deal with it tomorrow,” Jasper answered.

Wendy nodded and looked at Julian who was standing wordlessly at the door. She called out to him, “You’re Julian, right?”

Julian, who rarely talked to strangers, let alone beautiful women like Wendy, was startled. He nodded.

His expression was one of surprise and bewilderment.

Wendy giggled, her liking toward the large, down-to-earth guy increasing.

“You can be Jasp’s bodyguard. Your monthly salary will start at 30,000 with a bonus at the end of the year. Your basic salary is 30% of your annual salary. We’ll sponsor two trips per year to any location you like, and you can bring your family along.

“As for the workload itself, it’ll be harder for you at first since you’ll be alone. But I’ll continue adding members to Jasp’s team of bodyguards, and you’ll act as the leader. Your workload will decrease once you have subordinates.”

This was what Wendy had been thinking about before.

Now that Jasper’s status in society was elevating, he needed to start paying attention to his safety.

Especially after what had happened tonight. Who knew what would have happened if they had been more vicious.

Thus, Wendy wanted Julian to stay.

To her, Julian seemed much more reliable and better at combat than her dad’s bodyguards.

Not only was Julian stunned at what Wendy had said, but even Jasper was also on the verge of laughter.

He had once told Wendy that he would like Julian to stay and work as his bodyguard, but he had not expected Wendy to be this many steps ahead of him.

Even so, Jasper was quite touched.

He could tell that Wendy was undoubtedly serious about this matter. She would not have made this decision on her own unless she was convinced it would benefit Jasper.

“But…” Julian said hesitantly.

To be honest, he had no reason to reject an offer with such great benefits.

Moreover, Julian was broke and wanted to find a rich family that he could rely on to earn a living.

However, he could not leave now.

Wendy guessed the reason for his hesitation. “Is this because of your sister?

“I’ll go visit your sister tomorrow. Don’t worry about her bone marrow transplant surgery. We’ll do our best to scour the entire country to find someone who’s a match. We’ll search the entire globe if needed. And we’ll pay for all the treatment as well.”

Wendy laughed gently as she asked another question.

“What level of education does your sister have?”

Julian’s eyes lit up as he hurriedly answered, “She’s a university student.”

“I can arrange for your sister to work in our company when she has fully recovered. That way, you won’t have anything to worry about.”

Julian was extremely excited, but he still glanced instinctively at Jasper.

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Jasper laughed as he said, “Why are you looking at me? She’s in charge here.”

Julian immediately nodded and said, “You have such high expectations of me. I’ll do my best to protect Mr. Laine!”

Wendy smiled and said, “Alright, that’s that then.”

The next day, Brac County found itself in chaos.

Suppliers arrived at Future Industries, demanding payment, whilst banks refused to sign them a loan. Moreover, they had even demanded that Future Industries repay all their loans immediately.

Future Industries’ financial support chain was on the verge of collapse.

Just when things could not get even worse, Ambition Corporation put out the word that the Quare brothers from Future Industries were laundering money from Ambition Corporation.

Xavier claimed that he was going to kill the Quare brothers.

Future Industries collapsed in an instant.

As for the Zion family…

As one of the most famous families in Brac County, their shipyard piqued the attention of many when Harbor City ripped apart their contract.

Then, the various businesses they owned got exterminated.

They suffered an industry-wide closure.

Anyone who had any sort of relation to the Zion family immediately abandoned them to save themselves.

It was as if a large invisible hand had crushed everything the Zion family had built in Brac County over the years.

The members of the Zion family sat in Harvey’s house, sobbing hysterically.

Now that the family business was done for, members of the Zion family began stabbing each other in the back. They were hoping to take whatever remaining benefits there were for themselves.

Harvey sat at the head of the table. He seemed to have gone gray overnight.

He smoked cigarette after cigarette, the ashes piling next to his feet like a tiny mountain.

As for the other members of the Zion family, they were arguing over how the money should be divided. They were all preoccupied with securing themselves the best deal.

Just then, a group of people showed up at the front door.

“Good day, Mr. Zion. I’m Mr. Lambert from JW Real Estate.”

Mr. Lambert smiled as he handed Harvey his name card. He felt ecstatic when he saw the chaos the Zion family was in.

Just a few days ago, he had been at the disposal of the Zion family. Anyone in that family could humiliate him.

However, the Zion family was done for now. He felt jubilant as he arrived with the task at hand.

Mr. Lambert was ecstatic.

However, he also had massive respect for Jasper who managed to pull all this off quietly.

That man was horrifying!

Harvey glared at Mr. Lambert as he said coolly, “What are you doing here?”

Mr. Lambert smiled condescendingly at Harvey. He never had the right to do this before, but things were different now. The ecstatic Mr. Lambert said haughtily, “Mr. Laine sent me over to strike a deal with you, Mr. Zion.”

“Hah!” Harvey snorted. “What does that *sshole want to talk about? Does he think that he hasn’t caused the Zion family enough harm?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Mr. Lambert shook his head and said condescendingly, “Mr. Zion, that’s where you’re mistaken. Mr. Laine can’t bear to watch the Zion family beg on the streets, which is why he has decided to give you another chance.

“Mr. Laine says that he’s willing to pay 50 million dollars to buy the Zion family’s shipbuilding company.”

When Harvey heard that, fury consumed him as he stood and roared, “Bullsh*t! My shipyard is worth at least 1.3 billion. Does Jasper Laine think he can get it for just 50 million?!”

Mr. Lambert calmly wiped Harvey’s spit off his face and said, “Do you think anyone will want to buy your shipyard now?

“Do you think there’s a soul out there who doesn’t know that this shipyard has been blacklisted by Harbor City?

“Moreover, who dares offend Mr. Laine?”

The three questions stunned the entire Zion family into silence.

Mr. Lambert smiled as he procured a check. Gazing at the Zion family, he said, “50 million dollars. It’s your last chance. If you refuse to sell, it’ll stay there and rot.”

The rest of the Zion family stared at each other, their hearts thumping.

Life at the Top Chapter 259

How much was the Zion family’s shipyard worth?

The 800-tonne gantry cranes they had imported from Germany were worth 400 million themselves.

There were also the most advanced computer numerical control machines of the day, each of which had a starting price of 100 million.

The members of the Zion family understood that even if the machines were dismantled and sold as scrap metal, they would be worth way more than 50 million.

Which was why Jasper’s offer of 50 million infuriated them.

Yet, did they have a choice?

No!

The Zion family was in shambles both on the inside and on the outside.

When they left the house, they were confronted with people demanding the Zion family to pay off their debts. When they returned home, every person in the family was calculating how they could get the greatest amount of money.

Most importantly, they understood one thing.

No one besides Jasper Laine would dare buy their shipyard.

It did not matter if there were great benefits or profits if you were not alive to spend them!

Jasper understood that. Which was why he had let Mr. Lambert drop by with a check for 50 million.

If it were any less, there would not be enough money to divide between the family members. They would not take the bait.

Jasper wanted to claim the shipyard without causing any casualties. If the Zion family decided to take the risk and not accept the offer, it would not fit Jasper’s consistent approach to maximizing benefits.

This amount of money was just enough to make the Zion family stop and think.

It would hurt them if they agreed.

However, it would hurt them even more if they refused!

“Eldest Brother, I think we should sell it.”

Harvey’s younger brother, Herman Zion, was the first one to speak.

The minute he spoke, his other relatives turned to glare at him.

The expression on Harvey’s face faltered before he yelled, “Are you stupid or crazy? We inherited this shipyard from Old Master Zion. It’s our family business and it’s worth well over a billion dollars! How could you agree to sell it for 50 million?!”

When Harvey finished yelling, he looked at his other relatives but realized that they did not look angered. Rather, they had sly expressions on their faces.

Harvey’s heart sank as he got a bad feeling.

“Eldest Brother, I think Second Brother has a point.”

Another woman spoke.

Harvey glared at her, his eyes resembling those of an angered tiger. The woman avoided his gaze but continued saying stubbornly, “Look at the situation we’re in now. There’s no way the Zion family is going to survive any longer in Brac County. To hell with a family business.

“You might have earned a lot over the years, but we only got a small portion of that money. We have our families and kids to feed.”

A murmur of agreement rang out as the woman spoke.

“That’s right. Eldest Brother, you should sell it.”

“What’s the point in staying stubborn? You can even get 50 million if you agree to sell it to Mr. Laine. Do you think anyone else in Brac County will dare buy our shipyard?”

The more Harvey listened to them, the angrier he became. He roared, “If no one in Brac County wants it, I’ll go to Greene City and Fortune County. As long as there’s a sea, there will be a shipyard. Does Jasper Laine think he can dominate the world?!”

“Dad,” Mark said weakly, “People are demanding we return our debt. They’re surrounding the outside now. There’s no way you can get out. They won’t give us time to raise the money.”

The furious expression on Harvey’s face melted away as his face turned ashen.

Mr. Lambert dusted his shirt as he looked at the expressions on the members of the Zion family. His respect for Jasper grew by another notch.

How terrifying!

Mr. Laine’s calculations when it came to dealing with humans were terrifying.

Life at the Top Chapter 260

Jasper got him to arrive at this time because he knew that the entire Zion family would either be arguing over the money or discussing strategies.

Harvey might be the head of the family, but who would be thinking for the family when they could not even protect themselves during a crisis like this?

Every member of the family had a share in the shipyard.

Now was the time to make off with as much money as possible.

With this interjection, Harvey would not be able to stop his family members’ greed no matter how insistent he was.

“Mr. Laine also instructed me to only give you 20 minutes to think about it. It’s been 15 minutes. I’ll leave if you aren’t going to agree,” Mr. Lambert spoke pompously.

That caused members of the Zion family to have an even uglier expression on their faces.

“I’ll sell!” Herman gritted his teeth as he stood and said, “I own 20% of the shipyard’s shares!”

The rest of the Zion family could not sit still after hearing what Herman said.

“I’ll sell too. I own 13%.”

“I have 17%. I’ll sell too!”

A lively discussion took place. Soon, Harvey was the only one who had not spoken yet.

Mark’s face was pale as he tugged on Harvey’s shirt and said chokingly, “Dad, why don’t we sell it? We can go abroad and start again.”

Harvey heaved a long sigh. He seemed to have aged at least ten years as he said listlessly, “I’ll sell. I’ll sell it all.”

Mr. Lambert smiled in satisfaction. As members of the Zion family looked on impatiently, he retrieved a contract that had been prepared earlier from his briefcase and said, “If that’s the case, I’ll need everyone’s signatures.

“The contract will come into effect once everyone has signed their names. Your family will then own an additional 50 million dollars.”

No one hesitated when they saw the check in Mr. Lambert’s hands and surged forth to sign their names.

When Harvey finally managed to sign his name, Mr. Lambert took the contract and placed the 50 million dollar check on the coffee table. He smiled as he said, “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you. I hope we never meet again.”

Then, Mr. Lambert roared with laughter as he turned to leave.

As he shut the door, he could hear the sound of Harvey roaring in both anger and indignance. He sounded like a wounded beast.

“How dare you fight against Mr. Laine with such capabilities?”

Mr. Lambert smiled coolly as he got into the car and drove off.

…

Brac County was a cryptic place. As the Zion family faced disaster, Jasper and Wendy were at Brac County General Hospital.

“Don’t worry. I’ll have you sent over to the province where you’ll receive treatment from the most elite medical team. Moreover, we’ll stick to our promise of helping you find a match for your bone marrow transplant surgery.”

Wendy spoke gently to Cathy.

Cathy had an embarrassed, bewildered expression on her face. She could not stop glancing at her younger brother, Julian.

Even though Julian had already introduced her to both Jasper and Wendy, she still felt dubious. She could not believe that such fortune would befall her.

“Thank you… Thank you so much,” Cathy said sincerely.

As the two women spoke, Jasper gave Julian a look. The two walked out of the ward.

“We’ll return to the province this afternoon. I’ll arrange for the hospital to prepare an ambulance that will follow us all the way so that your sister can receive the best treatment in the province,” Jasper said.

Julian had a solemn expression on his face. Suddenly, he knelt and said, “Thank you, Mr. Laine!”

That action caused everyone nearby to sneak glances at them as they wondered what was going on.

Jasper hurriedly grabbed Julian’s arm and pulled him to his feet as he said, “I gave you a job where you can work without any additional worries because I need you as my loyal protector. It’s a fair trade.

“Go easy on your knees. Good men kneel only to their parents and God. No one else, not even the king, is worth you kneeling to.”

Julian said solemnly, “Mr. Laine, I owe you my life!”