Ch. 261..270

Life at the Top Chapter 261

Jasper chuckled at Julian’s words.

He patted Julian’s shoulder and laughed softly. “I don’t need you to give me your life. You just have to stay by my side and work hard. I won’t mistreat you,” he said.

Julian nodded slowly.

He had previously come here to destroy Jasper. Although Jasper had given him 2 million dollars, he had also kept to his words and chosen not to take revenge on him.

Despite this, Julian knew that Jasper absolutely dared to do so.

Julian had watched how Jasper defeated Mark Zion and Steve Quare right before his very eyes.

He knew that if Jasper intended to seek vengeance against him, that he would easily be vanquished despite his abilities.

He could escape, but what about his sister?

Nevertheless, not only did Jasper choose not to take revenge on him, but he also treated him well and employed him as his personal bodyguard.

Julian viewed Jasper as his saving grace due to the kindness he had bestowed upon him.

Thus, he decided to stay by Jasper’s side loyally and continue protecting him in the future.

“Anyone who wants to bring harm to Mr. Laine will have to do so over my dead body,” Julian said solemnly.

At that moment, Jasper was holding hands with Wendy as they left the ward and headed downstairs. Thus, he did not hear Julian’s words.

With their financial power, Cathy’s transfer procedure went smoothly. The procedure was completed within half an hour.

While waiting for the operation to be completed, Jasper met up with Mr. Lambert.

“Mr. Laine, take a look. This is the contract for the shipyard. It has already been signed,” Mr. Lambert said. He took out the contract and held it before Jasper with both hands.

Jasper took the contract and flipped through it. “I will arrange for someone to take over later. In the meantime, find a few reliable men to look after the shipyard,” he ordered.

The shipyard was equipped with top-notch facilities. The raw materials stored there were extremely valuable as well.

If nobody looked after the place, the materials may be stolen by greedy people.

It would be unwise to underestimate these people. There was once a gang of seven to eight thieves that stole a batch of steel worth tens of millions in three days. Their skills were comparable to that of a professional transport and demolitions team.

Mr. Lambert patted his chest and said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Laine. With me there, nobody will be allowed into the shipyard.”

“Has the project commenced?” Jasper asked.

Mr. Lambert chuckled. “It started this morning. Without the Zions causing trouble, those few stubborn jerks signed the agreement at once and moved away. The project is progressing very smoothly right now,” he replied.

Jasper nodded. “The resettlement compensation provided to normal households that have been demolished must be in strict accordance with the regulations. Meanwhile, welfare protection must be in place for the migrant workers. Wage arrears are absolutely prohibited,” he added.

“These rules are to be stated in black and white, and nobody is allowed to breach them. If anyone causes trouble due to non-compliance, I’ll fire them immediately. Is this understood?”

Mr. Lambert had a solemn expression on his face. “Understood, Mr. Laine,” he replied at once.

Jasper nodded. “In that case, you can continue with your tasks. If anything comes up, get in contact with the provincial headquarters. I can’t watch the project in Brac County every day,” he said.

“In short, you will have indispensable benefits if you do well. An executive like you can get dividends from the project’s profits, so you’ll be rewarded with at least a few hundred thousand dollars.

“However, if you don’t do well, whoever is in charge will have to take responsibility. As the manager, there’s no way you can escape from the brunt of the punishment.”

“I understand, Mr. Laine. I’ll get going then,” Mr. Lambert replied courteously.

Waving Mr. Lambert off, Jasper accompanied Wendy into the car. An ambulance followed them, which Julian and his sister were seated in. They all headed back to the province together.

It was already late into the evening when they arrived at the province.

Jasper originally planned to let Julian send Cathy to the hospital and settle down before coming to work on the next day.

However, Julian came back immediately after sending Cathy to the hospital and ensuring that everything was alright. Jasper did not send him away either.

Back at the Schuler’s household, Dawson had already arranged for their meals to be prepared while he waited for them.

“You handled the incident at Brac County pretty well,” Dawson told Jasper with a smile.

Jasper chuckled in response. “It’s all thanks to your support, Uncle Schuler. Your phone call alone managed to crush almost half the Zions,” he said.

Shaking his head, Dawson replied, “The Zions’ most important assets are in that shipyard. When those people saw that the Zions’ shipyard had been destroyed, they began outsmarting each other. It was brought about by a collective effort. My phone call only fueling the fire and sped up the process.”

“Right, I heard that you’ve taken over the Zions’ shipyard?” Dawson asked curiously.

Jasper nodded and said, “That shipyard is a premium asset. I am close to the people-in-charge in Harbor City. If the shipyard operates well, it can bring in a large sum of profits in one year. Even if I don’t have the time to manage it, I can sell it for more than a billion dollars. A business like that is a no-brainer.

“I have a friend that’s involved in shipbuilding. I’ve heard that he is currently on the lookout for opportunities to expand his production capacity and is out and about looking for equipment. If you don’t intend to operate the shipyard on your own, why don’t I help you inquire to see if it can be sold off?” Dawson suggested.

Jasper’s eyes shone in interest. “Sure, my main focus is still investing in the Internet, real estate, and entertainment industries. Shipbuilding involves high amounts of professional talent, and I don’t have the ability to manage the shipyard either. If he proposes a suitable price, I’ll sell it to him,” he said.

Nodding in response, Dawson said, “Alright, let’s eat first. I’ll help you inquire about it soon. If he’s interested, I’ll ask him to come to the province for a meeting with you.”

After having their meal, Dawson was surprised by Julian’s arrival. Wendy explained everything to Dawson, who suggested that Julian should train with his personal bodyguards.

Julian wanted to prove himself as well. Hence, he immediately agreed to it after seeing Jasper nod his head.

Alas, Jasper’s gamble in him was soon shown to have paid off.

Julian went against five of Dawson’s personal bodyguards alone. Not only did he win, but he also defeated them impactfully.

Dawson looked upon Julian in admiration. His bodyguards consisted of highly skilled men that he had recruited via reliable sources. They were either ex-special forces or martial art specialists. Therefore, they were all highly capable men.

“Let Julian come over to train my bodyguards when he’s free,” Dawson proposed.

“Sure,” Jasper said with a smile. “Julian, I’ll leave this to you,” he added.

Julian grinned widely. “No problem,” he said.

The moon shone in the clear night sky, which was speckled with stars. Jasper was lounging on the balcony of the room on the second floor while reading a book leisurely.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

The call was from Hudson Moore.

Hudson’s angry voice rang out from the other end of the call when he picked up the phone. “Mr. Laine, Sena has gone overboard. They hired hackers to attack our server! We’re in big trouble now!”

Life at the Top Chapter 262

“What happened?” Jasper asked in a heavy tone, a frown forming on his face. He put down his book at once.

“Two hours ago, our users suddenly discovered that their connection was severed over a large area. The server was severely jammed, and the portal website completely collapsed. We have confirmed that it was an attack launched by hackers.”

While listening to Hudson’s account of the incident, Jasper walked into the study, turned on the computer, and logged into KK.

Like Hudson had described, he could not go online despite having logged in for more than 10 seconds. Not long after, a notification stating that there was a server connection failure appeared.

After that, Jasper clicked on Terizone’s portal website. Similarly, the original webpage, which was rich in content, had become blank and was now completely devoid of words or pictures.

“Users are scolding us on discussion forums everywhere. What should we do, Mr. Laine?” Hudson asked bitterly.

Netizens were still relatively simple-minded back in the year 2000. The battles between internet companies were also not as competitive as they would be in the future.

However, due to these exact reason, the opinions and comments published online reflected the most authentic user experiences.

Hudson and the others frequently compiled user reviews from discussion forums because of this.

Unfortunately, they were all scolding Terizone right now.

KK kept disconnecting when they wanted to use the software to chat online. They could not log in and the webpage was completely blank as well. Who were the users to blame if not the?

Jasper pondered upon it for a while. “What about Zaine and the others?” he asked.

“They’ve gone to the machinery room to carry out emergency maintenance,” Hudson said.

“Maintain the server first, then solve the problem of user disconnection as soon as possible. You guys are the top programming professionals in the country. You should be familiar with the groups of hackers within the country, right?” Jasper asked.

“Zaine was once the backbone of the Scarlet Union. However, he quit the group. Nevertheless, a lot of people within the hacking industry know him. Without him here, we might be in a worse situation right now,” Hudson replied.

“In that case, use your connections to get in touch with the relevant people and ask them to help you deal with the attack. We must at least try to resist the attack no matter what. Purchase all the firewalls you need for the machinery room. Don’t be afraid of spending money at times like this.

“Next, issue an announcement to notify users that the server has been hacked, and let them know that we promise to resolve it as soon as possible. We must first calm down the users, so write it with a sincere attitude.

“Should I tell everyone that Sena was the one who launched the attack?” Hudson asked, gritting his teeth in anger.

Jasper laughed. “Hud, have you lost it due to your anger? Do you have any evidence that Sena launched this hacker attack on us?” he asked.

“No,” Hudson said in exasperation.

“Exactly. Sena may be waiting for Terizone to mess up. Once you blame Sena for the attack, they will follow up with another step, which will bring much worse consequences.

“In any case, our first priority is to stabilize the server and shield ourselves against the attack. At the same time, we will have to appease the users. These two things must be carried out concurrently to resolve our problems. We’ll talk about how to get back at them after I arrive at Cavern City,” Jasper said.

“Alright, I’ll wait for you in the office tomorrow then.”

……

The next day, Wendy sent Jasper to the airport. Julian followed them as well.

“Take good care of yourself. Remember not to overwork yourself,” Wendy reminded Jasper gently as she helped him straighten his collar.

Jasper stared at the beautiful woman before him and chuckled. “I realize that you’ve been acting more and more like a devoted wife and loving mother lately,” he said.

Wendy glared at Jasper and huffed out, “Devoted wife and loving mother? You make it seem as if I’m gray and old!”

“You aren’t old at all. You’ll forever be a goddess in my eyes,” Jasper teased Wendy as he reached out to pinch the bridge of her nose.

“Ah, you’re so annoying,” Wendy remarked, pursing her lips into a smile as she flicked Jasper’s hand off her. “Go ahead and build your empire. I’ll protect you from behind,” she said.

Nodding, Jasper squeezed Wendy’s hands and said, “Wait for me. I’ll build a huge empire and gift it to you as dowry.”

Wendy blushed and pulled her hands away immediately. She turned over in embarrassment. “What a load of nonsense. Who wants your dowry? I’m not going to bother you anymore. I’m leaving!” she said in a flustered, low voice.

Wendy then turned around and ran away.

Jasper chuckled at the sight of Wendy running away. He greeted Julian, turned around, and walked toward customs.

“Jasp!” Wendy’s voice suddenly rang out from behind him.

Jasper turned around and was met with the sight of a graceful belle standing in the middle of the crowd. She stared at him affectionately, her gaze reminiscent of brilliant stars shining in the night sky.

Life at the Top Chapter 263

“I’ll wait for you to come back.”

Resisting the urge to turn around and hug her, Jasper nodded earnestly. He then turned around walked toward the customs.

On the plane, Jasper took a light nap.

As Jasper’s personal bodyguard, Julian sat right beside him.

“Mr. Laine, you have such a loving relationship with Ms. Schuler,” Julian said.

Jasper opened his eyes and glanced at Julian. He chuckled. “You’re not that young anymore. Should I ask her to introduce a girl to you?”

Julian shook his head solemnly. “Work is my priority,” he replied.

“True. Since we are men, how can we start a family without first having a stable career?”

“Work hard by my side for the next two years. After that, I’ll arrange something for you,” Jasper said.

Julian smiled, but he did not put much thought into his words.

In his mind, protecting Jasper was his topmost priority. Everything else was secondary.

Two hours later, the plane landed at Cavern City International Airport.

Jack Tanner came to pick them up from the airport.

“Mr. Laine, you’re finally here,” Jack said after stepping forward.

Jasper could tell that he had spent an all-nighter working with Hudson and the others from his pale and tired complexion. “Work is important, but you need to rest as well,” he said.

Jack laughed and said, “I can’t help much in terms of technical skills, but it’s my responsibility to manage and reassure all the employees.”

“Let’s talk in the car.”

Jasper led the way as they walked out of the airport.

After they got into the car, Jasper realized that Jack kept staring at Julian. “He’s my personal bodyguard,” he explained.

Jack gasped in realization. He was not surprised. Considering Jasper’s net worth and social status, he should have employed a personal bodyguard a long time ago.

“How’s everything at the company right now?” Jasper asked.

“The competition between both parties lasted till four in the morning. Although it was extremely tough, we managed to protect our server. However, we took a huge loss this time round. The firewalls we purchased and the server upgrades in the machinery room alone cost millions,” Jack replied.

“Nonetheless, the good news is that both the portal webpage and KK have been restored. This incident impacted us greatly. KK has been disconnected for nearly 13 hours, and the users are still not reassured about the situation.”

Jasper’s expression brightened a little after listening to what he said. He then nodded and said, “Since losses are inevitable, all we can do for now is try our best to minimize it.”

Soon after, the car arrived at the two-storey commercial building that Terizone had just moved into. Upon entering the building, Jasper was met by the sight of dozens of employees working busily at their respective desks.

Terizone had recruited all of these employees later on, so Jasper did not know any of them.

Everyone was loaded with work right now due to the incident. Despite this, the atmosphere was lively as there were frequent exchanges of conversation and movement between desks.

Jasper was impressed with the vibrant work atmosphere at Terizone.

“Jack, it seems that you’re managing the company pretty well,” Jasper joked.

“I just proposed a general structure. I can’t deny that the founders of Terizone are all extremely talented. Most of the results should be credited to them,” Jack said in a humble manner.

Jasper nodded and told him, “You’ll have to return to JW Capital in the future. I allocated you here just to assist these start-up rookies so that they can familiarize themselves with the management methods of a contemporary company as soon as possible. It seems that everything is progressing well.”

After that, Jasper opened the door of the meeting room and walked in.

Zaine and the others were all fast asleep in the meeting room. Logan, in particular, was snoring loudly as he slept.

This seemingly unorganized and unrefined team would be known as the core of Terizone Inc., a world-renowned company, in the future.

All of it would be made possible because of them.

Thinking about this, Jasper reminisced upon the fact that regardless of in the past or the present, their success was definitely meant to be.

Life at the Top Chapter 264

“Everyone pulled an all-nighter yesterday, and they fell asleep not too long ago,” Hudson said in a hushed tone after making his way toward Jasper.

“Let them rest. Let’s talk in your office.”

After speaking, Jasper walked out of the meeting room with Hudson, Jack, and Cameron, who were all wide awake, following behind him.

Although Hudson had the highest-ranking company position in Terizone, he had the simplest office.

His office consisted of a small space separated by wooden boards. There was only a desk, a computer, a bookcase, and a few sofas in the room. Other than that, it was barren.

“It’s a simple room. After all, the company has a lot of expenses right now,” Hudson said, sounding slightly embarrassed. He poured a cup of water for Jasper.

Jasper chuckled. “That’s why I was willing to invest in the lot of you. From your stingy demeanor, I can tell that your future will definitely be bright,” he said.

Hudson nodded. He was glad that Jasper approved of his mindset.

“Although we have persevered through this incident, it was mainly because Sena stopped the attack halfway through. Otherwise, we may not have been able to recover our system even now.”

There was an overcast expression on Hudson’s face. Although he had not slept in more than thirty hours, he did not feel even a hint of fatigue. He was overcome with rage and aggravation.

“We’re still too weak. We had close to zero resistance against Sena’s treacherous means of attack!”

“How are our losses?” Jasper asked.

Hudson’s expression darkened. “We lost more than a million dollars in terms of funds. However, the loss in user count is way more significant. There has been a decline of one-third of portal visits!” he exclaimed.

Jasper nodded. The main priority of Internet companies was their user count. A decline in users was way more terrifying than a loss in cash.

“That b*stard Dane Warren is being too harsh!” Cameron Scott huffed in anger.

“Sena is now vying against Terizone, so they must still have plans for us!” Jasper said after a momentary pause.

Worry filled the others’ faces after registering what Jasper said.

“To be honest, in terms of technical aspects, I don’t know as much as you guys do,” Jasper said, shrugging his shoulders in exasperation.

“However, I’m pretty skilled in fighting a business war,” Jasper added with a chuckle. “Leave this matter to me. I can deal with Sena,” he said.

Hudson’s gaze lit up almost immediately. Just as he was about to say something, his phone rang.

After exchanging a few words on the phone, Hudson hung up on the call excitedly. “Mr. Laine, our savior is here! If it wasn’t for his help last night, we wouldn’t have been able to withstand the attack,” he told Jasper.

“Does such a talented person exist? What’s his name?” Jasper asked in surprise.

“Theo Wright!”

Jasper slowly raised his brow after hearing this name.

This name belonged to a legendary man. He was the crème de la creme of hackers within the country. He was a godfather-level figure.

He was the founder of the Hawk Alliance, one of the top hacker organizations. Under the leadership of this godly figure, the Hawk Alliance would raise their national prestige through their groundbreaking performance in several global hacker battles in the few upcoming years.

In several global hacker wars a few years later, the master of the Eagle Alliance led by this great god can be said to have beaten the competition severely.

This man was also the only person publicly known to have hacked into the United State’s military database.

Jasper did not expect Hudson to be well-acquainted with him.

Jasper met Theo Wright in the meeting room.

He assumed that a Hacker God like him must be someone who was cold and daunting.

Nevertheless, Jasper found it nearly impossible to associate the short, plump young man with middle-parted hair that was standing right before him with the most powerful man in the online world, the Godfather of Hacking.

“Theo, let me start with the introductions. This is the actual head of our company, Mr. Jasper Laine. This is Mr. Jack Tanner.”

Life at the Top Chapter 265

Hudson introduced Theo to everyone passionately.

Theo looked at Jack and smiled. “I know you. You used to be a high-level executive at Weresoft,” he said.

After the both of them shook hands, Theo turned over to look at Jasper.

Jasper grinned and extended his hand. “You’re the number one hacker in the country. I’ve admired you for a long time,” he said.

Theo was actually rather nervous. He was not accustomed to interacting with strangers in real life. Jasper’s confident demeanor, which radiated from his actions and behavior, made him feel particularly uneasy.

“Nice to… meet you! I don’t dare to claim the title of being the top hacker in the country. Hacking technology consists of extremely profound knowledge. No one would dare to say that they are the best of the best. I’m still learning.”

Theo’s words made everyone burst out into laughter.

A successful person must stand out in one way or another–this applied to any field out there. Take Theo as an example, who had an extremely normal appearance: He looked like any other average young man out there, and was not particularly good at socializing with strangers.

However, his reverence toward technology was enough to prove that he did indeed have the potential and ability to be the top hacker in the country.

Hudson and Jasper exchanged a glance. “Theo, I have previously told you that we would like you to join our company. You would be in charge of all aspects of network security. What do you think about that?” Hudson asked.

Theo chuckled in response. He said, “Hudson, you know very well that people like us are used to having all the freedom we want. I don’t have the intention of joining a company, so…”

Jasper laughed. “You’re extremely capable. Do you want to remain as a hacker for your entire life?” he asked.

Theo raised his head to look at Jasper. A look of distaste flashed across his face. Jasper’s choice of words made it seem like he was looking down upon hackers.

Jasper did not pay any heed to the expression on Theo’s face. He continued speaking, “You must know that as laws and regulations gradually improve, even the most highly-skilled hackers will start to experience growing restrictions on the Internet. It will be impossible for you to continue doing as you wish in such an unscrupulous manner.

“However, everything will be different if you join Terizone. With your skills, you can help Terizone build a protective firewall. During the process, you can also compete against hackers from everywhere around the world. The only thing that would be different is that you’re doing everything for a good cause.

“Don’t you want to rely on your skills to become someone respected and admired by those within the hacker industry?”

Theo’s expression changed. Jasper’s words had managed to speak to his heart.

“How do you find Terizone?” Jasper asked, suddenly changing the topic.

“It’s excellent,” Theo replied.

As one of the top hackers within the country, Theo had an even more precise and professional vision of the Internet compared to everyone else. He knew that Terizone had great potential right now.

KK, in particular, had attained massive control of the market.

It was truly the top online chatting software in the country.

“Terizone’s team of founders consists of individuals who are capable of dominating different fields. However, they currently lack a master that’s capable of handling cybersecurity issues. Join us. With you on the team, Terizone will soar to greater heights.”

Theo laughed at Jasper’s sincere words. “Since you guys are inviting me so enthusiastically, I can’t find any reason to reject this offer,” he said.

Jasper and Hudson looked at each other and burst out into laughter.

“However, I have a condition,” Theo suddenly announced.

“You can tell us anything,” Hudson said.

“I have two other friends. They’re currently in poor financial conditions and are in urgent need of a job. I would like to bring them into the company so that we can work together. After all, it would be difficult for me if I was to work alone. You can rest assured of their skills. They’re extremely competent,” Theo said.

Hudson chuckled. “Since you’ve recommended them, I’m sure their skills are impeccable. You can ask them to come over. I’ll have someone make the relevant arrangements so that you guys can start working as soon as possible,” he said.

Theo nodded. “Alright, it’s a deal,” he said excitedly.

“It’s a deal.”

With that, Hudson and Theo shook hands enthusiastically.

Life at the Top Chapter 266

In the office building of the Terra regional branch of Colossal Investments located in Cavern City.

Dane Warren, the chairman of Sena, and William, the president of the Terra regional branch of Colossal Investments, each signed their respective agreements.

Dane laughed as both of them shook hands. “William, I hope that Colossal Investments can help us achieve our plan of getting publicly listed as soon as possible,” he said.

William chuckled in return. “Now that we’ve signed a contract, we’re even more eager than you are to get Sena publicly listed. We can only cash in our investment and earn money after Sena gets listed,” he said.

Dane snickered and said, “I am in urgent need of funds to acquire Terizone as well. During this period of time, I have been carrying out the relevant preparations required for the acquisition of Terizone.”

William shrugged. “Warren, I don’t actually understand why you’re being so insistent on taking down Terizone. You need to know that Sena’s public listing is our top priority right now,” he said.

Dane laughed. “There’s something you don’t know. Sena’s public listing is already set in stone. However, Sena is merely one of the four major Internet portals right now. What would happen if I also acquired Terizone and managed to get my hands on the largest online chatting software in the domestic market?” he explained.

William’s gaze perked up in interest when he heard this. “There will definitely be a major spike in Sena’s stock price,” he said.

Dane grinned in satisfaction. “That’s right. One of the reasons I intend to do so is to get back at Terizone for defeating Sena Chat with their platform, but this is a relatively minor point. My true goal is to acquire their company after defeating them,” he said.

“You’re indeed the best Internet merchant in your country, Warren,” William praised him.

Chuckling, Dane replied, “Those few young men are still way too inexperienced and naive to found a start-up company. They don’t know anything about the harshness of the business world. It’s only natural for them to experience such an outcome.”

William asked his secretary to open a bottle of champagne. Handing a flute of champagne to Dane, William raised his glass and made a toast. “To your wealth and prosperity,” he said.

Dane and William clinked their glasses together. “To our wealth and prosperity,” they laughed while making a toast.

Half an hour later, below the office building.

Dane narrowed his eyes and looked at the magnificent office building. He snorted coldly, seeming extremely unhappy.

“Mr. Warren, you don’t seem too happy. Isn’t it a good thing that the contract has been signed?” His secretary walked forward and asked him.

Dane’s expression darkened. “These people are vampires. They want to acquire 25% of Sena’s shares in exchange for helping us list the company on the Nasdaq. They’re scoring a huge bargain!”

His secretary shrunk into himself. He did not dare to interrupt Dane when he was talking about important affairs. “Mr. Warren, are we going back right now?” he asked cautiously.

“Go back? Since we’re already in Cavern City, we can’t miss out on the opportunity to pay a visit to our former competitor,” Dane said. His lips twisted into a cold sneer as he ordered, “Let’s head to Terizone!”

……

Everyone in Terizone received the news about Dane Warren’s visit immediately.

Hudson and Logan were sitting in the meeting room with troubled looks on their faces while Jasper stood by the side.

Jasper looked at the solemn expressions on their faces and let out an inward laugh. It seemed as if they were preparing for a battle. “Relax, guys. Dane Warren is just paying us a visit. Do you guys intend to beat him up once you see him?” he asked.

“Zaine and the others are still in the operations room. If they were here, they may really beat up Warren,” Logan said in distaste.

Hudson glared at Logan. “Can the problem be resolved through fighting? We are businessmen now. We should focus on business alone. Everyone will treat us as a joke if we start a brawl,” he said in annoyance.

Logan scratched his head and huffed in anger. “I simply can’t get over it. How dare he greet us and tell us that he’s coming over to get acquainted with us? Acquaintance, my *ss! Why is he acting so courteously toward us? Don’t we all know that he’s the one who brought all this sh*t upon us?”

“Those in the business world have their own way of solving problems. Being expressive of your emotions will only allow people see through you at a glance. As Hudson said, everyone here is an adult. Don’t act in a childish manner,” Jasper said in a calm and controlled tone.

Logan nodded and fell quiet after hearing what Jasper said.

Not long after, the door to the meeting room opened and Dane Warren walked in with his secretary following closely behind.

Life at the Top Chapter 267

No matter how unhappy Hudson was, Dane Warren was still paying a visit to his company as the chairman of Sena. As the host, he had to accommodate him out of common courtesy.

Therefore, Hudson stood up and plastered a smile onto his face. He then walked toward Dane Warren.

“You took time out of your busy schedule to visit us, Mr. Warren. It’s a huge honor,” Hudson remarked politely in a relatively neutral tone.

Dane burst out into laughter. He had a booming voice and hearty laughter. One who did not understand him would have thought that he was a bold and simple-minded man. However, under the facade of his honest and straightforward persona, he was a vicious man with an extremely cruel heart.

“You’re being way too courteous, Mr. Moore. I had to attend a public meeting surrounding the Internet industry in Cavern City, so I stopped by your office to look around,” Dane said as he clasped Hudson’s hand in a tight grip.

“Right, didn’t you get invited to the meeting, Mr. Moore?” Dane asked while feigning doubt and uncertainty.

Hudson’s face stiffened. He drew back his hand and said matter-of-factly, “There has been a lot of company affairs lately. You should understand, Mr. Warren. That’s why I wasn’t free.”

Dane could not help but sneer in his heart upon noticing the somber gaze in Hudson’s eyes. Alas, these young people were way too inexperienced. They could hardly hold it in after receiving a few taunts.

Scanning through the crowd, Dane side-eyed Logan before finally setting his eyes on Jasper.

“And this is?”

Jasper stood up lightheartedly. With a calm demeanor, he gently extended his hand. “I’m Jasper Laine, the president of JW Capital,” he said.

JW Capital!

Dane’s heart lurched. He glanced at Jasper in amusement.

If he wanted to acquire Terizone, JW Capital, who owned more than half of Terizone’s stocks, would be an inevitable hurdle.

“Mr. Laine. I’ve heard all about you.”Dane said as he extended his hand toward Jasper. A smile that did not reach his eyes formed across his lips.

Jasper shook his hand and chuckled. “You have an extremely well-known reputation, Mr. Warren. Juniors like us have a lot that we can learn from you,” he said.

Dane laughed at his choice of words, which reflected the bare minimum of politeness. Despite this, he did not mind at all.

From his perspective, Terizone had already lost. Losers would inevitably hold some grievances after the battle.

Their insinuating words were more like a compliment to him.

Only winners deserved to accept a loser’s derision and mockery, was it not?

Dane took a seat on the chair in a calm and collected manner. “I heard that Terizone faced quite a number of difficulties over these two days,” he said cheerily.

Logan clenched his hands into fists upon hearing what he said. He could hardly stop himself from aiming a blow straight at Dane’s head.

Everyone already knew that the problems faced by Terizone were caused by Dane himself. Nonetheless, he still came over to feign compassion and gloat about it in front of them.

Without paying any heed to Logan’s fuming gaze, Dane continued speaking. “You guys are still young. You have no idea how ruthless the business sector can be. Operating a business isn’t an easy feat. As your senior, I would like to give you guys a reminder. It’s important to quit while you’re ahead,” he said.

Hudson sat down and stared at Dane impassively. “Mr. Warren, if you have anything you want to tell us, just say it to us directly. Young people like us don’t have much experience, and I’m afraid we don’t quite understand what you’re trying to imply,” he said.

Dane chortled gleefully. “In that case, I’ll just say it directly.”

Dane then beckoned his secretary over. His secretary immediately took out a document from his briefcase.

Dane waved the document in front of them and announced, “Since Terizone is facing so many hardships, I’m here today to lend a helping hand. Sena would like to acquire Terizone.”

Life at the Top Chapter 268

After hearing what he said, Logan could not contain himself anymore.

“What bullsh*t are you going on about? Warren, you were the one who stirred up all these problems in the first place, and now you’re saying that you want to acquire our company. What do you take us for?! Let me tell you, there’s no way that that’ll happening!”

Dane sneered. “Young man, first of all, I don’t understand what you mean by ‘stirring up problems’. I have never done anything to Terizone. The hardships that you’re facing are all due to your own incapability,” he said.

“On the other hand, a wise man submits to his circumstances. Terizone is barely surviving right now. Is there still a need to continue struggling? Sena is giving you a way out by acquiring the company!”

Hudson glared at Dane. He was trying his best to control his fury. “We reject your acquisition. If this is the only thing you’re here for, please leave. We won’t see you on your way out,” he said stiffly.

Dane’s expression darkened. “Appreciate my act of kindness while I’m still offering it graciously. How long can Terizone persist under such circumstances?” He asked icily.

“As the leading portal among the four major portals, Sena has reached an agreement with Colossal Investments and is about to get listed. Once Sena becomes a public listed company, we will have a market value of at least several billion US Dollars.”

Dane then narrowed his eyes at Hudson. He continued rambling on haughtily, “What about Terizone? God knows when you guys will be able to get Terizone listed. If Sena wanted to crush you guys, it would be easier than stomping an ant to death.

“I’m giving you guys a chance right now, so you’d better appreciate my kindness. Once Sena gets listed, I won’t bother to look your way even if you guys stand before me asking for help!”

After speaking, Dane looked at Hudson with a proud, overbearing gaze.

He believed that anyone with a decent head on his shoulder would carefully consider what he had said.

“Mr. Warren.”

Jasper interjected abruptly. The calm tone attracted Dane’s attention.

“You’ve been talking for a long time, but I’m curious. How much do you intend to acquire Terizone for?”

Dane chuckled in response to Jasper’s question. “You’re a smart person, Mr. Laine. It’s no wonder that you have such a precise vision and decided to invest in Terizone so early in advance,” he said.

“Sena has prepared 20 million dollars for a full acquisition of Terizone.”

After that, Dane threw the agreement on the table. He seemed pretty full of himself.

It was the year 2000. How many millionaires were there in the country?

20 million dollars was a monumental price for the acquisition of a company like Terizone.

It meant that these few young men were about to become millionaires.

Jasper had previously invested 10 million into Terizone in return for 51% of the company’s stocks. This incident had largely boosted Terizone’s reputation. This was no secret.

Dane figured that Jasper could completely withdraw his investment within a few months. This deal was evidently a huge bargain.

“20 million is a large sum of money,” Jasper said, letting out an inward laugh.

Dane snickered. “Young man, you need to understand the circumstances that Terizone is currently facing. If you continue operating the company like this, how long can Terizone survive? It may even go bankrupt tomorrow,” he said contemptuously.

“When that day comes, your 10 million dollars will vanish into thin air. However, you can still withdraw your full investment right now. Shouldn’t you thank me for giving you this excellent opportunity?” he asked.

Jasper sighed. “My apologies, Mr. Warren. I’m someone who doesn’t act until I see the incentives. I’d rather lose everything than settle for a compromise,” he said.

“It’s just 10 million dollars. I can afford to lose that much.”

Dane’s expression darkened after hearing Jasper’s words.

“Jasper Laine, how dare you turn a blind eye to my good intentions!”

“I will gladly turn a blind eye to your good intentions!”

All of a sudden, Jasper stood up and placed both of his hands on the meeting table. He leaned forward and pinned a predatory gaze upon Dane. “I’ll address you by your name if I want to show my respect to you as a senior in the industry. However, if I look down upon you, you’re nothing in my eyes,” he articulated each of his words clearly.

“Quit acting all mighty because of your experience in the industry. I don’t care about those two measly steel bars of yours.

“How dare you come over to Terizone and appear before me to tell me that you want to acquire Terizone. Aren’t you afraid of biting off more than you can chew?”

“Bang!”

A loud slam resonated through the room.

Incandescent with rage, Dane slammed his palm onto the surface of the meeting table. “Jasper Laine, are you challenging me?!” He yelled.

Jasper let out a soft laugh as he stood upright. “You’ll know very soon if I’m challenging you or not,” he said indifferently.

Logan, who was right beside Jasper, stared at him in awe. He retracted his gaze from Dane, who was consumed with rage, and turned to look at Jasper. His admiration for him instantly soared.

Damn, he was standing up for the company like a real man!

Dane looked at Hudson with an icy gaze. “Hudson Moore, is this how you guys do things in Terizone?” he asked in a low voice.

Hudson shrugged nonchalantly and said, “You’ll have to excuse us. Mr. Laine is the controlling shareholder of Terizone. He will be the chairman of the board of directors once the board is established in the future. Therefore, his words represent the will of Terizone.”

“Well, well, well! Very well!”

Dane was so infuriated that he insistently repeated the same words. He raised his hand and pointed at Jasper. “You guys will eventually submit to us, even after rejecting my good intentions!” He shouted angrily.

Jasper arched his brow slightly. “Will you be the one submitting to us, or will we be the ones submitting to you?” He questioned.

Dane scoffed. “Young man, don’t think that you can ack so recklessly just because you have some money. You’re a lowly junior in the internet industry. How dare you challenge me?”

“I’ve said everything that I’ve wanted to say today. I’m showing you guys a sign of respect by acquiring Terizone. However, since you guys refuse to be respected, you’ll bear all the consequences on your own!”

“This goes for you as well, Jasper Laine. All you have is an investment company. How great do you think you are? I’m sorry, but you’re not worth sh*t in front of Sena!”

Jasper narrowed his eyes at Dane. He then took up the document on the table and tore it into pieces!

Pieces of paper billowed through the air…

“Mr. Warren, small transactions like this don’t catch my eyes. Why don’t I add another 0 behind the 20 million? Shall I acquire Sena for 200 million dollars?”

Dane cackled maniacally. “Acquire Sena? Hahaha, you’re being way too full of yourself! Why don’t you look at yourself before talking big like this? What do you take Sena for? Sena is the largest website portal in the country. Do you think you can acquire it just because you want to?”

“Mr. Warren, don’t look down on the younger generation! Let’s wait and see what happens!” Jasper said in a frigid tone.

An overcast expression formed on Dane’s face. He looked like he wanted to devour them alive.

“Your sharp tongue is not something to be proud of. You guys are smiling happily now, but I’ll make sure that you won’t be able to cry even if you wanted to in a few days’ time,” Dane said.

“Mr. Warren, we still don’t know for sure who’ll be the one crying then.”

“What goes around comes around. The time for you to cry will come on the day I show up before you to acquire Sena,” Jasper said calmly.

Life at the Top Chapter 269

The expression on Dane’s face morphed into one of all-consuming rage. He glared at Jasper and shouted, “It seems that you’ll only submit under force. Just wait and see!”

Dane stormed off angrily after saying this.

After Dane left in a state of fury, Hudson looked at Jasper and smiled bitterly. “What shall we do now, Mr. Laine?”

“There’s no rush. Let’s just do what we need to do,” Jasper said calmly.

“It’s just Dane Warren. He can’t raise hell upon us!”

“Mr. Laine, what you said just now was so cool!” Logan exclaimed in excitement while staring at Jasper.

Jasper chuckled. “Although Terizone is indeed below Sena right now, we shouldn’t just take his insults since he took it this far. We must talk back and defend ourselves when we need to,” he replied.

Hudson nodded, seemingly lost in thought.

Right then, Dane made his way out of Terizone with a dark expression on his face. He roared out in anger, “They’re being way too much! How dare this bunch of shameless b*stards treat me like that?!”

Dane’s secretary trembled in shock as he stared at him. The secretary stood by the side, not daring to utter a single word.

Dane panted loudly. A venomous glint flashed across his eyes as he turned around to gaze at Terizone’s office building. He then pulled out his phone with a sneer on his face.

The call went through soon after.

“It’s me, Dane Warren.”

A courteous voice spoke on the other end of the phone, “Mr. Warren, how can I help you?”

“Launch a second attack on Terizone right now. Let them get a taste of despair through this attack! Do everything that you can. It’d be best if you could defeat them all in one go!” Dane growled.

“How dare this bunch of jokers stand up against me? I’ll teach them how to behave today!”The person on the other end of the phone was evidently stupefied for a moment. However, there was no delay in his reply. “Alright, Mr. Warren. We will do exactly as you wish,” he replied immediately.

Hanging up the phone call, Dane grinned. He then bent down and got into the car.

……

Back in Cavern City, Jasper, Hudson and the others had just returned to the company after having their meals.

Although Zaine and the others had pulled an all-nighter, they were still young. Hence, they sprung back into action after getting a few hours of sleep.

Hudson brought up the issue of their funds during the meeting.

After moving to a new building and hiring so many employees in addition to the server bandwidth expenses, they had been spending hundreds of thousands on a daily basis. Furthermore, they had upgraded their server and bandwidth after the attack the night before. Another one million dollars had been spent on that.

Therefore, they had less than 10 million dollars left right now.

“If you don’t have sufficient funds, I can invest a bit more. We need to go up against Sena right now,” Jasper said.

The meeting room fell pin-drop silent after he spoke.

Jack spoke up as well, “I’ve got a grasp of Dane Warren’s personality back when I was working at Weresoft. He’s extremely good at doing business, but his biggest specialty is his cruelty. His cold-hearted methods and unscrupulous way of handling affairs was a major contributor to the rise of Sena.”

“During the early days of Sena’s development, a lot of his competitors were defeated by him through disreputable means, so he had a pretty poor reputation.”

“What should we do?” Logan asked worriedly.

Jasper looked at Theo and said, “We will need your help, Theo.”

Theo had a solemn expression on his face. “Since I’ve already joined Terizone, I will do everything I can to the best of my abilities,” he said.

Jasper nodded and said, “We can’t let our guard down during these next two days. Sena could launch their attack on us at any time. We must be sufficiently prepared this time around.”

 

Life at the Top Chapter 270

“Sure!”

After agreeing to Jasper’s intrustctions, everyone left the meeting room to work on their respective tasks. Only Jasper, who was consumed by his thoughts, remained in the room.

Sena was a bomb that would eventually blow up in their faces one day if they did not get rid of it.

Terizone was still too vulnerable right now. It would not stand a chance against any harsh blows. If this problem was not resolved as soon as possible, Terizone’s future development may be severely delayed.

In his past life, Sena rushed to obtain a public listing due to a major shortage of liquidity. Sena had now delayed its listing for such a long time. Furthermore, the internet economy bubble had burst, making it even more difficult for Dane Warren to obtain investments within the country. Therefore, Sena should be short of funds as well.

However, Jasper knew very well that the progress of Sena’s public listing would not come to a standstill. On the contrary, it would be fast-forwarded instead.

Jasper called Jack over after thinking about how Sena succeeded in obtaining a public listing through its connections with Colossal Investments.

“Jack, do you know anyone from Colossal Investments?” Jasper asked.

Jack was momentarily stunned. He then nodded and said, “I know William, the president of the Terra regional branch. We don’t know each other very well, but Celine Maynard, the general manager, was my classmate. She’s also from Harbor City, so we’re quite closely acquainted.”

Celine Maynard.

Jasper knew this name very well.

In his past life, he had also been involved in the financial industry. Therefore, he had been greatly influenced by the Queen of Investment, who was widely renowned within the global financial circle.

According to the timeline, she should have just gotten married right now. At the same time, she had just taken up the position of general manager of the Terra regional branch of Colossal Investments. Four years later, she would advance further up the hierarchy and become the president.

When Jasper got reborn, the Queen of Investment had gotten promoted to the position of executive chairwoman at Colossal Investments.

“Sure, can you make an appointment with her for me?” Jasper asked.

Jack nodded and said, “Alright, wait for a while. I’ll contact her through a phone call.”

A few minutes later, Jack returned. “She happens to be in Cavern City for a business trip right now. She will be returning to Harbor City tomorrow afternoon. She said that she’s free to meet up with you anytime,” he said.

Acting decisively, Jasper stood up and said, “Give me the address.”

Jack told him the address of a hotel, then proceeded to ask him curiously, “Mr. Laine, may I ask if you know her?”

“If I knew her, why would I bother to ask you to help me set up an appointment?” Jasper asked in amusement.

Jack thought that this reply made sense. “Initially, I told her that you would like to meet her, but she didn’t agree. This is expected because, as you know, a company like Colossal Investments with a large-scale business tends to be haughtier and more arrogant. However, she immediately agreed to meet up with you once I told her your name and that you owned JW Capital,” he said.

Jasper did not find this surprising. If Colossal Investments, which ranked the highest among the top four investment banks, did not know anything about what he had done in Harbor City, they ought to just close down.

“Maybe she managed to sense my domineering stance through my name alone,” Jasper joked.

Silently, Jack watched Jasper leave the company in a hurry.

The hotel that Celine Maynard was staying in was quite a distance away. Jasper received a call from Hudson while he was still on the way there.

“You guessed correctly, Mr. Laine. Sena has launched their second attack on us,” Hudson said in a heavy tone.

“I’m on the move right now. Hold on over there. Make sure what happened yesterday doesn’t repeat itself,” Jasper said calmly.

“Understood,” Hudson said with a nod.

“Hudson, what did Mr. Laine say?” Logan, who had an overcast expression on his face, immediately asked Hudson once he put down the phone.

“Mr. Laine wants us to persevere through it to the best of our abilities. He has begun taking action over there. He won’t allow Sena to continue acting so recklessly,” Hudson said.

“F*ck it, Dane Warren is such a b*stard! We’re all operating our own respective businesses. He’s just messing with us just because he’s more experienced and owns a larger company than us!” Logan yelled angrily.

Logan’s words represented everyone else’s innermost thoughts.

Hudson’s gaze deepened as he voiced out, “Weakness is not an excuse! This is a lesson that each and every one of us must remember. The more aggressive Sena and Dane Warren are, the more we have to bear it and protect ourselves. The day will come when we’ll grow bigger and stronger than them. When that day comes, everyone will look highly upon us!”