Ch. 281..290
Life at the Top Chapter 281
Dane’s arrogance and overbearingness that was well-known in the country’s internet industry was vividly and thoroughly displayed here.
He genuinely looked down on Hudson and Jasper. Now he was trying to think of a way to humiliate them back after he was humiliated by them yesterday.
With a light chuckle, Jasper said insipidly to Dane, “So you think you’re the only one who can come to Terizone unannounced and I can’t come to Sena to reciprocate?”
Dane scoffed and said, “You’re comparing Terizone with Sena? Are you insane?”
Not only Dane, but the rest of the higher-ups were also looking at Jasper and Hudson like they were idiots.
They felt that these two might have something wrong with their brains and came here to get insulted and humiliated.
“Indeed, Terizone is still small now, but after a few years, Sena won’t even be fit to lick Terizone’s shoes,” said Jasper coldly.
Dane was staring blankly at him before guffawing loudly. The higher-ups were all laughing as well.
The entire meeting room was filled with their jeers and irreverent laughter.
Jasper shook his head amidst the laughter of Dane and the rest. He said, “Even though I want to use my ability to prove it to you, I can’t wait anymore!”
Slam!
Two agreements were slammed down on the table.
“This is the stock transfer agreements signed by Montagne Capitals and Colossal Investments to transfer their shares to JW Capital. These two agencies have transferred their shares from Sena to JW Capital, and with their shares combined, it’s a total of 59%.
“So in short, I am now the biggest shareholder in Sena. I’m ordering a shareholders’ meeting right now!”
Jasper turned around and faced the higher-ups in the room who abruptly stopped laughing. Their expressions looked brilliant. Jasper’s tone was cold but calm. He was emitting a majestic and imposing aura of a sovereign king who towered above the world while looking down at it.
Dane stared at the two agreements on the table, his entire body shaking.
The incomparable shock made him feel as if he had been electrocuted. His brain and limbs felt numb.
“How is that possible?
“Impossible!”
Dane howled madly. He grabbed the two documents and scanned the contents quickly.
Two statements were clearly stated in the agreements in black and white.
[Montagne Capitals will sell their 34% shares in Sena to JW Capital for 200 million.]
[Colossal Investments in the Terra Region will be selling their 25% shares in Sena to JW Capital for 1.5 million.]
Dane’s hands were shaking uncontrollably. Blinded by his rage, he violently ripped the two agreements into pieces. He stared malevolently at Jasper like a hurt wolf and roared wildly, “These are fake! These agreements are fake!”
Jasper smiled lightly and said, “The ones in your hands were only copies. If you like ripping things up, I still have a lot, so you can rip them slowly. As for whether they’re fake, you’ll know after you make a few calls.”
Dane stumbled backward. He almost lost his footing and nearly fell to the ground.
In the end, he clenched his fists and stared at Jasper to say, “How is that possible? I didn’t get any news about this! Colossal Investments got Sena’s shares in exchange for helping Sena float. How could they have transferred them to you? Are they not worried that I’ll sue them?”
Jasper chuckled lightly and said, “Have you become foolish from anger? I already have 34% after Montagne Capitals transferred their shares to me, so I can make a one-vote veto and I vetoed Sena’s plan to float. So, how are you going to float now?
“So, it was destined for you to violate the agreement. As it turned out, my collaboration with Colossal was very delightful.”
While he said that, Jasper shrugged and his face looked neutral.
Dane’s vision went black, and in the end, he still could not resist the urge to fall back into his chair. It looked as if all of his energy, vigor, and spirit had been sucked dry.
He lifted his head to look at Jasper. His eyes were filled with extreme rancor. He said wretchedly, “What are you going to do now?”
Jasper looked at the higher-ups and said coldly, “Now, as the biggest shareholder of Sena, I suggest we have a shareholders’ meeting right now.
“There are two topics of discussion for this meeting.
“Number one, proposal to dismiss the chairman and director-general of Sena, Dane Warren.
“Number two, proposal to combine Sena and Terizone.”
The first of these two topics of discussion was to get rid of Dane.
The second one was to destroy the entire Sena.
All of the higher-ups were in an uproar. Their faces looked alarmed, and they did not know what to do.
Dane stood up suddenly and yelled with courage that he got from some unknown place, “Impossible! I won’t agree to this! This is murder, and you’re separating Sena!
“Even if you’re the majority shareholder, you don’t even have 67% of the shares so you can’t achieve a two-third voting right. I can still reject your proposal!”
Jasper seemed to have predicted this. He chuckled lightly and said, “Alright, I announce that JW Capital will convertibly increase 300 million worth of shares for Sena. It will be diluted according to the corresponding proportion of the shares of the shareholders.
“Dane, it’s either you follow and inject 300 million so that you can still be guaranteed one-third of the stock right, or my 59% will be increased to 85% after this injection.”
Everyone in the room was silent, including Dane. All of the higher-ups had pale faces at this moment.
The silence was deafening.
After Jasper did this, it was as if a clap of thunder had struck down on top of Sena and it was going to turn over the entire company.
Hudson was excited after watching this. He felt that some hot blood had been washed off from a deep part of his heart, and he needed to pour out what was on his mind.
As a student of great ability and the fact that he had led Terizone from nothing to what it was now, Hudson was pretty familiar with the operation of the capital in a company.
The convertibly increased shares and fund injections were basically rogue strategies to hurt someone with money.
For example, if a company had a market value of one million and had two shareholders, they would both own 50% of the shares.
If one of the shareholders wanted to own a controlling number of shares in the company and they convertibly increased one million of shares, then the company’s market value would increase to two million. The shareholder who convertibly increased the shares would have 75% of the shares while the other would have the remaining 25%.
This strategy would usually be used by extremely powerful shareholders. This would be a frequent tactic for them to control the company.
What Jasper was doing now was exactly that.
If they were going to hurt each other with capitals and compare the depths of their pockets, then Dane Warren could not defeat Jasper Laine.
After Jasper said that, Dane’s face went gray. He knew he had failed by a landslide and there was no saving him now.
Never in his wildest dream would he imagine that Jasper would quietly complete the purchase of Sena in just one day.
Even if he did not convertibly increase the shares, his 59% of the shares would seal the fate of Dane’s tragic ending.
Dane chuckled bitterly and looked at Jasper. He said, “You’ve won. You’re savage. You’re such a savage.”
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“Everyone in the industry says that I always do things by fair means or foul, but they’re all blind. Jasper, you’re the true savage. You go for the neck immediately and don’t leave any room to maneuver!
“Splendid! Tremendous indeed!”
Jasper had on an indifferent expression while listening to Dane.
There was no pleased look on his face nor modesty.
He looked as natural as if he was eating or drinking.
“Who’s agreeing or disagreeing with the two proposals I made before?”
Jasper looked at the higher-ups of Sena while standing next to the table. His tone sounded calm, but there was great danger hiding in his voice.
No one dared to stand up and disagree with him. They knew once they disagreed, there would be only one ending for them.
To pack their things and leave.
“I’m forfeiting,” Dane closed his eyes and said as if he was submitting to his fate.
When the higher-ups heard Dane saying that, they all lowered their heads.
Dane stood up shakily and pointed to his seat. He smiled at Jasper and said, “This seat belongs to you now.”
Jasper did not decline. He walked straight to Dane’s seat and sat down.
At this moment, all of the higher-ups sighed internally. They knew that Sena had already staged a comeback.
The flag of the internet industry in the country and the head of the four web portals, Sena, had officially gotten a new boss.
This would be a huge piece of news that would shake the internet industry in the whole nation.
While sitting on the seat of honor in the meeting room, Jasper said flatly, “The decision has been made after the shareholders’ meeting and we’ll be dismissing Dane as the chairman and director-general of the company. After this, I’ll sign the official document to pass it down to every department in the company.
“Now, the company will stop all attacks on Terizone and stop the plan to float. The rest of the tasks in Human Resources will stay the same.”
When he said this, Jasper looked at the higher-ups and said dully, “There’s a change in the person with the highest position in the company and it will undoubtedly affect the working attitude of the other employees. I hope everyone here can pacify the employees later so that they can carry out their jobs as usual.
“Even though the owner of Sena has changed, we still can’t relax about what should be done and what needs to be done.”
The higher-ups looked at each other, and someone even stole a glance at Dane.
However, they saw that Dane was like a cock that had lost in a cockfight. He had lost his spirit, vigor, and energy. He was sitting at one side like a puppet.
The higher-ups sighed, and it was unknown who took the lead to call out, “Yes, Mr. Laine.”
“Yes, Mr. Laine.”
All of the higher-ups agreed at the same time.
Jasper nodded and said, “Dismiss.”
The higher-ups walked out one after another. Before leaving, they would subconsciously look at Jasper and Dane.
One of them was full of mettle like a new king who just ascended the throne.
The other one had his head lowered in dejection after being kicked out of the position of power.
After the higher-ups left, this earthquake that started from the core of Sena immediately spread throughout the office.
After that, it spread to the outside world before finally shocking the entire nation.
Inside the meeting room, Dane walked out the room dispiritedly. He knew he did not have a place in Sena anymore.
“Mr. Warren, wait,” Jasper called out to stop Dane.
When Dane heard Jasper changing the way he addressed him, he clenched his teeth and turned around to look at Jasper. He asked, “Are you going to humiliate me again?”
Jasper said unenthusiastically, “I plan to invite you, Mr. Dane Warren, to be the new general manager of Sena. I wonder if you’re interested in this?”
Dane was startled after he heard that. He stared fixedly at Jasper, and his eyes were filled with doubt.
“Aren’t you going to kick me out of Sena?”
Dane was not the only one with this question, even Hudson was curious. He looked at Jasper curiously to know the reason.
Jasper said flatly, “I detest your moral character, Mr. Warren, but I have to admit that as the founder, you’re responsible for getting Sena to the scale it is now and its achievements.
“Do you think I purchased Sena just to kick you out and vent my anger? That’s too childish. You’re beneficial to the company, so I’ll consider keeping you. If you weren’t, then I’d kick you out even if you’re super close to me.”
Jasper said and stood up to walk to Dane. He continued, “Now, even though Sena’s owner has changed, Sena is still Sena. I still hope that it will continue to develop under your leadership.”
Dane’s body shook slightly. What happened today had too many twists and turns. Dane felt as if he was on a roller coaster, and his mood was fluctuating so rhythmically.
When he was feeling fully content with his achievements, Jasper purchased Sena.
When he was feeling mad and frustrated, Jasper gave him an opportunity.
Dane even felt as if he was a puppet under Jasper’s control that would do whatever Jasper wanted him to.
“I…” Dane clenched his fists tightly and looked reluctantly at the meeting room as well as the bright and wide office.
This was all his blood and sweat.
“I’ll do it,” Dane closed his eyes and said.
Jasper smiled and reached out his hand to Dane.
Dane reached out as well to hold Jasper’s hand tightly.
The two men looked into each other’s eyes. Dane suppressed his anger and hatred, hiding them in the deepest part of his heart, leaving only conflicts behind.
In ancient times, Queen Boudica had suffered patiently but firmly resolved for revenge. Now, Dane Warren would be willing to bear the humiliation to save his skin for the time being in order to avenge himself in the future.
Jasper patted Dane’s shoulder and pretended that had not noticed anything. His smile looked tranquil and unhurried.
…
Inside the chairman’s office.
Of course, Dane would not be able to continue staying in this office anymore. After he packed his things, he went downstairs to find an empty office. He hung the plaque stating ‘general manager’ and went inside.
On the other hand, Jasper and Hudson were having tea in the chairman’s office.
“Dane truly knows how to enjoy himself,” Jasper smiled and said while taking a sip of the superior green tea.
Hudson looked admiringly at Dane’s office with a floor area that was exaggeratedly large. There was a parlor, meeting room, and lounge inside his office.
When he thought back to his simple and unpresentable office, he sighed. “I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t made a comparison. After comparing, Terizone indeed can’t compare to Sena.”
Jasper laughed and said, “You don’t have to undervalue yourself. Even though Terizone’s office is unpresentable, the feeling it gave me was much better than a bright and wide office.”
Hudson nodded and smiled. He said, “I believe Terizone will soon have an office that’s much more extravagant than this one.”
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“You don’t have to worry that I’ll pay less attention to Terizone because I have Sena now.”
Jasper laughed and said. It would be better for him to say something earlier.
“In the future, JW Consortium will keep Terizone and Sena as two separate companies, but the two of them will naturally be the closest allies.”
JW Consortium!
This was the first time Hudson heard Jasper saying this.
From here, he was able to know some of Jasper’s ambitions.
He wanted to turn JW Capital into a financial group that was built up of different companies!
This was not an idea that a normal person would have.
Hudson sucked in a deep breath. He decided that whether JW Consortium would be a reality or no matter what stage it would get to in the future, his Terizone must be the best among all of the other companies.
After coming out of the office, Jasper lifted his gaze to see Dane. He was standing at the door, hesitating whether to knock or not.
After their eyes met, Dane felt a little embarrassed.
“Is there anything I can help you with?” Jasper asked.
Dane said challengingly, “I need to report on some business.”
Report!
Dane had no idea when was the last time he reported something to someone. It could be years.
After starting Sena, he was always the person with the highest power and the person who people reported to.
Jasper nodded and allowed Dane into the office. He said, “What’s wrong?”
Dane quickly recomposed himself and said, “My job scope in the office has changed, so who’s going to be responsible for the work that’s going to come in after this? What’s the arrangement?”
Jasper said, “Still you.”
Jasper looked at Dane who had a look of shock on his face and said enthusiastically, “I’ll arrange someone to be the director-general of Sena. When that happens, you just need to cooperate with him.”
Dane felt his heart tighten as he asked, “May I know who that will be?”
“Jack Tanner!”
Dane was proud and arrogant. He would not allow himself to surrender to Jasper.
Jasper knew this from the start.
In fact, Jasper had considered kicking Dane out of Sena before.
However, this would cause a very intractable problem for Jasper…
He did not have many people who could handle such a huge company like Sena.
Sena was such a huge company, so he would need a professional and experienced team to operate this company.
Jasper was not a god, so he would not be able to support Sena on his own.
As such, keeping Dane was one of his stop-gap measures.
Besides, it would be impossible for Jasper to completely trust Dane.
In his previous life, after Dane’s Sena became a listed company, he had a huge conflict with the financiers because of his attitude. When they were at the most serious phase, he led his management team to threaten the financiers. He said if they did not fulfill his requirements, they would have a mass resignation.
This attitude had angered the financiers completely, so they kicked Dane out of Sena.
As the founder, Dane was fired by his own company. This was the first time it happened in the country and caused such a controversy.
As such, Jasper understood that Dane was useful but he could not give him too many responsibilities.
Terizone was slowly progressing now and with Hudson around, Terizone would be fine.
As such, Jack could finally make some time.
As for management, Jack’s ability was enough to give Dane a crushing defeat. Jasper was reassured to transfer him to Sena.
Dane was stumped for words after he heard Jack’s name. He eventually nodded, and Jasper could not tell whether he was happy or angry.
“I’ll tell Jack to brief you later about what’s going to happen next.”
After hearing Jasper’s statement that sounded like a dismissal, Dane turned around to leave.
“Mr. Laine, are you going to transfer Mr. Tanner to Sena?” Hudson asked.
Jasper nodded and said, “Back then when I transferred Jack to Terizone, I told you he was there to help you manage the company as he could use his experience in Weresoft to help you guys build a management system. Now, Terizone is tentatively stabled, so you alone will be enough.”
Hudson sighed and said, “Jack and I had so much fun working together and we’re pretty close in private too. I’m a little reluctant for him to leave just like that.”
Jasper laughed and said, “Everyone is still under JW, so you’ll still get a chance to meet in the future.”
Hudson smiled and nodded.
After making the decision, Jasper called Jack and told him his intention to transfer him to Sena.
Jack was stumped for words, and it was evident that he was shocked. Then, he frowned and said, “Mr. Laine, I’m not complaining to you, but I just don’t think I’ll be able to break new ground within a short period after going to Sena.”
Jasper smiled and said, “Sena is filled with Dane’s people. Even if he has been demoted to the general manager position, he’s still a core member. A leader who just fell from the sky like you will definitely not get the respect of everyone.”
“So, you have to give me some support, Mr. Laine,” Jack said jokingly.
“I’ll authorize you as the director-general of Sena. You can go look for the core members you want. This way, you’ll have power, and we’ll see how long you need to take down Sena completely,” Jasper said.
Jack’s eyes lit up.
To be honest, he was longing for a platform where he could fully exhibit his ability.
Even though he was happy when he was in Terizone, at the end of the day, his hands and feet were bound.
It was different now that he would be transferred to Sena. Even though it would be tough because Jasper wanted him to break the ice and break new ground, this was a test and also an opportunity.
“Alright, three months! You’ll see results in three months!” Jack said seriously.
Jasper chuckled lightly and said, “If you don’t accomplish that when the time comes, you’ll get smacked.”
After he hung up the phone, Jasper went downstairs with Hudson for lunch.
However, his phone rang again.
Jasper took a look and it was from Dawson. He quickly answered the call.
“Jasper, remember what I told you back then about Easy Media? You need to close the deal as soon as possible. I received news that someone with an extensive background has met up with the King brothers and they’re planning to buy their company.”
After Jasper heard that, his face became solemn. He asked, “An extensive background? Do you know who that is?”
Dawson said, “I have no idea, but according to my friend, he’s the son of one of the rich families in Capital City. If we don’t get this right, it’ll be troublesome for us.”
Jasper frowned and said, “I’m in Capital City now. Give me the contact number, Uncle Schuler. I’ll handle this as soon as I can.”
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Dawson gave him an address before saying seriously, “Jasper, I have more than ten years of friendship with this friend of mine, so he’s reliable. You can go to this place to find him.
“I don’t think he’ll lie to me. If the other party really comes from Swallow Capital Residence, then we’ll just give up if we know we’ll fail even if we give it a try.
“After all, there are still a lot of entertainment companies out there. If we can’t buy this one, we can buy another. However, the people from the great institution are not easy to deal with and they’re very demanding as well.
“We don’t have to cause trouble to ourselves.”
Jasper smiled and said after hearing that, “Don’t worry, Uncle Schuler. I’ll go about things while sticking to the norms.”
Dawson laughed and said, “I know, but you don’t have to be weak. We’re not fruit cakes that will allow people to do just anything to us. Alright then, go and take care of your business now.”
After he hung up the phone, Jasper tapped the surface of the desk with his fingertips. He looked as if he was in deep thought.
Even though Hudson did not know what was going on, from Jasper’s face, he could tell he had come across a difficult problem. He became silent as well and did not disturb Jasper’s train of thought.
According to his memories of his previous life, on the surface, Easy Media always had the King brothers as the person in charge.
However, Jasper had heard from some gossip forums that the King brothers came from an extensive background.
Back then, he thought it was just a joke from the netizens
However, from the looks of it now, it might be true.
No matter in which industry, Jasper knew that he would need to interact with people on a much higher level in the country if he had come to this stage. However, he did not expect this to happen this fast.
However, the sky was gradually turning dark and it was not convenient for him to go visit them now. As such, Jasper decided to only think about this tomorrow.
…
The next morning, he came out from the hotel.
Since Jack would be coming to Capital City today, Jasper arranged for Hudson to pick Jack up before familiarizing himself in Sena’s office with Hudson.
On the other hand, he would go to East Quatre Road. There, he found an office building in the most well-known central business district in Swallow Capital.
‘Rosy Commercial Consultants.’ Jasper looked at the signboard and walked in.
“Hello, sir, who are you looking for?” the beautiful receptionist asked courteously.
“Jim Yapp,” Jasper said.
The receptionist was staring blankly at him before quickly saying, “Oh, you’re here for Mr. Yapp. Please wait.”
After she said that, she made a call. After a while, she gestured respectfully for Jasper to follow her.
Jasper came to the door of an office after following the receptionist. Then, a portly middle-aged man walked out of the office.
“You’re Dawson’s son-in-law, Jasper, right?” Jim laughed loudly and pulled Jasper into the office.
“Hello, Uncle Yapp,” Jasper smiled and asked.
Jasper could tell that Dawson had a great relationship with Jim after Jim’s first sentence to him. If not, he would not directly call him Dawson’s son-in-law.
It was obvious that these two had discussed this matter before.
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Jim looked at Jasper up and down before saying in satisfaction, “Not bad, you’re young and have outstanding talents. An excellent young man like you is not easy to find even in Swallow Capital.”
Jasper smiled and said, “I just rely on my luck. I don’t dare to look down on everyone on earth.”
Jim chortled and said candidly, “People who don’t belong together, don’t get to live together. You’re just like Dawson when he was young. You’re talented and yet so humble.”
The two of them chatted for a while before Jim said, “Jasper, before this Dawson said you’re planning to buy an entertainment company. I had asked everywhere about this matter.
“I think you know what happened in the end. Easy Media had every intention to sell, but the bosses of this entertainment company are brothers. Back then, they did not have a united opinion, so they delayed this for some time.
“After this delay, trouble arose. Another rival has appeared and he has such an extensive background.”
When Jasper heard this, he asked, “Who is he?”
Jim chuckled and said, “Swallow Capital is not the same as other cities. There are a lot of high-ranking officials and big shots here. According to my knowledge, the one who appeared this time belongs to the second-ranking family in Swallow Capital.”
Jasper frowned slightly.
The second-ranking family in Swallow Capital. Even the wealthiest family in the province would not be able to compete with them if they were placed in the same room.
“Plus, their family should have a very deep connection to the people who did publicity. Otherwise, this young master from the later generation would not want to buy a media company. After all, his family already has the resources, so it would’ve been easy for him to do this.”
Jim’s face looked solemn as he said, “So, Jasper, if you’re very determined, we shall give it a try. If you think this is dispensable, I suggest that you give up.”
Jasper smiled and said, “Uncle Yapp, since I’m here, I don’t plan to give up so easily even if the other party has a powerful background. When it comes to business, I can’t stay away from it just because he has his eyes on it, right? There’s no rule about this anyway.”
Jim nodded and said, “Alright, I understand. If that’s the case, I’ll pull some strings tonight to invite the King brothers for dinner. What do you think?”
Jasper got up and smiled. “Thank you for going to all these troubles for me, Uncle Yapp.”
Jim smiled and patted Jasper’s shoulder. He said, “You’re Dawson’s son-in-law, so you’re kind of like my nephew. Naturally, I’ll help you if I’m able to.”
The two of them walked out of the office while chatting. When they got to the door of the company, Jasper wanted to bid farewell to Jim when he heard an ear-piercing voice.
“Jim Yapp, people always say you’ll get smarter as you age, but I think you’re getting more stupid as you age. How dare you steal the business Mr. Combe has his eyes on?”
Jasper and Jim looked over to see a middle-aged man in his 30s walking over to them with a cold smirk on his face.
When Jim saw this man, his face fell. He smirked and replied, “I contacted Easy Media first, and it’s Mr. Combe’s business if he’s interested in them too. Are you saying I can’t even show an interest in them now? George, you’re just a middleman, so why are you acting like a poser in front of me?”
George Powell scoffed and said, “You’re saying it like you’re so goddamn noble. If I’m a middleman, aren’t you one as well?
“The only difference between us is that I’m working for Mr. Combe this time. And you? Hurry up and tell your guy to tuck his tail between his legs and scram. Mr. Combe said if anyone dares to steal Easy Media from him, then it’ll mean that they’re deliberately embarrassing him!”
Jim had a horrible expression on his face, and he subconsciously peered at Jasper. There was restrained fear and anger in his eyes.
George was pleased with Jim’s gaze. He looked at Jasper and said in disbelief, “Is this the person who wants to steal Easy Media from Mr. Combe? He looks like an idiot who still needs his bottle. Hahaha. What a joke!”
Jasper looked at George with no expression on his face. He said dully, “I had my eyes on it first, so if you’re talking about stealing, I think your master, Mr. Combe, is the one who’s stealing from me. Plus, who do you think you are? Do you think you have the right to interrupt us?”
After Jasper said this, George was furious.
On the contrary, Jim smiled and felt extremely pleased.
He said in his heart, ‘Attaboy, he’s not a coward at all!’
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George glared at Jasper ferociously and said, “Before you came out, didn’t your parents tell you to be more low profile outside so that you don’t offend other people?”
Jasper answered unenthusiastically, “The elders in my home did tell me to be humble and low profile outside. Plus, they also told me not to hold others in contempt so rashly.”
When George heard this, he thought Jasper was scared and lacking in confidence. Just as he was about to say something after smirking, he heard Jasper continue talking.
“But they only told me that I should be courteous to humans. If a dog keeps barking madly at me, I can just kick it away.”
George’s words that were on the tip of his tongue were then stuffed back into his throat forcefully. In an instant, his face looked extremely dark.
Even Jim was stumped for words. Then, he guffawed and felt extremely carefree.
George was his rival, and even their companies were in the same building.
There were a lot of enemies in the same industry, but one could know how horrible their relationship was just from the looks of it.
Jim had contacted Easy Media and this man in front of them named George was coming between them right now while using Mr. Combe to separate them.
He was just using Mr. Combe’s power and influence to mock and ridicule Jim for the past few days.
Today, Jim did not expect he would be able to vent his anger through Jasper.
Jim’s laughter caused George’s face to become even darker. There was a hint of coldness in his eyes that were glaring at Jasper.
“You little idiot, aren’t you afraid that people will step on you for being so cocky in Swallow Capital?”
Jasper looked coldly at George and said flatly, “Kindness is always returned tenfold, but if you dare to cross me, you’ll get a tenfold return as well.”
“How cocky! You’re so young yet you’re already such a gigantic poser.
“You should know that Swallow Capital is not as simple as you think it is. There are people you can’t afford to offend. If you get stepped on, you can only lie on the ground and beg for mercy.” George smirked, and his eyes were cold.
“Of course, there are a lot of people who’ll step on me in Swallow Capital, but I can guarantee that you’re not on the list. You’re just a hired thug who barely wormed into their circle.”
Jasper shrugged, and there was an insipid look on his face. He was not even concerned about George at all.
This kind of person was just a hired thug. His next meal depended on his boss’ mood. No one could insult Jasper even if he was in Swallow Capital.
Plus, he could not mess up the purchase of Easy Media because of someone like George.
Naturally, Jasper would not show him respect.
“W-Who are you calling a hired thug?”
George felt a fire of rage surging from his stomach and it was heading straight to his head.
He had been mingling in Swallow Capital for so many years, and aside from those members of the aristocratic families who came from the Residence, he had never seen such an arrogant person before.
Plus, he had asked around about the buyer who contacted Jim and knew he was not from Swallow Capital.
In addition to that, he was definitely not someone from the Residence.
As such, George had no comebacks after Jasper kept calling him out. He felt as if he had been slapped a few times across the face and was in fiery pain.
“You little idiot, I’ll teach you that you can’t be too arrogant in Swallow Capital!”
After a cold chuckle from George, he turned around and yelled at the outside of the building.
After a while, the door of a van outside opened and five to six burly men walked out. They all made their way over.
“Little idiot, it just so happened that I went out to settle some business and brought my men out for a meal. It’s your unlucky day,” George laughed nastily and said savagely.
When Jim saw this, he frowned and barked at George. “Hey, Powell! What are you trying to do? There are security cameras in the building and you’re trying to attack us here? Are you insane?”
After a scoff, George said coldly, “Shut up! You best f*ck off. Let me tell you, Mr. Combe has got my back and if you spew more bullsh*t then I’ll f*ck you up too!”
Jim’s expression was gloomy. He said to Jasper in a deep voice, “Jasper, run back into the building. Run to my office and lock the door. Don’t open the door if it’s not me.
“I’ll handle them. I’ve been in Swallow Capital for so many years. He won’t dare to do anything to me.”
When Jasper saw that Jim was still helping him so sincerely at this critical moment, he felt slightly touched. He said, “Uncle Yapp, don’t worry. They won’t do anything to me.”
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After Jim heard that, he said angrily, “He won’t do anything do you? George is not a good person. He went to jail when he was young because he fought with someone. Plus, he has Mr. Combe’s support now.
“You’re young, so don’t get so hot-blooded and impulsive. It’s not embarrassing to admit defeat at this moment. You don’t need to suffer this.”
Jasper shook his head and walked in front of Jim. Now, he was protecting him.
“Julian!”
Jasper called out.
Julian had been repressing it for a few days now, feeling pins and needles all over his body. He could not hold it in anymore. He stepped out, looking at George and his gang coldly.
There were five beefy fighters next to George, so the man was extremely confident. When he saw what Jasper was doing, he could not help but burst out laughing. “Idiot! You only have one person and you dare to f*cking fight with me?
“Men, kill that kid. I want to step on his face and ask if he still has the guts to be so arrogant!”
After George said that, the five men walked over with malevolent looks on their faces.
Julian looked at Jasper. He was asking Jasper whether he should cripple these people.
Of course, Jasper did not want to get into trouble with the law because of these thugs. He said flatly, “Go easy on them. Just teach them a lesson.”
Julian sighed in disappointment. He turned around and cracked his neck. Cracking sounds that sounded like beans getting stir-fried in a hot pan were heard from his body.
With a low growl, he charged at the five of them like a wild beast out of its cage.
It was evident that he was not afraid of the other party having more numbers than him.
Those five fighters were dazed.
These people always depended on their numbers when they fought, and their opponents would admit defeat even before the fight started. They had never seen the other party charging at them with such vigor even when there was only one of them.
“Damn it, go! Cripple him!”
George roared nervously.
At that moment, the two parties were tangled in a fight.
Jim, who was being protected by Jasper, was extremely anxious. He did not expect Jasper to be so impulsive. He felt that something bad was going to happen tonight.
If Jasper was beaten up by George at this place, then how would he be able to face his best friend Dawson?
When he thought about this, Jim gritted his teeth and turned around to run to the lobby of the building. He opened the fire cabinet and took out an ax. He decided that he would not let anything happen to Jasper.
However, when he was walking over with the ax, he saw George’s men lying on the ground. They were wailing and begging for mercy.
Jim was holding the ax after having made the decision of burning their boats, but now, he was staring blankly ahead.
This turn of events… Why was it different from how he imagined it would be?
Jasper saw the ax in Jim’s hand and felt touched. He burst out laughing and said, “Uncle Yapp, Julian is my bodyguard. He knows how to fight. He’s great.”
At that moment, Jim did not know what to say.
Aside from Jim, George felt as if he was watching a movie. How would a normal person in real life defeat five people at the same time?
At this moment, Julian walked over to him.
George was so scared that his entire body was shaking. Julian’s emotionless eyes caused him to feel chills down his back.
“Get away from me! Don’t come any closer!”
George yelled before turning around to run away.
However, the moment he turned around, he felt the back of his neck tightening. Then, he felt as if he was flying when Julian grabbed his neck and reverse slammed him in front of Jasper.
With a loud thud, he fell flat on his face.
Jim’s face twitched. He was feeling pain for George as well!
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George felt as if his organs had shifted out of place. His stomach was churning, and he felt horrible.
He tried hard to get up but his entire body was limp and powerless. He lifted his head with all his might but could only see Jasper’s leather shoes.
Jasper took a step forward and squatted. He bent over to look at George, patting his face.
“You had a lot of fun calling me little idiot, huh?”
George gritted his teeth tightly, but at this moment, even if he was resolute, he did not dare to speak anymore.
“You kept saying that the stakes are high in Swallow Capital. Were you having fun acting like a poser?”
George was gasping for air while enduring the pain in his chest and stomach. He opened his mouth challengingly and said, “Just kill me or hack me into pieces if you dare!”
“How stubborn.”
Jasper smiled, and his eyes went cold instantly.
“You’re just a thug of the lowest level in Swallow Capital’s society, so why are you acting like a keelie in front of me?”
A keelie was a dialect and slang in Swallow Capital, meaning an old fox or a person unfit for society.
Jasper lifted his hand to grab George’s cheek and forced his head up to look into his eyes. Jasper said insipidly, “Yes, the stakes are high in Swallow Capital, but it has nothing to do with people like you. Don’t think that just because you’ve been in Swallow Capital for a few years that you’re a big shot here.”
George was shaking all over. He did not know whether he was trembling because of anger or pain.
He felt that Jasper’s statement had crushed his dignity into pieces before slamming them on the floor to get stomped on.
George wanted so badly to have a dagger in his hand so that he could kill Jasper for making him feel this way.
“Mr. Laine, let me remove one of his arms.”
Julian had been pissed with George’s arrogance for a very long time. When he saw that he was still looking at Jasper sinisterly with hatred on his face, he could not help but propose.
In Julian’s heart, Jasper was his savior—someone he respected the most in his world. He would not allow anyone to insult Jasper.
He owed his life to Jasper, and he was not just saying that.
If they were in a life and death situation one day, he would be willing to take a bullet for Jasper.
When George heard this, the scenes of Julian fighting his five fighters until they were battered and bruised as if he was the God of War flashed across his brain. Then, he saw Julian walking over to him with eyes that were so icy they looked like they could kill.
George was petrified.
He had been in jail before and knew that some people really had the guts to kill.
Plus, now Julian was saying that he would cripple one of George’s arms.
George did not doubt that if Jasper nodded, Julian would really do it.
His intense fear washed away all of his hatred. His eyes were now filled with terror as they shook.
“No, no! I was wrong! I was so wrong!”
George completely became a coward.
“Sir, my good sir, please don’t let him cripple me. There are security cameras all around the place. A big shot like you shouldn’t have to get into trouble with the law because of a minor character like me, right?”
When George saw Jasper’s calm and unchanged expression on his face, he quickly yelled at Jim, “Mr. Yapp, please stop him. Don’t make this into something big!”
Jim wanted so badly to spit on George’s face right now. He had seen a lot of shameless people before but he had never seen anyone as shameless as George.
However, George was right. If Julian really did something to George, then Jasper would get into trouble because they were not at the feet of the emperor.
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“Jasper, don’t act rashly,” Jim said softly.
Jasper chuckled lightly. He had not planned to do anything to George from the start.
The difference between an adult and a child was that one of them knew how to weigh the pros and cons. They would not be blinded by momentary emotions.
If he crippled George, he would feel great. However, what was going to happen next?
He would not be able to escape the consequences of his crimes.
It would be such a tremendous loss if he caused Julian to get convicted because of a minor character like George.
However, Jasper did not mind scaring him a little.
“Tell me, who’s that Mr. Combe who’s behind your back?” Jasper asked coldly.
George did not dare to hide anymore. He spilled everything as if he was spilling a bag of beans.
“Mr. Combe is the second son of the Combe family. He just came back from studying overseas. Since most of the big shots from the Combe family are involved in public relations and Mr. Combe has a celebrity girlfriend, he plans to get into the media industry.
“Mr. Combe contacted me through someone and asked me to look for a media company for him. Coincidentally, I was watching Jim during that time and knew he was looking for a media company too. As such, I contacted Easy Media following his clues. In the end, Mr. Combe was satisfied and that’s how this happened.”
Jasper’s eyes looked cold. He stood up and said to Jim, “Uncle Yapp, I think this is more complicated than we thought.”
Jim looked coldly at George who was on the floor and said, “I didn’t think that everything started because this b*stard was coming between us. I was wondering why it was such a coincidence that Mr. Combe got the news the moment I contacted Easy Media.”
Jasper peered at George who was lying on the ground and did not make a peep. He said flatly, “Get lost.”
After George heard that, it was as if he had received the greatest pardon in the world. He scrambled to get up from the floor before limping away.
On the other hand, the other five fighters helped each other up from the ground before running away too.
Julian looked at the figures of the people who were running away. There was a hint of regret in his eyes… He was still reminiscing this fondly because he did not have enough.
At a distance, George went into the car and slammed the door heavily. His racing heart finally calmed down.
After the fear went away, the bone-deep hatred started surging from within.
He turned his head and glared at Jasper who was at a distance away with rancor in his eyes. He despised him so much that he almost crushed his own teeth.
“B*stard, I’ve been mingling in Swallow Capital for so many years and I’ve never suffered such a huge loss before! I was even beaten up by an animal!”
At this moment, the bruised and battered fighters all got into the car as well. They were all looking at George with resentment.
“What are we doing to do now, boss?”
One of the fighters asked with his fangs baring. When he opened his mouth, it had tugged the wound on the corner of his mouth. He sucked in a deep breath from the pain.
Even though George wanted so badly to slap each and every one of them and call all of them good-for-nothings for embarrassing him, he knew he could not do that. Otherwise, his popularity among them would disappear and if that happened, who would still want to work with him?
George controlled his bad mood and took out a briefcase from the compartment of the armrest. He then took out wads of cash for them. “This is for your medical expenses. You guys should recuperate for the time being.”
The fighter who was talking before took the cash happily. When he was holding the cold hard cash in his hands, the wounds on his body did not feel so painful anymore.
Even though they had gotten the money for their medical expenses, they were still pissed. After all, they were beaten up and lost their dignity as well!
“Boss, we can’t just let this go.”
George laughed sinisterly. “Of course. I’m going to see Mr. Combe now and I’ll add more details to the story. I want to see if that little idiot can still jump around so arrogantly after this! We’re working for Mr. Combe now, and he’ll definitely step in regarding this matter. I want to see how he’ll continue being so arrogant then!”
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Jasper and Jim bade farewell downstairs of the building.
“Uncle Yapp, I still have something I need to take care of. I’ll go handle it now,” Jasper said with a smile.
Jim nodded and said, “Alright, go on then. I’ll make an appointment with the King brothers later to see if we can get them to have dinner with us tonight.”
Jasper said, “Alright, I’ll wait for your update.”
Looking at Jasper and Julian’s figures, Jim felt deeply moved. He took out his phone to call Dawson.
“Dawson, you’ve got yourself a piece of treasure. Your son-in-law is really something else!”
…
After Jasper bade farewell to Jim, he went back to Sena immediately. Coincidentally, he spotted Hudson and Jack walking out after finishing a meeting. When he saw their glum faces, he knew something was wrong.
“What’s wrong?” Jasper asked.
“The people in Sena all have different minds! Some of them are willing to side with us while the others are gearing more toward Dane. Now, there are two sides,” Jack said with a complicated look on his face.
“It’s simple. Punish one of them as an example to others. If it doesn’t work, tell them to get lost.”
Jasper made a straightforward decision and smiled at Jack. He said, “We just got here, and we can’t keep pandering to them. I didn’t give you this power for no good reason. You should use it whenever you see fit.
“Remember, we can’t be overly cautious when we’re doing things. Especially you. You promised to manage Sena properly for me! I’m waiting to see the results!”
“Roger!”
Jack nodded. He could not help but feel impressed with Jasper’s decisiveness. The biggest taboo of a company was to have big changes. If they did not execute it perfectly, it would affect the company greatly and cause them huge losses.
Hudson was standing at one side where he was looking at Jasper with admiration too. He felt that the tactics of this 20-something young man were so scary sometimes!
However, he had to admit that Jasper had a huge plan in mind.
While the three of them were talking, Jasper’s phone rang.
It was from Jim. Jasper quickly answered the call.
“Uncle Yapp, are there any updates from Easy Media?”
Jim answered, “I just contacted them but we can only talk to them face to face depending on the situation. It seems that they don’t really want to talk to us! What do you think?”
Jasper narrowed his eyes and said, “Uncle Yapp, why do you think they don’t want to talk to us?”
Jim said without hesitating, “Perhaps something is going on or perhaps they have another arrangement… Wait, are you saying that they might be in contact with Mr. Combe?”
Jasper said unenthusiastically, “Yeah. The Combes were already planning to come between us anyway. Plus, George, the man who showed up today, is not a good person. He might have talked bad about us after we left. Or perhaps, the Combes are the local influencers of Swallow Capital. If we and the Combes both want to buy their company at the same time, who do you think they’ll decline?”
Jim was breathing urgently now. He said in a low voice, “It’s going to be very troublesome if that’s the case.”
At this moment, Jasper was the one who was comforting Jim instead. He laughed and said, “Uncle Yapp, don’t worry. As long as there isn’t a deal, we still have a chance.”
Jim said in a low voice, “The King brothers are bad cookies too. I’m afraid they might raise the price in this situation.”
“You get business from a discussion. If one raises their price, the other will make a bargain by slicing it down the middle. It’s not something unusual.”
Jim chortled and said, “Jasper, I can’t view you as a young man in his 20s sometimes. You act more like someone around Dawson and my age. You’re too calm and unflustered.”
“Because I know getting angry and anxious won’t help with our case now.”
After chatting for a while, Jasper hung up the phone.
Jasper rubbed the bridge of his nose. It did not matter if the King brothers were talking with Mr. Combe tonight or what they had already talked about. Jasper could not do anything about it now.
Jasper lifted his head to look at the two men in front of him. He was troubled when he thought about the matter with Easy Media. He said, “Hudson, Jack, you guys continue talking. I’ll go back to the hotel to rest.”
“Alright, we’ll settle this as soon as we can.”
After Jasper went back to the hotel, he took a shower and felt much more refreshed. He sat in the hotel alone to think about the purchase.
Jasper did not have many ideas about the purchase of Easy Media for now.
Jasper had no idea what their biggest competitor, Mr. Combe, was planning to do as well.