Ch. 311..320
Life at the Top Chapter 311
At that, Jacob forced himself to speak, “Mister… Mr. Laine, this is indeed my and my brother’s fault. Please forgive us this one time. I promise that we won’t trouble you again.”
Jasper smiled.
“I believe you.”
Jasper’s words had Jacob and his brother breathing a large sigh of relief.
“That everything you say right now is the truth, but I can’t be certain that one day you won’t think back to the humiliation you felt tonight and come up with a plan to trouble me. I told you, didn’t I? I don’t like trouble.”
Jasper’s tone was getting progressively harsher.
Jacob wiped the blood from his face and begged again, “Please, Mr. Laine. I promise that we won’t trouble you again.”
“If I tell you to leave the media and entertainment industry, will you?” Jasper asked.
Jacob’s expression changed.
The industry was the Combe family’s main source of income. He earned tens of millions of profit annually from the few companies under his name.
This was not a question of whether he was willing to or not since it interfered with his family’s roots. He did not have the right to decide.
“Seems like you won’t.”
Jasper took in Jacob’s expression and stated faintly.
“Since you’re unwilling to leave on your own, I’ll just have to kick you out myself.”
Seeing Jasper’s firm attitude, Hector opened his mouth to protest by the side, “You’re going too far, Jasper!”
Hector did not hold back. ‘So what if Jasper is formidable? He’s still an outsider and I refuse to believe that the Law family will sever ties with us just because of him.’
They would apologize if that was what he wanted, but there was no way the Combe brothers would agree when told to cut a source of their family’s fortune.
“I’m going too far?
Jasper looked at Hector intriguingly and replied in an unaffected tone, “Out of everyone here, you’re the last person who has the right to tell me that I’ve gone too far.”
Jacob held Hector back before his brother could refute and turned to look at Jasper. “We’ll apologize if that’s what you want, but I cannot agree if you want us to exit the media and entertainment market.
“Leave the Combe family some dignity, Mr. Laine. Let’s just end this here before we pass the point of reconciliation. It’ll do no good to either of us.”
“Good, you’re alacritous. I like talking to alacritous people.” Jasper chuckled and pulled out his phone.
The first call he made was to Easy Media’s general manager.
“There’ll be a meeting at the conference room tomorrow morning at eight o’clock and I want all department deputy managers and above in attendance. It’ll be a video call with Harbor City’s Advent Entertainment Group, previously known as Gladness Movies. Contact the technical department in advance so they can set things up.”
With that, Jasper then made the second phone call without even a glance at the ugly expressions the Combe brothers sported.
“Ryder, it’s me, Jasper. There’ll be a video conference at 8 a.m. tomorrow with Mainland’s Easy Media that I’ve already bought. The meeting will discuss mainly the partnership between the two media companies to develop the entertainment industry in Mainland as well as canceling the three media companies in Swallow Capital.
Jacob looked at Jasper in utter shock.
That moment, he finally knew that Jasper was the hidden owner behind Harbor City’s Gladness Movies!
Harbor City’s entertainment industry was more than ten times more developed than Mainland, and Gladness Movies was one of the top four companies in Harbor City. Naturally, the fact had Jacob stricken.
While the three companies under Jacob’s name did require his family’s resources to develop the way it had today, to compare it to Gladness Movies would be comparing a village community to an urban group.
Incomparable.
That was not all, for Jasper then turned to ask Henry.
“More than half of Mainland’s media companies are in partnership with those in Harbor City, hoping to exchange a spot in the market with resources. Could you help me send the word when you return to Harbor City?”
Henry chuckled and replied, “Sure, their companies in Harbor City will definitely be at an impasse. But I don’t think you need my help though, just having that Ryder dude of yours send word on your behalf should be good enough. Your name hits stronger than mine when it comes to the big shots in Harbor City.”
Jasper laughed and turned his wrist to show the back of his hand. “Alright then. We’re done here, let’s go.”
Henry got up and followed Jasper out. Jim quickly followed after as well.
Just as Jasper got to the door, he heard Jacob roar at him from behind.
“Do you really want to go that far, Jasper?! You won’t get anything out of cornering the Combe family!”
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Jasper pulled the door open by its handle and turned to glare at Jacob and Hector with a wretched and fierce gaze.
“F*cking childish.”
Then he turned and left.
The luxurious private room was suddenly empty, leaving Hector and Jacob to stand embarrassingly alone inside.
Hector glanced at Jacob’s bloodied and pitiful face. He handed a few pieces of tissue to his brother and whispered, “Here, Jacob. Wipe the blood off your face first. Should we go to the hospital?”
Jacob could feel his face and body burning with pain.
“Motherf*cker…” Jacob wiped the blood off, his eyes flaring red with anger.
“And Jim f*cking riding on their coattails!” Thinking about how more than half of his injuries were caused by Jim, Jacob wanted nothing more than to drag Jim back and cut him to death.
“F*cking hell, Jim’s nothing more than a piece of trash! Hitting and kicking you just because Jasper and Henry were here, he must have a f*cking death wish!” Hector clenched his teeth and spoke.
Indignation flared within him, and Jacob spat out the words resentfully, “Jim’s just a nobody, we can deal with him however we want. The problem here is Jasper. There’s too much about him that we don’t know about. I didn’t expect him to be so strong!”
Fear flashed through Hector’s eyes. “What do we do now, Jacob? Jasper didn’t look like he plans to let us go at all… Not to mention that he still has Henry supporting him.”
“Let’s go home first. We’ll discuss this with Dad,” Jacob clenched his teeth and spoke.
Hector shuddered and replied with fear, “Dad’s going to kill me when he finds out.”
Jacob glared at Hector and growled. “We would never have gotten to this point had you not provoked the wrong people outside, you useless piece of trash!
“You heard the call Jasper made just now, didn’t you? Harbor City’s Gladness Entertainment Movies is his too. We have nothing to fear when it comes to Easy Media, but how long can my companies hold on if his company from Harbor City steps foot here?
“Does this look like a problem either one of us can deal with? I’d rather we confess now than confess when we’ve gone beyond the point of saving. Go home with me now!”
…
“Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital, Uncle Yapp? It’s better to let a doctor take a look.”
Jasper asked Jim kindly after descending the stairs in the clubhouse.
Jim shook his head and smiled. “It’s just a small injury. I’ll be fine after a bit of rest.”
Jasper nodded. “Alright then. I still have other things to do, so I’ll have Julian send you back.”
Jim hummed in acknowledgment and glanced at Henry not too far away carefully. “Jasper, about you and the Law family…”
Despite the truth written before his eyes, Jim still could not believe that Jasper was so close to the Law family.
Especially when it came to Jasper’s attitude. Jim could tell that they were more than just friends.
It was very unusual for the son of such a prominent family to treat Jasper with not an ounce of temperament but instead with respect and slight fear.
Jasper smiled and replied, “I spent some time in Harbor City and worked with the Law family before. It’s something Dawson knows about.”
Jim nodded in understanding and reminded, “Be careful then.”
Jasper gave him a small smile. “I know my limits.”
Jim still wanted to ask Jasper what his relationship with the Law family’s daughter was, but he sighed and swallowed his words back when he saw that Jasper was already walking toward Henry.
Despite without the qualifications to be a part of such a high social class, Jim had made a living in Swallow Capital for so many years now that he knew relationships of husband and wife were mere lies to feed the common folk.
All those truly with power and authority were surrounded by women.
Especially when it came to members of the Residence. If they came from a wealthy family, women were something they did not lack.
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Especially rich daughters who were flirty and had family backgrounds prominent enough to scare people to death.
For a young and rich man like Jasper who was skilled and mature in the ways he acted and dealt with issues, he was a promising talent worth the investment of these rich daughters.
Still, Jasper’s love life was not something an outsider like Jim could give his two cents on.
Getting into the car with Henry, Jasper turned to ask him, “Why did you come to Swallow Capital?”
Henry did not hide it from him and instead leaned to chuckle by Jasper’s ear. “We’ve got a big thing lined up this time. You know how Swallow Capital was approved to host the Olympics?”
Jasper nodded. There was no way he would not know about something when the entire country was celebrating it.
However… Jasper suddenly widened his eyes.
The Law family did more than real estate, for they also dabbled in the sports industry. The Law family had been the one to take on Swallow Capital’s Olympic Village project in the past life.
It was a large project that cost 30 billion!
What mattered the most was not the size of this project, but how much one could potentially earn from it.
It was a national-level project and countless people had their eyes on it, probably everyone in the entire country did too.
The prestige and brand effect of its completion was enough to urge countless real estate businessmen to fight for it even at the cost of making a loss.
Now that he thought about it, after Swallow Capital was approved to host, there were only less than eight years before the Olympics.
It was indeed time to begin planning for Olympic Village.
“Olympic Village?” Jasper asked.
This time, Henry was the one whose eyes widened in shock.
“No way! All I did was tell you about Swallow Capital being approved for hosting the Olympics and you already thought of Olympic Village?!”
Henry really wanted to open Jasper’s skull to take a look at what was inside.
Before he came over, his dad Zachary had called him over to the study. It had taken him a long time before he understood what Swallow Capital being approved for hosting the Olympics had to do with his family.
Even then, he only understood because his dad had told him straight up.
Yet Jasper got the meaning in such a short amount of time. Henry could not help but suspect if his IQ was truly that low.
Jasper knew he guessed correctly by Henry’s reaction.
He smiled and replied, “Why did Uncle Law trust you with such an important project?”
Henry’s expression darkened and he replied disgruntledly, “What’s wrong with me? It’s not like I lost an arm or a leg. What’s wrong with me being the representative?”
Henry felt discouraged when he saw how Jasper looked at him with a shadow of a smile on his lips.
“Fine, fine. I’ll tell you the truth. I’m actually here to scope out the competition since the entire project is technically on paper but yet to be confirmed. When people are truly fighting for it, then Dad will come and secure the project himself.”
Jasper nodded seriously. “That makes more sense.”
“…”
“It’s more than just the Olympic Village this time. There are still a few main stadium structures that we’re interested in. Like the swimming, track, and archery venues.”
Jasper shook his head. “I think you should put your focus on a few projects that you’re certain about. The entire Olympic stadium will be an immense project as a whole and there’s no way one person can finish the entire cake. You’d die from planteration, you know?”
Henry’s eyes widened in horrification when he looked at Jasper. “That’s literally what my dad said! How on earth do you do that?!”
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Jasper merely smiled at Henry’s shock and asked, “Do you think the Law family is the only one with their eyes on this project?”
Henry replied subconsciously, “Of course not. I already heard from some other families that are just as strong as the Law family.”
“Exactly my point. Cake is meant to be shared with everyone, be it the Law family or other families as well. Everyone will have to discuss and compromise for it to work. You take a slice here, and I’ll take a slice there.
“But if someone decides to be greedy and wants to monopolize the entire cake, then everyone else will be without cake. Who else but him would deserve the beating, then?”
At that, Jasper turned to Henry and spoke intently, “We don’t garner hatred of the majority.”
Thoroughly impressed, Henry gave Jasper a big thumbs up. “That’s what my dad said too. I’m impressed, man. You’re good with stocks and you also understand traditional business too.”
Jasper merely smiled but remained silent.
From what he remembered of his past life, the Law family had only gotten the Olympic Village project but not any of the other venues.
The Law family even had a big issue at the end with the Olympic Village project alone.
After racking his brain, he then remembered how there was a small rumor about a mismatched distribution of profits. A lot of people were disgruntled because of it, so they started sabotaging each other. They ended up fighting so badly and involving the higher-ups that it was only resolved by the leader on top.
From how it looked now, everyone seemed to have their swords out and were ready to fight before it officially began. Things seemed way more complicated than what he had heard in his previous life.
Now Jasper wondered how he too could get a slice of cake with the Law family’s help.
It did not matter even if the Olympic Village was out of the question, for being in charge of even a single venue was tremendous news.
A stadium was not to be underestimated, for these main stadiums had ended up being renowned locations in his past life. The Olympic Stadium, however, had fallen short of its expectations due to all sorts of reasons.
The track stadium, for example. Many might not know where one was referring to by that, but everything would change if you named it differently. Say… the Honeycomb Stadium!
The stadium for water-related competitions as well, also known as… the Aquatic Center!
Still, all of this required further planning.
…
At the Westin, Anna was very surprised and elated to see Jasper.
Yet with her character, there was no way that she would run over to hug him without care like a little girl.
Such was the case when they bade farewell at Harbor City’s airport. A hug from behind was the most that she could bring herself to give.
This was the biggest difference between Anna and Wendy as well.
Perhaps it was due to their upbringing, so Anna was more introverted and could control her emotions better while Wendy was more extroverted and obvious when it came to her likes and dislikes.
“Why are you here in Swallow Capital?”
Anna pushed Henry out the door and closed it behind her with practiced ease, completely ignoring Henry’s impatient knocking outside. Lifting her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, Anna asked gently.
“Would you believe me if I said I was waiting for you?” Jasper teased.
Anna pursed her lips and glared at the man’s lack of self-restraint, but she did not reply.
Jasper immediately gave in at the sight of Anna’s alluring and charming reaction. “I actually came here to buy Easy Media.”
“I told you that I plan to buy an entertainment company in both Harbor City and Mainland, then develop both sides to enter the entertainment market together.”
Anna asked, “Did it go smoothly?”
“More or less. I’ve gotten everything done.” Jasper smiled.
Nodding, Anna suddenly pardoned. “Give me a moment.”
Then she rushed out the door.
Jasper had no idea what Anna went to do, but she had her reasons why. As such, he sat down on the sofa in the living room and waited for her to return.
Upon leaving the room, Anna went to knock on Henry’s door.
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Henry lay on the bed angrily and indignantly while bemoaning. He was Anna’s brother, and as her brother, he brought Jasper back only to be treated no more like a driver who said sister proceeded to get rid of once Jasper arrived.
Then he heard knockings on his door. Excited, Henry wondered if his sister had finally found her conscience and came to apologize as well as invite him to join their conversation.
‘Hmph!
‘Now do you remember what I’ve done for you?
‘Now, you’re sorry?’
He would stand his ground and make sure his sister knew that it would not be so easy to beg him for his forgiveness.
With that, Henry opened the door, his arrogance slightly slipping into his supposedly stoic facade.
“Are you here to apologize—”
“Where’s the Lafite you brought over from Harbor City?” Anna fiercely cut Henry off and forced the other to swallow his words.
Henry’s eyes widened as he asked warily, “What do you want? I saved that Lafite for myself!”
“Give it to me,” Anna replied emotionlessly.
Henry’s expression darkened. Had she no respect for her brother?!
“You wish!”
Henry decided that he would fight to the death for his dignity.
Anna smirked. “Are you sure? Dad told me to watch over you before we left. Or should I call Dad and tell him that you’re spending every night drinking and have forgotten what you came here to do?”
Henry’s lips paled in anger. “That’s a lie and we both know it!”
“Do you think Dad’s going to trust me or you?” Anna’s lips quirked at a devilish angle.
Thinking about how this was the first time his dad had given him such an important job and how his sister’s false accusation would easily screw him over… Henry’s lips paled further.
“Screw you!”
Stuffing the bottle of wine into Anna’s arms harshly, Henry’s expression darkened. “You don’t even drink alcohol, what do you want my Lafite for anyway?”
“Jasper likes red wine.” Anna carried the Lafite in her arms and turned to leave with a chuckle.
Stunned, Henry stomped his feet angrily. “What the f*ck, you’re doing it for him? Jesus Christ, at least invite me too! That’s an ‘82 Lafite! I only have three f*cking bottles myself!”
Henry marched out of the room indignantly and followed Anna tightly.
Anna ignored him and returned to the room, waving the bottle of red wine before Jasper’s eyes as if in wait for praise. “An ‘82 Lafite, wanna try?”
Then, she casually pointed to Henry for him to open the bottle.
Henry found the bottle opener, and he felt his heart cry silently.
‘What the f*ck, how could she cheat my wine off me?!
‘Then treat me like I’m her waiter!
‘I’m your brother here! We’re related! By blood!’
Jasper smiled. He took a look at Henry’s extremely stormy expression and got a gist of what was happening. “Great, I’d like to discuss with Henry about securing the Olympic Village project.”
Henry’s ears perked up as he grinned.
With Jasper’s help, his chance of success would now increase by more than 50%.
He wanted to ask Jasper, ‘Would you like something to go with your wine, Brother-in-law? I’ll buy it all for you right now…’
It must be known that Henry currently had no doubts when it came to Jasper’s ability. He admired the man extremely and wished to become a man like Jasper!
“Quick, Jasper… tell me your thoughts!”
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In the hotel room, Jasper and Henry clinked their wine glasses.
“Logically speaking, with the news of being approved for hosting the Olympics still fresh, it should still be a while before the construction plans for the Olympic Village and the other stadiums begin. What else did your dad ask you to do?”
Henry nodded. “Nothing we know is certain yet, but we have to get in on it somehow. Dad says that since it’s such a huge project, it’d be better if I come over and give my stand earlier rather than too late.
“And for us who want in on it to hand a planning report to the people in charge of it all.
“The people in charge want to adopt as many ideas as possible since this is a huge stadium we’re constructing. It’s not a design a company or two can come up with from the top of their heads. Every stadium has to be the best of the best.
“That’s why every party is given the chance to hand in a report, suggesting the design, location, and even the name. Since all of this can be shown through a report. Even though the people in charge didn’t say it, everyone knows that it’ll bring great benefits if your proposal gets chosen.”
Jasper’s eyes glowed. “Do you have a proposal yet?”
Henry replied honestly, “Something this big must be designed by a professional team, but there’s only so many sophisticated designers in the country. There are too many people fighting for them and even though the Law family are close with a few of them, nothing’s been promised yet.”
Jasper nodded in understanding and added, “Tell me when you’re starting. I might have a few ideas that can help.”
The overall plan for the Honeycomb Stadium, the Aquatic Center, and the Olympic Village were all in his mind.
After a round of realistic suggestions, Jasper had the most suitable design proposal and the biggest grasp.
All he had to do was hand in the proposal with content from his previous life and it would definitely be chosen.
“You know about designing too?” Henry seemed suspicious.
Jasper smiled. “Not about designing, no, but I do have ideas.”
Henry shrugged. He was about to speak when his phone suddenly rang.
Seeing that it was an unknown number, Henry did not want to pick it up at all. Yet every time he hung up the call, the other party would just call again.
“What do you want? It’s the middle of the night here! You’d better have a good f*cking reason to be calling me so late or I’ll f*cking kill you!” Henry roared into the phone angrily.
The other party must have said something, for Henry’s brows arched slightly and his expression turned intrigued.
A short moment later, Henry’s tone softened as he chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind meeting you in person, of course not. But I have to tell you that all I’ll be doing if I come, is watch. I’ll still have to ask if the man himself is willing or not.”Henry then handed the phone to Jasper and mouthed.
‘Combe!’
Taking the phone, Jasper greeted, “Hello, this is Jasper Laine.”
The deep voice of a middle-aged man came through the speakers. Without an ounce of anger or arrogance, the man sounded very polite.
“Hello, Mr. Laine. This is Hendrik Combe, Hector and Jacob’s father.”
Jasper raised his brows slightly and replied in a faint tone, “How can I help you, Mr. Combe?”
Hendrik replied, “I believe that there has been a misunderstanding between you and my sons, Mr. Laine. They’ve told me the basic details of what happened when they returned home tonight.
“I only recently realized how arrogant and bossy my sons have been acting outside and I cannot be more remorseful about their actions. I hope that you can accept my apology, Mr. Laine, and forgive my sons for their ignorance.”
Jasper gave a small smile and replied, “Hector and Jacob are both adults, Mr. Combe. It’s only right that they bear responsibility for their own actions. You shouldn’t trouble yourself to clean up after their messes.”
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Hendrik replied sincerely, “It’s my responsibility as a parent to teach my children what is right and wrong. Peace is important when it comes to us businessmen. Another friend is one less business enemy.
“You seem to be interested in developing in the media and entertainment industry, Mr. Laine. How about this. Since I do business in a similar field, we can agree on a time and talk about it in person?
“We’re planning to hold a huge banquet in celebration of Swallow Capital being approved to host the Olympics. We could talk about this, Mr. Laine, and your company could host this banquet if you’re interested.”
Jasper gave it some thought, and Hendrik did not speak anymore. Instead, he waited quietly for Jasper’s reply.
It may seem like silence but in truth, Jasper and Hendrik were both testing each other. Basically, if Jasper responded, then it meant that he had no desire to fight the Combe family beyond the point of reconciliation.
This was the world of adults. Love and hatred did not exist, for everything was merely a transaction of benefits.
If I had more power, then you would have to give in.
If you had more power, then there was no one to blame but myself for my failure.
This was something both Jasper and Hendrik were very well aware of.
A short moment later, Jasper chuckled and replied, “I’d be an idiot not to take up your offer considering your compromise, Mr. Combe. How’s tomorrow sound?”
Hendrik smiled. “Alright then, tomorrow night it shall be. I’ll fetch both you and Mr. Law, then. What a coincidence that I’m attending a gala tomorrow night and most of the people in attendance are those within the industry. We can get to know each other better.”
Jasper gave a polite but noncommittal reply before hanging up the phone.
“What does Combe want?” Henry asked.
Jasper replied faintly, “To resolve the resentment, perhaps.”
“Perhaps?” Henry was stunned. “His attitude was great though. Didn’t he say he wants to write this whole thing off?”
Jasper laughed. “He plans to have me host the celebratory banquet for Swallow Capital hosting the Olympics in return for leaving his sons alone. It might not seem like much of a trick, but he wants to announce it at the gala tomorrow night of all time and places. Don’t you find it weird?”
Henry frowned. “Most people would beg to keep this under wraps, so why would he want to announce it at a gala? Has he gone mad?”
Anna interrupted, “From what I can tell, the host for the celebratory banquet has most likely already been decided. After all, this is a boon to both the host’s fame and fortune. Everyone’s going to be fighting for it no matter what. Especially when it’s about something as grand as Swallow Capital being approved for hosting the Olympics.
“The person who has already been decided will likely be present, and you’ll be targeted tomorrow night.”
Jasper nodded at Anna’s analysis. “That’s what I’m thinking as well.”
“What the f*ck?! The Combes’ old man is even more difficult to deal with than his stupid f*cking sons. How could he be so vile? I’m calling him and scolding the f*ck out of him.” Henry was pissed.
“Calm down.”
Jasper stopped Henry.
“This is still just a guess. Even if this is the truth, it’s still a hidden plan. Unless that is, we turn against him straight away and we meet the fight head-on.
“What Hendrik means is that they’re going to hand out the benefits, but whether we reap them or not will depend on our own ability. There’s no way he can take them back even if we don’t manage to reap them since the Combe family has already been kicked out of the equation with this incident alone.”
Henry’s expression darkened. “Isn’t this letting him off too lightly? We don’t even benefit from this at all then!”
Jasper narrowed his eyes. “The world is hardly as benevolent as we make it out to be. It’s not going to be that easy for him to shift the blame.”
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Inside a family compound in Swallow City.
Hendrik put down the phone, his expression calm.
Jacob and Hector looked at their father apprehensively. In the end, it was still Jacob who bit the bullet and asked, “Dad, did he agree?”
Hendrik answered calmly, “He agreed.”
Hector breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this. Nonetheless, he could not resist sneering, “And here I was, thinking he’s so capable. . Doesn’t this show that he’s afraid of falling out with us? We’ve given him a way out to save him any embarrassment and he’s accepted it, —at least he’s being sensible..”
Hendrik eyed Hector coldly and scolded him, “How did I ever produce such a mentally deficient son like you?”
Hector did not know where he had made a mistake with his comments. His face betrayed his dissatisfaction but he did not dare to provoke Hendrik.
“He’s smart, that’s what he ist! You think he’s afraid? If he was afraid, tonight he wouldn’t have made a move to crush the several media companies that our family owns,” Hendrik said angrily.
“He’s already taken whatever revenge necessary on the two of you. Since that’s over and done with, he isn’t afraid of whatever we do next; he’s confident he can handle it. However, he’sconveniently taking this way out because we brought out benefits or exchange!
“Compared with giving vent to a moment of anger , it’s the benefits you obtain that are the real deal. When will the two of you finally understand this? This is what people refer to as knowing when to advance or retreat, boldly and astutely! !
“Look at the two of you—what do you know? All you know how to do is to be jealous of each other and vie for favor like cats and dogs. And you still think you’re such big shots?”
Jacob asked, “Then what should we do tomorrow, Dad?”
Hendrik lit a cigarette and took a long drag. He said solemnly, “I’ve relinquished the celebration banquet that’s being held in honor of the successful bid for the Olympic Games.”
Jacob’s expression changed when he heard this. “Dad, this banquet is really important. Who knows how many of the big shots will be watching it? Besides, didn’t we already ask the Turner family to host it? If we go back on our word, we’re not going to be able to face the wrath of the Turner family.”
Hendrik gave a cold laugh. “Since I have the right of approval, I have no opinion either way whether it goes to the Turner family or to Jasper. Whoever gets it—well, that will depend on how capable they are.”
Jacob pondered for a moment. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that it made sense. Pleasantly surprised, he exclaimed, , “Dad, you mean you’re going to let them fight it out between themselves?”
With a mocking laugh,Hendrik scoffed, “You think it’s so easy to obtain benefits from the Combe family?
“When the banquet begins tomorrow, both of you keep a low profile. Don’t act like big shots and don’t say anything you shouldn’t be saying. Tomorrow, we’re not the main focus—that should be theTurner family and Jasper, maybe even Henry… We’ll just be spectators.”
……
The next day, Jasper went to Easy Media first to hold a video conference.
However, for this meeting, Jasper temporarily deferred his conquest of White Media Company. Instead, he focused on the integration of resources between the two companies.
Jasper’s initial plan was for the Mainland and Harbor City companies to develop side by side and advance together in the domestic entertainment market .
Particularly with regards to the Mainland market, he had the advantage of his memories from before his reincarnation. He was very much aware that the Mainland entertainment market would be an extremely large one in the future, worth hundreds of billions. Such a large slice of the proverbial pie needed to be prepared for in advance.
Although the film industry in Harbor City was now going into a decline, the entertainment industry consisted of more than just movies.
What was more, there were far more celebrities in Harbor City than in the Mainland, and their popularity was also significantly higher. An alliance between these two companies, therefore, would be able to achieve unheard-of results.
Furthermore, even when weakened, the strong were still strong. With the top four large film companies in Harbor City operating together, developing the Mainland market would be much easier.
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The meeting that was initially scheduled for three hours lasted the entire day.
At the end of the meeting, the two companies had drafted an outline for their development in the next two years. Besides, Advent Entertainment Group would also send out a management team to aid Jasper in seizing Easy Media in a death grip.
Although the top executives of Easy Media felt somewhat begrudging about their diminution of power, no one dared say anything as Jasper was now the big boss. They had to accept reality.
After the meeting ended, the car the White family had dispatched to pick up Jasper was already parked in front of the company.
Jasper realized there was only Henry inside upon getting in.
“Anna doesn’t like these elite gatherings. Some of her close friends back in university came to Swallow Capital for their development, so she has headed out today to meet her friends. She asked me to inform you that she won’t be going,” Henry explained.
Jasper nodded and thought for a moment. He then called Julian and told him to keep an eye on Anna and protect her.
Although no one in Swallow Capital had the guts to bully Anna, at the end of the day, this was not Harbor City. If any shallow local thugs wanted to cause Anna trouble, everything could be settled with Julian around.
Jasper and Henry arrived at a restaurant about half an hour later.
The gate looked ordinary and so was the quadrangle, but it was located in the central area of Swallow Capital. It was only a ten-minute walk from the imperial palace.
Even now in the year 2000, the housing prices here had already exceeded 100,000 dollars per square meter.
The housing in this area could not be purchased with money even if one was rich in the future. No housing property would drift into the market at all.
“When my grandfather and father came to Swallow Capital earlier on, they liked the dishes from Shallow Grass Hall the most, apart from the state banquet. It can be considered the true first-rate private kitchen.”
Henry moved closer to Jasper as he began to flaunt his insight.
“I heard that the dishes here are not priced at all and what you eat depends on the head chef’s mood. You only deposit the money to the head chef’s account after the meal. A dollar is not too small, one million is not too much. I heard that a boss once paid ten million for a six-course meal.
“However, most people who can afford to come here for a meal are not so high-profile. Usually, a few hundred thousand dollars as a token of thanks suffices.
“I reckon Hendrik has paid quite a price to organize the banquet here.”
Jasper nodded as he listened. The two of them crossed the tall door sill and entered the quadrangle.
A rubble wall came into view as soon as they entered. This kind of wall in the quadrangle was designed for a purpose. They were also called retaining walls and were used to block off the cold winds during winter and keep the space from freezing up.
After going around the rubble wall and along the glazed tile corridor that was carved with dragons and phoenixes, they walked through the twists and turns until they arrived at the inner section. The winding path led them to a quiet and secluded place. The uniqueness and ingenuity of the quadrangle were revealed for all to see.
“Find out later if there are any houses with quadrangles for sale in Swallow Capital. I can buy and keep them,” Jasper suddenly said to Henry who was beside him.
Henry looked at Jasper weirdly and asked, “The prices of houses with quadrangles in Swallow Capital are now outrageous. Even those smaller ones with poorer geographic locations have base prices of tens of millions. Are they worth it?”
Jasper smiled and said, “Don’t worry, no matter how high the prices are, it’s cheaper to buy them now. The prices in a few years will be even more outrageous and they’ll be even more highly sought after.”
Henry nodded. After going through so many things, he would rather doubt that the sun was square than Jasper’s insights in investments. He silently kept this matter in mind.
The two of them walked along the corridor and went around the rockery and pond. As soon as they arrived outside the door of a guest room, they heard the vigorous voice of a man from inside.
“Where did this sorry lot of people come from? The party will be arranged by the Turners. Whoever takes that away from me is disrespecting the Turner family. Who is so brave as to stop me from taking care of my business in Swallow Capital? Why don’t they cut their own coat according to their cloth?”
Life at the Top Chapter 320
Henry, who was outside, called out, “Hey!” He immediately pushed open the door when he heard the voice.
“Which idiot is making a ruckus here? Turner family this, Turner family that, what’s the matter? Is the Turner family so great that they can ascend to the heavens?”
Henry’s words drew everyone’s attention in the room.
Hector and Jacob were sitting obediently on the side. A middle-aged man with white hair and a steady presence whom Jasper did not recognize was sitting in the host’s seat. It seemed that the person was Hendrik.
On Hendrik’s left sat a young man in his 30s. He was dressed exquisitely, but obstinance was written all over his face. At this moment, he was staring at Henry with a flash of cold light in his gaze.
This person should be the person from the Turner family who was speaking before.
Upon seeing Henry and Jasper, Hendrik stood up with a smile and said, “Young Master Law and Mr. Laine, you’re here.”
Hendrik walked over as he spoke. He first reached out to Jasper and said, “Mr. Laine, I, Hendrik Combe, actually invited you two to the banquet today to bury the hatchet. I thank Mr. Laine profusely for showing up.”
Jasper shook hands with Hendrik and said coolly, “This banquet that you’ve so meticulously prepared is wonderful, Mr. Combe. Of course, I had to show up.”
Jasper’s words were meaningful. Hendrik smiled and pretended that he understood nothing.
“You’re very welcome, Mr. Laine, Mr. Law, both of you come here and quickly have a seat.”
As he led the two of them to have a seat, Hendrik approached Erik. He patted Erik on the shoulder affectionately and said, “This is the Turner family’s young master, Erik Turner. Everyone’s part of the same industry here. I’m sure there might even be opportunities for collaboration once we have a chat with one another.”
As soon as these words were uttered, Erik sneered and said, “Not every Tom, Dick, or Harry deserves to have a meal with me. I despise filth immensely.”
Upon hearing this, Henry immediately narrowed his eyes to reveal an ominous glint.
He had always been the one who said such comments to others. Since when was it someone else’s turn to turn the table against him?
“Aren’t you pretty f*cking insolent?” Henry sneered and said.
Erik darted a look at Henry and said indifferently, “Henry Law, don’t think that the Law family is all that great. The person who others respect is Old Master Law, a heroic figure. What does that have anything to do with you?
“At the end of the day, the Law family only has some power in Harbor City, but you’re really taking advantage of their influence after coming to Swallow Capital. Who the hell do you think you are, Henry Law?”
“F*ck you!”
Henry nearly flipped the table on the spot. “Who the fuck do you think you are? Aren’t you still bearing the Turner family’s name when you come out of the house and put on an act? Who do you think you’ll be if you leave the Turner family?
“Who I am isn’t up to you, a son of a b*tch, to tell me. Do it if you have the guts. If I wuss out, then I’m no longer a Law!”
Erik scoffed and said disdainfully, “How childish.”
With that said, Erik turned his head and said to Jasper without even glancing at the fuming Henry, “Are you the one who wants to snatch the Olympic celebration banquet from me? What’s the matter? Do you feel like you’re living too comfortably and are looking for excitement?”
Jasper chuckled and said calmly, “I don’t know whether it’s excitement or not. I only heard a mad dog barking non-stop.”
Henry instantly perked up. He taunted Erik, whose face took on an unsightly expression, “He’s talking about you. As a dog that can only bark, why don’t you bark a few more times for us to hear?”
There was a flash of dark gloom in Erik’s eyes. He sneered and said, “It seems that there really are people who look down on the Turner family, eh?”
Jasper said indifferently, “So what if it’s the Turner family? Has this dinner party been written down in a contract and given to the Turner family?”
Erik was taken aback when he heard this.
In Swallow Capital, all the Turner family had to do was give a notice about any project that the family had an eye on and no one would dare to make them look bad. Even more so, no one would fearlessly try to snatch the project away from them.
As such, how could there be a contract signed beforehand?
That was why Jasper’s words had truly touched a weak point.
Erik turned his head to look at Hendrik. The former put on a false smile and said, “Young Master of the Combe family, how about we hurry up and draw up a contract?”