Ch. 361..370
Life at the Top Chapter 361
Sebastian watched the entire incident unfold before his eyes. He silently mocked Hayes for being a sore loser. Nevertheless, he was now completely relieved about this round. All traces of doubt in his heart had completely disappeared.
The round continued till late into the evening. Throughout this period, the expression on Sebastian’s face gradually darkened.
What goes around comes around. He was starting to lose money now.
It was as if a spell had been cast on him. All the cards he had were all low-ranking. He hardly had any high-ranking cards. His opponent could either have higher-ranking cards than him, or completely give up on the game.
Meanwhile, the money by his side continued to dwindle. He had more than 20 million dollars during his peak, and now there was only a measly 100000 dollars left.
“Oh, my good luck is here,” Hayes chuckled. He spread out his cards. His cards were of the highest rank; He had won the round.
Sebastian lost all the remaining money that he had.
Hayes lit a cigarette in satisfaction. “Chairman Walker, are you out of money? What do you say, should we just end here?” He asked Sebastian.
Sebastian unbuttoned the buttons around his collar harshly and said in distaste, “I’m just having a spat of bad luck. What are you being so proud of? I won all this money from you guys a few days ago, don’t you remember? I’m just returning some of it to you right now!”
Sebastian then pulled out a cheque book from his coat. He filled in a cheque and slammed it onto the table. “Here’s a 20 million dollar check! I’ll exchange it with someone that has cash!” He announced through gritted teeth.
Hector Combe responded cheerily, “This is my villa. Of course I have cash. Someone come over and give my uncle 20 million dollars in cash.”
Hector proceeded to take the cheque after speaking.
After ensuring that the money by his side had been replenished, Sebastian hollered in determination, “Let’s continue!”
He lost this 20 million dollars within 30 minutes.
Even Sebastian, who had experienced all sorts of situations, was a little short of breath.
He had lost 20 million dollars in 30 minutes. This was a humiliating loss.
“F*ck, it’s so hot in here. Why is the air conditioner set at such a high temperature? Can’t bear to pay the electricity bill?” Sebastian turned around impatiently and cursed at a waiter.
Despite his aggravation, the waiter did not dare to utter a single word. Instead, he lowered the temperature of the air conditioner in a hurry.
“Chairman Walker, don’t throw a tantrum even if you lose money. Don’t be a sore loser if you can’t bear to lose,” Hayes remarked as he burst out into laughter.
“Shut up!” Sebastian yelled, eyeing him coldly. He filled in another 50-million-dollar check. “Let’s continue!” He said through gritted teeth.
Sebastian, who was beyond humiliated by his loss, seemed to have gone mad. He persisted till the end regardless of the rank of his cards.
In a situation like this, he kept losing more and more.
By the time midnight arrived, he had already written cheques worth up to 500 million dollars.
Hector had cashed in all the cheque on the spot through a special channel and had transferred all the money to a secret account.
Once again, Sebastian filled in another 50-million-dollar check. Hector knew that it was time to stop when the portal indicated that the cheque could not be processed.
“Uncle, this cheque cannot be processed.”
Hector’s words caused a wave of shock to pass through Sebastian, who felt like he had just woken up from a trance.
“How is that possible? There is around 500 million dollars in the account!” Sebastian shouted out in a shrill voice.
“You’ve already transferred out more than 500 million dollars. The cheque can’t be processed as the balance in your account is insufficient,” Hector said with a shrug.
Sebastian, who had been grumpy due to the heat, felt an icy sensation wash over him from head to toe. He felt like he been struck by lightning.
“What?!”
Sebastian’s voice trembled as he exclaimed, “I lost… 500 million dollars?!”
Right then, Jordan suddenly glanced at Hector and voiced out, “Since Chairman Walker has used up his money, shall we call it a night?”
Before anyone could reply, Sebastian got up in anger. “No! I lost such a f*cking large sum of money! My company will be in trouble! You guys intend to leave after winning all the money? Don’t even think about it!” He yelled in rage.
“I still have stocks! I will use the stocks for Kaymaroon registered under my name as collateral! I must turn this around!”
“Uncle, you’re going overboard,” Hector said with a chuckle.
Sebastian slammed his fist on the table and roared out maniacally, “What do you know? Without the 500 million dollars, I won’t be able to pay for my goods or repay my loans! If that happens, I’ll be doomed!
“I have extremely good luck! I’ll surely win all the money back! I want to turn this around! Which one of you dares to kick me out?!”
Life at the Top Chapter 362
“Uncle, nobody has ever leveraged the company’s shares. Furthermore, how do we estimate this valuation? This isn’t appropriate. Owning the shares won’t be of any use to us either.”
Jordan and Hayes both agreed with Hector’s words.
Sebastian turned around immediately and glared at Hector. “Hector Combe, have you gone mad? How can you speak for them at a time like this?!” He asked in infuriation.
“Uncle, that was basic reasoning. I’m not taking sides here,” Hector said calmly.
Sebastian gritted his teeth and tried his best to suppress his anger. “In that case, lend me a few million dollars for this emergency,” he said.
Hector’s expression remained calm and collected. “Uncle, I don’t have that much money. I can’t withdraw a few million dollars for you to lose it all. You should think about how to handle your upcoming problems,” he said.
No matter how incoherent Sebastian’s thoughts were, there was no way that he would not finally realize that something was not right.
The three people seated at the gambling table, and Hector in particular, were acting exceptionally odd right now.
Taking in a deep breath, Sebastian suppressed the uneasiness in his heart. “What do you mean?” He asked in a low voice.
He could not believe that Hector was bold enough to team up with an outsider just to go against him.
He was going against his father, Hendrik, by doing so.
“What do I mean?” Hector laughed. He took out a small black box from the portable air conditioner in the room and turned off a switch on it.
“I have blocked everyone’s mobile phone signal in order to allow us to play cards in silence. Excuse me for pulling this small trick.
“Uncle, take a look at your phone at once. A lot of people should be looking for you right now.”
The uneasiness in Sebastian’s heart continued to grow. Just as he was about to say something, his phone rang loudly, as if on cue.
The caller was a close associate of his from the company. Without thinking much, Sebastian picked up the call.
“Chairman Walker, where did you go? The company is in a total mess. I have been calling you for four hours straight, but you didn’t pick up your phone!”
Sebastian spoke in a low, authoritative tone after listening to the anxious voice on the other end of the phone. “What is all the panic about? Tell me what happened immediately!”
“We’re done for, Chairman. All the private loan companies that we borrowed money from suddenly came over to ask for their payment. However, the company’s account doesn’t have your signature, so we couldn’t withdraw the money. Moreover, the finance department told us that the funds in the account kept declining. There are only a few hundred thousand dollars left in the account.”
Sebastian felt like he had been struck by lightning. He had turned all of the funds in the company account into cheques and had gambled it all away. The money was gone now.
However, the oddest thing was that the debts he owed the private loan companies had not yet expired. Why were they collecting the debts now?
“Aren’t the debts due in a few months’ time?” Sebastian asked, his throat dry. It felt like dark clouds were looming above his head, coming together to form a net that he could not escape from. The net was about to fall on him and consume him whole in the very next moment.
“I don’t know. They are disregarding the interest and demanding us to repay the principal right now. Since we couldn’t find you, they went to the supermarket to spread the news.”
“A dozen of employees are in charge of each supermarket. There are still dozens of people at the company headquarters. The incoming calls are about to blow up my phone!”
Cold sweat beaded Sebastian’s forehead as he listened to the news.
While his palms heated up, a chilling sensation washed over his head.
Sebastian hung up on the call while ignoring his close associate’s dire pleas for help.
He fixed a stony gaze upon Hector. “Hector Combe, what is going on right now?!”
Hector ignored Sebastian, who was on the verge of exploding from rage, and walked toward the door. He opened it straight away.
Sebastian’s gaze veered past the door and landed on the sofa in the villa. Jacob Combe, who was seated on the sofa, was having a cup of tea with a young man in a courteous manner.
Life at the Top Chapter 363
“Jasper Laine?!”
Sebastian’s heart lurched in shock. He felt like all the blood in his body was running cold.
He had never once expected Jasper Laine to appear here.
Hector walked out of the room immediately. He stood sturdily in front of Jasper and bowed to him courteously. “Mr. Laine, everything is completed,” he said.
Jasper took a sip of his tea and chuckled. “Not bad,”
A look of satisfaction and happiness appeared on Hector’s face after being praised by his master. These were the values of a treacherous b*stard like him.
Sebastian’s temple throbbed at the sight of it all.
Jasper raised his head to look at Sebastian, who was overcome with mixed emotions. “Long time no see, Chairman Walker. Are you that surprised to see me here?” he asked indifferently.
Sebastian ground his teeth as he tried to suppress the overwhelming uneasiness in his heart. “Jasper Laine, how dare you appear before me when I haven’t even bothered to look for you. Aren’t you afraid that I’ll kill you?” he asked in a voice that was totally devoid of warmth.
Jasper put down his cup with a chuckle. “With your IQ, I really wonder how you managed to operate a large-scale business like Kaymaroon. As to why I’m bold enough to show up here, don’t you understand by now?”
Hector sighed as well. “Uncle, out of everyone in the world, you just had to get on Mr. Laine’s nerves. I had no choice. I’ll give you a piece of advice, hurry up and beg Mr. Laine for mercy. Maybe he’d let you off alive,” he said.
Sebastian burst out in anger. “What f*cking bullsh*it are you going on about?!” He yelled while pointing at Hector and Jasper. “What on earth are the two of you up to?! What do you mean?!”
“You’re asking me to apologize to this idiot? Have you lost it, Hector Combe?!”
“You’re the one who’s lost it!” Hector retorted matter-of-factly. “Uncle, you’ve offended someone that you shouldn’t have offended. You’re bringing about your own destruction. Stop yelling now. Come over and admit your mistakes to Mr. Laine at once,” he said.
“Don’t call me your uncle! You f*cking teamed with outsiders to go against me! Do you still have the audacity to call me your uncle?!” Sebastian roared angrily.
Hector sneered. “Well, you’ve still offended Mr. Laine, Sebastian Walker. Why don’t you come over to apologize?” he asked.
Sebastian pinned a scorching glare upon Jasper. He gritted his teeth and exclaimed, “What is going on right now? Jasper Laine, give me an explanation at once!”
“Explanation? What explanation?” Jasper asked coldly.
“Kaymaroon has long been facing a major financial crisis. I just triggered it in advance. It would have happened sooner or later anyways. The sooner it happens, the sooner it’ll be resolved. I’m offering you a helping hand.
“As for all the gambling, you were a willing victim to my whims. You were the one who lost all your money through gambling. How can you blame that on me?”
Sebastian’s head buzzed as he pieced together everything that had happened over these past few days. Eventually, he realized that everything came together to form an elaborate scheme.
Feeling suffocated, Sebastian’s vision grew dark as his head spun. He widened his eyes and stared at Jasper. “Everything was part of your scheme?!” He asked in a shrill voice.
Jasper chuckled and said, “How can you call it a scheme? It was just a few of my business tricks. When it comes to schemes, you’re the true master here, Sebastian Walker.”
He had lost all of the company’s liquid funds, and the private loan companies that the company had borrowed hundreds of million dollars from were all forcing them to repay their debts. After the news about this breaks out, the suppliers would surely go against them. Eventually, the bank would terminate their loans and request them to repay their debts after noticing the terrible situation that they were in.
This series of incidents would occur one after another…
Kaymaroon was on the brink of death!
Sebastian felt his scalp grow numb.
He had been coming up with an intricate plan to bring Schuler Corporation down. However, his own company had been stolen in the blink of an eye!
“Jasper Laine! You should f*cking die!”
Life at the Top Chapter 364
Overcome by immense shock, Sebastian was on the verge of collapsing.
He rushed forward in an attempt to pounce onto Jasper; He wanted to bite off a piece of his flesh so badly.
Jasper watched Sebastian rush toward him with a cold gaze.
However, Julian appeared in front of him before Sebastian could even reach him. Julian held his throat in a vice-like grip and raised him into the air single-handedly as if he were holding onto a dead dog.
Hector and the others gulped as they watched the scene unfold. They all stared at Jasper in fear without daring to utter a single word.
Sebastian was being choked, while Julian bore the weight of his entire body with just the arm that he was using to choke him. Sebastian suddenly felt breathless, his face flushing red at once.
“Let go of him,” Jasper said calmly.
Julian released his grip and Sebastian fell to the ground like a worthless, dead dog. Clutching at his throat, he took in large gulps of air.
Fortunately, Sebastian managed to calm down after going through such a ruckus.
He knew that there was no use in throwing a meaningless tantrum right now. Thus, he tried his best to raise his head and looked at Jasper. “Aren’t you just Dawson Schuler’s son-in-law? What gives you the right to order the Combes around?” He asked angrily.
Jacob shook his head and sighed. “You’ve really lost it. Don’t you understand by now? Shouldn’t you take a look at your opponent before going against them? Uncle, the amount of power that Mr. Laine holds is beyond your imagination,” he said.
“Forget the Combes. You heard of what happened to Brad and Erik Turner some time ago, right? They offended Mr. Laine and look what happened to them. They had to pay a compensation of a billion dollars. In the end, Erik Turner had to resign from his position as the chairman of Motley Media.
“Even the Turners have conceded. What can you do?”
Sebastian’s face instantly turned pale.
He stared at Jasper in disbelief. His gaze filled with shock. He looked like he had just seen a ghost.
“Who…who are you?! Why didn’t you tell me that you had such a powerful background?!”
“Actually, you know everything about my identity. As for my background, I’m different from everyone else. I am my own strongest background,” Jasper said calmly.
Sebastian’s expression changed at once. Finally, he seemed to have lost all of his energy. He lowered his head before Jasper and asmed, “What do I need to do for you to let go of me?”
“Let you go? The thought never even occurred to me,” Jasper said, feigning a look of surprise.
Sebastian was stupefied. “Do you really want to have a battle of life and death?” He asked in infuriation.
“You don’t seem to understand your current circumstances. What do you mean by ‘battle of life and death’? You’re already a dead man. There’s no way you can come out of this alive,” Jasper said with a suppressed laugh.
Sebastian tried his best to control his rage and unwillingness. “How would you benefit from defeating me? Why are you being so unrelenting and cruel?” He asked, seething with anger.
“To be honest, defeating you doesn’t bring me any benefits.”
Jasper said matter-of-factly while staring at him.
“However, since the grievances between us are many, I should seek the vengeance that I deserve, don’t you think?”
Sebastian trembled upon hearing what he said. “Do you intend to take revenge for Dawson Schuler?” He asked stiffly.
“You killed the wife of my future father-in-law. Do you think that I’ll let you go?” Jasper asked.
Sebastian clenched his hands into fists. His body trembled slightly due to all his pent-up rage and overwhelming emotions. “What do you intend to do?”
“I want to see you lose everything that you have. That is the price that you should pay!”
Jasper stood up and slowly walked before Sebastian. Although his voice was calm and collected, his gaze was as frigid as an iceberg.
Life at the Top Chapter 365
“People like you think that they can do anything you want just because they’re rich. Your wealth is the source of everything you possess. Therefore, to you, money is even more important than your own life.
“That’s why the best way to deal with people like you is to have you watch yourself become a poor beggar. The pain and torture of something like that is a much more horrifying thought than death to you.”
Jasper then chuckled softly in front of Sebastian, who was quivering uncontrollably.
“You lost all of your liquidity, so you can’t pay off the debts that you owe the private loan companies. Those people will try to get back their money from Kaymaroon as soon as possible.
“Running out of money isn’t a problem. You can sell your goods as there are plenty of goods in the supermarket anyway. Hence, you’ll surely be able to recover some of your loss.
“After that, the bank will take note of Kaymaroon’s debt crisis. I’m sure they will immediately sue you and bring you to court.
“All of this will take place one by one after the sun rises tomorrow. In other words, your life is over.”
Sebastian stared at Jasper with a terrified gaze. He trembled in fear. “No, you can’t do this! This is impossible!” He shouted out.
All of a sudden, Sebastian got on his knees and kneeled on the ground. He grabbed the hem of Jasper’s shirt with both hands. “Jasper Laine, no, Brother Laine, Mr. Laine. You can’t do this to me, Mr. Laine. I know what I did was wrong. I deserve to die. I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have gone against you!” He pleaded.
“I beg of you. Please let me go this once. I really can’t lose Kaymaroon! My competitors won’t let me go so easily, Mr. Laine. I beg of you, please spare me!”
Jasper fixed an icy gaze on Sebastian, who had started sobbing pitifully. “Ten years ago, there was a woman who had begged piteously in front of you as well. However, did you spare her life?” He asked stonily.
Sebastian’s voice quivered as he pleaded with Jasper. “I was blinded by my lust and greed back then. I really didn’t know that things would turn out this way. To be honest, I had no intentions of killing her at all back then. I just wanted to scare her,” he said.
“Who would have thought that she would suddenly get killed? Even if I was bolder, I wouldn’t have dared to kill somebody.
“I’m willing to take out half of Kaymaroon’s assets. No, make it two-thirds. I’ll give you two-thirds of Kaymaroon’s assets in exchange for my life. At least let me keep some of my assets. Mr. Laine, I was wrong. I was really wrong!”
Overcome by extreme terror and threat, Sebastian kneeled down on the ground and pressed his forehead to the ground repeatedly.
The sound of the forehead continuously banging against the ground echoed through the room. After a while, Sebastian’s forehead was matted with blood.
Jasper continued looking upon his actions coldly. He did not encourage him to keep going on nor reach out to stop him.
Sebastian’s fate had already been sealed. Even if he jumped and cursed, or knelt down to beg for mercy, nothing would change Jasper’s mind.
“Julian,” Jasper called out.
“Brother Laine,” Julian responded as he came forward.
“Take him outside. I don’t want to see him.”
Julian grunted a noise of affirmation before turning around to drag Sebastian, who was wailing in fear, to his feet. He then pulled Sebastian toward the door.
Initially, Sebastian pleaded with Jasper desperately. However, since begging had no effect whatsoever, he simply let go of all his restraints.
“Jasper Laine, you deserve a painful death! Remember what I said! I will never let you go even after I turn into a wandering ghost! This is a reminder of what will happen to you in the future! Don’t be satisfied just yet. Eventually, there will come a day when you’ll be trampled upon by someone else!
“You deserve a painful death!”
Julian threw him out of the villa with a loud crash. He then closed the door tightly.
“I can finally have some peace,” Jasper let out a soft sigh. He then turned around to look at Hector and Jacob Combe.
Fear and respect flashed across the two brothers’ gazes. They immediately stood up straight and displayed an obedient demeanor when they noticed Jasper looking their way.
“You guys did pretty well!”
Life at the Top Chapter 366
After hearing Jasper’s words, Hector and Jacob felt rather touched.
Flattered, Hector immediately plastered a smile across his face. “It’s all thanks to your detailed plan, Mr. Laine. We were just doing as you said. We didn’t do much,” he said.
Jasper smiled and replied, “Although I was the one who prepared the script, you guys needed to act your part well for this to work. Otherwise, this act wouldn’t have succeeded.
“According to our agreement, you guys can take 30% of the 500 million dollars that Sebastian Walker lost tonight, and the rest will be transferred to the account that I have given you guys by tomorrow.”
Hector and Jacob felt their eyes twitch after listening to what Jasper said.
They were not shocked because the sum was too small. Rather, it was too large.
They had previously thought that it would be good enough if they managed to squeeze out a hundred million dollars from Sebastian Walker via his gambling. In that case, they would get 30% of it, which would amount to thirty million dollars. It was not a large sum.
However, they had obtained 500 million dollars now. 30% of the sum was more than a hundred million dollars. They did not dare to ask for such a large sum of money.
“Mr. Laine, that’s way too much. We didn’t do much. Why don’t we take 10%…”
Jasper interjected Hector while he was speaking. “There’s no need for this. I told you that I’d give you the money. No matter how much the amount, I’ll give you the share that we agreed upon. This is what the two of you deserve. Jim Yapp will send someone to contact you for the transfer of his company shares tomorrow.”
Jasper then stood up and walked toward the door. “Wrap up everything nicely over here. I’m busy with other stuff, so I’ll be going first,” he said.
Jasper led Julian out of the villa suavely.
Hector and Jacob met eyes. The excitement in their gazes was evident.
This was more than a hundred million dollars!
For a young man from a wealthy family like Hector Combe, this was an extravagant sum. Although the Combes were wealthy, Hector’s personal assets did not even reach a hundred million dollars!
However, he now had everything in the blink of an eye!
Hector felt like he was caught in a fever dream.
“Is this what it feels like to ride someone else’s coattails? This is f*cking amazing,” Hector mumbled.
Jacob gave their tasks more thought. He told Hector, “We should contact the two trustees that you found and tell them about the remaining tasks. After that, we’ll give them more money so that they can leave Swallow Capital and go overseas immediately. It’ll be best if they never returned for the rest of their lives.”
Hector immediately nodded. “Right, this is an urgent matter!”
…
Morning sunlight filtered into the restaurant through the tall floor-to-ceiling windows. Jasper and Dawson were chatting about the order of incidents that had occurred over these past few days.
“Sebastian Walker is done for,” Jasper said matter-of-factly.
Dawson was dazed after listening to what he said.
Dawson knew how hard it was to go against someone like Sebastian Walker. Strictly speaking, although there were many unknown factors surrounding the battle ten years ago, it was a known fact that he had lost to Sebastian.
However, Jasper had managed to defeat Sebastian in just a few days’ time.
Dawson played out Jasper’s plan in his mind repeatedly as Jasper briefed him about his entire scheme.
“Your plan was actually not that complicated. You succeeded because you managed to grasp the fatal flaw in Sebastian’s nature. In the eyes of someone that has experienced it firsthand in the past, this scheme wasn’t exceptionally complex.
“However, you did something that most people wouldn’t. You centered your plan around the contextual circumstances and conditions. You came up with a plan that was tailored specifically to Sebastian Walker’s unique characteristics. It would have been hard for him to not to fall for it. Excellent. This is simply excellent.”
Dawson praised him from the bottom of his heart.
Previously, he was just satisfied with Jasper. After all, Jasper was still a little too young and needed more real-world experience.
Life at the Top Chapter 367
Unknowingly, Jasper’s achievements had already surpassed his own.
Dawson was both amazed and delighted. It seemed as if the heavens were not treating him too bad as they had delivered an impeccable future son-in-law like Jasper to his side.
Jasper laughed. “In truth, I had used some shady tricks. I could only resort to unscrupulous methods since I wanted to defeat him effectively within a short period of time. Alas, it was a disreputable plan, so it’s nothing worth being proud of,” he said.
Nevertheless, Dawson shook his head and said, “You’re wrong. Regardless of the method that you used, the only criterion that determines success is the ability to achieve your goals.
“Winners all reach the top by stepping over the dead bodies of those that they have defeated. When that happens, people will just see their brilliant glory. Not many people would bother to look into their past.”
Jasper nodded. Just as he was about to say something, a middle-aged man walked into the restaurant.
The man glanced at the table where Jasper and Dawson were seated at, then rushed toward them immediately.
Jasper knew this person. He was Chris Quarles. He seemed to get along with Dawson pretty well in the industry forum some time ago.
“Dawson, did you hear the news?!”
Chris sat down at their table with a shocked expression on his face. He turned around to face Dawson and spoke in a direct manner.
“Sebastian Walker is doomed!”
Dawson chuckled. “Has everyone found out?” He asked.
Chris smacked his thigh and said, “How can such a big issue be hidden from us? Sebastian Walker said that he wanted to hold another meeting today in order to specify the industry standards and the details regarding the election of the chairman of the board.
“Alas, we waited for a long time, but he didn’t show up. After that, we received the news regarding the closure of all of Kaymaroon’s supermarkets. The news also said that a lot of suppliers and private loan companies were looking for Sebastian Walker! “
Chris’s eyes glazed over in admiration. He lowered his voice and said, “You guys may not know about this. It is rumored that Sebastian offended a powerful man. That man was the one who caused him to go bankrupt.”
Jasper chuckled upon hearing what he said. News sure spread quickly within the business world. “Who’s this powerful man?” He could not help but ask him.
Upon hearing Jasper’s question, Chris spoke in an elder’s tone, “We don’t know either. We only heard that he is an extremely powerful man whose authority extends to the ends of the world. Thinking about it, if he didn’t have a strong background, how could he destroy Kaymaroon in just a few days’ time?
“That’s why young people like you should act humbler and keep a low profile outside. Don’t get on anyone’s bad side, because you’ll never know if the person that you’ve offended has the support of someone powerful. By then, you won’t even have the chance to feel regret. Do you hear what I say, young man?”
Just as Jasper was about to say something, Julian walked into the restaurant. “Brother Laine, Hector Combe is here. He wanted to ask you if you’re interested in Kaymaroon. If you’re interested, he can obtain full acquisition of Kaymaroon and hand it to you as a gift,” he told Jasper in a hushed voice.
Jasper pondered upon it for a while. “Should I give you a present?” He asked Dawson with a grin.
Jasper did not wait for Dawson to give him a reply. He held up a piece of tissue and dabbed at his mouth. After that, he got up and spoke to Chris, who was sitting down with a stupefied expression etched onto his face. “I have something to do, Mr. Quarles, so I’ll be leaving first. Your advice is absolutely right. I’ll make sure to remember it always,” he said.
After speaking, Jasper followed Julian’s lead. They went to meet up with Hector.
Chris felt like a fool afterward. He sat there and stared blankly into space for some time. He then turned around to look at Dawson, who was slowly enjoying his breakfast, with much difficulty. “It was Jasp…” he uttered slowly.
“He was the one who did everything,” Dawson chuckled. He loved looking at the expression on Chris’s face right now. “It’s a blessing to have such a capable future son-in-law,” he said in satisfaction.
Ring ring ring. Chris and Dawson’s phones rang simultaneously.
They picked up their phones. They had both gotten the same message from the person on the other at the end of the call.
Sebastian Walker committed suicide by jumping off a building.
He had breathed his last by the time people discovered his body.
Chris’s mind buzzed loudly. He visualized Jasper’s kind and warm face in his mind. He felt like he had just come face-to-face with God himself without knowing it.
“I… I’ve lived my life in total vain!”
Life at the Top Chapter 368
Jasper met Hector, who was waiting for him patiently in the hotel reception room.
“What happened?” Jasper got straight to the point.
“Sebastian Walker is dead,” Hector said in a courteous tone.
Jasper was only just learning about this news. He frowned and asked, “He died just like that? Was it suicide?”
“Yes, I received the news half an hour ago. His body must have been transported to the morgue by now,” Hector replied
“What a weak man,” Jasper remarked. “Since he’s dead, let it be. What does this have to do with what you told me?” He asked.
“I didn’t expect for him to commit suicide just like that. I guess he didn’t want to feel tortured. After receiving this news, I realized that we could do a lot in this situation,” Hector replied hurriedly.
“Previously, Sebastian Walker held all the company’s shares under the name of a distant relative last year in order to avoid loan risks. I know that relative. He listens to our orders well. Now that Sebastian is dead, Kaymaroon is fully owned by him in a nominal sense.”
Hector’s gaze flashed with glee as he lowered his voice and said, “I can transfer all those shares to your name, Mr. Laine.”
Jasper sat on the sofa and looked at Hector with a small smile on his lips. “Kaymaroon’s market value is around 4 billion dollars. Although it is now debt-ridden, there will be at least 2 billion in assets left after paying off the debts. Are you going to give it away just like that? Are you not tempted yourself?” He questioned.
Hector immediately explained, “We believe that maintaining a long-term cooperative relationship with Mr. Laine will bring much greater benefits than Kaymaroon.”
Hector then continued to speak in an awkward tone, “Besides, to be honest, the two of us may be able to operate a company in the entertainment and media industry due to our family relations. However, we have no idea how to operate a company in the supermarket industry. Furthermore, Kaymaroon is such a large-scale company.”
Jasper stared at Hector without responding. He seemed to be gauging the legitimacy of his words.
Hector’s heart lurched as he felt Jasper’s intense gaze fixated on him.
The truth was, before they came over, the Combe brothers and their father had discussed how best to deal with Kaymaroon.
The brothers had initially proposed taking the entire company for themselves. Even if they did not know how to operate it, they could still earn a large sum of money by selling it off.
However, this proposal was firmly opposed by Hendrik Combe.
From his perspective, this was an investment, or an entry permit. It was a ticket to board a big ship in the form of Jasper Laine!
The Combes would obtain greater benefits than this in the future.
Hendrik was quick to reject their proposal as he had way more experience than both of his sons. Furthermore, he was in a sensitive position, thus he had access to a lot of information that others did not.
Therefore, he understood just how terrifying the power that Jasper wielded was.
Hector also did not tell Jasper about something more important.
Jasper simply wanted to bring down Sebastian Walker. However, nobody knew about his true intentions when it came to Kaymaroon.
If the Combes angered Jasper by keeping Kaymaroon for themselves, what could they do?
Hector had thus decided to look for Jasper due to his worries and considerations.
“I’ll give you two choices,” Jasper said.
Hector raised his head to look at Jasper. The heaviness in his heart gradually vanished. It seemed like he had made the right move this time.
“Firstly, I could invest 1 billion dollars to acquire Kaymaroon’s shares. Although its market value is at least 2 billion dollars, it won’t be easy to sell the company off. Since this is the case, you guys won’t lose any money.
“Secondly, you can merge the entertainment company under the both of your names into Easy Media, and I will allocate 30% of the shares of Easy Media to the two of you.”
Even a fool knew that it would be wiser to choose the first choice. It was a cash transaction whereby they would gain both money and goods.
Nevertheless, Hector responded without hesitation, “I choose the second choice!”
If he chose the first choice, it would be a one-off transaction between both parties. After the transaction, they would both go their separate ways.
However, things would be different if he chose the shares. The Combes appeared to have lost out if they took the second choice, but Hector knew that Easy Media would become one of the country’s largest entertainment companies in the long term.
When that time comes, owning 30% of the company’s shares would be beyond valuable.
Life at the Top Chapter 369
Most importantly, this meant that the Combes would be in a mutually beneficial relationship with Jasper. They would become allies.
Hendrik had advised him to do this repeatedly before he left the house earlier.
Even so, Jasper was not surprised by Hector’s choice.
Given the Combes’ stable position and their copious amount of property, they were definitely not a short-sighted family.
Jasper could tell this from the way they went against Sebastian, who was their relative, without the slightest hesitation, and chose to work together with Jasper.
Profits were their main priority.
People like this were extremely sly and smart. Nevertheless, they were the easiest to control as well.
As long as he showed them sufficient benefits and the horrors of betrayal, they would remain his most loyal subordinates.
Jasper laughed as he stood up and extended his hand toward Hector. “To be honest, I wish that you’d chosen the first option, but since you’ve made your choice, let’s work together,” he said.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Hector clasped Jasper’s hand with both of his hands. “Definitely!” He exclaimed.
……
After Hector left, Jasper returned to Dawson’s room. To his surprise, Chris was still there.
“Mr. Laine… Nice to meet you, Mr. Laine.”
Chris bounced off his chair the moment he saw Jasper enter the room. He proceeded to greet him cautiously.
“You’re being way too polite, Mr. Quarles,” Jasper grinned.
Chris laughed along with him while he secretly gave Jasper a once-over.
He looked at his face and contemplated his personality.
No matter how he looked at him, Jasper looked like a completely ordinary person to him.
He was simply incredible. He managed to end Sebastian’s life in the blink of an eye.
What kinds of skills did one need to have in order to do such a thing?
How old was he?
Jasper could not care less about the rich emotional drama that was playing out in Chris’s mind. “Uncle Schuler, I intend to acquire Kaymaroon so that Schuler Corporations can take over its market. That way, you won’t have any competitors in the national supermarket industry,” he told Dawson.
Dawson frowned and said, “Kaymaroon is larger than Schuler Corporations. If we take over their market, we may not be able to operate well.”
Jasper chuckled. “It’s alright, we can just spend more time and allocate funds to sort out the matter,” he said.
“Sure, but only under one condition,” Dawson said after thinking about it for a bit.
“Uncle Schuler, there’s no need to come up with conditions with it comes to the two of us. You can just tell me directly,” Jasper said.
“Have JW Capital acquire 50% of Schuler Corporations’ shares,” Dawson suddenly said.
Jasper was stunned. He would never have expected Dawson to make such a request.
“Uncle Schuler, it seems like you’re regarding me as an outsider,” Jasper remarked.
Dawson waved his hand and said in a solemn voice, “Putting our personal relationship aside, business is still business. I’ll have a big advantage if I exchange 50% of Schuler Corporations’ shares for Kaymaroon.
“In any case, this will all belong to the two of you in the future. I’m just giving you some of it in advance. I’ve already made my decision,” Dawson said.
“Sure. In that case, I’ll let Wendy hold onto part of these shares in my stead,” Jasper said while sighing.
Dawson smiled as he poked Jasper. “This kid. You’re so slick,” he said.
Chris, who was seated beside them, did not dare to utter a single word. He had unintentionally witnessed the birth of the leading company in the domestic supermarket industry.
Life at the Top Chapter 370
Although there were some changes to the plan, at its core, it was still very much on track.
Schuler Corporations started as a company in the supermarket industry. Although, its acquisition of Kaymaroon was as though a small snake were swallowing an entire elephant, both companies were still from the same industry. Therefore, there would be no need for acclimatization.
Furthermore, Kaymaroon did not have a leader now that Sebastian was dead. In a situation like that, Schuler Corporations’ acquisition of Kaymaroon would not be faced with any problems.
In order to maximize Kaymaroon’s strength, Jasper and Dawson would be carrying out a joint investment to pay off Kaymaroon’s total debt, which amounted up to more than a billion dollars.
The merger between the country’s leading supermarket company and Schuler Corporations caused an uproar within the industry.
After all, there had been no news of the merger previously. Sebastian committed suicide all of a sudden during his peak, while Kaymaroon’s debt crisis soon followed suit. After that, Schuler Corporations announced that they had obtained all of Kaymaroon’s shares and were going to formally acquire the company.
Before everyone could wrap their heads around this, both companies had already begun the handover process.
People now looked at Dawson Schuler differently.
Some even suspected that the man had something to do with Sebastian’s death. Nevertheless, nobody had any evidence.
After Sebastian’s death, Dawson became the leading figure in the domestic supermarket industry. However, he did not mention the establishment of industry standards, nor did he intend to become the chairman of the board.
As a result, the noise around the matter eventually quietened down. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
All that remained was to come up with the details regarding how the merger between Kaymaroon and Schuler Corporations should take place, and how to operate both companies to their fullest potential within the shortest possible time. In this regard, Jasper did not intervene much anymore.
“Why do I keep having the feeling that the two of you are hiding something from me?” Wendy asked while staring at Jasper suspiciously.
Jasper laughed. “You’re so smart. How can I hide anything from you?” He asked.
Wendy was not fooled by Jasper’s sugarcoated words. She huffed and said, “Although my father has been extremely busy these past few days, he has been exceptionally energetic and passionate. He seemed so much happier than he was in the past. He was smiling in front of everyone!”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” Jasper joked. “You wouldn’t want to see him moping about everyday, right?”
“You’re so annoying!” Wendy exclaimed, glaring at Jasper. Since he kept avoiding the topic and seemed reluctant to tell her more, she did not bother trying to get to the bottom of it.
Thus, Wendy changed the topic. “Are you really going to send me to school today?” She asked excitedly.
“Yes, I’ll send you since I’m free today. I’ll be busy from tomorrow onward,” Jasper replied.
It had been half a month since Schuler Corporation acquired Kaymaroon. He had received some news from the Combes yesterday.
They told him that the higher-ups had decided to hold the gala in advance, and so, this task naturally fell on shoulders of Easy Media as they were the main organizer.
As a result, this made it even more difficult for him to cope with their tight schedule. Without much choice, Jasper resorted to asking Advent Entertainment Group to send most of their staff over to help out.
The venue confirmation, venue decoration, gala program arrangement, and the lineup of invited guests all had to be reported to the higher-ups for approval and for their consideration.
Those in lower positions were not qualified to make important decisions. Even so, Jasper had to be there to watch over the proceedings, and so he make provide the final say and compile everything into a plan report that would be submitted for approval.
The next day’s agenda consisted of determining the list of invited guests. The higher-ups would also send someone over to participate in the meeting. Therefore, Jasper had to be prepared.
While they chatted, the car arrived at Swallow Capital University.