Ch. 401..410
Life at the Top Chapter 401
As soon as Brad said this, the atmosphere between the four fell into an awkward moment of silence.
Brad smiled, but his eyes were full of profound meaning when he looked at Jasper as if he was waiting to see how he would respond.
Zachary had no expression on his face and was looking at Brad with a slightly pissed look in his eyes. However, he had always respected Jasper’s image.
It seemed that as soon as Jasper spoke, Zachary would be able to say something to counterattack Brad.
After all, regarding how hedonistic Henry was, it was also passed down from Zachary.
Although the current patriarch of the Laws had, on the surface, withdrawn himself from this for many years, it could be said that the Law got rich because of the old master. Zachary was the second generation of the Laws in the true sense.
If this Mr. Law became ruthless, his methods would be countless times superior to Henry’s.
As for Erik, there was no way for him to speak.
Erik just relaxed and looked at Jasper from the corners of his eyes, waiting for him to respond.
This awkward silence only lasted for a few breaths. Jasper smiled, saying, “No matter how strong the second generations are, they will always follow the trajectory and experience of their predecessors. So, there’s still a lot to learn, but the younger generation is also separated into different kinds, that’s all.
“If I were to compare myself to Uncle Law, I think I still have a lot of room for improvement.”
As soon as his words came out, Zachary was beaming with joy. Brad laughed along with him, but his laughter sounded a little awkward.
With that statement, Jasper had humbled himself, lifted Zachary, and made a comeback at Brad.
“Not bad. Very good.”
Brad’s words were full of significance. He turned his head and said to Erik, “See? I always tell you that there are people better than you out there and it’s people like Jasper. You’re about the same age, but there’s such a huge difference between the two of you. You need to learn from Jasper.”
Erik said respectfully after hearing the words, “I know, Dad. I will humbly learn from Jasper.”
“Mr. Turner, you’re over-praising me. I just have better luck and don’t really have a lot of talents. You’ll make me lose my sense of modesty if you praise me too much,” Jasper said unenthusiastically.
Brad laughed and said, “You have accomplished such achievements at a young age, so it’s alright even if you lose your sense of modesty because it is as it ought to be.
“However, Jasper…”
Brad’s tone faded as soon as he switched the conversation to another subject.
“Our country is vast and rich, filled with outstanding people with great talents. We must always keep in mind the principle that there is always someone better than us in the world just like how I taught Erik. Don’t look down on everyone in the world just because of some achievements.
“Your generation is still young and has insufficient experiences, so making too many enemies is not a good thing.”
Jasper said insipidly, “Thank you for reminding me, Mr. Turner. I’ll keep it in mind.”
Zachary also spoke up at this time. He said, “Turner, I don’t like to hear that. Are young people still young if they’re not impulsive and have a pioneering spirit? It’s fine if they cause trouble, just treat it as gaining more experience. The people from the older generation like us will just bear it for him.
“If we can’t bear it, the old man is still around, don’t you think?”
Upon hearing Zachary’s words, Brad’s expression suddenly became serious. He looked at Zachary deeply and smiled faintly. “It seems that you Laws really admire this young man named Jasper so much that you’re even letting out such words.”
Zachary said calmly, “This is not my intention only, but also my father’s.”
Life at the Top Chapter 402
Brad looked at Zachary seriously. After a long while, he smiled. “Okay, very well.”
“No matter if you think it’s good or bad, this is how it is. The reason is very simple, you and I were once young and vigorous before, and we also caused a lot of trouble. Back then, we asked our parents to solve those issues for us. Now that we’re parents, we naturally have to take care of our younger generation. We can’t keep letting our younger generation get bullied, at least.”
Zachary looked at Brad directly, chuckled, and said coldly, “Turner, don’t you think so?”
Brad took a deep look at Brad and Jasper before suddenly saying insipidly, “Erik, say goodbye to Uncle Law. We’ll be leaving now.”
After Erik heard that, he immediately said goodbye to Zachary respectfully.
“If you have something to do, go ahead. It’s late and my old man is still waiting to say a few words to Jasper,” Zachary said dully.
Brad snorted before turning around to leave with Erik.
After the two left, Zachary patted Jasper on the shoulder and said magnanimously, “Don’t worry. Just attack Erik back if he dares to try and do something to you. If Brad has the nerve to go into court and deal with you personally, I’ll go head-on with him. I’ve disliked him since the very beginning.”
Jasper smiled bitterly. “Uncle Law, this was originally a matter between me and them. It’s not worth involving the Laws in this.”
Zachary said seriously, “You’re wrong about this. Now everyone knows that you’re an ally of the Laws. If you lose to Erik, then there’s nothing to be said. You’re just not capable enough. However, what do Brad’s words mean?
“He’s 12 years older than you and keeps using his family’s power to pressure others. Does he seriously think that you don’t have support? I said that the younger generation should resolve their own grievances themselves. Does he think that I’m dead by putting his foot in as an elder?”
Jasper was also moved by Zachary’s domineering words.
Ordinary people would not say such a straightforward statement so easily if they did not have a family that was as huge and powerful as the Laws.
Now that it had been said, it was final. Zachary would definitely support him to the end now.
“Okay, don’t think too much. Brad is not a fool. He’s smarter than anyone else, so you need to be more careful in your actions in the future and don’t let anyone get their hands on something that they can use against you. Let’s go now, the old man is still waiting,” Zachary said to Jasper warmly.
After Jasper heard that, he nodded. As they were walking and chatting, they reached a car.
The car the old master was sitting in was parked by the roadside, waiting for Jasper to come over.
Jasper opened the car door and apologized to the old master who was looking at him with a smile. “Old Master, there was a delay just now. Sorry for making you wait.”
Zachary, who followed him, saw Jasper being so tactful and added, “Brad just threatened Jasper.”
Old Master Law ignored Zachary and smiled gently at Jasper. “It’s okay, you can just go on with your business first. I just wanted to have a casual chat with you. If someone is using seniority to oppress you, you can look for Zachary. If he can’t solve it for you, come and find me.”
Jasper suddenly felt his scalp turning numb.
Sure enough, Henry’s fiery temper was inherited.
The old master was so old now, yet he was also a person who refused to admit defeat.
“Uncle Law and Old Master are speaking so highly of me. So, of course, I won’t impetuously rush headfirst into everything myself. When it’s time to ask for help, I won’t be courteous.” Jasper laughed.
The old master chuckled a few times and said with satisfaction, “Yes, this is the spirit that young people should have. Don’t be afraid of anything, and don’t go looking for trouble. If you think it’s right, do it.”
Jasper said, “Speaking of what should be done, I really have one thing I need to do and I need your help for that, Old Master Law.”
Life at the Top Chapter 403
Jasper’s words intrigued Old Master Law.
Although the two were decades apart and their position and status were also greatly different, the things Jasper had done so far proved that what he wanted to do next was not going to be easy for him.
“What is it that’s able to make you so serious? I’m interested,” Old Master Law said warmly.
When Old Master Law said these words, he actually believed that Jasper had probably encountered a difficult opponent and needed to use the power of the Laws to solve the issue.
The old master did not think there was anything wrong with this.
In his opinion, the better a person was, the more enemies they would have. If there were no enemies, it was either that person was invincible, or the person was simply a pile of mud and nobody had any interest in dealing with them.
Old Master Law himself only got to where he was now through dealing with one enemy after another.
However, what Jasper said next made Old Master Law’s white eyebrows tremble.
“Old Master, regarding the burst of the dot-com bubble and the plummet of Harbor stocks, it’s obvious that the Western capitalists have entered the market and are the ones responsible for these behind the scenes.
“Just like the year of the handover, their evil intentions are still alive. They’re always trying to steal our economic results through such despicable means.
“This is equivalent to the Western capitalists viewing us as the livestock they’ve raised in captivity. When we grow fat and strong, they can open our doors at any time to take away all our hard-earned money.”
The gentle smile that Old Master Law displayed in front of Jasper disappeared. Those eyes that had gone through countless vicissitudes of life were now full of resentment and unwillingness.
The Laws could stand out among the many wealthy families in Harbor City because Old Master Law was truly a patriotic businessman at heart.
He had shown his patriotism through practical actions. He had given up or even harmed his own huge profits for the collective benefit instead of just verbally expressing his patriotism like how some rich people clamored to do every day.
It was because whether it was the year of the handover or the financial crisis earlier this year, Old Master Law had long hated the Western capitalists.
“Jasper, you can even see through this scheme at your age. It’s great.” Old Master Law opened his mouth, but apart from his appreciation of Jasper, his tone was also full of helplessness regarding the reality they were facing.
“However, whether it’s Harbor City or the entire Mainland, the actual situation is that we’re still weak and poor. In the face of those with power, we have no way to fight back, and we can only endure this resentment for the time being.
“Only when we’re strong enough and have enough capital and power, then no one will dare to bully us.”
Jasper heard those words and said, “I can’t say for the others, but I can’t bear it.”
Old Master Law laughed. Instead of striking Jasper down, he praised him. “Yes, young people should have such vigor and energy.
“Us old people will be tolerant because we have to proceed based on the overall situation, but you’re still in the stage of developing yourself, and learning to hide your light under a bushel too early may not be a good thing.”
“Old Master, I’m going to do it,” Jasper said suddenly.
The smile on Old Master Law’s face froze for a moment. Although it was only for a few breaths, the uncontrollable emotions that were apparent on Old Master Law’s face was enough to show the impact of Jasper’s words on him.
“Jasper, don’t be too impulsive.” Old Master Law frowned.
A second ago, he was still complimenting Jasper for being an impulsive young man, but now, he had to stop him from being too impulsive…
“Old Master, I’ve thought it through. Even though it seemed that I had protected Harbor Stocks the last time, I actually know very well that I still lost a lot while fighting with the other party. Otherwise, the result would not turn out the way it did.”
Jasper’s expression was very calm. Ever since his debut, everything had gone smoothly for him, but this did not mean that he was invincible.
Life at the Top Chapter 404
He had also lost before. He lost to a trader behind the scenes during the fight between Harbor Stocks and the Western capitalists.
The opponent’s advantage was too great and they got a decisive opportunity. If it had been someone else, they might only get a crushing defeat.
However, in Jasper’s view, all of those were not reasons for denying failure.
If you lost, you lost. It was fine to admit it.
On the contrary, this would only arouse his fighting spirit.
Old Master Law looked at Jasper deeply and said, “Jasper, don’t be too demanding of yourself.”
Jasper shook his head and smiled. “No, Old Master, I’m not being demanding with myself. I know very well that there are people better than me out there. It’s not shameful to lose once or twice.
“However, I need to get back this reputation whether it’s because of my position as a person of Somer descent or my personal point of view.”
Old Master Law frowned slightly and said nothing.
Jasper continued, “Old Master, you need to start from the present conditions, and your position and status as the elder generation are too sensitive. A slight move in one part may affect the situation as a whole, and it may become an international event, so you can’t rashly take action.
“But I’m different. If you throw me to the west, how many people will know who I am? I’m still young. This is my advantage and my protection. If I go to the western capital market to do something, no one will take me to the international level to deal with me.”
Old Master Law said with emotion, “However, you have to be clear that once you do it, us old people can’t help you directly because of many complicated reasons.”
Jasper smiled and said, “This is my own matter, why would I need help from others?”
These words sounded plain, but in fact, they were overbearing.
Even Zachary, who was silent next to him, looked at Jasper in surprise.
Ever since knowing Jasper, Zachary had to constantly refresh his inner evaluation of Jasper, but after improving it time and again, Zachary still found that he had still been underestimating Jasper.
If Jasper’s life was not cut short, with this kind of aggressiveness, what would he achieve in the future?
Zachary felt that he did not dare to think about it.
Old Master Law was silent for a long time before asking, “What are you going to do?”
Jasper told him the plan that he had already reviewed countless times in his heart. He said, “What I’m doing now is to accumulate my own capital. The money I have right now is enough for me to live my life comfortably and it’ll be more than enough for generations to come. However, it’s still not enough to move Wall Street.
“So, I plan to accumulate more and when I have at least more than ten billion US dollars in cash on hand, then it’s time for me to start to carry out my plan to take down Wall Street. I’ll let them get a taste of having their riches ‘harvested’ by others in the market.”
Ten billion US dollars!
Was it a lot?
It was an astronomical number for most people.
However, in Jasper’s opinion, it was just a prerequisite for the execution of the plan.
Then, how big was his ambition?
Old Master Law looked at Jasper intently and could not help asking, “Do you really want to do this? Once you fail, you may get a crushing defeat and there will be no chance for you ever again.”
Jasper smiled and said, “For the sake of justice and self-interest, it must be done. Once I succeed, then it’ll be time for Jasper Laine to get a taste of being the richest man in Terra.”
Life at the Top Chapter 405
“Pretty ambitious.” Old Master Law smiled and praised.
Jasper chuckled and said, “Being the richest man in Terra is just a mid-term goal. I have a bigger vision. It’s just that those things seem to make me look like I’m biting off more than I can chew now.”
Old Master Law did not think so. He said in a warm voice, “A person should always have a short, medium, and long-term plan for his life and career whether they’re working or have a business in order to make money.
“A life without a plan will have no goals, and it’s also the easiest way to get lost and lose your heart. Only by knowing what you want all the time, you can concentrate more on achieving it.”
As he said that, Old Master Law looked at Jasper with encouragement and said, “Can you talk to me about your long-term goals?
“Actually, I’ve asked Zachary to know more about your industry. I found that what you’ve done the most up to this point is investing in the industry. Also, you’re operating in the financial market and you’re not involved in any substantial industries?
“This kind of approach is somewhat similar to some angel investment funds in the west.”
The old master was the old master indeed. His vision and manner of operating from a strategically advantageous position were really not comparable to that of the general public.
When ordinary people looked at Jasper’s current industrial layout, they might think that Jasper’s assets were too scattered. It would seem that he was involved in too many industries but he was not proficient in any of them.
This was taboo for people in business.
Since Jasper never had a core pillar industry, this meant that his comprehensive strength and anti-risk ability would be very low.
However, the old master had spotted something different.
Jasper sorted out his thoughts after hearing the words and then said, “I do plan to take this path, but it’s not comprehensive because to be honest, angel funds will be my core business but won’t be everything.
“My idea is to build JW into a series of groups. As long as it’s a leading industry, it’ll be involved. This will then involve all aspects of social development and people’s livelihood, so we still have to look at it as we go.
“At the end of the day, my idea is to build a modern and comprehensive commercial carrier so that JW will become a system and a global consortium that spans across different fields.”
In fact, Jasper’s idea came from the later generations where people were already familiar with many business concepts.
Take, for example, opening up the upstream and downstream industrial chains of high-end industries to achieve the industry’s ecosystem.
However, these concepts were too advanced. At this moment, even in the west, these concepts were still in their infancy. Even Old Master Law might not be able to understand it, so Jasper did not tell him about that.
However, with just what he had said so far, Jasper’s words were enough to shock Old Master Law and Zachary.
They knew that Jasper had great ambitions, but they did not expect them to be so big.
If it were someone else who said something like this in front of them, Old Master Law and Zachary would probably only think that the person was crazy.
However, Jasper was different.
Also, Jasper was the only one who could receive this treatment.
It was because they had watched with their own eyes how Jasper went from a little-known nobody to where he was now step by step.
“If this is successful, not only will you be the richest man in Terra, you might even be the richest man in the world,” Zachary exclaimed.
Jasper chuckled and said, “I don’t care about those false reputations, but when I can fight for that position, I will definitely fight for it!”
Old Master Law smiled and said, “We’ll talk about the future when the future is here, but your plan is very good. If there’s anything you need in the future, just tell us.”
…
“Preposterous!”
Life at the Top Chapter 406
Brad slammed his teacup heavily and spat out that one word in a deep voice.
Ever since coming back from the banquet, Brad’s complexion had not looked good. The servants in the house dared not come close and only stayed away from him.
Erik stood at one side without saying a word.
Actually, he dared not say a word.
He saw with his own eyes how Jasper had echoed with the Laws to savagely mock his father.
At this time, Erik wanted so badly to hide so that his father would not take his anger out on him.
However, it was destined that he would be unable to escape.
“You’re a bit older than Jasper but why are you like a piece of trash when you stand next to him?” The more Brad thought about it, the angrier he became. He pointed at Erik and berated him.
Erik smiled bitterly and said while biting the bullet, “Dad, how many people my age can compare to him?”
Brad’s face was gloomy from dissatisfaction as he said coldly, “I only thought that this kid had amazing tactics before, but he’s able to advance and retreat so tactically. But tonight, it seems that all of us had been fooled by him! It turned out this kid was hiding so many things up his sleeves!
“In the past, it was said that there were two people from your generation who made it big, one was from the south and one was from the north. At the age of ten, the heavens punished the first son of the first wife of the Browns from the north because he was an evildoer. In the end, he was wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life. Meanwhile, in Waterhoof City in the south, it was a little prince who was also the grandson of the supreme emperor.”
“These two people could carry out the resurgence for your generation, but now it seems that you need to add Jasper as the third person.”
The expression on Erik’s face suddenly changed when he heard these words. He said in surprise, “Even if Jasper is all that, he’s still a kid with no background at the end of the day. What qualifications does he have to compare with those two?”
Brad said coldly, “Do you still think he has no background? The Laws are enough of a background for him! What’s more, which of the four rich families in Harbor City did not show him respect?
“And that was before tonight. After today’s banquet, the big shots in the loge were complimenting him non-stop. Although he did not declare his position, at least his name will be remembered.
“Who else can achieve this?”
Erik said with a jealous expression, “I still don’t think he can compare to the evildoer from the Brown family and the little prince from Waterhoof City. He’s still miles away.”
Brad snorted coldly. “Give him some time and it’s not impossible for him to become the third person.”
“Dad, look at his attitude toward us tonight. When he really becomes somebody in the future, I’m afraid he’ll make us suffer,” Erik said with a horrible expression.
Brad said gloomily, “Why wait until the future? Do you think Old Master Law came over just to cheer him on and show him support? An old fox of this level will have a purpose even when he’s blinking.
“I received news that this time, the Laws intend to kick us out from the sharing of profits from the construction of Olympic venues.”
Erik was shocked when he heard this. “What can we do?”
Brad became more and more impatient with his son who only knew to ask him what to do. “You’re not a kid anymore, can’t you think of a solution by yourself?”
Erik said helplessly, “So many people and things are involved in this and I don’t have the ability for that.”
“If you know that you don’t have the ability, just study hard! Stop doing trivial things all day long. You’re one of the Turners and you’ll have far more rivals!” Brad said while feeling resentful toward Erik for failing to meet expectations.
After taking a deep breath, Brad continued, “Our old master will not stand by and watch this as it happens. The entire Turner family will do something about this.
“However, this time, not only have the Laws entered the game themselves, but the other three of the four rich families are also very interested. Presumably, the Laws did a lot of work in the middle. As you know, Harbor City is a very special place. People from the upper-class really hope to have closer ties with Harbor City.
“For this reason, the Turners won’t be fighting alone. We can’t let people from Harbor City devour all the benefits, but if this is the case, Jasper won’t have the energy to solve it. As such, this matter is left for you to handle.”
At this point, Brad was staring at Erik with his eyes burning. He said in a deep voice, “Even if you can’t kill him, you have to hurt him so that he won’t be able to recover from the damages for at least five years.”
Life at the Top Chapter 407
With just a few words, Brad explained clearly the current treacherous situation of Swallow Capital.
No matter which country you were in, the Olympics was a big event.
What was more, it was being held in a country that was in urgent need of improving its international status.
In order to show the greatness of their great country and let people all over the world see their achievements, the Olympics would be the best opportunity to showcase this.
Therefore, this matter became the current major domestic event under global attention.
It was because of this that all aspects of the Olympic Games, from the venue construction to the theme design, would be treated with special care.
At this critical moment, Jasper was able to pull strings and make connections. Then, with the Laws mediating from within, he was able to introduce the top rich families of Harbor City to put in their funds.
This was a great thing since the big shots wanted the Mainland and Harbor City to merge more deeply.
As such, local citizens like the Turners were panicking.
They naturally did not want all the cake to be eaten up by Harbor City, so grouping together had become the best solution for this.
After listening to Brad’s words, Erik also realized that in this situation, even a family as big as the Turners could not stay calm during a tense situation.
If they were careless, they were very likely to be overturned.
However, when Erik heard Brad asking him to deal with Jasper, he started feeling queasy.
“Dad, I-I’m not his rival.”
Although it was too embarrassing for Erik to mention this, he thought about the consequences and felt it would be better to be honest.
After being struck down several times, Erik had lost the courage to face Jasper.
Brad was not surprised by Erik’s reaction. He was not even angry. Instead, he said flatly, “Who said I want you to do it yourself?”
Erik pondered carefully. Then, he felt a flash of light go off in his mind, but he did not fully understand what it meant.
Upon seeing this, Brad’s face became gloomy again.
He sighed deeply. He used to think that even though his son was not that outstanding among his peers, at least he was still excellent.
However, why did he look more and more mentally challenged after Jasper’s appearance?
“You can use Lisa and Ben,” Brad reminded helplessly.
Erik’s eyes lit up when he heard this.
If he utilized these two people well, this matter would be much easier to handle.
“Besides, Ben’s second uncle is not easy to deal with. Go back and figure it out for yourself,” Brad said lightly.
The more Erik thought about it, the more interesting it became.
As long as he did not show up when executing this plan, even if he failed in the end, Jasper would not be able to trace this back to him.
The most important thing was that he would be hidden in the dark, while Lisa and Ben would be in the light. Erik could not think of how he would lose if he combined the power of the Turners with the Haddock businesspeople from the Waterhoof branch to handle Jasper.
“I got it!” Erik said with his eyes shining with excitement.
…
Although the banquet was over, Jasper had only started getting busy.
As long as he ordered someone to handle the finishing touches, his subordinates would naturally help him do it.
However, he could not find someone to help him socialize.
Life at the Top Chapter 408
Whether it was the four rich families of Harbor City or other local factions of Swallow City, they all suddenly became enthusiastic about Jasper.
For the next two days, Jasper rushed between various social occasions, most of which he would come back smelling like alcohol.
However, no matter what the occasion, Jasper always kept himself sober and did not get himself drunk.
Otherwise, he would make a laughing stock of himself.
In addition to socializing, Jasper put most of his energy and time on Wendy and Anna.
It was like these two women were magical. It was as if they had discussed with each other to take turns appearing next to Jasper.
As long as Jasper had one of them by his side, the other would never show up.
This situation only ended when Wendy was called back to the province by Dawson.
“Are you reluctant to leave your girlfriend?”
In the international airport, Jasper, who had just sent Wendy and the others off, got into the car and heard what Anna said.
“I’m having a headache.” Jasper rubbed his temples, pretending not to hear.
In the past few days, Jasper had to socialize every night. Even though he was able to handle his alcohol well now, the sequelae were also severe. The throbbing in his temples left him with no energy all day.
“You have to rest for a while now.” Anna sat next to Jasper and let Jasper lay down on her lap. She reached out and gently rubbed Jasper’s temples.
Jasper rested on the woman’s soft, supple, and smooth thighs. While he was enjoying the sweet fragrance pouring into his nose, he opened his eyes in surprise. “Your skills?”
“Your girlfriend taught me.” Anna chuckled. She looked down at Jasper and reached out to help him close his eyes.
“You’ve been drinking so much these days and can’t decline invitations. The four rich families are taking turns to invite you, and the huge families in Swallow Capital are all lining up to call you over as well. You’re a big hit now.”
“It’s important to socialize and it’s inevitable, but at the end of the day, your body is your capital, so that’s why I learned this skill from her. Is it okay?”
“Very good.” Jasper lay down comfortably and smiled.
“I’ll go back to the province soon. Swallow Capital is not my place, after all,” Jasper murmured.
Anna chuckled. “Just in time then. I was going to tell you that I’m going to Boston to study this Friday and won’t be back for a few months.”
“Why didn’t I hear you mention it before?” Jasper frowned. Hearing that he would not see Anna for a few months, Mr. Laine was a little unhappy. “Don’t further your studies. I’ll support you financially.”
Anna smiled and said, “You’re saying you want to support me the minute your girlfriend left. Don’t you feel guilty?”
“Why should I be? You’re studying fashion design, so I’ll just set up a company for you to manage,” Jasper said.
“All men are trash indeed.” Anna snorted. “Do you think I need you to support me? You keep saying things that don’t require capital while knowing that I won’t agree to it.”
Jasper was about to talk when the phone rang.
It was from Zachary.
Jasper did not dilly-dally and immediately picked up the phone.
“Jasper, are you busy?” Zachary asked.
Jasper did not dare to tell him that he was lying on his daughter’s lap while enjoying himself. As such, he said with a dry smile, “I just came back from the airport and I’m still on the road. Is there anything I can do for you, Uncle Law?”
Zachary said straightforwardly, “Come directly to the hotel where we’re staying later. The four families are here. We want to compete with the local faction to see how much we can get for the construction of the Olympic venues.”
Jasper said with a serious expression, “The local factions won’t let this matter go so easily, right?”
Zachary smiled and said, “That’s why we need your advice. The higher-ups are very happy with the Honeycomb Stadium proposal you submitted earlier. Everyone wants to hear your opinion.”
As he said, Zachary lowered his voice and continued, “The three other families are not so easy to deal with either. I proposed to let you in as well so we can count this as five stocks but none of them said anything. This time, you have to use your strength to convince them.”
Life at the Top Chapter 409
After Jasper hung up, Anna saw him slightly knitting his brows together as if he was thinking about some important things.
As such, Anna was sensible and did not speak as to not disturb his thoughts.
She just gently massaged Jasper’s temples while letting him feel as relaxed as he could.
“What do you think about the other three from the four rich families?”
Jasper suddenly opened his eyes and asked Anna.
Anna knitted her black eyebrows together. After a little thought, she said, “To be honest, the relationship between the four families is very complicated. Most of the time, they’re competitors. After all, Harbor City has limited space and there will be overlaps when it comes to their businesses.
“Among the four rich families, the Boyles are steadily deteriorating and their situation is very bad. As such, they’re also eager to find new investment opportunities. But they’re still making some profits because of the rebound in global trade in the shipbuilding industry this year.
“As for Joe, he’s known as Half-the-Harbor Langdon, so you can imagine how huge his wealth is. However, his strength is the weakest among the four rich families and his foundation is also very shallow. He started from nothing and he got to where he was right now all by himself. For a long time, people from Harbor City actually didn’t recognize him as one of the four rich men because of his lack of experience.
“However, I have a good feeling about him and my grandpa thinks so too. It’s because he’s different from the rest of them. He has an ambitious and ruthless spirit. He has a good eye. Plus, his ideas in business are not the same as the rest. They’re more radical and suitable for the current business model.
“He has another big advantage and that’s his age. He’s 20 years younger than my grandpa and the others. Plus, he’s not much older than my dad and that’s his biggest advantage.”
Jasper nodded appreciatively while he was listening to Anna’s words.
Sure enough, none of the four rich families was easy to handle. Even Anna’s vision was far beyond the one of an ordinary person because of the influence of her family’s environment and education.
In the future, it would take just ten years for Joe’s wealth to skyrocket. Once, he even got the highest status and position among the other three. This was the best proof.
At this time, it seemed that Joe, who had the weakest foundation, was actually the person with the most potential among the four rich families.
“What about Wallace?” Jasper asked.
Anna’s expression became very strange as she said, “To be honest, us juniors hardly ever come into contact with Wallace. We just know that he’s very low-profile, and he’s very powerful in the Golden Peninsula. He’s one of the heads of the rich families who conceals himself the most.
“Speaking of which, Grandpa and Wallace had beef for a few decades. It was the kind that can’t be resolved,” Anna said to Jasper with an extremely rare nosy expression on her face.
Jasper suddenly felt intrigued. “What happened?”
“My grandma… was Wallace’s first love. I heard from my dad that my grandpa strapped explosives on his body and snatched grandma away from Wallace during their engagement ceremony.”
Jasper’s eyes widened, and there was a look of surprise on his face.
This was the first time he has heard of such secrets after living two lives.
Now that he thought about it, Old Master Law had also been a ruthless man in his early years. He was born negligible. In that chaotic era, he once monopolized the firearms business in Harbor City, Auma City, and Nawait.
In the earliest days, this old man, who was already showing first signs of his outstanding talent, had done a lot of transporting supplies and munitions to the Mainland.
Otherwise, Old Master Law would not be so respected by the higher-ups in the Mainland.
That was why!
It was also because a word from Old Master Law was all it took for Auma City’s King of Gambling to no longer dare step foot into Harbor City for 20 whole years. He only dared to come after the old master died. This small detail was able to reflect the old master as a whole.
Life at the Top Chapter 410
As such, Jasper did not doubt Anna when she said that Old Master Law had snatched someone from the altar before.
“Um… I don’t think it’s too much to fight to the death for that matter,” Jasper commented.
“At that time, my grandfather was only a commoner, but Wallace was a son of a rich family. Besides, Grandma and Grandpa really loved each other!” Anna could not help but side with her grandpa. “To me, Grandpa is the real man.”
“But I saw Wallace smiling while chatting with the old master?” Jasper asked.
Anna replied, “That’s nothing. Wallace personally came to deliver his gifts at Grandpa and Grandma’s wedding.”
“Heh.” Jasper narrowed his eyes and smiled. “Wallace is such a character.”
Anna’s words raised Jasper’s vigilance against Wallace to the highest level in his heart.
A person who, for decades, could endure the hatred of someone snatching his wife was either a fool or a peerless hero.
Would Wallace Langdon, who was once the richest man in Terra, be a fool?
He could only be a peerless hero.
…
The lounge of the hotel suite where Old Master Law stayed was filled with smoke.
In addition to Old Master Law, Wallace, Joe, Spencer, Zachary, and Kennedy were also here as the second-generations of the Laws and Langdons respectively.
When Jasper entered the room, everyone stopped talking and looked over at the same time.
“I’m sorry, everyone. I spent some time on the road,” Jasper apologized.
“It’s okay, we’re just chatting, but there are some things that I want to ask for your opinion,” Spencer looked at Jasper with a smile and said kindly.
Jasper just pretended that he did not know anything. He found a place to sit down and asked, “You’re all my seniors while I’m just a little kid with little experience. How can I be qualified to give you advice?”
Spencer laughed and looked at Old Master Law. He said, ”Law, this young man of yours is so incredibly humble. If the same thing happened to my child, they might have their nose up in the air already.”
Old Master Law smiled slightly and said, “If you can’t provide advice, it’s good to give some new ideas. We’re just a bunch of old guys and all of our thinking has been solidified, so we can’t be as flexible as you young people.
“We intend to form an alliance, and the goal is the construction of Olympic venues. This project is worth trying whether it’s for fame or economic benefits.
“It’s just that there’s a problem now. The local factions in the Mainland don’t want us to participate. What do you think of this matter?”
While listening to Old Master Law’s words, Jasper raised his head and saw the encouragement in the old master’s eyes. He smiled and asked, “May I humbly ask whether you’re planning to devour this entire project?”
Spencer raised his hand and touched his head. He said domineeringly, “It’s fine if the four of us don’t make a move, but if we do, we naturally have to take all of it. There aren’t many venues in the first place. We don’t have enough to share internally, so how will there be any leftovers for others?”
Jasper raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard the words. After weighing the pros and cons inside his heart, he said something that emotionally moved everyone in the lounge.
“If everyone thinks that way, I think that a counterattack from the local support groups will definitely happen. When that time comes, our hope of winning will be almost zero.”