Ch. 531..540
Life at the Top Chapter 531
“I plan to persuade the boss of Hello Company to open a hotpot restaurant in our Faith County!”
Darrel’s eyes shone as he spoke.
“He has already agreed and promised to sponsor half the money. But following his requests, it’s very expensive to invest in one Hello Hotpot restaurant and I don’t have that kind of money.”
Darrel’s eyes burned into Jasper as he asked sincerely, “Jasper, I came here today to ask you for help.”
The elders must have stopped talking some time ago, for they were all listening to Jasper and Darrel’s conversation.
After Darrel had spoken, both Honey and her husband looked at Jasper pleadingly.
Jasper tapped his fingers on the pictures but did not speak.
Honestly speaking, Darrel could have just decided to open a normal hotpot restaurant or any other normal business.
In which case, Jasper would give him an amount he never expected to be repaid and that was that.
However, Darrel was interested in Hello Hotpot and even planned to open a shop here in the Southeast Province. Now that was interesting.
“How about this? I’ll give you two options to choose from.”
After a long while, Jasper spoke.
“Option one, as long as the money you require is under 200,000 dollars, I’ll lend you however much you need. You’ll have to pay me back someday but I won’t charge you for interest.
“Or option two, I’ll invest the money and you talk to the boss of Hello Company and tell him to directly do his business here in the Southeast Province. Scale-wise, my only requirement is that there be at least one in every prefecture-level city. I’ll deal with all the investment costs, and I can give you 10% of the shares.”
Darrel then fell deep in thought for a moment after Jasper listed his options.
“I’ll take option two!” Darrel looked up at Jasper with determination.
Jasper chuckled, his satisfaction with Darrel increasing.
People more concerned with immediate benefits would tend to choose the first option. After all, that was a solid 200,000 cash on hand.
However, while the second option only came with 10% of all the shares, any deeper thought would have the person realizing how much better this option was. One restaurant in every prefecture-level city in the province.
With such a large scale, 10% was much more valuable than 200,000.
Not to mention that once this project was completed, Hello Hotpot would become a large chain of catering brands in the province. It was much more sophisticated than opening a small restaurant in Faith County.
“A very wise choice.” Jasper nodded. “Take some time to talk it out with the boss of Hello Hotpot first. The only thing I’m contributing is the funding, and you’ll have to do the rest yourself. Prepare a whole proposal and send it over early next year.
“As long as I approve of it, then you’ll get the funds right away.”
Darrel flushed in excitement and nodded. “Okay! Thank you, Jasper, I’ll do my best.”
Jasper clapped Darrel’s shoulder and spoke, “You’re not doing anything for me. You’re doing it for yourself.”
Just then, Honey asked with difficulty, “How much would it cost to open so many restaurants, Jasper?”
Jasper gave it some thought and replied, “Including Nauritius City, the provincial capital, the seven prefecture-level cities in the Southeast Province… and personally, I think that there should be at least two restaurants in the provincial capital, so it’s a total of eight restaurants. Then including the construction fee and fixture expenses, I’d say no less than one million per restaurant.”
Thank goodness that this was the year 2000 when the cost for both rent and manpower was still cheap.
Had it been before he reincarnated, he would need at least five million per Hello Hotpot outlet.
Life at the Top Chapter 532
Such a vast amount shocked Honey and her family.
Even Darrel had not expected that this plan would need so much money.
“Wow! That’s more than eight million. How much money even is that? What if it all ends up in a loss?” Honey asked.
Jasper smiled. “That’s how business works, everything comes with a risk. Planning for the worst, then working to achieve the best is the only thing we can do.”
“Eight million. 10% of shareholder rights, that means I get 800,000 right off the bat?” Darrel gasped in disbelief.
Jasper replied calmly, “That’s only the beginning. Not to mention that we’re using the brand and skills from the boss of Hello Hotpot. He’ll still be the one in charge of training the employees, so his percentage of shares won’t be very low. This is something you need to talk to him about.”
Darrel scratched his head in embarrassment. “I don’t know how to do anything. What if I screw this negotiation up… This is way too much money.”
“How much money is involved here won’t change the outcome. I’ve heard of Hello Hoptpot’s boss. He’s an ambitious man. There’s something about you that he admires, or he wouldn’t have agreed to open an outlet all the way in one of the Southeast Province’s small counties.
“The most important thing is that he already has the desire to expand Hello Hotpot, he just doesn’t have enough funds. What you’re doing now is negotiating with him on my behalf. You have the funds he needs, so you’re the one with the initiative here. Don’t forget that.”
Jasper did not mind guiding his cousin a little more, or Darrel would only be picked apart until nothing was left if he ran up to negotiate with someone blankly.
While the final say in the project was still in his hand, Jasper had predicted that he would be very busy after the new year. He might not have much time to spend on ‘small projects’ like this.
Jasper sounded very professional when he spoke, with a few words here and there that made Honey and the rest confused.
While they did not understand, they found Jasper very capable. Respect filled their eyes when they looked at him.
After everything was said and done, the two families were relieved.
Sally said that she would prepare dinner, but Honey and her family made an excuse to leave, afraid that they would be intruding.
As such, Jasper decided for everyone and brought them all to a hotel for dinner.
After booking a private room in one of Tefa City’s five-star hotels, Jasper brought them over.
Both Honey and her husband were immensely grateful for Jasper the entire way while Jasper merely smiled. He taught Darrel things he had learned from his business experiences. The latter absorbed the information like a sponge.
Upon arriving at the hotel, Honey’s entire family was filled with admiration for Jasper.
Midway through dinner, Jasper received a call from John.
“John? What’s up?” Jasper asked with a smile.
The situation at Waterhoof City would not have gone so smoothly had John not been there to bridge the conversation with Vita. As such, Jasper was extremely grateful to John as well.
John’s chuckles sounded through the speakers. “I’m here at Clivia Hotel and I just saw your Bentley. You didn’t tell me you were back.”
Jasper glanced at his parents and replied, “I’m having dinner with my family. Are you at the hotel too? You can come join us if you want.”
John smiled. “I don’t think I’ll bother you for dinner, but could you come over to the room I’m in for a moment after you’re done?”
Hearing the heavy tone in John’s voice, Jasper asked, “Sure, I can. Did something happen?”
John sighed and replied, “Do you still remember Kai? The president of Ascendas Investment. We met him at Royce Villa, remember?
“Something happened to him and he’s a step away from taking his own life at this point. We’re all old friends here and I can’t bear to see him so troubled, so I’m trying to persuade him not to do anything rash right now.”
Life at the Top Chapter 533
Kai, the president of Ascendas Investment.
Jasper did find this person slightly familiar.
From what Jasper remembered, he was a kind man who always smiled when he talked.
Jasper did not ask too much, for there were some things better said in person than on the phone. As such, he directly accepted the suggestion.
After eating with his aunt’s family for a moment, Jasper then got up and excused himself.
Everyone understood that he was busy, so they let him leave.
Exiting the private room, Jasper followed the directions John sent him and arrived at a small private room upstairs.
Thick smoke was seen in the air of the small private room, and John could be seen drinking with Kai.
The scent of cigarette smoke and alcohol was heavy in the air. Jasper waved his hand before his face and spoke, “Are you guys trying to ascend to heaven?”
Seeing Jasper, Kai immediately shot up before John could say anything and greeted him carefully, “Mister… Mr. Laine, it’s nice to see you.”
Kai and Jasper were not close. If anything, they were acquaintances who had only met once before.
Jasper had a good impression of Kai for he and John had taken the risk of offending someone and stood up for him in Royce Villa.
Had it not been for that, Jasper would not be here today.
Looking at Kai’s cautious behavior, Jasper knew that John must have said something before he came over. Disagreeing, Jasper smiled to say, “Relax, we’re all friends.”
Jasper then walked over to the table and sat down.
Kai immediately called a waiter over.
“Give us an extra set of cutleries and bring over your best dishes. Have your manager arrange everything. I have an important guest with me, so do your best.”
Jasper looked at John with a subtle smile at Kai’s arrangement and spoke, “You don’t have to be so polite. I already ate downstairs.”
John knew that Jasper had seen through him, so he went straight to the point instead of hiding from him though he was a little embarrassed. “Basically, Kai’s investment company lost a lot in the stock market last month, Jasper.
“You know how it is with investments. Most companies tend to take the clients’ money and put them in riskier shares. If they earn, fine. But if they lose, then the clients riot.
“Kai lost more than six million, four million of which are his clients’ money. It should’ve been fine, but a large client suddenly wants to take their money back. They promised to put the money there for a year but the client now wants it back next week. This puts Kai in a lot of trouble.”
Kai looked remorseful and regretful as John described his situation. He sighed, saying, “It’s all my fault for being so greedy. I was making profits in the beginning, but I thought that I could earn another five points, so I wasn’t willing to take them out.
“Who would’ve thought that a few of them started dropping to limit downs in the end? I couldn’t even pull out if I wanted to, and by the time I sold all my stocks, I’d already lost my capital’s worth as well.”
Jasper frowned. “That’s just how investing in stock markets works. A slight mistake and you end up sucked dry.
“The problem isn’t that you’re greedy. You wouldn’t have dared to invest in high-risk stocks if you were greedy, would you? You wouldn’t make a loss if you had invested in something else.
“The problem here lies in the mind and the pattern of the stocks. You should know when to pull out and when to invest. If you get to the predetermined point, you should know to cash out and leave regardless of whether you earned a profit or a loss.”
Jasper’s nickname as the stock god back then was still a myth spread at the provincial capital. The man had now grown to be so much more and surpassed the person he used to be.
From John, Kai had found out that Jasper’s net worth was now in the billions. He was of a much more sophisticated level than the two of them.
Therefore, Kai did not feel upset by Jasper’s words and merely sighed again.
Life at the Top Chapter 534
“It’s too late to think about what we should’ve done now. But Jasper, we were thinking if you could lend a helping hand? It’d be fine if it was just Kai, but his family shouldn’t have to suffer because of it as well,” John spoke hesitantly.
Jasper smiled subtly at John and replied, “You’re too good of a friend, John.”
John waved him off. “Kai and I have been friends for more than a decade. There’s no way I can just stand aside and watch him kill himself.”
Jasper asked, “Then how do you want me to help?”
Kai and John’s eyes shone at Jasper’s question. Especially Kai, for he did not expect Jasper to be willing to help. Kai quickly replied, “I need an extra 3.5 million in funds, and I was wondering if you could lend me that amount? I promise I’ll pay you back once this whole incident is over, Mr. Laine.
“Honestly, 3.5 million isn’t a lot at all,” Jasper replied. Seeing the elation on Kai’s expression, Jasper quickly continued, “But I have a series of investments after New Year’s, so I don’t plan on lending the money.”
At that, both Kai and John’s expressions changed.
John quickly spoke, “But Jasper…”
“John,” Kai interrupted him, smiling bitterly as he spoke, “Mr. Laine has his own difficulties and reasons. I wouldn’t lend someone money if they asked for 3.5 million out of the blue either. Don’t make it difficult for Mr. Laine.”
John’s words were on the tip of his tongue when he sighed and swallowed them back, opting to say something else. “I went too far.”
Then, John raised a wine glass to Jasper. “Don’t say anything, Jasper. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have forced this on you. I’ll down a glass as punishment.”
John then tipped his head back and finished it.
Jasper could not even stop him in time and smiled bitterly. “Calm down, let me finish talking first.”
His words instantly sparked hope in the two other despondent men who both immediately looked at Jasper.
Jasper turned to speak to Kai, “How many liquid funds do you have at hand now?”
Kai did not hide at all and replied, “I still have 800,000, but that’s all the funds I have. The client wants to take four million out next week, so I’ve only got the 800,000 until next Monday.”
Jasper gave it some thought and replied, “It’s only Wednesday today. Two business days until then, that should be enough.”
John quickly replied, “What do you have in mind, Jasper? Tell us, we’re really curious.”
Jasper smiled. “I think I can help Kai, but it’s a huge risk. A short-swing trade in the futures market.”
“If we’re lucky, we’ll manage to fill that four million gap you need. But of course, there’s also no absolute guarantee that the investment will work and you could potentially lose that 800,000 dollars you have as well. It’s up to you to decide.”
At that, John immediately stopped talking and turned to Kai.
This was an option of life and death. No matter how close they were, John was in no position to make the decision for Kai.
Kai struggled outwardly for a moment before clenching his jaw to reply, “That client is someone with an exceptional background. I’ll be screwed if I can’t pay him back anyway, so I might as well take a gamble with this 800,000 dollars then! I trust you, Mr. Laine!
“But I have to call someone to inform them first, Mr. Laine,” Kai suddenly said.
Jasper furrowed his brows slightly. “Oh? Go ahead, then.”
Kai took a look at Jasper’s displeasure and quickly explained himself, “Don’t misunderstand me, Mr. Laine. I trust you, I do, but we also didn’t think you’d help us. That’s why I contacted Mr. Ray, the best investor in the province, and asked him for help.
“Now that I’ve chosen to accept help from you, then it’s only right I turn Mr. Ray down.”
Life at the Top Chapter 535
‘Mr. Ray?’
Jasper looked at John with confusion.
John quickly explained, “Samuel Ray. Remember Hugh? That man had some beef with you before. Hugh was crushed in the end, remember? So it was Samuel Ray who ended up taking his place in the end.
“I don’t think you know him, considering how he happened to be outstation when we went to Royce Villa that one time. His power was just slightly less that of Hugh’s, so he’s the top dog now that Hugh has fallen.”
John’s displeased tone told Jasper that this Mr. Ray was hardly an easy person to deal with.
At the same time, Kai’s call with Samuel was connected.
Kai first relayed his stand, which was met with Samuel’s chiding from the other end of the line. Samuel was so loud that both Jasper and John could hear him clearly.
“Look, Jones, logically speaking, this is your money. Whether you want to die with it or not is not my problem. But we’ve already come to an agreement, and I also counted your funds into this. We’re entering the market tomorrow and you’re telling me that you want out now?
“Why, huh? Are you looking down on me or something? What, do you think I’m going to run away with your money?”
Kai looked angry, but under the pressure, he could only reply politely, “I, uh, Mr. Ray, it’s my fault for not thinking this whole thing through. But I’ve found another friend and we’ve also decided everything, so I won’t be giving you my money to invest.”
“How about this, I’ll treat you to an apology meal?”
Samuel scoffed. “Apology meal your f*cking ass. Do I look like I need a meal from you?
“I’ve already planned everything and you’re just going to take that 800,000 dollars out of the equation at the last minute? Who the hell am I supposed to ask for compensation? Are you offering to pay?”
Kai harrumphed silently. There was always a limit to a person’s temper no matter how good it was. Kai replied grimly, “All I did was discuss the possibility with you. Nothing had been set in stone yet. Not to mention that I was never told of whatever this plan of yours is. How could you ask me to compensate for your loss? Why are you putting the blame on me?”
“F*ck you, Kai! That loss last month should’ve f*cking killed you. Just go kill yourself, you stupid c*nt.
“And who’s the f*cker who’s helping you, huh? Tell me who he is. I’ll f*cking kill that b*stard!”
Kai’s expression darkened as he replied coldly, “I’m only calling to inform you, not to ask you for your opinion. I don’t care whether you agree or not.”
Kai then ignored Samuel’s rage on the other end and hung up on the man.
Exhaling, Kai then turned to Jasper bitterly. “My apologies, Mr. Laine. I’ve made a fool of myself.”
Jasper shook his head and stood. “Since we’ve already decided, then John and I will take a trip to your company at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow. We’ll trade there.”
Kai replied in excitement, “Okay! We’ll follow your plan!”
Jasper smiled and shook Kai’s hand before he turned to leave.
Kai’s smile fell as the room to the private door closed. He sighed deeply and faced John, saying “I pray that you haven’t found someone to brush me off, John. Here’s hoping that Jasper’s a capable man.
“Forget losing a fortune, I’ve even offended Samuel. I’m really going to be screwed if this goes wrong.”
John clapped Kai’s shoulders and replied, “Don’t worry. As long as he’s willing to do it, I’ve never seen the man lose.”
Kai nodded. “I hope you’re right.”
By the time Jasper returned to his private room, dinner was almost over. The sky was dark, and it was also time for everyone to go home.
Darrel’s family insisted on returning home for the night, so Jasper did not force them to stay. After giving a few extra words on what to do next, Jasper hailed them a taxi and sent them straight to Faith County.
Life at the Top Chapter 536
John came to fetch Jasper the following day, and the two arrived at Ascendas Investment.
Ascendas Investment took up the entire top floor of an ordinary commercial building.
“Kai’s Ascendas Investment sure looks professional.”
Jasper told John as he took a glance at the pretty lady at the front desk.
John pursed his lips. “Kai doesn’t like being looked down on, so he tends to waste his money on formalities like this.”
Kai then walked out of his office to greet the both of them.
“Mr. Laine, John. Everything’s ready, should we go?”
Jasper glanced at the time, realizing that it was currently 7:40 a.m. There was still 20 minutes until the market opened, so he nodded and followed Kai into his office.
In the office, everything unnecessary had already been put away. All that was left was a large office desk with a few computers on it. The corresponding software had already been launched.
“Do you have the funds?” Jasper sat before the computer and asked.
Kai immediately replied, “All 800,000 dollars is in the account.”
Jasper was just about to speak when the office door was kicked open from outside with a bang.
Everyone in the quiet room was stunned, and Jasper’s eyes flitted over to see a sinister-looking middle-aged man enter the room.
“Samuel!” Kai shouted in shock.
Samuel entered the room and scoffed at Kai. “Never thought I’d come and look for you myself, huh, Jones?”
Kai took a deep breath and calmed himself down. “This is my office, what are you doing here?”
Samuel merely sneered. “You f*cking went back on your word and now I have to cancel my entire f*cking plan. Of course, I’m going to ask you for compensation!
“Plus…”
Samuel glared at Jasper. “I’d like to know what kind of help you’ve got here. Someone even better than me, huh? Someone who has got you begging like a f*cking dog, huh?
“A young man? Kai, you have sh*t for brains. You’re going to get scammed before you know it, you idiot!” Samuel gave Jasper a once-over and turned to sneer at Kai.
Jasper frowned. “Could you get rid of unnecessary people, Kai?”
Samuel’s expression changed as he pointed at Jasper. “I don’t care where the f*ck you came from, you little brat, but I’m going to kill you if you dare to help Kai today!”
Jasper leaned back on the chair and spoke with interest, “Now you’ve got me curious. How exactly do you plan to kill me?”
Samuel scoffed. “At least ask around before you start doing business here. Do you even know who I am? I’m Samuel Ray! How dare you steal my business from me?”
Kai’s expression darkened. “Samuel! You’ve been taking advantage of my need for help, wanting to take a 30% commission regardless of whether I make a profit or a loss. Since I’ve already decided against working with you, I’d appreciate it if you were more polite!”
Jasper finally understood why Samuel was so infuriated. He piped up calmly, “30% commission. Are your hands made of gold, Mr. Ray? What’s with the high charge?”
Samuel’s expression darkened. “Has no one ever taught you the rules, young man? How much I charge for commission is my issue. But you’ve got to at least consider your own skills before you dare steal my clients.”
Jasper looked at Samuel meaningfully and spoke calmly, “I might not be very capable, but I’m definitely more skilled than you.”
Life at the Top Chapter 537
“You’ve sure got quite the galls for a young man!”
Samuel scoffed at Jasper’s claim.
“How much do you think you can help Jones earn with 800,000 dollars in funds, you brat? Don’t talk big if you don’t have the ability to back you up. You’ll have to pay the consequences for bluffing.”
Jasper looked at Samuel and chuckled. “You seem so certain that I’m unable to help Kai get his capital back.”
Samuel scoffed and pointed at the ashtray with more than ten cigarette buds in it. “I’ll eat the ashtray if you can do it.”
Jasper spoke calmly, “I don’t need you to eat this ashtray. How much did you lose last month in total, Kai?”
Kai replied embarrassedly, “Here and there, I’d say a total of more than six million.”
“Would you like to gamble, Mr. Ray?” Jasper slightly squinted his eyes at Samuel’s dark expression. “Kai lost six million and I have the remaining 800,000 dollars of his capital in hand.
“If I manage to earn this six million back for him today, you’ll pay me the amount I managed to earn. How’s that?”
Samuel could not help but chortle. “Who do you think you are, you brat? Do you think you can predict the future? Earning six million with a capital of 800,000 dollars, do I look like an idiot or are you telling me you print money for a living? You can’t even earn that much and that quickly from printing money!”
Jasper replied calmly, “Stop giving me all that nonsense. The more impossible it is, the more this benefits you, doesn’t it?”
Samuel scoffed. “Fine. I’ll bet, then. But what if you can’t do it?”
“Then I’ll come up with six million myself,” Jasper replied calmly.
Samuel’s expression turned cold as he stared at Jasper. “Where the hell are you going to get that six million from? How do I know that you’re not just pretending to be rich, huh?”
Jasper was speechless.
Ever since his reincarnation, he had fought with trust fund babies and stepped over wealthy businessmen. He had been on the receiving end of cold sneers and harsh words, but no one had ever accused him of pretending to be rich.
“I can swear on it.”
John suddenly spoke.
John turned to Samuel calmly. “As the vice president of ICBS’ Tefa City branch, I can testify that Jasper is able to pay six million Somer Dollars. Should an issue arise, you are welcome to take the money from me. Does this relieve you?”
Samuel pursed his lips disdainfully and replied, “Since when do you have a say in this, Jackson? You’re just someone living on a salary. I could sell your entire family and I still wouldn’t earn a fortune. Who do you think you are?”
John flushed in humiliation. “I still have quite the contacts here in Tefa City. Six million isn’t a difficult amount to borrow considering my status here! Do not look down on me, Samuel Ray!”
Samuel scoffed and looked at Jasper. “These are the people you hang out with? How outstanding can you be?”
“Say what you guys want, but you’re going to think that I’m too scared if I say no. Fine, then. We’ll bet. It’s just six million. I’ll take it as your sign of respect to me.”
John’s expression darkened, and he almost asked Kai to throw Samuel out the door. However, seeing how Jasper had placed a bet with Samuel, he had no other choice but to push his anger down and watch the scene unfold.
“This is getting out of hand, John,” Kai nudged John and whispered.
John chuckled and whispered back, “What are you afraid of? Did you forget how Jasper had made a name for himself with a gamble the first time you met him back at Royce Villa?”
Kai was dazed for a moment, thinking back to how Jasper had turned the tables as the underdog and won Hugh. That had been the beginning of Jasper’s fame.
Life at the Top Chapter 538
With history testifying Jasper’s ability, Kai immediately nodded and relaxed. He replied with a grin, “Alright. Let’s just sit and watch, then.”
Not knowing what Kai and John were murmuring about between themselves, Samuel scoffed and growled. “What are you two f*cking idiots so happy about? You’re already screwed.”
“Watch your mouth.”
Jasper looked up from behind the computer and glanced at Samuel, speaking calmly, “What kind of bet will this be if you’re so noisy and affect me earning money, hmm?”
“Motherf*cker!” Samuel roared, his expression terrifyingly dark. He forced himself to calm down as it truly was not the time to say anything. He forced the words out with a huff, “Fine. I won’t say anything, then. I’d like to see how you’re going to screw yourself over. I’ll be waiting for that six million from you!”
At that point, Jasper no longer had the mood to entertain Samuel.
His focus was entirely on the screen before his eyes.
The display currently showed the official website of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The official website had the latest news released less than 20 minutes ago.
It stated that due to weather reasons, domestic cotton production was expected to shrink substantially with a 40% decrease in output than the same period last year.
When Jasper first reincarnated, he had written all the financial incidents that he remembered from his past life in a small notebook.
The cotton incident was among them, but it was only a small incident.
The only reason Jasper called it small was that the benefits from this incident were less exaggerated in comparison to the other opportunities.
Jasper might never have involved himself with this incident if Kai’s affair had not happened at such a coincidental timing.
Seeing how things were now, winning this gamble against Samuel did not seem like a difficult feat.
In the year 2000, much had happened with the country’s futures market. The cotton pricing incident before the new year would be the last monumental incident for the year.
The country’s cotton production would shrink greatly, triggering the rise in prices for cotton’s futures market. That afternoon, the official website would announce that import trade had been agreed on with a few other countries.
These two news announcements would cause the price of cotton to rise steeply and then crash down once arriving at the peak like a roller coaster.
“You operate it, Kai,” Jasper glanced at Kai and spoke.
Kai was excited as he ran over.
“Huh?! The price of cotton dropped?!” Kai shouted in surprise at the sight of the screen in front of Jasper.
Both John and Samuel were surprised by the news.
John laughed loudly and freely.
Meanwhile, Samuel’s expression darkened in anger. “You’re just lucky, you brat. But so what, news has already gotten out. The price will only rise if you enter the market now.”
Jasper did not seem to hear him for he turned to Kai calmly. “Don’t look at my screen. Keep an eye on your account. How much is the price for cotton?”
Kai quickly stared at the market and saw the frightening inflating line. “The market’s already reacting. It’s been ten minutes since the market started and the price has already risen by 2,000 Somer Dollars. It costs 14,500 now.”
Without much thought, Jasper immediately instructed, “Buy the entire position. Don’t leave a single cent.”
Life at the Top Chapter 539
At that, the three other men present were dazed.
Even John, who trusted Jasper the most, was shocked. He knew that Jasper was someone who would never hesitate once he found an opening, but he had not expected Jasper to be so brave.
“Won’t you give it a deeper thought, Jasper? After all, the bar for the futures market is too high. We only have 800,000 dollars. I’m afraid we’ll hit liquidation right away with the slightest pullback in price if we buy in the entire position.”
“That’s right, Mr. Laine. The prices have already risen by 2,000 Somer Dollars. That’s a 16% increase. While it is exciting, the market price is bound to return to normal once it reaches a high enough amount,” Kai spoke carefully.
Samuel could not help but guffaw. “I can’t believe I actually got startled when you talked so big and surely just now. You’re just a useless nobody, after all. Hahaha!
“You’re f*cking stupid. Do you think you can just rush in because it’s good news? What do you take the futures market for, a taxi? Do you think the prices will spike just because it’s raining?
“Do you even know what a pullback is? It’s rare for idiots like you to continue trading in the market when prices reach a certain high. There are people who’ve been holding futures stocks for a long time and if they see that there’s a profit, some of them will choose to sell. Most people tend to look at the trend first and then the price will of course drop back to normal. That’s called a pullback.
“Do you even f*cking understand me? A slight drop of 1,000 bucks will have your capital of 800,000 dollars hitting liquidation. It’ll be too late for you to cry then.”
Samuel then sneered at Kai. “You’ve wasted 40 years of your life, Jones. It’s still not too late for you to regret it now since you haven’t bought in. But I’ll be charging 40% for commission and procedures this time if you want me to help!”
Kai clenched his jaw quietly and turned to Jasper.
Jasper sighed and spoke, “If you trust me, then do as I say. If you don’t want to trust me, then I’ll get up and leave.”
Kai fell silent for two seconds before he clenched his jaw and spoke, “I’ll listen to you!”
“Then buy in.”
Jasper shook his head when he looked at the market. There had been a 400 dollars increase in the price of cotton during the one to two minutes Kai hesitated.
People tended to speak of legends about the wealthy with envy, claiming that they only grew rich because they were lucky.
However, what they did not know was that luck had never played a part in becoming rich when it came to the financial market.
Even if you stood right where the wind blew and a chance had found its way to you, you still needed the courage to risk your entire wealth and life to catch it.
Or you would still be the plain, ordinary person you were.
Kai was not someone with that sort of bravery, so there was a limit to his success.
Seeing how Kai had begun to buy in, Samuel’s expression turned colder as he sneered sinisterly. “Go ahead, then. Buy in, it’s just 800,000 dollars anyway. I’d like to see if you’re going to jump out from this window when you hit liquidation.”
“Shut up!”
Under immense psychological stress, Kai no longer feared Samuel’s power and shouted at him darkly, “This is my office. I can and will call someone to throw you out!”
Samuel took a deep breath and pointed at Kai angrily, “What the f*ck did you say? How dare you talk to me like that?!”
Kai’s expression was dark as he ignored Samuel and turned to Jasper. “It’s done.”
Jasper spoke plainly, “People like to call the financial market a legal gambling table and they’re not wrong. Especially the futures market that comes with the biggest risk.
“This gambling table has a daily cash flow of trillions of Somer Dollars. Money and lives aren’t worth anything here.
“If you want to win, then these are the most important traits you need. You need to be crazy enough to sacrifice everything and the sensitivity of a monster. And perhaps a little bit of luck as well.
“If you want to be careful and risk-free, then you might as well deposit your money into the bank and wait for interest.”
Kai was a good man at heart, so Jasper decided that he was worth a few reminders here and there. As to how much Kai understood, well that would be up to him. Jasper would not concern himself with it.
Kai seemed slightly confused while John fell deep in thought.
Life at the Top Chapter 540
Samuel, who heard Jasper’s words, immediately scoffed. “So pretentious. Do you think you’re the only one who knows how to bluff? We might as well ignore everything and throw all our money in one direction in that case, then! Do you think that’ll secure your victory? F*cking hilarious!”
Jasper glanced at Samuel calmly and spoke, “That explains why you can only be all high and mighty within the county. I suppose there’s a reason why you can’t make it in the cities.”
As if he had his tail stepped on, Samuel immediately shot up and roared, “You f*cking brat! What did you just say?!”
It was Samuel’s biggest regret that he could not be a part of the city’s circle of wealthy people.
The last thing he could tolerate was people telling him he was a county tyrant. He dreamed of nothing more than to enter an even more sophisticated social circle, but they all looked down on him.
At the same time, Kai suddenly shouted, interrupting Samuel’s exploding anger.
“It’s a pullback! The prices are pulling back!”
The crowd all turned to look, only to see the price of cotton on the screen make an abrupt turn at the peak of the market and begin to drop.
It was a 500 Somer Dollar drop right at the beginning.
Kai immediately lost 400,000 of the 800,000 capital that just entered the market!
This was what made the capitalization game so thrilling.
“Hahaha. I already told you two idiots that you’ll be screwed if you follow this f*cking idiot. You lost half your capital with a 500 pullback. Another 500 and you’ll hit liquidation!” Samuel chortled.
Even John, who trusted Jasper the most, felt his heart thump nervously as he sneaked glimpses at Jasper—what more Kai?
However, Jasper remained calm. “It’s going to be okay.”
Jasper had already expected all of this.
There would indeed be a pullback in the price of cotton, but Jasper could not remember when the pullback stopped.
However, Jasper was certain that the pullback was a minor one, and the prices would then skyrocket afterward.
The risk was not huge to begin with, but Kai’s previous hesitation had him entering the market after a 400 Somer Dollar increase. As such, the risk now seemed more dangerous.
Kai took a deep breath. It was too late for him to turn back now, so he clenched his jaw and spoke, “It’s alright, Mr. Laine. This was my choice and I can’t blame you even if I end up hitting liquidation.”
Kai’s words had Jasper reestablishing his impression of the other.
“Don’t worry.” Jasper chuckled and replied.
There was another sharp drop in the price of cotton once Jasper finished speaking.
This time, it was a drop of 480 Somer Dollars!
Kai’s account showed a loss of 780,000, leaving 20,000 dollars left.
At the same time, Kai’s phone rang as well.
It was a call from the trading center informing him that he was about to hit liquidation and they asked if Kai wanted to add more funds.
Kai was despondent as he did not have any more money to add in, so he hung up the phone amidst Samuel’s mocking chortles.
“Mr. Laine, I’m afraid this time I’m really…”
Before Kai could finish talking, the screen showed a sudden spike in the price of cotton!