Ch. 561..570
Life at the Top Chapter 561
He believed that he would definitely make a fortune one day. He had been so full of himself that he only felt disdain when he heard that Jasper had made it big.
From his perspective, success as described by a bunch of poor rural relatives could not be anything special.
However, he was overcome with overwhelming jealousy after seeing the luxurious villa and the row of BMWs parked in front of it. It was luxury beyond his wildest dreams.
“Can’t he share some of his money with us since he’s that rich? We’re his relatives! All he does is flaunt his wealth! How can someone like that succeed in life? Even if he’s rich, it’s just temporary. He’ll lose big in the future!” Terence Laine murmured through gritted teeth.
……
When Jasper arrived at Shangri-La Hotel, his relatives had already been there for more than 20 minutes.
Everyone sat in their respective seats while they engaged in noisy chatter.
Each and every one of them were trying their best to maintain their composure in front of each other. They tried their best not to turn their heads to look around, making it seem as if they often attended such high-end occasions.
However, the truth was that none of them had ever had a meal in a five-star hotel.
They did not even know how to use a napkin properly. Some of them stuffed it into their collars or put it under their dinner plates, whereas others used it as a towel to wipe their hands before balling it up and throwing it aside.
The three tables in the room had already been served with cold dish platters and drinks. The children stared at the exquisite dishes eagerly. However, the adults slapped their hands away when they reached out to grab the food.
Although the adults also yearned to try these exquisite cold dishes that they had never even seen before, nobody dared to touch their utensils before Jasper’s arrival.
Even as a mere junior, he had the ability to make all the elders in his family wait for him before they started eating. This was the charm that money brought.
Jasper walked in through the entrance. Noticing the situation in the room, he laughed out loud. “Excuse me for being late, everyone. Why haven’t you guys started eating?” He asked.
Jasper’s uncle stood up and greeted him with a smile on his face. “We have just arrived as well. You’re here, Jasp. Come here, sit down at once,” he said.
Jasper looked at the main table. The seat to the left of Carson Laine, his father, was empty. The seat obviously belonged to him.
Jasper chuckled and said, “I’m a junior, so I should sit by the side. If I sit somewhere as prestigious as the main table, I might get criticized.”
His relatives burst out into laughter as well. Terence Laine, who was seated at the end of the third table, fixed a jealous gaze upon Jasper. He sneered at him repetitively in his heart.
“Alright, everyone is waiting for you. Hurry up, all the seats are the same,” Carson Laine ushered Jasper over to his side and forced him to sit down beside him.
After instructing the waiters to begin serving the dishes, Jasper chatted briefly with the elders seated at his table. He then stood up and raised his glass. “Everyone, today marks the end of the year for us. Let’s leave the past behind and welcome new beginnings,” he announced cheerily in front of his relatives.
“My alcohol tolerance is quite average, so I won’t make an individual toast to each and every one of you. Therefore, I’ll make a toast to all of you right now. Here’s to new beginnings and peace in the new year.”
Everyone showed a good response to Jasper’s words. They stood up, and those who could drink alcohol drank from their glasses whereas those who could not drink sipped at their beverages instead. Nevertheless, everyone present emptied the content of their glasses.
Jasper put down his empty glass and was just about to return to his seat when Terence stood up at the end of the third table. He brought a large box over and told Jasper, “This is the wild ginseng that you requested from our family, Jasper Laine. I brought it for you today.”
The tone of Terence’s voice was stiff and rigid. He spoke to Jasper without an ounce of courtesy. It was as if Jasper had forced his family to hand over the wild ginseng.
Seated at the same table as Jasper, Jasper’s uncle’s expression changed immediately. He was about to reprimand Terence when Terrence let out a cold sneer and began speaking.
“Now that you’re wealthy, we don’t even dare to say a single word when you take things from poor relatives like us. However, you already have so much money. Why don’t you lend me some money? Five figures ought to do it. We are all relatives. You wouldn’t have any objections, right?”
Life at the Top Chapter 562
After Terence finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room changed drastically.
Everyone’s attention peaked as they stared at Jasper with widened eyes, waiting for his response.
Jasper responded with a smile. Instead of accepting the box, he looked at Terence and said, “I’ve spent most of my time out of town after graduating. I haven’t come back in a long time. May I know who you are?”
Terence scoffed. “You’re a prominent figure and a big boss now. Of course, you wouldn’t pay attention to poor relatives like us. It’s completely normal for you to forget,” he said.
“I’m Terence Laine. I can be considered your cousin since Darrel Laine is my brother.”
Jasper nodded in realization. “I remember that he has a younger brother. He called me not too long ago to tell me that he was rushing back by train. He said that he’d arrive a little later,” he said.
Terence sulked and said, “Everyone knows that my brother will be running a large business very soon. He has attained an agreement with bosses from other localities and he’ll be opening dozens of hotpot restaurants in the province next year. Of course, you’d care more about him.
“After all, you’ll pale in comparison to him after his hotpot restaurant chain begins operating.”
Terence’s contemptuous words piqued Jasper’s interest.
It seemed like Terence Laine still had no idea that he had provided his brother with the funds to start up his hotpot restaurant chain.
“Never mind, it’d be meaningless to talk about such things. In any case, keep this in mind. Don’t think that you can look down on your poor relatives just because you have some money. You’re so wealthy, but when have you ever provided us with any benefits?
“I’m in a tight spot right now. Can you bear to lend me a few ten thousand dollars? Don’t worry about it, after my brother opens his hotpot restaurant chain, he’ll become a big boss too. He wouldn’t trouble you by refusing to pay back a measly sum of money like that,” Terence said haughtily.
“Terence Laine!”
Jasper’s uncle roared out in anger. There was an awkward and shameful expression on his face. “What nonsense are you going on about, you b*stard!? Apologize to your cousin at once!” He reprimanded Terence.
His uncle then turned around to face Jasper. He let out a dry laugh. “Jasp, I’ve spoilt him ever since he was young. Please don’t stoop down to his level. I’ll teach him a lesson after this,” he told Jasper.
Jasper waved his hand and looked at Terence with a cheerful grin. “How much money would you like?” he asked.
Terence rolled his eyes. Despite the anger blazing in his father’s gaze, Terence replied stubbornly, “At least 50000 dollars!”
Jasper nodded and grabbed a checkbook from his coat. He proceeded to fill in a check worth 50000 dollars. “Take this check. You can withdraw 50000 dollars from any bank at any time,” he told Terence.
“I’m not lending you this money, so you don’t have to return it to me. I’m buying this wild ginseng from you with this sum of money. That way, you wouldn’t be feel like I took advantage of you. How’s that?” He asked.
Terence sneered and said, “It’s no wonder that you’re so good at making money. You have such immaculate planning. However, don’t even think of using your devious schemes on your relatives. This wild ginseng is over 200 years old–it’s a real treasure. I’ve enquired about it outside, and I heard that it’s so rare that it can’t even be bought with money. If you want to buy it, you’ll need to pay me at least 100000 dollars.”
Jasper filled in another 50000 dollar check without saying a word. He handed both the checks to Terence and told him, “Here’s 100000 dollars you asked for.”
Terence noticed that Jasper was being extremely at ease right now. He did not even think twice before giving him 100000 dollars.
100000 dollars was a monumental sum of money for every average family out there.
At that moment, Terence grew disgruntled after realizing how rich Jasper was. Greed instantly clouded his thoughts as he raised his head indignantly and said, “That’s not enough! Give me 200000 dollars at least!”
Jasper chuckled lightly and put aside both the checks. “First, you wanted 50000 dollars, then you wanted 100000 dollars. I’ve given you everything that you asked for. However, you’re now demanding for me to give you 200000 dollars. Do you take me for a fool who doesn’t understand numbers? Since you’re not selling the goods, so be it. Take it back,” he said in an even tone.
Life at the Top Chapter 563
Terence’s expression changed. Just as he was about to say something, his father slapped him hard right across the face.
A loud smack resounded throughout the room.
Terence was beyond stunned by the clear, loud smack. The twenty or so relatives in the room had looks of utter shock on their faces as well.
Disciplining one’s child was a shameful act, and it was supposed to be done in the privacy of one’s home. Furthermore, Terence Laine was already in his twenties. He was not at the age where he should be hit by his parents.
However, not only did his father hit him, but he had also done so in front of so many relatives. He did not show Terrence even an ounce of respect. This showed just how fired up he was.
His father lunged over and grabbed the box from Terence. He was so infuriated that his voice was trembling. “What a rebellious son you are. I’ve raised you for nothing!” He shouted out.
He then turned around and handed the box over to Jasper. “Jasp, Terence is only acting like that because I haven’t raised him well. Please don’t hold a grudge against him. How could we sell this to you? How could we ask you for money in return for this gift?” He said apologetically.
Jasper did not want the ginseng at all. However, from his uncle’s desperate gaze, he knew that this incident would not pass easily if he did not accept it. Therefore, he placed the box to the side. At the same time, he took out the two checks as well.
“Uncle, I intended to purchase this from you since the very start. Wild ginseng that is more than 200 years of age is indeed precious. Keep this 100000 dollars.”
Just as his uncle was about to say something, Jasper chuckled out loud. “Uncle, if you don’t accept this money, I won’t take this wild ginseng from you. Although we’re relatives, a sale is still a sale. It’s easy to get 100000 dollars, but getting 200-year-old wild ginseng is something that comes down to pure luck. I’m the one that has scored a bargain.”
Nobody could point out any flaws in Jasper’s reasonable argument.
Everyone agreed with Jasper inwardly. Although Jasper was wealthy, he did not look down on his relatives. His behaviors and actions were also extremely mature and well thought out. Thus, it was easy to get along with him.
The only person who thought otherwise was Terence Laine.
Terence clutched at his face. It stung to the touch. Although his face hurt from the slap, he was angrier due to the overwhelming shame that he had experienced.
“Father! He’s just using his money to placate us. Why should we fawn over him like this? Besides, he’s your junior. He has to address you as his uncle! Don’t bow down so pathetically in front of him. I wonder who’ll be bowing to whom after my brother returns and starts operating his business?!”
Terence yelled out while he glared at Jasper angrily.
After listening to what he said, Terence’s father was so enraged that he almost passed out.
“You b*stard, you’re really aa b*stard!” His father yelled at him while smacking his own leg. “Don’t you know that your cousin is the one funding your brother’s business?” He roared.
“You’re completely incapable. All you do is look down on others. You think others are looking down on you if they treat you with even the slightest disrespect. Why don’t you take a look at yourself instead? Do you have anything that’s worthy of other people’s admiration?
“Jasp has already helped out our family a lot. Look at the things that you’ve done and said. Is this something that a decent human being would do? Why do I even have a son like you?”
Terence was stupefied after registering what his father had just said.
He only heard one thing clearly.
The greatest source of his pride, the business that his brother was about to start, was funded by Jasper Laine?
After experiencing the overwhelming shock and daze, not only did Terence not repent for his actions, but jealousy and rage instantly swelled up in his heart.
“In that case, Jasper Laine should have given me the money! I’m cut out to run a business! I can earn a fortune as well. Why did you offer it to my brother instead of me? Give me 200000 dollars, Jasper Laine. If you give me 200000 dollars, I’ll do better than anyone else!”
Life at the Top Chapter 564
Jasper stared at Terence in shock.
To be honest, he did not achieve much in his past life. He did not meet up much with his relatives either and had never interacted much with Darrel and Terence Laine. Therefore, he had no idea what their personalities were like.
In his current life, Jasper would like to think that he had met quite a number of people; He had also dealt with all sorts of people.
However, he had never expected Terence Laine to go beyond his expectations of what it meant to be shameless.
The last time that Jasper had felt this way was when he was dealing with Penelope Hunt and her family.
Even when compared to them, Terence Laine was still the gold-standard.
“Why should I give you my money if I’m wealthy? Furthermore, it’s 200000 dollars that you’re asking for. Don’t you know that the average salary for a job out there is only a few hundred dollars? It’s considered a huge benefit if you have a salary of a thousand dollars,” Jasper told him.
Terence sneered coldly and waved his hand. “Stop spewing such nonsense. Aren’t you filthy rich? We’re all relatives. Shouldn’t you help us out if you’re rich? Do you want to see us suffer due to poverty? You’ve helped my brother as well. In that case, it isn’t too much to ask you to give me 200000 dollars, right?” He questioned.
“I funded your brother simply because I thought that his business would he profitable. Besides, I did not lend your brother the money. It was an investment. In other words, I’d invest this sum of money all the same even if he was a mere stranger instead of Darrel Laine,” Jasper said calmly.
“I’m doing this because it’s business, not because he’s my relative.
“I can support you if you have the capabilities, business idea, and are willing to put in the effort. However, look at you. You’re incapable and you don’t have any plans. You’re only asking me for money. Do you think that my wallet is an ATM? Do you think that you can take my money whenever you want?
“Everyone here is our relative. They all know my family’s situation. We were the poorest among everyone in the past. All of you were more well off in comparison to my family.
“Why didn’t you help out my family back then, Terence Laine?”
Jasper’s words rendered Terence speechless. There was no way for him to argue against that.
Jasper turned away from Terence, whose expression was tainted with anger. He looked around the room and gazed at each of his relatives’ faces intently. He then continued speaking in a loud, clear voice.
“Half of the people here are my elders, whereas one-third of them are around the same age as I am. The remaining third of them are my nephews and nieces. We all share the same origin. We’re all from the same family.
“I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve managed to achieve some recognition and success for our family. However, I’ll say a few words without shame today.
“Be it relatives or friends, my words to you are the same. I’ll offer my support to anyone with the capabilities, ideas, and is willing to put in great amounts of effort. However, anyone who thinks that I’m an easy target or believes that I’m obligated to give out money to everyone now that I’m wealthy should just save their efforts.
“That’s all I want to say. Don’t mind me. You guys can start eating and drinking. Anyways, I’ll take care of everything here. If the hospitality is inadequate, it’ll be my fault. You guys can scold me all you want. However, if you’re deliberately here to cause trouble, I won’t welcome or serve you.”
Back at the main table, Sally Lard tapped Charlie Laine. “Won’t it reflect badly on Jasp if he says something like this?” She asked him worriedly.
Charlie had an even and controlled expression on his face. “It won’t reflect badly on him. He’s simply stating facts. I don’t think that Jasp said anything wrong. He has my support,” he said.
After that, Charlie fixed a gratified gaze upon Jasper. “I’m old now. Our son has really grown up,” he remarked.
The other relatives looked at each other in silence.
Jasper’s uncle glared at Terence and growled impatiently, “Why are you still standing there? Scram!”
Terence’s face flushed red in anger as he cast a vicious glare at Jasper. He then turned around and walked away.
Life at the Top Chapter 565
Of course, Terence did not have the audacity to stay there and eat with them. He left the room with a slam of the door.
Terence’s father took in a deep breath and waved his hand. “Don’t bother him. There’s no need to pay him any mind. This kid is beyond salvation,” he said.
Honey Sarratt dabbed at her tears in a corner of the room. She was terribly upset.
Charlie Laine and Sally Lard comforted Jasper’s uncle and aunt respectively. Meanwhile, Jasper got up and went around the room to make toasts with everyone. Nobody seemed to pay any heed to Terence Laine, who had left in a storm of fury.
Although Terence Laine had caused an unpleasant dispute during the Christmas dinner, nobody showed any signs of unhappiness on their faces. Everyone quickly pushed the incident to the back of their minds.
Soon, the atmosphere at the tables became lively once again.
Although not everyone was happy throughout the course of the dinner, at least it ended on a good note.
After everyone finished their meals, Jasper arranged for them to stay in the Shangri-La Hotel. He booked a room for each family where they could stay up to three days and two nights. The decision to stay there was completely up to them.
In the afternoon, Darrel Laine, who had traveled back from another town in a rush, looked for Jasper hurriedly. He had obviously heard of Terence’s incident from the day before.
“I’m so sorry, cousin. Sigh, I never expected that my brother would do something that immature!”
Darrel was evidently much more mature than Terence. He apologized to Jasper with a guilty expression on his face.
Jasper was sipping on a cup of hot tea to cure his hangover. He had drunk a little too much the previous night. He laughed upon hearing what Darrel said. “It’s alright, I just assumed that I was fooling around with a child. You don’t have to mention it… Anyway, how did the discussion go?” He asked.
A look of excitement appeared on Darrel’s face. “Everything’s almost done. The boss of Hello Hotpot said that he’ll come over to visit you personally after Christmas. Regarding the ownership, he’d like to have 30% of the total shares. You will get 60% of it, and I’ll have 10%. Is that alright with you?” He proposed.
Jasper laughed. “That’s perfectly fine. I’ll be getting the sum of money that is to be invested into your business within the next two days,” he said.
Jasper then paused momentarily. He felt like thanking Samuel Ray for his extensive wealth.
“In that case, I’ll meet him next year. We will formally sign a three-party contract when the boss of Hello Hotpot comes over. After that, you can set up the company framework. I’ll make sure to credit the funds into the company account in due time.”
Darrel nodded gratefully. He then took out two familiar checks from his coat and handed them to Jasper courteously.
“What are you doing?”
Jasper asked. He laughed in amusement after taking a glance at the two checks that he had filled up himself.
“Don’t disregard me anymore, Cousin. We can’t accept this money from you no matter what. Please take it back!” Darrel said. He was adamant.
“You’re already our family’s saving grace. It would be inhumane if I accepted this money from you. Furthermore, my parents share the same sentiment.”
Jasper chuckled. He did not reject his request, but he did not accept the checks either. “After you set up the company, you’ll need to use a lot of money. You can treat this money as an additional line of sponsorship from me,” he said.
Darrel was stunned after registering what he had said. He wanted to say something else, but he immediately swallowed all his words after noticing the calm gaze that Jasper had directed at him. Thus, he nodded heavily and stopped being persistent.
At the same time, Terence Laine, who had left the restaurant in a fit of rage the night before, had gone to Nauritus City on his own. He had not contacted anyone after leaving that night.
He was there to meet someone. That person was a huge source of support that he had just come to know recently. Now, he planned to take revenge for the humiliation that Jasper had put him through.
Life at the Top Chapter 566
Within a high-end residential area in the province, Nauritus City.
Zayden Hanks now lived in a double-storey terrace house.
That was right. Zayden Hanks had returned from Harbor City.
Zayden Hanks had undergone a major transformation since the confrontation between the Hanks and Jasper Laine in the province, after being sent to Harbor City by his father.
He was much more thinner than before, and kept his hair long and tied into a ponytail at the back of his head.
The feminine clothes that he was clad in did not look out of place on an ordinary man like him. On the contrary, he emanated an indescribable sense of cold slyness.
Zayden’s father, Sylva Hanks, was sitting in the room as well.
Sylva seemed to have aged by more than a decade within half a year’s time. His slightly hunched figure was perched atop the sofa as he stared at his son, who was standing by the side of the window and looking down at the view of the Southface River.
“Zayden, why did you come back…”
Before Sylva finished talking, Zayden turned around and smiled at his father. “Father, I know what you’re going to ask me. That’s right, I’ve come back to avenge you and myself,” he said.
Sylva’s fingers, which had a cigarette in between them, trembled. A flurry of ashes fell onto the ground as he spoke in a bitter voice, “Things are different from how they were in the past. Too many things have happened in the past six months.
“Dawson Schuler acquired the country’s largest supermarket chain and set up a real estate company with Jasper Laine. In addition to the supermarket industry, that newly set up real estate company has also risen to become the largest name among the real estate enterprises in the Southeast Province.
“You’ve seen the development site in Southface River, right? Those tall skyscrapers are proof of their capability.”
“Their current strength cannot be compared to how they were in the past. We’ve lost to them back then, so what will change now?”
Zayden stared into the distance with dark eyes. He sneered at the sight of the development site in Southface River, which was now the talk of the town. “What a lively area. They haven’t stopped the construction even though it’s going to be Christmas real soon. It seems like they’re extremely confident,” he remarked.
“Once this project is completed, it’ll be the largest signature project in the Southeast Province. Not only do the municipal and provincial governments greatly prioritize this project, even the officials from higher order associations are looking at the type of development that this project will bring to the Southeast Province in the future.
“I’ve heard from some old friends that once the project at the South Bank yields results, it’s likely that it’ll become a benchmark project for the construction of new urban areas in other cities within the country. By then, it’s significance will greatly increase.”
Sylva laughed bitterly as he spoke. “Given their current position, what right do we have to go against Jasper Laine and Dawson Schuler?” He questioned.
Zayden sniffed in distaste. “Father, don’t trample upon your own prestige by amplifying their status,” he said in a frigid tone.
“Jasper Laine mostly relies on the support of the Laws from Harbor City. Before gaining their support, he was nothing. Back then, he was simply a nobody in the Southeast Province.”
As Zayden spoke, he shifted his gaze away from Southface River and turned to face his own father. “This time, I returned with the support of a prominent figure as well. I must go against Jasper Laine!” He yelled out in frenzy.
He recalled the humiliation that he had received back in the Southeast Province, which had caused him to run all the way to Harbor City. After that, Jasper Laine had continued to trample over him. While Jasper basked in glory after presiding over Harbor City’s economic rescue plan, he could only tremble while hiding in the corner.
All of this distorted Zayden’s psyche.
The more he hated and feared Jasper Laine, the more his facial features twisted in rage.
Eventually, his face twisted in infuriation to the point where his bloodshot eyes glinted red as if he were a wild beast.
“Father, don’t worry. Jasper Laine has rose to success way too quickly. As a result, he has blocked the paths of many people out there. He has made too many enemies.
“Now, it’s almost a given that many people out there want him dead. These people definitely outnumber those who support him!”
Life at the Top Chapter 567
“This time, I’m here on behalf of those people. With their support, Jasper Laine will nothing compared to me.”
Sylva’s eyes twitched as he looked at his own son. He seemed like a stranger to him.
Sylva sent Zayden to Harbor City because he wanted him to live peacefully for the rest of his life after moving to a new place.
However, Sylva did not know what Zayden had been through in Harbor City. He had no idea why he had returned this time without anyone knowing and with so much anger pent up within him.
“Even with that being the case, the Hanks are all living cautiously. Furthermore, I’ve offended Dawson Schuler, who has now risen to immense power. I no longer have the right to speak on behalf of our family, so I cannot help you,” Sylva said with a sigh.
Zayden snickered loudly. “Father, do you still not believe what I just said? The Hanks are nothing great. They have so little influence that it’s next to nothing,” he said.
“Besides, we couldn’t compete against Jasper Laine back when you still were in your prior position and were capable of using the family resources. How could we go hope to against him now?
“However, this time, I have the Laines’ support.”
Zayden smirked coldly. He decided to reveal the truth to his father in order to win his confidence.
“The Laines? Which family are you talking about?” Sylva asked. He was slightly stunned.
Just as Zayden was about to say something, a knock on the door interrupted him.
“I’ll explain things to you slowly later on. One of my pawns is here right now,” Zayden said. He proceeded to open the door.
The person who entered the room was none other than Terence Laine.
“Mr. Hanks!” Terence Laine greeted Zayden courteously from outside the door.
Zayden nodded and broke out into a cackle. “Have you met Jasper Laine?” He asked.
“I’ve met him. Hmph, what a haughty and bossy person. He disregards everyone other than himself!” Terence exclaimed at once.
“However, he’s no competition to you, Mr. Hanks. He’s just a tiny ant on the ground. Meanwhile, someone like you is destined to soar up into the skies like a phoenix and become a prominent figure in the industry, Mr. Hanks,” Terence Laine remarked in a flattering voice.
Zayden chuckled without denying what he said. After letting Terence into the room, he told Sylva, “Father, this is Terence Laine. He’s Jasper Laine’s distant relative. If I’m not mistaken, he’s his cousin.”
Terence took a step forward immediately. He bowed down to greet Sylva. “Nice to meet you, Uncle Hanks. I’m Terence Laine, and I’m Jasper Laine’s cousin,” he said with a look of fondness and flattery on his face.
“Please sit,” Sylva said in an even tone.
Terence did not dare to sit down. Instead, he turned around to look at Zayden.
“Why are you looking at me? My father asked you to sit down,” Zayden said. He feigned a sullen tone, even though he was extremely satisfied with Terence’s behavior.
Terence nodded and bent down to sit right at the edge of the sofa.
“Since you’ve met Jasper Laine, I’ll tell you what to do next. Your most important task is to find a way to join one of Jasper Laine’s companies. It can be the investment company or the real estate company. Join the company first, as it’ll be extremely useful to us,” Zayden said.
An awkward expression appeared on Terence’s face when he understood Zayden’s request. “You should’ve told me about that in advance, Mr. Hanks. I got into quite an awful squabble with Jasper Laine today…” he said bitterly.
“I have a 200-year-old piece of wild ginseng back at home, which I originally intended to give to you. However, Jasper Laine, that b*stard, asked my father to give it to him. Being the coward that he is, my father gave it to him immediately.”
“I even got into an argument with Jasper Laine over this incident.”
Life at the Top Chapter 568
Terence continued blabbering on about the incident. However, he did not notice the darkening expression on Zayden’s face.
“You piece of garbage!”
Zayden roared out in rage, cutting off Terence’s speech.
He pointed his finger at Terence, almost poking him on the tip of his nose. “What did I tell you before this? I told you to leave a memorable impression in front of Jasper Laine. Is that how you intend to do it?” He yelled in rage.
“F*ck, this is just perfect. You’ve left a memorable impression on him indeed, but you won’t be of any use to me anymore!”
Zayden grew angrier the more he spoke. He raised a hand and slapped Terence across his ashen face.
A loud smack resounded through the room.
Terence’s head whipped to the side from the force of the slap. Instantly, he clutched his face and got up from the sofa in fear. “Mr. Hanks, I’m sorry. I messed things up because I didn’t know about your plans,” he said in a hurry.
“Sorry? It’s useless to apologize to me!”
Zayden scolded him in infuriation.
“Who do you think you are? Why would I ask you to approach Jasper Laine? I asked you to do so so that you would be able to formally join Jasper Laine’s company in the future and collude with me in private!
“Who allowed you to offend him? How dare a f*cking disgrace like you offend him? How dare you?”
Zayden was engulfed in fury. Terence was so frightened that he did not dare to utter a single word.
Right then, he could tell that he had caused trouble with his self-righteous actions.
“Don’t be angry, Mr. Hanks. Why don’t I try to mend my relationship with Jasper Laine?” He asked, a despondent expression splayed across his face.
Zayden sneered. “Someone like Jasper Laine can end you by just lifting his finger. How dare you conspire against him? Are you seeking your own death?” He asked.
Terence rolled his eyes and suddenly said, “Mr. Hanks, don’t panic just yet. There are still other methods to go about this.”
Zayden laughed stonily. “In that case, tell me. What other methods are there? I’ll forgive you if you manage to compensate for your actions,” he said.
Terence immediately replied, “Although I offended Jasper Laine, he really admires my elder brother, Darrel Laine. Previously, I told you that my brother is in talks to work together with a boss from outside the province. He intends to open a hotpot restaurant chain in the province.”
Zayden scoffed and asked, “Aren’t you embarrassed to talk about some small, lowly business like that?”
Terence laughed drily and said, “This may not seem like much in the eyes of a prominent figure like you, Mr. Hanks. However, I received news about something today. My brother’s business is being funded by Jasper Laine’s investments.
“Therefore, Jasper Laine still admires my brother a lot.
“Maybe we can target my brother instead. We can achieve your goals through him, Mr. Hanks.”
Terence’s words brought a shine to Zayden’s gaze. His anger subsided a little as well.
“Really? Are you sure that you didn’t mishear? Did Jasper Laine really invest in the business?” Zayden asked three consecutive questions.
Terence responded in a hurry. “No matter how courageous I am, I would never dare to trick you, Mr. Hanks. It’s a hundred percent true,” he said.
Zayden walked back and forth for a while. Suddenly, he raised his head and looked toward Sylva, who had not said a single word thus far. “Father, what do you think?” He asked.
Zayden knew that his father still outclassed him when it came to strategizing. At a time like this, he had no choice but to ask Sylva for help.
Sylva pondered upon it for a moment before speaking slowly, “Are you planning to first plant a mole beside Jasper Laine, and have that mole cooperate with you in your future plans?”
Life at the Top Chapter 569
Zayden nodded. He glanced at Terence and said, “Initially, I intended for him to act as our informant, but it looks like that won’t work anymore.”
Sylva chuckled. “If that’s your intention, I wouldn’t say that the plan is totally ruined. If you manage to take control of these two brothers, you can do things in the open and behind their backs. It may be unexpectedly effective,” he said.
Zayden’s gaze lit upon registering what he said.
Sylva did not say much due to Terence’s presence in the room. However, Zayden instantly made a 180-degree change as an idea popped up in his head due to Sylva’s advice.
After organizing his thoughts, Zayden looked at Terence and snickered. “How certain are you that you’ll be able to convince your brother?” He asked.
Terence peered at Zayden hesitantly after pondering upon it for a while. He could not bring himself to say anything.
“Why are you hesitating? Say it at once!” Zayden said impatiently.
“Mr. Hanks, I know that you’re a prominent figure with extensive capabilities. However, I don’t know if that will be enough to win over my brother. Besides, my brother has just received an investment from Jasper Laine. He’s currently preparing to start up his business, so I’m afraid it might difficult to convince him without a practical excuse,” Terence explained.
Zayden sneered and said, “You haven’t done anything for me yet, but you’re already requesting benefits?”
Terence shivered as he caught sight of Zayden’s cold gaze. “Give me two days, Mr. Hanks. Christmas is coming soon. I’ll think of a way to convince him,” he said immediately.
Zayden hummed nonchalantly and said, “You can promise him that I’ll give him double of whatever Jasper Laine is offering him. After we succeed, the two of you will enjoy plenty of benefits.”
Terence suppressed the excitement in his heart. “Thank you, Mr. Hanks!” He exclaimed courteously.
“Scram.”
…
Jasper did not know anything about Zayden’s return to the province. He was clueless about the fact that Zayden was currently coming up with a scheme to defeat him as well.
At that moment, he was having a discussion about work with Jack Tanner, who had just returned from Swallow Capital, at the investment company.
“Sena’s condition has generally stabled. Besides, it’s now the Christmas holidays, so most of the employees have returned to their hometowns for the new year. There are only a few employees on duty right now,” Jack said.
Jasper nodded and smiled at Jack. “You’ve worked hard during this period of time,” he told him.
“It’s just work. Furthermore, it’s not like I’m working for nothing. I’m being paid to do so. It’s my responsibility,” Jack replied.
Jasper massaged his temples and said, “I’ll still need you to be in charge of the work in Sena in the future. However, the investment company can’t be left vacant either. Do you have any close associates that would be able to share the workload with you here?” He asked
Jasper had long been dissatisfied with the performance of the investment company.
As the main boss of the company, it was impossible for Jasper to allocate all of his effort and time to the investment company. He needed time to handle other ventures as well. Therefore, setting up a senior management team within the investment company was a pressing issue that they had to attend to immediately.
Jack pondered upon it for a while. “I can inquire with some old friends. However, I’ll only be able to tell you the results next year. On the other hand, I’d suggest you seek out a professional headhunter company,” he said.
Jasper agreed with Jack. “Alright, I’ll hand this task over to you then. In short, it must be done as soon as possible,” he said.
After Jack agreed with his arrangements, he continued hesitantly, “Mr. Laine, I’m actually here today to ask you about your opinion on something as well.”
Jasper laughed and said, “Why are you still being hesitant in front of me? Ask me directly if you’re curious about anything.”
Jack asked, “Mr. Laine, have you ever considered letting Sena go through with its public listing?”
Life at the Top Chapter 570
A public listing!
It was the ultimate goal of any company out there.
Many benefits came from a public listing.
The most evident and important benefit was the ability to quickly obtain a huge amount of funds from the stock market.
With the support of countless shareholders and investors, the company would not have to worry about funding issues during its development.
However, a public listing came with its own set of problems as well. In theory, listed companies all faced the risk of being taken over by someone else.
Jasper had attacked companies through the financial market and brought forth their downfall by obtaining a majority stake in them.
Therefore, he had always been cautious about pursuing a public listing himself.
“Jack, we’ve talked about this before. The companies directly affiliated to JW will not be considered for public listings due to our company principles,” Jasper said in an even tone.
“I can understand your choice not to list the investment and real estate company. After all, you’re not lacking any finances in those. However, isn’t it a pity for companies like Sena and Terizone to not be listed?” Jack asked.
Jasper chuckled and said, “I have other plans for Terizone. As for Sena, I am currently the sole proprietor. I can withhold some of the shares and go for a public listing. As long as the shares are diverted to small stakeholders, a listing won’t affect my majority stake. Therefore, I can consider listing the company.
“However, it’s still not the right time to do so.”
Jack was stunned by Jasper’s words.
Nevertheless, Jasper had his own considerations as well.
“Currently, all listed Internet companies are facing the same problem. They’re all relying on their user capacity, empty promises and marketing techniques to attract investors. However, in reality, the inability of Internet companies to gain profits has not yet been fundamentally solved.
“Furthermore, Sena’s main operation is its portal business. Although its capacity has greatly increased after absorbing the users from Terizone, it’s still taking on losses despite being the ranked the top platform within the country.
“In my opinion, the portal website is not profitable. If Sena wants to be listed, it must be supported by a strong and sustainable profit margin. Otherwise, it won’t be able to withstand any external pressure even after it’s listed. Minor disturbances will easily result in heavy losses.”
Jack frowned and said, “You’re right, but everyone in the industry is facing the same problem…”
Jasper laughed and interrupted him. “Although everyone is facing the same problem, that doesn’t mean that we have to lower ourselves to their level. I have identified Sena’s profit point,” he said.
Jack raised his head in surprise. “Mr. Laine, you’ve found a way for Sena to make a profit?” He was shocked.
Jasper smiled faintly.
Of course, he had an idea!
Not only did this method make an Internet company profitable in his past life, but it was also responsible for creating the country’s richest man.
He was referring to the online game “United Legends”, that had been released by Senator Agency back in the year 2001.
The game industry was a vast blue ocean that no one has explored thus far. This was a space that would grow from nothing to a trillion-scale market in just ten years. To Jasper, it was a prosperous cornucopia.
Not only could it win over a large number of users, but the amount of profits it would generated was terrifying as well.
What was the value of digital goods?
A few lines of code, a few graphic materials, and a single server could create unlimited digital goods that could sell for tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Only a fool would choose not to dive into this field.
Furthermore, in his past life, Jasper had experienced the rise of online games from a barren industry to its flourishing peak in just twenty years’ time. Jasper knew very well about the techniques that he could exploit to earn money from these players.