Ch. 671..680

Life at the Top Chapter 671

Noticing conflicted look on Chad’s face, Jasper could basically guess what had happened.

“Mr. Wright, there is still plenty of empty land in Reed City. Why is it only the plot of land that I wanted to buy so high in demand right now? Furthermore, the other party only showed intentions of buying the land after they found out that I wanted to buy it as well. Is he trying to become my sworn enemy?”

Chad’s expression changed drastically. “Please don’t say that, Mr. Wright. It’s hard for us to come to a decision on this issue as well. After all, you haven’t bought that plot of land yet, Mr. Laine. Since it doesn’t belong to anyone, we have no choice but to consider their request to purchase it as well.”

“It seems like that person is out to end me,” Jasper said in an even tone.

Chad laughed bitterly. “Mr. Laine, there are some words that only you can say. Deep down, we all know how these things are. This company is renowned within Reed City. It is also quite notorious, as they have taken out several of our previous investors,” he said.

“They’re snatching this plot of land away from me after discovering that I had intentions to buy it. After that, they will resell it to me at a higher price. Methods like this are indeed beyond the capabilities of ordinary people,” Jasper added.

An awkward expression formed on Chad’s face. “Why don’t you choose another plot of land, Mr. Laine?” He asked.

Jasper shook his head, rejecting Chad’s suggestion.

The plot of land that Jasper had chosen would end up becoming the most valuable part of Reed City in the future. The 1500-acre plot of land would also be enough to fully sustain the future development of the factory.

“If I have to choose another plot of land, I’d pull my investment out of Reed City altogether. After all, since they’ve taken that plot of land from me, it means they’re perfectly capable of snatching other things away from me too.”

Jasper’s words caused a troubled expression to flash across Chad’s face. He sighed heavily and said, “Mr. Laine, I really wish that I could help you on this, but I don’t have the abilities to do so. However, if you want to discuss things with the other party, I can help you contact them.”

“There’s nothing for us to discuss.”

Jasper had a calm expression on his face.

“They’re doing this with the intention to thwart me. If I discuss things with them, they’ll just ask me for money. Money didn’t just fall onto my lap, so I won’t hand it over to them just because they ask for it.”

As Jasper spoke, he walked out of the office.

Chad led Jasper downstairs awkwardly. He continued explaining and apologizing as they walked. Nevertheless, Jasper did not blame him for the matter either. As they walked, he was already considering the possibility of setting up the factory in Nauritus City.

After all, nobody could pose a threat to him over there, right?

Just as Jasper was about to get in the car upon arriving downstairs, a black Mercedes drove up to them.

The car window rolled down to reveal the face of a young man. “You’re that investor from out of town, right? It must have taken you some time to come here. Why are you in such a rush to leave? You are yet to experience the burning passion of those from Reed City,” he said in a mocking tone.

Upon catching sight of the man, Chad, who was standing beside Jasper, immediately lowered his voice. “Mr. Laine, he’s the person in charge of that company. His name is Marcus Coine. I have no idea how he learned of your arrival,” he whispered.

After hearing Chad’s explanation, Jasper spoke to Marcus in a calm tone, “I’ve gone through a rather profound experience.”

Marcus opened the car door and got out. He chuckled in response. “You sound like you aren’t too happy about things. Why is that? Are you not investing in Reed City anymore, Big Boss?” He asked.

“Since there are people that won’t let me in, I have no choice but to leave,” Jasper replied.

Marcus scoffed loudly. “What an exaggeration. It’s just a plot of land, isn’t it? I heard that you intend to buy the 1500-acre plot of land for 200 million dollars. It isn’t much, but it isn’t a sum of money to scoff at either. Why don’t you pay a little more? You should treat poor people like us to some good food while you’re at it,” he said.

“That’s just the way it works. People that are overly stingy cannot survive in Reed City, Big Boss. You can offend anyone here but me. If you do something that I don’t like, I’ll send you back to where you came from. Do you understand?”

Life at the Top Chapter 672

Marcus Coine’s words reflected his extreme arrogance.

Even Chad frowned after listening to what he had said.

“Mr. Wright, I’ve changed my mind.”

Jasper turned around and told Chad.

Just as Chad’s expression morphed into one of confusion, Jasper spoke in a calm and collected tone, “JW Electronics would like purchase the plot of land as soon as possible. If someone wants to snatch it from us then let’s have auction to decide who gets to keep it,” he said

Jasper suddenly understood something from Marcus Coine’s proud and arrogant attitude.

At this point in time, there were still plenty of people like him in the country.

Most of them relied on their parents’ connections to build up sizeable influence in their localities. However, they chose not to follow the same paths as their parents.

The only way for people like these to make it big was through running businesses. After all, most of them were already used to being a dominant force within the local district due to their parents’ influence.

Marcus Coine thought of Reed City as his territory. Hence, anyone who wanted to enter the city had to show their respect to him by providing him with some benefits.

Reed City had Marcus Coine, but it was very likely that there were people like Marcus in other districts as well.

Because of this, Jasper could not just keep giving in to them.

He needed to do something so that those who viewed JW as an easy target would learn to take a good look at themselves before acting out of order!

As soon as Jasper finished speaking, Marcus burst out into laughter. Chad was yet to even come up with a response.

“Hahaha, nobody has dared to go against me in Reed City for many years. It seems like someone who isn’t afraid of death is here today.”

Marcus cast a sideways glance at Jasper. His gaze was dripping with sarcasm and mockery. “I know you’re from the Southeast Province, Laine. How do I describe that place? Although there are a few presentable families over there, they are still nothing compared to the families here,” he drawled.

“If you think that you are capable of going against me just because you’re a somebody over there, you’ll die a painful death.

“Listen to my advice. You can either go back to where you came from, or pay some respect to me till I’m satisfied with your performance. All you need is a nod of my head, and you won’t face any trouble even if you tear down half of Reed City.”

Jasper looked at Marcus with an unchanging expression. “In that case, how much respect will you need to be satisfied, Mr. Coine?” He asked.

Marcus rubbed his thumb against his index and middle fingers nonchalantly. He chuckled and said, “I won’t ask for a lot. I’ll make it simple. You just need to prepare a sum equal to the amount that you spent on buying that plot of land.”

“Is 200 million dollars enough?” Jasper asked knowingly.

“We’re all grown men. You don’t have to say things so forwardly,” Marcus said.

“Your planning is simply immaculate, Mr. Coine. You simply wagged your fingers three times, and now you intend to take 200 million dollars from my pocket. You earn money at a rate that far surpasses me,” Jasper said.

Marcus guffawed loudly. “You have your ways, and I do too. Just consider it a toll fee, but it’s not like you’ll walk away with nothing either. As long as you pay me this sum of money, I’ll look after your factory in the future. No one from Reed City will dare cause you any trouble,” he said.

“So, you mean to say that if I don’t pay you this sum of money, this factory will have nothing to do with you, and people will come to wreak havoc on my property every day. Am I right?” Jasper asked.

Marcus cackled. “Not bad at all. It’s no wonder that you own so many assets at such a young age. You pick up things quickly. You seem like a smart person as well, so I suppose that you know what decision to make. It’s better to ward off a disaster by making a payment instead of begging for mercy in front of me after going through a ton of hardship, right?”

“That sounds very reasonable,” Jasper said.

Joy flashed across Marcus’s face. He was just about to say something when Jasper spoke again.

“Forget 200 million dollars, I won’t even give you two cents.”

Jasper’s expression remained impassive. It seemed like he did not notice the disgruntled look on Marcus’s face. “If you want money, earn it through your own efforts. Of course, it doesn’t matter to me if you prefer to do shady activities, as everyone still needs to earn a living. However, don’t try your filthy tricks on me. I will never compromise on any attempts at extortion. Understood?”

Marcus’s expression darkened. He stared at Jasper coldly and blurted out, “Were you mocking me just now?”

“I just wanted to gain a thorough understand of the type of person that you are,” Jasper said calmly.

“Haha!” Marcus let out a bark of angry laughter. He raised his finger and pointed at the tip of Jasper’s nose. “Well, since you’re so adamant on going against me, let’s just wait and see what’ll happen next,” he said.

“Let me give you a reminder, Laine. You’re just an outsider here. You want to go against me? Why don’t you take a good look at yourself first? Do you really think that you’re invincible just because you have some money?”

Jasper shrugged and said, “You’re right, there’s nothing impressive about having money. However, you’re angry at me because you’re ashamed that you can’t get your hands on my money. Isn’t that even more pathetic?”

Marcus gritted his teeth angrily. At that moment, he realized what a smooth talker the young man standing before him was.

Even so, Marcus suppressed his rage and said, “Little b*stard, a sharp tongue is nothing to be proud of. I’ve said what I wanted to say today. If you manage to purchase that 1500-acre plot of land, I’ll adopt your last name!

“Just wait and see!”

Marcus blurted out in anger. After that, he turned around and left.

After watching the Mercedes fade into the distance, Jasper turned around to face Cha, who was smiling at him bitterly. “Mr. Wright, I would like you to pay extra attention to the auction. Please resolve it as soon as possible,” he said.

“An auction is a very simple affair as I’ll simply report to my higher-ups. I don’t think there’ll be any problems on that regards. It can even be held tomorrow. However, Marcus Coine is a tough one to handle, Mr. Laine,” Chad explained immediately.

After making sure that there was no one around them, Chad lowered his voice as he spoke to Jasper. “Marcus Coine’s grandfather is a respected senior from the older generation that has lived through the war. He retired a few years ago.

“Although that old man is now in his twilight years, he has been managing Reed City for decades. He has the ultimate say when it comes to everything that happens in Reed City.”

Chad was an official from the city government, so it was risky for him to reveal so much insider information to Jasper since his job was at stake.

Jasper nodded solemnly. “Mr. Wright, thank you for your good-hearted warning. However, I don’t intend to concede to him. I don’t believe that people will stir up trouble for me just for running a legal business in Reed City. How could that be the case?” He questioned.

“That old man has lived through difficult times. He shouldn’t want to see his grandson behave in such a manner.”

Chad sighed in exasperation as it seemed impossible to convince Jasper otherwise. Thus, he did not say anything more.

He felt that Jasper was being way too naive.

Not everyone in the world was followed such ideal principles.

When people grow old, isn’t it their only wish for their children and grandchildren to live safely and prosperously?

“Alright, we’ll hold the auction tomorrow,” Chad said.

Life at the Top Chapter 673

On the way back to the hotel, Julian turned to look at Jasper. He asked while waiting for the traffic light to turn green, “Should we ask Henry for help on this, Jasper?”

Jasper was stunned. “Why would I do that? He’s busy working on the amusement park project every day. The fact that he’s actually putting his mind to work is rare enough, so I don’t want him to lose focus.”

Julian scratched his head. “I just think it’s best to have a trust-fund child deal with other trust-fund children like Marcus. I’m sure Henry’s got a repertoire of methods to deal with him.”

Jasper smiled. “Why bother? Afraid that I’d lose to him?”

Julian smiled dumbly, “Of course not, Jasper, there’s no way you’d lose. I just don’t like Marcus’ attitude, and I thought that Henry would have a lot of fun stepping over him.”

“Henry won’t be to do anything even if he did come over. After all, Marcus’ family has been doing business in Reed City for decades, their influence here has already surpassed that of any other family.

“This is something that we’ve actually got to deal with ourselves.”

Julian was slightly confused as to what Jasper meant by this, but he did not think too deep much about it. “I don’t understand things like this, but if they’re going to play dirty tricks, I’ll give them a good beating.”

…

Members of Reed City’s upper-class did not seem to care about the fact that Jasper had come to invest in the City.

After all, Jasper’s fame was mainly centered around the Southeast Province, and Reed City was thousands of kilometers away. It was unlikely that stories of Jasper’s exploits had made their way here.

Even so, the fact that someone dared to oppose Marcus had indeed spread like wildfire throughout the city.

Reed City could be considered as Marcus’ territory, and almost no one dared to offend him. People would pay others to keep their mouths shut if it meant that Marcus would not look in their direction.

This was the first time in many years that someone had dared to stand up against Marcus.

This news had caused an uproar among Reed City’s upper-class.

After some investigation, they discovered that Jasper was a businessman from the Southeast Province and had come to Reed City to invest in a plot of land so he could build a factory.

When it came to the conflict between Marcus and Jasper, no one bothered placing bets on the latter.

At that moment, Jasper had received Chad’s office notice at the hotel.

The auction would begin at eight tomorrow morning in the City Hall’s meeting room.

It was natural that the City Government did not want to make the reality of the situation so blatant, so they also called in two other real estate companies to join the bid, for formality’s sake.

Despite this, everyone knew that the main competition was between Jasper’s JW Electronics and Marcus’ Fortune Co., Ltd.

At the same time, in a hotel’s deluxe suite, Marcus was busy smoking and playing poker with a few of his friends when he received the notice.

Smoke creeped around the room and Marcus squinted as the smoke irritated his eyes. He took a look at his cards and folded upon seeing that he had a bad hand. Marcus growled, “Sigh. Seriously guys, it’s almost like my name doesn’t hold the same power here in Reed City anymore.”

The three other young men playing with him had were also trust-fund children like Marcus. Their fathers and grandfathers were friends with Marcus’ and they were also business partners that had worked together for years.

Their relationship was an extension of their elders and came purely from personal connections. It was a tight-knit group made out of people who shared a common interest.

The man sitting opposite Marcus was around one hundred and ninety centimeters tall, a broad and sturdy man who went by the name Ned Adkins. Ned snickered, causing a fierce smile to appear on his tanned and firm face.

Ned lazily folded his cards next. “It’s not like this is the first time we’re dealing with stupid outsiders. Just tell us if you need money, or tell us how we can help.

“All of us have shares in your company. Your problem is our problem too.”

Life at the Top Chapter 674

Marcus’s expression finally brightened, and he glanced at Ned before reprimanding him jokingly, “Stop fooling around. I’ve done some background checks on this Jasper, he’s not like other outsiders. He’s got quite a name over in the Southeast Province.

“Not to mention, he did come here legally to invest our land. He’s registered with the officials in the City Government too. He’s not like the other outsiders who came here for small business. I’m going to have to explain to the City Government if something happens to him.”

Ned pursed his lips disdainfully. His family was in the pawning industry, and his pawning company was currently the largest in all of Reed City. In this city, the other businessmen tended to treat this strong man with respect.

As far as he was concerned, there was nothing in the world that his fists could not settle. If such a thing existed, then a machete would suffice.

Even bones turned soft upon contact with a blade.

“I’ve got to go to the auction tomorrow. I have to at least try to get a feel of how this Jasper guy is. Come with me tomorrow, Ned.”

A new round was dealt as Marcus folded again.

“A Royal Flush, I win. Thanks for folding, Mr. Coine. Hahaha.”

“F*ck It was seven-fifty the following morning when Jasper arrived at the City Hall’s meeting room with Julian in tow.

Chad was the host of this meeting, but he courteously introduced Jasper to a middle-aged and sharp-looking man.

“Mr. Laine, this is Mr. Powers. Our City Government’s best secretary.”

When Chad introduced them, Jasper and Mr. Powers shook hands.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Powers.”

Mr. Powers smiled in a friendly manner and replied, “Nice to meet you too, Mr. Laine. I’m here on behalf of the City Government to oversee this auction.”

“It sure isn’t easy investing in Reed City, Mr. Powers,” Jasper commented intently.

Mr. Powers chuckled. “The higher-ups told me before I came here that good things come to those who persevere. People tend to have their own personal view on how important certain events are.”

Jasper did not seem too elated at Mr. Powers’ stance and he merely replied, “We can only hope that this is the case.”

Mr. Powers did not prompt him any further upon seeing that Jasper was unwilling to continue the conversation. After all, they were smart people, and Jasper could easily tell that the City Government was trying to use Jasper to attack Marcus and his group of friends.

Jasper’s position on this was clear as well. ‘You can use me, but it will come with a price. I, Mr. Laine, am not an idiot. What makes you think I’d come all the way to Reed City just so you can use me?’

“Oh, and Mr. Powers?”

Jasper suddenly remembered something and turned around to call out just before they entered the meeting room together.

Mr. Powers stopped walking and turned to look at Jasper.

Smiling, Jasper stated, “I plan to build an electronics factory on this 1500 acres of land. I’m planning to invest a total of 500-700 million in it. I’ve already contacted the shipping companies, and the infrastructure is on its way over. It should arrive in ten to fifteen days.”

“For a factory that spans 1500 acres of land, a total investment of 500-700 million would amount to at least 200 million in tax a year, and would also result in local revenue of around 3 billion Somer Dollars.”

“The Southeast Province has filed quite a few complaints about this, claiming that I’m helping outsiders instead of benefitting my homeland. In other words, I don’t care as much about Reed City as you people think.”

Life at the Top Chapter 675

Mr. Powers’ expression changed greatly at Jasper’s carefree words.

Jasper had only said that he wanted to buy an industrial plot of land, but he never said anything about building a factory.

The government of Reed City had also done a background check on Jasper.

They knew that Jasper mainly did real estate and financial trades. He had never once taken part in any construction of industrial factories.

That was why the city government believed that Jasper had come to buy an industrial plot of land just to wait for its value to appreciate or something else. They never expected that it was to build a factory.

While the government of Reed City did value the amount Jasper was willing to invest, it had now become a business transaction of 200 million Somer Dollars. Reed City needed funds to further develop as well.

They just did not expect such a large amount.

To have Jasper provide such news out of the blue, Mr. Powers knew that he had to make the proper preparations now.

He was well aware that if Jasper’s words came true, then a total investment of at least 700 million on a plot of land and an electronics factory in Reed City would be an extremely important business.

Ignoring the annual tax received, the most important part of this transaction would be the increased quota for jobs, and in extension, the increased businesses in surrounding areas.

It was normal to have 5,000 to 6,000 workers per factory.

Open positions for 5,000 to 6,000 workers also meant an exponential increase in profits of the food and beverage, transportation, and shopping industries around the area.

Not to mention that with such a huge factory, one would always need to buy components. That meant that the upstream and downstream companies would also shift closer to their core clients to decrease shipping and production costs.

The chain reaction caused by Jasper’s factory would easily turn it into an important weight that would greatly affect Reed City’s future developments.

“Mr. Laine, this is something we had no prior knowledge of. Please wait for a moment, I’ll immediately report this to them,” Mr. Powers spoke sternly.

Jasper waved him off with a smile. “Go ahead, Mr. Powers. I’m still discussing it with a few other cities as well, so take your time.”

Despite knowing that Jasper was trying to raise the price, Mr. Powers had no other choice but to smile. “There’s no reason to search anywhere else, Mr. Laine, since you’re already here and you like this plot of land. Just give me a bit of time. I promise to give you a satisfactory reply.’

Jasper smiled and glanced at the meeting room. “Then could you pass a word for me too, Mr. Powers?”

“Do tell, Mr. Laine,” Mr. Powers spoke politely.

“I came to Reed City to invest, and while I did come to make money, I’m also very willing to help move the economic development along. I came to make legal money through legal means, not to be treated unjustly and forced to deal with someone else’s attitude.”

With that, Jasper then smiled at Mr. Powers who looked rather embarrassed. “Don’t let me bother you further, Mr. Powers. I’ll be going in now.”

With that, Jasper turned and walked carefreely with Julian in tow.

Mr, Powers felt despondent as he watched Jasper leave.

Chad was terrified that Mr. Powers would end up disliking Jasper because of this and spoke carefully, “About that, Mr. Powers, I was there when Marcus sought him out yesterday. To be honest, I’d have left long ago if I were in his shoes. It’s understandable why he’s angry.”

Mr. Powers nodded slowly. “Alright. I’ll report this to the higher-ups first while you go and talk to him. Keep him here and interested. The higher-ups will be very interested in this.”

Marcus had yet to arrive when Jasper did, but the two other real estate companies called over for formality’s sake had already sent their representatives over. These representatives were the ones currently glaring at Jasper.

As far as they were concerned, Jasper was just an outsider Marcus was bound to kick out of Reed City. He was not worth their time to socialize and acquaint themselves with.

Life at the Top Chapter 676

Jasper was carefree as well and took a seat on the chair with the name ‘JW Electronics’ written behind it. He took a sip of the hot coffee a staff member brought over.

By then, Chad had arrived as well.

Seeing Chad, Jasper suddenly spoke, “Mr. Wright, I heard that Reed City used to be making losses every year until you arrived. You managed to turn that loss into profit and have become quite the taxpayer here in Reed City now, haven’t you?”

Chad waved him off and smiled. “That’s nothing. It’s just a small achievement, incomparable to the work you’ve done at such a young age, Mr, Laine.”

Chad was not being humble, for there really was not another person within the country who could compare to Jasper’s achievements.

The man was an entrepreneur who made tens of billions in a year.

How could anyone compare?

Yet Jasper merely spoke, “I beg to disagree. I know that the biggest problem with your industries here is with the people. It’s too complex with people belonging to different groups and whatnot. They transferred you here so that you could save the situation because the person before you beat up his subordinate and he ended up in the ICU, correct?”

Those were all jokes and rumors that had spread in Reed City. While there were exaggerated bits, they were not complete lies.

Chad smiled. “It’s all in the past now. It wasn’t that severe when it happened.”

“You came here to save the situation, yet you managed to solve a problem no one could resolve. I think that speaks volumes of your strength, Mr. Wright.”

Finally hearing the intent tone in Jasper’s words, Chad prodded. “You seem to have different intentions in mind, Mr. Laine?”

Jasper smiled. “My investing company is in need of a Director of Human Resources. They’ll mainly be in charge of internal management and human resources.

“I think that you’re very suited for the role, seeing as how you managed to give order to a state business that was riddled with loopholes and turned losses into profits.”

Chad’s expression shifted.

He was still considered a middle class man within the system. While there were few chances for promotions, he was technically not someone’s employee. As such, he was unwilling to have to work under anyone, even if it was Jasper.

Realizing that Chad wanted to reject him, Jasper interrupted, “Don’t be so quick to reject me, Mr. Wright. There’s only so far you can go while working for Reed City State Funds Co., Ltd. Maybe you’d get to take another half-step forward, but you’ll still be confined within Reed City.

“My investing company currently has business involving financial investments, venture capital and angel funds, the real estate industry, the electronic equipment manufacturing industry, the entertainment industry, and the internet industry. It’s a company now, but it’s only a matter of time before I expand it into a group, and finally, a consortium.

“Won’t you be interested in walking out of Reed City and into the entire country before your eyes, Mr. Wright? Exploring the world and its benefits?”

Clapping Chad on the shoulder, Jasper smiled at the shine in the man’s eyes. “As for benefits and salary, it’ll be ten times what you earn now once you start. Perhaps even 100 times that in the future. As a member of the company’s core leaders, you’ll even be paid option dividends.

“Frankly speaking, instead of me asking you to work for me, I’d like to think of this as a chance for you to change your life.”

Chad flushed, but he forced down his desire with rationality. Smiling bitterly, he spoke, “You really are a professional negotiator, Mr. Laine.”

Jasper chuckled. “You don’t have to give me a reply now. Take your time and think about it. I’ll be staying here in Reed City for another few days. I hope that you’ll leave with me when the time comes.”

Chad nodded. He was about to speak when the meeting room doors were pushed open.

They heard the man before they could see him.

“Hahaha. What a crowd, is the outsider here yet? We’ve got to take good care of someone who’s visiting our Reed City. It’d be a shame if we scared him to death.”

Life at the Top Chapter 677

Marcus strutted into the room arrogantly with a heavily tanned man next to him who was named Ned.

The two entered the room and their eyes immediately fell on Jasper.

Seeing how calm Jasper looked while sitting, Marcus snickered and walked over to him. Marcus raised his hand to knock on the table before Jasper as he spoke, “I heard that you paid a big amount just to have this bidding meeting here with me, Mr. Laine? Is there even a point to this?

“If I want you to have it, it’ll easily be yours. But if I don’t want you to have it, you can spend as much money as you want and all you’ll be getting is trash.”

Jasper looked at Marcus and spoke, “Oh? Now I’m curious how exactly you consider 1,500 acres of land trash, Mr. Coine.”

Ned scoffed beside him. “Are you actually stupid or are you just pretending to be stupid, outsider?”

“Without Mr. Coine giving the red light, it doesn’t matter if you’ve bought it or not. There’ll be people troubling you every day and you’ll have no other choice but to leave it empty in the end.”

“Oh right, let me introduce myself. I’m Ned, the owner of Ned’s Pawn Shop. If you think that you can’t take it anymore and want to pawn the land off, I promise I’ll give you a good price. Haha.”

Ned was tall and broad, and his loud laughs resonated around the room deafeningly.

Jasper furrowed his brows slightly. “Could you laugh softer? You’re a little noisy.”

Ned glared at Jasper fiercely. “Did you just say that I’m noisy? Do you want to die?”

At that moment, Julian, who had been standing behind Jasper all this while, stepped forward. From his stance, it was evident that he would forcefully hold down the 190cm-tall Ned if he even showed a sign of starting a fight.

Ned scoffed. “What’s this? You think because you have a bodyguard following you around that it makes you better than all of us? How dare you pick a fight with me?”

Seeing how the scene was beginning to get out of hand, Chad quickly stood up and smiled apologetically. “Mr. Adkins, Mr. Coine, please calm down. This is the city hall’s meeting room, after all. The bid will begin soon. It’ll look bad on all of us if someone were to get hurt now.”

Marcus gave a carefree smile and replied, “Fine. So you’re not completely stupid, Wright. I’ll let him go since you asked.”

With that, Marcus raised his hand to point at Jasper and spoke slowly, “You wanted this bid, so you have no one to blame when you regret it later. You’re not the first to fight me for something in Reed City, so let’s just take a look at who’s more capable, hmm?”

With that, Marcus patted Ned and turned to the designated seats of the representatives from Reed City State Funds Co., Ltd.

Ned stared at Jasper threateningly and grinned wretchedly. He used his hand and gestured the slicing of his throat before he followed Marcus.

After all this trouble, it was finally 8:00 a.m.

Chad was the host of the bid, but he could not take the stage since Mr. Powers had not returned from reporting to the higher-ups.

News from Mr. Powers would relay the stance the city government was taking and therefore, how the bid would end. That was why Chad did not dare to start the bid when he still did not know the city government’s intentions.

Thankfully, Mr, Powers did not make him wait too long for he hastily returned around five minutes past eight.

He first turned to Chad. “It’s time, Mr. Wright. Please begin the bid.”

Chad knew that this was Mr. Powers trying to usher him away so that he would not hear the conversation between him and Jasper.

Life at the Top Chapter 678

Chad did not mind. He knew that most of the time, knowing too much would only turn out troublesome, especially since he was not a formidable person.

Thankful, Chad quickly excused himself and walked over to the podium.

Chad then began to give an unnecessary opening speech to introduce the plot of land for formality’s sake.

Meanwhile, Mr. Powers and Jasper began to chat privately between themselves below.

“Mr. Laine, the higher-ups state that as long as what you spoke of was the truth, then we’re willing to provide the best discounts for you,” Mr. Powers relayed.

Jasper was not surprised. It was a large investment, one every city in the country needed. Reed City’s stance on the matter was rather satisfactory.

“What are the specifics?” Jasper asked.

“The tax payable for your business in Reed City for the first five years would be free for the first two, then for the following three, there’ll be a 50% discount. Tax for the next five years after that will also be halved. Tax will only be paid in full after the ten-year mark. In return, Mr. Laine, you are required to employ at least 4,000 local workers,” Mr. Powers explained.

“No problem. There’s no way I’d look for workers from elsewhere. This is a very logical request,” Jasper replied.

The duo’s discussion had a great start and Mr. Powers smiled as he continued to speak, “The city government will be in charge of the traffic and road work around your electronic equipment factory. The city government also promises at least three public transport routes to your factory.

“In the future, should Reed City begin constructing railway lines, the city government promises that your electronics factory will be our first target to consider.”

Jasper nodded expressionlessly. Pointing at Chad, he smiled. “Then comes the most important question. What about his plot of land?”

Mr. Powers’ expression turned stern. He knew that the conversation now involved the main benefit.

The current situation was that Jasper wanted the plot of land for his factory, while the city government also needed Jasper’s 600 to 700 million investment as well as occupational quotas. It was a win-win situation.

However, the issue now was that Marcus and his friends wanted to make Jasper lose money, and Jasper refused to let that happen.

Therefore, Marcus and his friends’ existence was already affecting the city government’s plan and Reed City’s development.

After a quick moment of thought, Mr. Powers clenched his jaw as he thought back to what the higher-ups had told him and he replied, “To be frank with you, Mr. Laine, the city government is on your side. After all, there’s a big problem with Fortune Co., Ltd’s internal system. We’ve actually been investigating them in secret.”

“None of that matters to me. I’m just a businessman, but Marcus seems unwilling to leave me alone. I planned to buy this plot of land with 200 million but because of them, I’m going to end up paying at least 400 to 500 million for it. Does this seem cost-effective to you at all?” Jasper spoke calmly.

In face of Jasper who was unwilling to concede, Mr. Powers felt both frustrated and exasperated. Yet such was the current situation, and finding ways to resolve this was difficult.

Not to mention that Jasper’s request was indeed very rational and reasonable. The city government’s dignity was on the line if anyone found out about this.

“No matter what happens at the bid today, the city government will only take 200 million from you to transfer the property to your name.” Mr. Powers promised on behalf of the city government.

Jasper smiled calmly but was not surprised. Instead, he asked meaningfully, “Would the city government be interested in watching a performance, then?”

At that, Mr. Powers looked confused and shocked.

Life at the Top Chapter 679

“What are they murmuring about?”

Ned asked curiously and glared at Jasper on the other side of the meeting room. He was currently engaged in a conversation with Mr. Powers.

Marcus, who was watching the scene, forced the unease down within him and spoke aggressively, “How would I know?”

“What if they’re discussing how to deal with us?” Ned suddenly asked.

Marcus’ expression darkened as he growled. “Can you shut up? Why would the city government join forces with Jasper to work against us?”

Ned had a weird look on his face as he spoke. “I refuse to believe that you haven’t heard the rumors, Mr. Coine. The city government this term has already been displeased with us for a very long time. If not for the fact that both our grandfathers are alive, they’d have done something to us long ago.”

“Your grandfather hasn’t been feeling very well lately, right? While the number of people aware of this isn’t a lot, it’s not a few either.”

Marcus’ expression darkened at Ned’s words. “My grandfather is just a little sick. He’ll get better in no time. These people wouldn’t dare to attack me at such a time.”

“That doesn’t mean we don’t need to be careful around them. Look at how close Powers is with Jasper. You can’t expect me to believe that they’re not plotting together,” Ned spoke.

Marcus scoffed. “We’ll deal with it when the time comes. We’ll know if there’s anything going between them once the bid is over. Something is definitely wrong if the city government is unwilling to let us bid, or you’re just overthinking this.”

…

“Without further ado, let’s begin the bidding ceremony. We’ll be using an open-bid method this time and the four companies present are free to call out your prices as you wish. The one with the highest bid owns the land.

“We’ll be bidding on a 1,500-acre plot of industrial land by Brac County. With a starting price of 150 million, every following bid is to have an increment of five million. Please begin.”

The moment Chad finished speaking, the owners of the two other companies that came to join the bidding raised their hands.

They called for 150 million and 160 million respectively.

After that, the two representatives had done their part and now sat at the side to watch the scene unfold.

They were not disappointed. Right after the call for 160 million, Marcus knocked on the table and easily called out, “250 million.”

Marcus had increased the price by 90 million in one go, exceeding Jasper and the city government’s agreed-upon 200 million.

It was a simple and direct taunt.

Marcus looked at Jasper after calling out the price and snickered. “You’re a wealthy man from outside Reed City who has come to invest. Even though we locals only have so much money, it’s only right we put up a fight.”

Without looking up at all, Jasper called his price calmly.

“600 million.”

The room fell silent at such a value.

Even though there were only ten people in the meeting room altogether, clear gasps could still be heard.

“Oh!”

No one had expected Jasper to call out 600 million right off the bat.

This was 600 million, not 600 bucks.

The owners of the two real estate companies gulped.

They suddenly realized that Jasper was not picking a fight with Marcus baselessly. Jasper was a capable man.

If anything, their companies were considered large in Reed City. They were renowned wealthy men in the city as well.

However, taking 600 million out was beyond their abilities—unless they chose to sell everything they owned.

‘But who would sell everything they owned just for an industrial plot of land that cost 600 million?

‘Only crazy people would do that.’

This spoke volumes of how far beyond their imagination Jasper’s wealth was.

Marcus’ expression darkened.

He knew that Jasper would call a price higher than his, but he had not expected 600 million right at the beginning.

Life at the Top Chapter 680

In comparison to this 600 million, his 250 million seemed like an embarrassing figure now.

He had made a fool of himself.

“F*ck!” Marcus cursed internally.

“Fight him, Mr. Coine! If that brat is so confident, then we’ll make him pay more. I’d like to see how much he can afford.” Ned was a cruel man as he urged beside Marcus.

Marcus nodded and shouted without hesitation, “800 million!”

Another gasp.

This time, everyone’s gazes fell on Marcus.

Marcus’ unease had now turned into pride.

“What are you being so arrogant about? Do you think you’re the only rich one here? As if I’d be afraid to compete with you money-wise,” Marcus sneered at Jasper.

Jasper remained calm as a smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

“Is that so? Only the future will tell, then.”

Then, Jasper called out stubbornly, unwilling to back down, “900 million.”

From 250 million to 600 million and then to 800 million, and now, Jasper had added another 100 million to the cost.

“He’s nervous, Mr. Coine.” Ned acted as if he was already victorious. “And here I wondered how capable this brat was. Turns out he’s just a nobody.”

Marcus scoffed. “Very well, then. We’ll wring him dry.’

“950 million!”

Marcus played well, assuming that Jasper’s limit was one billion.

There was no way he would spend so much money for a plot of land, so Marcus decided that he would raise the price to one billion, which was Jasper’s limit, before he retreated.

By doing so, Jasper would end up paying 800 million more for a 200 million plot of land.

Marcus was extremely pleased with himself.

Marcus could not help but smile at the thought of Jasper calling out one billion only to realize that Marcus would not be calling out a higher price. Oh, how delightful Jasper’s expression would be then!

He looked at Jasper disdainfully and provokingly, thinking that victory was in his hands.

Yet… Jasper ignored him.

Jasper showed no sign of calling for a higher price.

Marcus began to feel frantic.

At that moment, Chad had already been waiting for a while and stated, “950 million from Fortune Co., Ltd, is there anyone willing to pay a higher price? 950 million going once!”

Jasper still showed no sign of calling out.

Marcus’ smile slowly vanished.

“950 million going twice. Is there no higher bid?”

Chad’s voice sounded again.

Marcus was overwhelmed with the desire to kill Chad. ‘Can you f*cking talk slower?!’

However, Jasper still remained num. Marcus could not hold back anymore and turned to Jasper, saying, “What’s this? Are you shy, Mr. Laine? Not that big of a deal are you now, seeing as you’re shocked by just 950 million?”

In face of Marcus’ horrible attempt to provoke him, Jasper merely reached for the coffee cup and took a sip. Under Mr. Powers’ stunned gaze, Jasper, who was beside him, spoke calmly, “If you like this plot of land so much, Mr. Powers, then I have no other choice but to give it to you. 950 million, huh? Tsk tsk, what a large amount you’re willing to pay. As expected of Reed City’s young master.”

At that, Marcus’ expression changed drastically while Ned paled beside him as well.

“950 million, calling thrice! Sold! Congratulations, Fortune Co., Ltd, the plot of land is now yours.”

Following the sound of Chad’s gavel, Marcus also felt it hammer onto his heart.

The entire meeting room was in an uproar.