Ch. 681..690
Life at the Top Chapter 681
Everyone had thought the bid would either end in Jasper clenching his teeth and calling out for a higher bid while Marcus watched calmly as Jasper lost a large amount of money.
Or perhaps it would end with Jasper being understanding and giving up the land to Marcus at a low price only to buy it over at a high price.
Still, the current situation was something no one had expected.
Everyone understood now as they watched Jasper show his hand.
It had been a set-up ever since the beginning, a trap where he would lure Marcus in only to end Marcus with one strike.
The owners of the two real estate companies shared a look.
They looked at each other in confusion.
The same thought appeared in their heads, ‘Are all outsiders so fierce nowadays?’
Then, they looked at Marcus. Having lost the game and his dignity, Marcus resembled an aggravated lion as he suddenly shot to his feet and slammed his palm on the table before him. The impact came with a loud bang.
Following that was a roar even louder than the slam.
“How dare you trick me, Jasper?”
Jasper sat in his chair, unfazed by Marcus’ roar. He spoke calmly, “What do you mean? You were the one who jumped out and challenged me for this plot of land. The bid was hosted by the city government too, so how could you accuse me of tricking you?”
Jaw clenched tight, Marcus’ eyes were bloodshot. He was so infuriated he might explode.
‘This is 950 million Somer Dollars!
‘Almost f*cking one billion!
‘This one billion hard-earned money of mine is now gone! In its place is a 1,500-acre plot of industrial land!’
The land was useless in Marcus’ hands, for he had no idea nor understanding of operating a factory.
What enraged him more was how he had stepped right into Jasper’s trap.
This had made Marcus extremely uncomfortable, as business for him had always been smooth-sailing.
In comparison to Marcus, Ned was more enraged.
Ned and the rest were such a tight-knit group of friends because they had a common interest.
While Marcus was the main shareholder of Fortune Co., Ltd, Ned had his fair share of shares as well. This 950 million loss meant that Ned would lose a few hundred million as well.
If Marcus was already so infuriated, one could only imagine how much angrier Ned felt.
His pawnshop business did not make great profits. After all, the current social and economic development had yet to arrive at the heights in Jasper’s past life. There were only so many things civilians could pawn off right now. Most people were either someone’s employees or ran their own businesses. It was rare for people to suddenly need a large sum of funds.
As such, a few tens of thousands a year was the maximum Ned could earn from his pawnshop.
There was no way Ned was willing to pay so much money in one go today.
Roaring, Ned arrived before Jasper and spoke wretchedly, “Stop pretending to be innocent, Laine. Everyone with eyes can tell that you set a trap for us with this bid!
“You’re going to pay this 950 million whether you want to or not! Or I’ll kill you right now!”
Blinded by benefits, Ned no longer cared about the fact that they were in public as he threatened Jasper on the spot.
Threats were not enough to alleviate his anger, so Ned reached out to grab Jasper’s lapels.
Behind Jasper, Julian had already stood up the moment Ned rushed over. Julian refused to see Jasper get hurt, so he stepped forward in front of Jasper and reached out to grab Ned’s wrist.
Then, everyone present proceeded to watch Julian flip Ned, a broad and sturdy man of 190cm in height, off the floor and bodyslam him onto the ground.
With a loud thud, Ned’s 100kg body hit the floor. Following this was a terrified and painful shout from the man.
Life at the Top Chapter 682
Julian placed a foot over Ned’s chest and spoke coldly, “This is a warning. If you try anything dangerous again, I’ll break more than just your arm.”
‘He broke his arm?!’
Stunned and dazed, everyone snapped back to reality and turned to look at Ned’s arm. They found that his right wrist was bent at a strange angle. It was a shuddering sight.
“Chupse…”
Everyone present sucked in a cold breath.
They did not expect Jasper’s bodyguard to be so strong, especially considering that Ned had fought his way up in Reed City.
Yet when faced with Jasper’s bodyguard, he did not even last a single second.
At that moment, everyone realized that Jasper was someone truly formidable.
As expected, Marcus roared.
“How dare you hurt him, Jasper?!”
Jasper replied calmly, “Everyone in the room saw very clearly that Ned attacked me first. My bodyguard merely countered his attack.”
Marcus had a wretched expression on his face. “You’ve broken Ned’s hand. This isn’t over Jasper!”
“I’d think about how I’m supposed to pay that 950 million first if I were you,” Jasper spoke calmly.
The words cut deep into Marcus’ heart.
“Jasper! F*cking… Fine!” Marcus clenched his jaw, utterly infuriated.
“You’re just making me suffer because you can’t afford that plot of land, hmm?”
Jasper shrugged. “You’ve misunderstood. I saw how much you wanted that plot of land, Mr. Coine, so I had no other choice but to give it to you. After all, I’m just an outsider and I’d never dare to fight a man as powerful as you, Mr. Coine.
“So I’ve decided that I’ll just choose another plot of land to build my factory. Reed City is huge, there’s bound to be somewhere suitable for me.”
Marcus widened his eyes and pointed at Jasper with a trembling finger. He angrily barked out in laughter. “Good! Very good!
“Very f*cking good!
“Just wait, Jasper!”
Marcus then helped Ned up, the latter still whimpering in pain. He glared at Jasper coldly before they left embarrassingly.
With Marcus’s exit, the performance had come to a momentary end as well.
The owners of the two real estate companies shared a look and ran over. They handed Jasper their name cards courteously and told Jasper to look for them if he needed a construction company for his factory, promising great results for a cheap price.
Jasper did not treat the two real estate company owners coldly despite the immense change in their attitudes.
Humans tended to act according to the situation, so how could he expect otherwise from men who had been doing business for decades?
Any less shameless and they would not even have the rights to join Marcus and Jasper in this bid.
After taking the name cards and conversing with the two of them, Jasper watched the two owners leave.
The two owners walked toward the door with excitement and unease. They were just about to leave when they heard Jasper’s voice from behind.
“A 950 million revenue, Mr. Powers. Is it to the city government’s satisfaction?”
At that, the two owners felt their legs give out and almost knelt on the ground.
‘So Jasper has already gotten the city government’s support without anyone realizing?!’
Life at the Top Chapter 683
Mr. Powers did not know what the two fleeing real estate owners were thinking.
All he knew was that his mind was currently blown. Mr. Powers had not expected Marcus to actually act so well according to Jasper’s plan.
The plot of land had a starting bid of 100 to 200 million and Mr. Powers believed that it would only come to a maximum of 300 to 400 million.
Mr. Powers had no qualms with that, for it aligned with the city government’s desire to oppress Marcus.
Yet… Jasper had just taken 950 million from Marcus in one go!
“We’re very well aware of Fortune Co., Ltd’s financial situation, Mr. Laine. The entire company is worth around one billion only, and with how much he has to pay this time… I’m afraid it would only cause you trouble.”
Mr. Powers’ words were extremely subtle.
Jasper smiled and replied calmly, “There’s no way I can invest in anything with Marcus still in the picture. Plus, the city government wants to get rid of Marcus too, correct? I believe the city government’s and my interests align on this topic. I’m sure that you wouldn’t want someone to slander the reputation of Reed City either, right?”
With that, Jasper then clapped Mr. Powers on the shoulder. “I understand that there are many things the city government is not in the position to do, so I’ll do them for you instead. All I hope is that the city government is able to provide me support during necessary times.”
Mr. Powers replied sternly, “I’ll make sure to relay your message word for word, Mr. Laine.”
Jasper politely bade Mr. Powers farewell and called out to Julian before he exited the meeting room while stretching.
Mr. Powers had a grim expression on his face as he watched Jasper vanish at the exit.
Just then, Chad walked over and whispered to Mr. Powers, “What should we do about this, Mr. Powers?”
“What else can we do? The only option is to report this to the higher-ups and let them decide what to do next. The situation has gone beyond what we can control.” Mr. Powers sighed.
…
“He dealt with the most complicated problem with the simplest method. What an interesting young man.”
A middle-aged man sat in the spacious and solemn office. There were two flags on this office table, ones that ordinary office desks were not allowed to have.
Mr. Powers stood respectfully before the table as he reported the details of the bid this morning.
He also relayed Jasper’s message without missing a detail to that middle-aged man.
After a moment of thought, the middle-aged man waved his hand. “I still have a meeting later. You’ll be in charge of overlooking the development of this situation. Essentially, you are to make our stance on the matter clear.
“Do not say what you do not have to and remain impartial. But you must do your part well.”
With that, Mr. Powers bade farewell and left the room while deep in thought.
…
In Reed City’s best people’s hospital, the Special Care Unit.
Ned lay on the hospital bed, his face sickly pale. He had just got out of surgery and was enduring the pain now that the anesthesia had worn off.
“The patient’s arm has suffered a comminuted fracture. We’ve already done our best to repair it, but there will be lifelong complications with his right hand. He’ll be able to use it as normal, but it will no longer be able to exert extreme force or participate in strenuous activity.”
The doctor looked at the group of people who had sinister and bloodthirsty expressions on their faces. He was too nervous to take a bigger breath.
“You piece of trash! Your entire family is made out of f*cking trash!” roared a man who looked a lot like Ned.
“Enough. They’ve already told us this, so we’ll get the same answer no matter where we go. At least his right hand isn’t completely crippled. That’s good enough, isn’t it?”
Len spoke expressionlessly.
“Thank you, doctor. Could you please leave us alone?”
Len’s peaceful attitude had the doctor let out a sigh of relief and he quickly excused himself.
After the doctor left, Len then grimly turned to look at Marcus who had been silent the entire time. “Talk, Marcus. Tell me what happened.”
Marcus then proceeded to relay the incident, albeit not without exaggeration on some parts.
In the hospital room, both Marcus’s and Ned’s fathers, Len and Fletcher, darkened their expressions.
“That’s essentially what happened, Dad, Uncle Adkins.”
“That Jasper Laine! He has no respect for Ned and me just because he’s rich. We didn’t even say anything and he immediately started yelling about a fight!
“This bid was supposed to be a fair competition, but who’d have thought that the b*stard had bribed Chad? Even Mr. Powers favored him too. Ned and I got roped into a trap he had set up and we ended up losing 950 million. There’s no way we’ll accept this outcome!”
After Marcus’ explanation, the situation now turned into a case of Jasper oppressing them and disrespecting the local families. Jasper had apparently also set up a malicious trap and caused Marcus to lose 950 million.
After Marcus was done, the hospital room fell silent.
After a long while, Len then glared at Marcus. “Do you think that just because we’re old we don’t know how you youngsters normally act? We only choose to let you act as you wish outside, but that doesn’t mean we’re blind to the kind of people you are.
“The part of it being a trap is true. But from what I can see, you provoked him first, didn’t you?”
Len’s words had Marcus flushing in embarrassment. He spoke up indignantly, “But it’s true that he broke Ned’s hand! He also bribed Chad to make me lose 950 million.”
“Hmph!” Len harrumphed coldly and spoke, “I told you guys not to provoke others as you wished, didn’t I? What about now, then? Do you finally understand how strong outsiders can be?”
“What do you want to do about this, Fletcher?” Len looked at the other man who was furious.
Life at the Top Chapter 684
Fletcher replied grimly, “No matter what the actual situation was, he did break Ned’s arm. The Adkins family can forget about working in Reed City if I’m not even going to get justice for my son.”
Nodding, Len replied, “Alright, it seems like we’re on the same page, then. The Coine and the Adkins families have been close since our father’s generation. There’s no way I’d stand still and watch as someone bullies Ned.”
“Dad, Uncle Adkins, I don’t plan on giving the city government that 950 million,” Marcus spoke darkly.
“They’re obviously targeting us. The past few years of work would’ve been for nothing if I just gave them that money.”
Len was about to speak when Marcus’ phone rang.
“It’s Mr. Powers from the city government.” Marcus’ expression changed as he accepted the call.
After a moment, Marcus hung up the call angrily and spoke, “Dad, Uncle Adkins, Mr. Powers wants me to pay the 950 million bidding price within three business days as per the regulations. What the f*ck is that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t spout nonsense!”
Len glared at Marcus who did not seem to know how to choose his words properly and growled. “There are some things that you can just keep to yourself, okay? You don’t have to exclaim every single thought that comes to your mind! How old are you, huh? Can you still not tell the difference between what you can and cannot say?”
Marcus replied angrily, “Mr. Powers sounded really stern on the phone. He said that if I don’t pay up, the city government will then sue us and we’ll be brought to court. By then, they’ll even investigate and charge me for defrauding state-owned property! It’s not even that big of a deal and they’re blowing this out of proportion!”
At that, Len’s expression changed as well.
He looked at Fletcher and spoke grimly, “It’s that person who newly took office in the city government, isn’t it?”
Fletcher sneered, “It has to be. He’s the only one who doesn’t like us. They’ve made quite a few moves against us recently so there’s no way they’d let go of this opportunity.”
“Hmph, the Coine family isn’t their punching bag.” Len scoffed and turned to Marcus, saying, “You have three more days, right? So before those days are up, I’d like you to get something done.”
“What is it?” Marcus asked.
“You said Jasper bribed this man called Chad? Then go and think of a plan to get him fired.”
…
The Coine and Adkins families were terrifyingly powerful in Reed City. The following night, Jasper received a phone call from Chad.
Walking out from the hotel, Jasper and Julian arrived at a skewers stall and saw Chad smoking by the road despondently.
“You’re here, Mr. Laine.” Chad quickly snuffed out the bud of his cigarette when he saw Jasper walk over.
While just as polite as before, Chad was also speaking to Jasper with a shred of respect and caution now.
Jasper pretended not to realize this slight yet important change and glanced at the small pool of cigarette buds on the floor beside Chad with a smile. “Is something bothering you, Mr. Wright?”
Chad smiled bitterly. “You don’t have to address me so politely anymore.”
“Come sit, I’ll tell you as we eat.”
Under Chad’s lead, Jasper and Julian sat at the table. Chad smiled at Jasper and spoke, “I love skewers, Mr. Laine, so much that I’d eat it every few days. So forgive me for not inviting you out to a high-class restaurant.”
“My parents were farmers. I don’t care much about how cheap the food is, especially when it comes to supper. Nothing’s better than lamb skewers.” Jasper chuckled.
“Nice!” Chad’s eyes brightened and he turned to shout at the owner, “I’ll have ten more lamb skewers, please!”
Chad cracked open two bottles of cold beer. He also handed Julian a few bottles of non-alcoholic drinks since he knew that Julian was Jasper’s bodyguard and did not drink.
“So tell me, Mr. Wright. What happened?” Jasper asked.
“My boss talked to me when I clocked out today. He said that he’s going to transfer me to a small village south of Reed City,” Chad explained with a deep sigh.
“From working in a city to being demoted straight to a small village? Not even to a town first? That’s unusual,” Jasper commented meaningfully.
“Haha. It’s the Coine family’s work.” Chad scoffed and downed a large gulp of beer roughly.
“So I banged my hand on the table and gave up. I exploded and vented all the unjust I’ve been keeping bottled up inside of me. If the Coine family wants to oppress and dominate, then I’d rather not work there anymore!
“I’ve been thinking about working with you, Mr. Laine. So I was wondering if I still had a chance?” Chad glanced at Jasper with a look of extreme anticipation.
If Chad was ever reluctant to leave his job because he had grown attached to this job he had done for more than half his life, he was not anymore now that he had seen through the truth behind the working system. He was ready to give it his all.
“I would want nothing more.” Jasper grabbed his bottle of beer and clinked it with Chad’s.
Chad grinned and spoke, “Alright then. I’m going to start working for you now, Mr. Laine. I’ll be your loyal subordinate!”
“You’ll realize how smart this decision is very soon.”
Jasper was truly grateful to Marcus for this incident alone.
After all, it was not easy to get such a talent in the management field like Chad on his side, and Marcus had easily done it for him.
Despite having the advantage of being reincarnated with memories of the future, Jasper knew that not every skilled person in the management industry was suited to work in a company like JW Capital.
Chad, though, was different. While Chad was not a famous man in Jasper’s past life, this short period of time was enough for Jasper to recognize this man’s potential.
The two were in a great mood now that their frustrations were resolved. Time began to tick by as they two drank and talked.
Just as they started the third round of drinking, two vans suddenly halted by the road and more than ten men dressed in black jumped out with machetes. All of them rushed toward Jasper’s table.
The sudden development caught everyone off guard.
It resembled a scene from a movie, and the other customers who were eating around them all screamed while running away.
Julian reacted extremely quickly.
“Jasper, watch out!”
Life at the Top Chapter 685
Fletcher replied grimly, “No matter what the actual situation was, he did break Ned’s arm. The Adkins family can forget about working in Reed City if I’m not even going to get justice for my son.”
Nodding, Len replied, “Alright, it seems like we’re on the same page, then. The Coine and the Adkins families have been close since our father’s generation. There’s no way I’d stand still and watch as someone bullies Ned.”
“Dad, Uncle Adkins, I don’t plan on giving the city government that 950 million,” Marcus spoke darkly.
“They’re obviously targeting us. The past few years of work would’ve been for nothing if I just gave them that money.”
Len was about to speak when Marcus’ phone rang.
“It’s Mr. Powers from the city government.” Marcus’ expression changed as he accepted the call.
After a moment, Marcus hung up the call angrily and spoke, “Dad, Uncle Adkins, Mr. Powers wants me to pay the 950 million bidding price within three business days as per the regulations. What the f*ck is that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t spout nonsense!”
Len glared at Marcus who did not seem to know how to choose his words properly and growled. “There are some things that you can just keep to yourself, okay? You don’t have to exclaim every single thought that comes to your mind! How old are you, huh? Can you still not tell the difference between what you can and cannot say?”
Marcus replied angrily, “Mr. Powers sounded really stern on the phone. He said that if I don’t pay up, the city government will then sue us and we’ll be brought to court. By then, they’ll even investigate and charge me for defrauding state-owned property! It’s not even that big of a deal and they’re blowing this out of proportion!”
At that, Len’s expression changed as well.
He looked at Fletcher and spoke grimly, “It’s that person who newly took office in the city government, isn’t it?”
Fletcher sneered, “It has to be. He’s the only one who doesn’t like us. They’ve made quite a few moves against us recently so there’s no way they’d let go of this opportunity.”
“Hmph, the Coine family isn’t their punching bag.” Len scoffed and turned to Marcus, saying, “You have three more days, right? So before those days are up, I’d like you to get something done.”
“What is it?” Marcus asked.
“You said Jasper bribed this man called Chad? Then go and think of a plan to get him fired.”
…
The Coine and Adkins families were terrifyingly powerful in Reed City. The following night, Jasper received a phone call from Chad.
Walking out from the hotel, Jasper and Julian arrived at a skewers stall and saw Chad smoking by the road despondently.
“You’re here, Mr. Laine.” Chad quickly snuffed out the bud of his cigarette when he saw Jasper walk over.
While just as polite as before, Chad was also speaking to Jasper with a shred of respect and caution now.
Jasper pretended not to realize this slight yet important change and glanced at the small pool of cigarette buds on the floor beside Chad with a smile. “Is something bothering you, Mr. Wright?”
Chad smiled bitterly. “You don’t have to address me so politely anymore.”
“Come sit, I’ll tell you as we eat.”
Under Chad’s lead, Jasper and Julian sat at the table. Chad smiled at Jasper and spoke, “I love skewers, Mr. Laine, so much that I’d eat it every few days. So forgive me for not inviting you out to a high-class restaurant.”
“My parents were farmers. I don’t care much about how cheap the food is, especially when it comes to supper. Nothing’s better than lamb skewers.” Jasper chuckled.
“Nice!” Chad’s eyes brightened and he turned to shout at the owner, “I’ll have ten more lamb skewers, please!”
Chad cracked open two bottles of cold beer. He also handed Julian a few bottles of non-alcoholic drinks since he knew that Julian was Jasper’s bodyguard and did not drink.
“So tell me, Mr. Wright. What happened?” Jasper asked.
“My boss talked to me when I clocked out today. He said that he’s going to transfer me to a small village south of Reed City,” Chad explained with a deep sigh.
“From working in a city to being demoted straight to a small village? Not even to a town first? That’s unusual,” Jasper commented meaningfully.
“Haha. It’s the Coine family’s work.” Chad scoffed and downed a large gulp of beer roughly.
“So I banged my hand on the table and gave up. I exploded and vented all the unjust I’ve been keeping bottled up inside of me. If the Coine family wants to oppress and dominate, then I’d rather not work there anymore!
“I’ve been thinking about working with you, Mr. Laine. So I was wondering if I still had a chance?” Chad glanced at Jasper with a look of extreme anticipation.
If Chad was ever reluctant to leave his job because he had grown attached to this job he had done for more than half his life, he was not anymore now that he had seen through the truth behind the working system. He was ready to give it his all.
“I would want nothing more.” Jasper grabbed his bottle of beer and clinked it with Chad’s.
Chad grinned and spoke, “Alright then. I’m going to start working for you now, Mr. Laine. I’ll be your loyal subordinate!”
“You’ll realize how smart this decision is very soon.”
Jasper was truly grateful to Marcus for this incident alone.
After all, it was not easy to get such a talent in the management field like Chad on his side, and Marcus had easily done it for him.
Despite having the advantage of being reincarnated with memories of the future, Jasper knew that not every skilled person in the management industry was suited to work in a company like JW Capital.
Chad, though, was different. While Chad was not a famous man in Jasper’s past life, this short period of time was enough for Jasper to recognize this man’s potential.
The two were in a great mood now that their frustrations were resolved. Time began to tick by as they two drank and talked.
Just as they started the third round of drinking, two vans suddenly halted by the road and more than ten men dressed in black jumped out with machetes. All of them rushed toward Jasper’s table.
The sudden development caught everyone off guard.
It resembled a scene from a movie, and the other customers who were eating around them all screamed while running away.
Julian reacted extremely quickly.
“Jasper, watch out!”
Life at the Top Chapter 686
Jasper was severely injured and in shock. When he entered the hospital, he was already unconscious.
The entire Southeast Province was in an uproar when news spread to them.
Wendy received a call from Julian in the middle of the night, and she was too shocked by the news to even speak.
Dawson was the calmest and immediately contacted Henry who was also in Nauritus City.
Henry flipped a table at the news.
That night, Henry called for his private plane to fly over from Harbor City. The plane landed in Nauritus City only to fly toward Reed City within ten minutes of landing after Henry and Wendy boarded.
In the shortest amount of time, the situation had progressed at the most terrifying speed.
Its influence involved multiple circles and many people were losing sleep over the knowledge.
The first to know of the news was the chief of the government of Reed City.
After getting woken up by Mr. Powers’ phone call in the middle of the night, the composed and sturdy man dropped his cup when he heard of the news in his study.
After exclaiming how ignorant of the law those people were for three consecutive times, Mr. Powers stood in the study frightfully while drenched in sweat.
“The situation is very complicated now, Chief. Everyone in Reed City has their eyes on what’s happening and I heard that Jasper’s family is making their way over tonight. At the same time, tomorrow is Marcus’ deadline to pay up the money. What do we do now?”
While terrified, Mr. Powers braved through as he asked for guidance.
After a moment of silence, the middle-aged man asked grimly, “How’s Jasper doing now?”
“The hospital said it’s a hypovolemic shock, and they’re doing everything they can to keep him alive,” Mr. Powers replied.
“A hypovolemic shock… That’s not exactly a small matter.” The middle-aged man quickly calmed down from his anger and began to analyze the pros and cons of the incident.
“Okay, I want you to keep a close eye on Jasper’s condition at the hospital. If Marcus is unwilling to pay us tomorrow, we’ll put this on hold first. We need Jasper’s help for that.”
Mr. Powers could tell that the chief planned to wait first before they made a move. If Jasper woke up, then everything would continue according to plan. If Jasper passed tonight, then all their previous hard work would have been for naught.
Mr. Powers sighed and replied, “Alright, I’ll keep a close eye.”
“Visit Jasper the moment he wakes. But if he doesn’t, our plan stops here,” the man ordered.
“Yes, Chief.”
…
At that moment, Ned chortled exaggeratingly in his hospital room.
“F*cking yes! Who knows if that f*cker is dead yet or not?” Marcus laughed aloud and spoke to Ned whose elation was shown brightly on his face.
“Heh, there should be news about it in a few hours. I heard that he was drenched in blood when he arrived at the hospital. His blood pressure was almost at zero, I don’t think he’ll make it.” Ned smiled wretchedly.
“That’s even better, then.” Marcus’ gaze was filled with hatred. “I’ve got to thank your dad for this, killing him in one go. We’ll get the others together and drink when you’re better, to celebrate.”
“But Mr. Coine, how reliable is this news? I can’t help but feel uneasy,” Ned told Marcus.
Marcus waved his hand dismissively. “What are you afraid of? Your dad made the first move and my dad was there to wrap it up. There’s no way anything could go wrong.
“So what if that f*cker is capable? This is Reed City, what can he do? Don’t you see how the city government hasn’t made a move yet? That means it’s fine.”
Marcus then turned to Ned disdainfully. “Or are you telling me you’re worried now? Just think about it, he broke your arm.”
Ned’s expression was filled with resentment as he spoke, “Worried? My only worry here is that he died too easily! I didn’t even get a chance to torture him yet!”
“Hahaha. Since we’re in such a great mood, how about I get you a few beauties to spend the night with?” Marcus got up happily.
Life at the Top Chapter 687
“Can you?” Ned’s eyes shone, but he seemed a little hesitant.
“Why the f*ck not? You just have an injured hand. Everything else is still working, no?” Marcus snickered evilly.
“Then bring me two! I’m going to f*cking celebrate!”
…
At the same time in Nauritus City, Southeast Province.
Someone knocked on the bedroom of a villa.
“Come in.”
Conrad’s tired voice sounded from inside.
The person entered and Conrad switched his desk light on. “What is it? Why did you come looking for me in the middle of the night?”
“We’ve just gotten news from the people we sent to keep a close eye on Jasper and the Schuler family. Something has happened to Jasper in Reed City and he’s currently in the emergency room in the hospital. We don’t know if he’ll make it through the night.”
Conrad’s head snapped up as he asked in a raspy voice, “Are you certain?”
The man nodded. “Wendy took a midnight flight over in Henry’s private plane. From that, I think we can pretty much confirm that the news is true.”
Conrad furrowed his brows. He was elated a moment ago, yet now he was in despair. He did not even know what exactly he was feeling anymore.
After a long while, Conrad asked, “Do we know who did it?”
“To prevent Jasper from realizing anything, we didn’t dare keep too close an eye on him. All we can confirm is that he was attacked by a local family, most likely due to conflict over a plot of land.”
Conrad chuckled weirdly. “What a powerful family. Jasper’s a man not even I, Conrad Monty, could win, yet they managed to send him to the hospital so easily. What brutal countrymen from unremarkable villages!”
“What’s next, Mr. Monty?”
Conrad closed his eyes and leaned against the headboard. After a long moment of thought, he replied, “Nothing. We continue constructing our factory for the MP3 players. Regardless of whether Jasper lives or not, this is still a largely profitable business.
“As for those villagers in Reed City, it’ll only be a matter of time before they know how horrifying the consequences of sending Jasper to the hospital is. Leave them be.”
The man nodded. “I understand, Mr. Monty. I’ll be leaving now if there are no further orders.”
Waving him off, Conrad waited for the soft sound of the door clicking shut before murmuring to himself, “I thought I’d be elated to know that you’re dying soon, Jasper. So why can’t I seem to feel happy about it at all? Who’s going to be my opponent here in Southeast Province if you die?
“It’s too lonely here without a rival.”
…
When Jasper opened his eyes again, the first sight he met with was Wendy’s reddened and teary eyes.
Jasper was stunned as his mind had yet to realize what was happening. He then felt a sharp stabbing pain from his shoulder where his wound was, and Jasper could not help but make a muffled sound.
That sharp stabbing sensation woke Jasper completely, and all the memories of what had happened rushed into his mind.
“You’re awake! You’re awake!” Wendy shouted happily. She tightly grabbed Jasper’s hand with both of hers and spoke with a tremble in her voice, “You have no idea how scared I was.”
Jasper smiled at the sight of Wendy’s haggard features. “How’d you get here? It’s just a small injury, I’m alright.”
“What do you mean it’s just a small injury? The doctor said you would’ve been drained of all blood if you had arrived a moment later! You scared me to death!” Wendy wailed as she forced herself not to cry.
Jasper chuckled. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m awake now, aren’t I?
“I’ll make them pay a price they can never afford!”
Life at the Top Chapter 688
“You have to take revenge!”
Wendy’s usually gentle and calm gaze was now laced with never-before-seen hatred and anger.
Jasper was just about to speak when he heard Wendy continue, “You can’t stay here anymore. It’s too dangerous.”
Jasper smiled bitterly. “I was careless. It won’t happen again, I promise… By the way, what time is it now?”
Indeed, Jasper had successfully distracted Wendy and changed the subject. “You’ve been asleep for more than a day already.”
Jasper rubbed his temples. “That’s not too bad… Where’s Jul?”
“He’s been kneeling at the door for more than a day.”
Wendy sighed.
“He said he had to apologize.”
Jasper arched his brow. “That idiot. This has nothing to do with him at all. Call him in.”
Wendy spoke exasperatedly, “You think I haven’t tried to? He just won’t get up.”
“Tell him I’m awake and I asked him to come in,” Jasper spoke calmly and patted Wendy’s hand.
He knew that kneeling was Julian’s idea, but it did not mean Wendy did not have any intention to vent her anger on him. After all, Wendy did not know what had happened then, and considering Julian’s personality, he would surely put the blame on himself when he tried to explain things.
As such, it was absolutely understandable that Wendy was angry at Julian when all she knew was that Jasper had gotten injured.
Wendy nodded and got up to ask Julian to enter.
Even Julian would feel the effects of kneeling for an entire day despite his physique, and he was slightly limping when he walked.
“Take a seat.” Jasper pointed at the empty spot.
Julian was about to say something but Jasper glared at him. “Are you refusing to listen to me now?”
Julian then sat on the chair.
“It’s not your fault I got hurt. I would’ve definitely been safe if I hadn’t reached out for Chad then, but Chad would most certainly be dead now if that were the case.
“He’s the new director of the Human Resources Department in JW Capital. He’s a very important character, so I can’t just let him get hurt.”
“But it’s fine if you get hurt?” Wendy piped up unhappily.
Jasper smiled. “I didn’t think much at that time, but I admit that it was rash of me. What happened this time was an accident. None of us knew what was going to happen. Plus, I couldn’t just watch as Chad died after getting attacked by a machete-wielding man right before my eyes, could I?
“So Jul, none of what has happened is your fault. If anything, you saved me. I wouldn’t be lying here right now if not for you.”
Julian replied stubbornly, “But I exist to protect you, Jasper. You getting hurt is my fault.”
“I’ve never seen you so stubborn before. Are you telling me you’re going to step in when Wendy and I fight next time?” Jasper smiled.
Julian flushed instantly and was too embarrassed to speak.
“Don’t worry about it. No one blames you for what happened this time. In fact, I need to thank you for saving my life.”
Julian quickly spoke, “Jasper, don’t say that…”
Before Julian could finish talking, someone opened the door to the hospital ward.
Chad stood outside the ward with bandages wrapped over his arm. Beside him was a middle-aged woman with red eyes.
“You’re awake, Mr. Laine!” Chad exclaimed as he entered the room and walked over to Jasper’s bed excitedly.
Life at the Top Chapter 689
Jasper smiled. “Are you hurt?”
Chad shook his head. “You saved me at that crucial moment so I just got a small nick in my arm. I’m so sorry, Mr. Laine!”
Chad had just spoken when the woman beside him fell to her knees before Jasper and sobbed. “You’re our family’s savior, Mr. Laine. I don’t know how to thank you for what you’ve done!”
Jasper quickly gestured for Wendy to help the woman up before he smiled and spoke, “You must be Mrs. Wright, then?”
“No, please, call me by my name, Mr. Laine. I’m Alina Tyler.”
“Chad’s older than me by quite a bit. It’s only right I call you Mrs. Wright.
“It’s not that big of a deal, actually. I’m awake now, aren’t I?”
Jasper then turned to Chad. “What has been going on outside these two days?”
Chad sighed. “A lot of people have their eyes on you now. But at the same time, that’s also all the extent of it. Marcus was supposed to pay the 950 million yesterday but he didn’t, and the city government didn’t react either.”
“So they’re all waiting to see if I would make it out alive or not, hmm?” Jasper commented indifferently.
“I suppose my waking up would disappoint quite a few of them.”
“Jasp,” Wendy called out.
Jasper turned to look at her.
Wendy spoke with a slightly weird expression, “I actually came here on Henry’s private plane. He’s been here this entire time too, but I think he found out that the people who hurt you are in the same hospital. They’re in the other inpatient building. Around ten minutes before you woke up, he brought Fallon and went over.”
Jasper was stunned. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“There’s nothing wrong with Henry teaching them a lesson. Plus, he has Fallon with him. He’ll be fine,” Wendy spoke with a pout.
Women, no matter how knowledgeable, would channel all their thoughts to their men once they had one by their side.
A petty woman whose man was treated badly outside was much more terrifying than a man could ever be.
Jasper rubbed his temples and spoke, “Pass me my phone?”
Wendy was about to grab his phone when the door to the ward was pushed open again.
It had been a few days since they last met. Ned was kicked into the room pathetically with his right arm in a cast and his hospital robe in shreds.
Had it not been for the fact that Ned had a unique physique, Jasper might not even be able to recognize the man before him. Ned had tears and snot streaming down his face that was covered in bruises.
Henry followed into the room after. The sinister look on his face immediately morphed into a wide smile when he saw Jasper’s widened eyes.
“Hey, you’re awake! I knew you’d be fine. As if God would take *ssholes like you to cause trouble for him up in heaven.”
As expected, that was just how Young Master Law spoke.
Jasper pointed at Ned who was still crying. “What happened to him?”
“What do you think?”
Henry grinned, yet his eyes were terrifyingly dark. “This f*cker thinks that just because he’s a trust-fund baby and has a rich dad, he can do whatever he likes. Well then, today I’m going to teach him what it means to be a trust-fund baby.”
Henry walked over and grabbed Ned’s chin before slapping him across the face, shouting, “Weren’t you f*cking proud of yourself just now? Hiring professionals to beat up Jasper, huh? Go ahead then, I’d like to see you call more of them over.”
Logically speaking, Henry should not be able to win Ned in a fight. Jasper assumed that it was Fallon who had done the physical work, but when he looked out the door, he saw ten professional bodyguards in suits standing outside. ‘Good job, man.’
“That’s my team of bodyguards from Harbor City. I called them over this time as well.”
Henry grinned at Jasper.
Life at the Top Chapter 690
Ned had been caught completely off guard when Henry suddenly dragged him off the hospital bed and began to beat him up.
He was still ready to fight and protest at first, but as time progressed, he realized that Henry was not joking and truly planned to beat him to death.
Ned was ready to surrender.
Ned was a patient with a handicapped right arm, so he was hardly a match for Henry and his dozen top-notch bodyguards. Not to mention that there was Fallon, who certainly was stronger than Julian, watching from the sidelines as well.
Ned’s end was pretty much already determined.
It was only when Ned was dragged like a lifeless dog from his inpatient building to Jasper’s and he saw Jasper upon entering the room did he know that Henry had come for revenge.
At that, Ned calmed down.
“So they’re your men, Jasper!” Ned had taken a beating and was just slapped across the face by Henry. He was in an exceptionally sorry state, yet his expression could not be more arrogant when he looked at Jasper.
“You’re actually still alive! Very good, then!”
“Haha!
“I’ll remember this, Jasper! Just wait, I’m going to kill you very soon!
“You haven’t learned from the last lesson, have you? Guess that means I went too easy on you, then! Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that instead of a hospital bed, you’ll be lying in the morgue next time!”
Jasper remained expressionless at Ned’s threats but everyone else in the room was irked.
“Jul!” Wendy called out.
Julian stood up and slapped Ned across the face without a word.
Julian had slapped him angrily without holding back at all.
Ned felt his cheek grow numb and his vision turned dark for a second. Following that came the burning feeling on his cheek, making him feel as though he had lost a layer of his skin from that slap.
The immense strength behind the slap had Ned flipping onto the floor. Turning his head, he spat out blood and there were several white chunks of what was most likely his teeth. Julian’s slap had lost him half his set of teeth.
Henry snickered and placed a foot over Ned’s head. He spoke in a malicious tone, “You’re still going to act stubborn? Even at this point? And you call yourself a trust-fund baby?
“The smartest thing a trust-fund baby does is act according to the situation. Your loss is evident here, so surrender and look for other chances in the future to take revenge. You shouldn’t be acting stubborn now and asking for a beating! Have I made myself clear?”
Henry then lifted his leg without warning and used the shiny surface of his leather shoes to kick Ned’s face. Amid the clear sound of Ned’s nose breaking and his painful scream, Henry growled sinisterly. “I asked, have I made myself clear?”
Ned could not use his right hand so he could only cover his face with his left. Lying against the wall while partially drenched in blood, he glared at Jasper and Henry with wide red eyes and roared, “F*cking kill me if you dare! Or I’ll kill you if you leave me alive!”
“F*ck you and your entire family too, you mother f*cking b*tch! I gave you an option and you just had to choose death, hmm?”
Henry’s Harbor City accent laced his words as he was irked by Ned’s arrogance. He reached out, and a bodyguard with a very good understanding of Henry’s temper walked over from behind to hand him a baton.
With the flick of his hand, Henry swung the baton with practiced ease and smashed it against Ned’s left arm. With a crack, Ned’s left arm was immediately fractured.