Ch. 701..710

Life at the Top Chapter 701

“I have a plan, Mr. Monty, but I don’t know if it’d work?” Valentine suddenly spoke.

Conrad had been very pleased with Valentine’s performance all this while so he was very willing to hear the other’s plan. He replied, “Go ahead.”

Valentine smiled craftily and spoke, “According to what you just described, I think we can wait until after JW Electronics has manufactured their products. We could invite them to a press conference, and as long as their product is an MP3 player, we’ll be able to expose them in front of the press.”

Conrad fell silent for a moment, deep in thought. He soon got up and walked two steps before suddenly looking up. “There are two benefits to that plan. One, we can use the media’s power to solidify the fact that Jasper pirated our product. And two, it’s also free advertisement for Melody!

“By then, Jasper will truly have no chance to turn it around!”

Conrad suddenly patted Valentine’s shoulder and laughed aloud. “Good job. After all of this is over, I’ll think about promoting you to president of the company.”

Valentine replied excitedly, “Thank you, Mr. Monty.”

…

Elbert and his team were highly skilled and they managed to complete the technological design in the shortest time after Jasper gave them an idea.

The following day, Jasper bought Elbert and his team airplane tickets so that they could directly instruct the factory workers in Reed City.

On the fourth day, Jasper received a sample from Reed City. It was personally brought over by Chad.

Looking at the shining silver MP3 player that was no bigger than half his palm and it now came with a screen, Jasper broke into a big smile.

“Have you tested it? What’s the passing rate for manufacturing?” Jasper asked.

Chad spoke excitedly, “We’ve checked them already. In terms of sound and quality, it’s way better than what’s available on the market. We’ve also upgraded the storage card, so our product can save at least 50 tracks. Other products and even those from the States and European countries can only save 30 tracks.

“Plus, having a screen means we’re able to display the name of the song, its artist, and even lyrics. That alone has garnered many good ratings from volunteer testers on the market.

“As for the passing rate, our workers aren’t too familiar with it yet so it’s still a little low. I’d say it’s currently around 86% now? But with further practice, the workers would be skilled enough to manufacture at a 95% passing rate, at least. That’s already exceeding the industry standard and it’s fully acceptable.”

“Good job.” Jasper smiled contentedly. “How about the cost?”

“Manufacturing cost is a little high. Products like this perhaps cost around 480 Somer Dollars. But if we decide to scale up output, then the cost of raw materials like the screen and the circuit board should decrease as well. As for how much exactly our cost can be lowered, it depends on our ability to produce. As of now, I’d estimate around a 30% reduction in cost.”

At that, Jasper waved him off and said, “There’s no need to purposely lower the cost. It’d be foolish to risk quality just because we want the cost to be cheaper. You have to remember that our products are luxury items, so they can be more expensive. People who can afford the MP3 player may not care about the 100-bucks difference, but the product itself must pique their interest.”

“I understand, Mr. Laine.”

While Jasper and Chad chatted, someone suddenly knocked on the study’s door.

The old butler handed Jasper an invitation and spoke, “Mr. Laine, someone I don’t recognize dropped by a few minutes ago and told me I had to give you this invitation. He left before I could ask him who he was.”

Jasper nodded. “Alright. Give me the invitation, then.”

The butler handed Jasper the invitation and left the study.

Jasper opened the invitation and smiled at what was written inside.

Chad, who had been silent since the butler knocked on the door, asked curiously, “What is it about the invitation that’s making you smile, Mr. Laine?”

Life at the Top Chapter 702

“A set-up.” Jasper shrugged and passed the invitation to Chad.

Chad took a look and reacted completely differently from Jasper by immediately frowning at its content.

“Melody Electronics wants to invite us for a joint product launch? And they even invited a few television and newspaper representatives?”

At that, Chad instantly reacted. “This is the MP3 player manufacturer that’s been advertising their products all this while?”

“Exactly. And they have a domestic license to manufacture the MP3 player,” Jasper spoke calmly.

Chad frowned and spoke, “So they’re just intending to make a fool out of us in front of the media, then.”

“That’s why I called it a set-up. I’m afraid this isn’t as simple as making a fool of us. They’re going to use the power of the press to completely kill our product the moment it launches.”

Jasper had a calm expression on his face. He could already imagine how excited and proud Conrad must have looked when he made this decision.

Even though Conrad’s move was rather surprising and sudden, Jasper was not angry at him at all.

After all, they were rivals, and there was no law claiming that only Jasper could plot against Conrad and not the other way around.

The two of them were merely trying to spot weak points while they attacked and countered each other, in hopes to get rid of the other once and for all.

About the incident in Coreana regarding the patent, Jasper had found a way to counter Conrad. However, it was not a lie that Conrad’s move had almost destroyed Jasper’s chances of making profits through the MP3 player.

Conrad was still the one attacking now, and Jasper had to react.

This time, Jasper decided that he would counterattack.

“Perhaps we shouldn’t attend, Mr. Laine,” Chad suggested with furrowed brows.

Jasper smiled. “Don’t worry, I have a plan. Come with me when I attend. The roles in this set-up haven’t been decided yet.”

Seeing how Jasper had already made up his mind, Chad nodded and decided to go along with it.

With Chad’s agreement, Jasper immediately made two calls.

Chad’s eyes shone brighter as Jasper made the few calls.

The first call was to Hudson Moore.

The second and third calls were to Ryder from Harbor City’s Advent Entertainment and Ted from Swallow Capital’s Easy Media.

He had done two things with those calls.

The first thing was to have the two companies under Advent Entertainment grant JW Electronics the right to use their artists’ songs.

The second was to have the two media companies sign a strategic cooperation agreement with Terizone. Terizone would then create a downloading site for MP3 players, where available songs would include artists from both media companies, as quickly as possible. Those artists happen to make up about 70% of the famous singers in Harbor City and the Mainland.

“You want to play with copyright and patent rights, Conrad? Fine, then we’ll block your content. So what if you have an MP3 player? You won’t be able to download any music and even if you are, it’d be the pirated version while our MP3 players will provide tracks from the source. I’d like to see how you’re going to win this.”

Jasper smiled at Chad who was excited and impatient.

Life at the Top Chapter 703

Three days later, a piece of news had spread among the tech enthusiasts in the country.

Domestically manufactured MP3 players were available to the public now!

People did not have to save money to get the goods imported, nor did they need to bring cassette tapes around anymore.

Through all sorts of tactics, dozens of media representatives participated in Melody’s new product launch event and countless people had their eyes on it.

The greatly anticipated event was held in the conference hall of Nauritus City’s Sheraton Hotel.

Thanks to Conrad, not only did media companies of all sizes from Southeast Province send their representatives, but there were also representatives from six television stations from other provinces and two large official news stations from Swallow Capital.

The conference hall was packed with cameras and microphones everywhere. Reporters began to greet each other and exchange contacts before the event began.

It was a lively scene.

Backstage, Jasper saw Conrad standing with a smile not too far away when he arrived. From the way Conrad stood, it almost seemed as if he had been waiting for Jasper.

“I see that you’ve been well, Mr. Laine,” Conrad greeted calmly.

“And you’re as graceful as ever, Mr. Monty,” Jasper greeted back.

Seeing that Jasper had only brought Julian and another middle-aged man he did not recognize, Conrad smiled. “You don’t seem to care too much about this launch event, Mr. Laine.

“It can’t possibly be because of my glory, can it?”

Jasper replied calmly, “It’s just a launch event, what matters most is the product, no? There’s no point in bringing a large group of people with me. I’m not here for a fight.”

Although he was smiling, Conrad’s gaze darkened slowly. He leaned toward Jasper and spoke, “I like that. Our products will speak for us, won’t they? Though I do wonder if I could take a look at the product you’ve brought over today, Mr. Laine?

“I’m not the only one anticipating it, of course. I’m sure the reporters are, too… Since a pirated version will be launched with the official one. Who knows, maybe the product you invested in to manufacture will become a widely-bashed product after today?”

Conrad’s smile widened presumptuously. “After all, I’m the one with the patent rights.”

“Are you so confident that you’ll beat me today, Mr. Monty?” Jasper asked.

Conrad laughed aloud. “Jasper, oh, Jasper. Do you know what your biggest weakness is? You’re too confident in yourself. Too much self-confidence will be the cause of your downfall. You think that everything is within your control, but there’ll always be the unexpected.

“Like the patent rights and this launch event, for example. You know that the patent rights are with me, yet you’re unwilling to give up on the MP3 player. What makes you think that I’d let you off? You’re too naive if you think you’ve got a trick to turn this all around.”

Conrad scoffed and spoke plainly, “This launch event will mark the beginning of your downfall. It’ll be the MP3 player this time, then I’ll move on to target all other companies under JW Capital. Just wait. Perhaps I’ll even spare you some change the day I make you lose everything. Perhaps I’ll spare you enough that you can continue living, albeit pitifully.

“With me in Southeast Province, there will be no room for you!”

With an arrogant smile, Conrad turned and left with light steps.

“What an arrogant man, Mr. Laine,” Chad spoke rigidly to Jasper, his expression dark.

Jasper replied unaffectedly, “It’s only normal for a man to go crazy before his death. His time is coming soon.”

Chad’s expression brightened greatly when he was reminded of the leverage Jasper had. He said, “Now I’m really anticipating the launch event. I’d like to see the change in his expression when he finds out. I wonder if he can still be so arrogant then.”

…

At two in the afternoon, with the reporters waiting patiently, the launch event started on time.

On the stage were two separated groups of people. On one side were the main characters of the event, Conrad and Melody Electronics’ person in charge.

While on the other side stood Jasper and Chad from JW Electronics.

A majority of the reporters looked at Jasper and Chad with curiosity. They did not understand why this insignificant JW Electronics would be here at Melody Electronics’ launch event.

Tapping on the microphone, Conrad spoke to the audience, “Dear friends from the press, I ask that you remain silent for a little longer as Melody Electronics’ new product launch will officially begin.”

Conrad then glanced at Valentine beside him.

After receiving a cue from Conrad, Valentine smiled and stood up with an MP3 player the size of his palm.

“Friends from the press, you should already have received the relevant materials about my company. Now, allow me to show you the first-ever MP3 player to be domestically manufactured that my company has researched and developed!

“I’m sure all of you know that the MP3 player is currently trending in the States and in European countries. Its compact design allows it to be conveniently carried with you, and it’s a music product that allows you to easily download and store songs. This product will surely bring a new era to the country’s electronics market. Our first-generation Melody MP3 player has…”

The introduction lasted for more than ten minutes, during which Valentine elaborated on a grand concept and managed to describe the first-generation Melody as the hope of domestically manufactured goods—a work of art that had surpassed countless foreign goods of the same type.

For a launch event of this scale, it was expected that Conrad had his own men among the reporters.

When it was time for the reporters to ask questions, it was their time to shine.

“Mr. Estrada, your introduction has piqued our interest in the first-generation Melody. But I’d like to ask, at what price will it be sold?”

Valentine replied with a smile, “Since this is a domestic brand, it’s only natural that we keep the price acceptable to its target consumers. We’ve decided to sell each product at 1,800 Somer Dollars.”

The reporters all gasped in shock at the number.

In comparison to the imported goods that would cost at least 2,000 Somer Dollars, the first-generation Melody from a domestic brand was indeed a little more budget-friendly.

“One more question. How many Melodies is Melody Electronics preparing to manufacture?” another reporter asked.

Valentine smiled proudly. “Melody Electronics is fully prepared with four manufacturing lines that work 24 hours a day. There are currently six million first-generation Melody products in the warehouse and we will be manufacturing at least 500,000 per day in the future!

“Our company has invested a large amount to reach that goal. We’re not worried about having invested too much, for we are confident that our product will stun the country’s MP3 player market!”

After the topic began to trend online, Conrad took over the microphone and suddenly spoke with a smile, “We have another piece of news to share, ladies and gentlemen. Mr. Laine from JW Electronics has a new product to launch as well. Would you like to show us your product, Mr. Laine?”

Life at the Top Chapter 704

Conrad’s words successfully diverted everyone’s attention to Jasper.

Turning his head secretly to glance at Jasper, Conrad felt his emotions thrum calmly within him.

He had waited too long for this day.

He would crush Jasper today and turn the man into the laughing stock of Southeast Province… No, the entire country.

Jasper, who had not said a word since the launch event started, smiled and took the microphone in front of him as the reporters looked over. He spoke, “I did come today to announce the launch of a new product as well. Coincidentally, it’s also an MP3 player like Mr. Monty’s first-generation Melody.

“Of course, my product is rather different from other MP3 players. In fact, I’m more willing to call it an upgraded version, the MP4.

“Unlike the first-generation Melody, my MP4 goes by the name Mellow, derived from the word mellifluous. From the definition alone, I can describe it as a revolutionary product that has completely surpassed all existing MP3 players.

“If one claims that Mr. Monty’s first-generation Melody to be an outstanding product among all other MP3 players, then my Mellow will lead and guide the path to the future of music playing devices.

“JW Electronics does not aim to copy what is already trending overseas. Instead, we aim to make a statement, that those abroad will be the ones to copy the products that we people of Somer descent create.”

Jasper’s words stunned all the reporters present, and everyone was inexplicably filled with anticipation.

2001 had only just started and people were beginning to fawn and worship foreign products. A majority believed that foreign goods were better than domestic ones, that the term ‘domestically manufactured’ somehow made it seem the goods were lacking in quality.

However, as fellow people of Somer descent, they wanted their country to grow stronger. They also wished for their domestically manufactured goods to be copied by foreigners and not the other way around.

Especially when Conrad’s first-generation Melody was introduced first. The introduction mainly compared the product to its foreign counterpart and how similarly they had managed to replicate it.

‘But Jasper?

‘Jasper has introduced an evolutionary product, one that would have foreigners replicating them instead.

‘The winner is evident!’

Conrad’s faze instantly grew frosty as he looked at Jasper silently.

“There seems to be a change in the situation, Mr. Monty,” Valentine leaned over to whisper, realizing the unusualness of the situation.

“Don’t worry, we have the patent rights, remember? He can bluff as much as he wants but there’s no escaping the patent rights. That alone is enough for me to screw him over!” Conrad spoke in a dark tone.

Just then, the reporters below were impatient and could not wait to ask, “Mr. Laine, have you officially manufactured this Mellow device you speak of?”

Jasper smiled. “Of course, or I’d just be bluffing, wouldn’t I? Let me pass the microphone to the first factory director of JW Electronics Equipment Manufacturing Plant. He’ll tell you more about the current manufacturing situation for Mellow.”

Jasper then gestured to Chad.

Chad got up excitedly with an MP3 player the size of half his palm in his hand. The most eye-catching part of it was its compact size and a screen that took up more than half the space.

“Dear friends from the press, this is Mellow, JW Electronics’ latest product. It’s more than just an ordinary MP3 player. It’s been upgraded to an MP4!”

The reporters grew more excited as Chad continued to introduce Mellow.

According to Chad’s description, there was indeed no similar foreign product out there. It was evident that Mellow was much more outstanding compared to other music-playing devices on the market.

Conrad and Valentine turned grim.

Life at the Top Chapter 705

Conrad glanced at Valentine. The latter nodded and gestured to the few reporters they had bribed in advance.

One of them stood up and asked Jasper, “Mr. Laine, since your company has such an outstanding product, I’d like to ask if you have the related patent rights?”

The question stunned all the reporters.

He was right. No matter how outstanding Mellow was or how it called itself an MP4, there was no changing the fact that it was derived from the MP3 player. That meant there was no escaping the issue of patent rights.

Everyone fell silent and they turned to Jasper, waiting for his reply.

However, the one who spoke was the same reporter who asked the question. They were evidently proud of the effect their question had brought about and asked another question, “Mr. Estrada from Melody Electronics has already explained just now that they’ve received patent rights from Mr. Damond Golding in Coreana. Melody Electronics is the only company within the country with exclusive rights to manufacture the MP3 player. So, Mr. Laine, could you tell us how Mellow decides to tackle this problem?”

Everyone was watching both Jasper and Chad. Their every word and expression would surely be released in the newspapers and reported by news stations tomorrow. As such, they had to be extremely careful of what they said.

Just then, Jasper stood up.

“Indeed, JW Electronics does not have the domestic license to manufacture the MP3 player.”

That statement caused an uproar.

The reporters were rendered speechless.

While piracy was rampant in the country, it was something that no one dared to state blatantly. After all, that would only make a fool of them.

“If you admit that you don’t have the license, Mr. Laine, then why would your JW Electronics continue to manufacture pirated products without patent rights? Do you perhaps believe that you’re untouchable to the country’s law?” Conrad spoke indifferently.

“Or do you perhaps think that Melody Electronics would not dare to sue you?”

Conrad’s two sentences were incendiary.

The atmosphere in the room turned tense.

Yet the reporters only got more excited.

The launch event was supposed to be a normal press conference, and they had not expected the two companies to start a fight out of the blue.

This was earth-shattering news.

This was an incident that would easily increase their ratings and sell out their newspapers.

Each reporter had a foolish smile on their face as they imagined receiving an award from their editor-in-chief.

At the same time, everyone’s eyes were on the stage. They were not going to miss out on any single detail.

“JW Electronics is a law-abiding company, there’s no way we would do anything illegal,” Jasper replied.

“Bullsh*t!” Valentine stepped over and pointed at Jasper, accusing him, “This stupid Mellow of yours was derived from the MP3 player patent and you’ve admitted that you don’t have a license! How is that not illegal?”

Valentine then looked around and stated loudly, “Dear friends of the press, Melody Electronics has spent a large amount of money to buy exclusive licensing from Mr. Damond Golding in Coreana. Our company will not stand by and watch as someone infringes on our interest!

“Especially not nobodies who only play dirty tricks. We’ll bring them to the court of law, so could our dear friends from the media please take clear pictures of this ingenuine man? He has blatantly broken the law by openly pirating!”

Life at the Top Chapter 706

Click, click.

Camera lights flashed endlessly in the conference hall, and all the video cameras were aimed right at the stage. No one wanted to miss any details.

If the fight between them was considered normal competition between two companies, then Valentine’s words had instantly escalated the situation where it now involved the breaking of the law.

The man had used expletives.

The reporters present all flushed in excitement. The trip over suddenly felt really worth it.

There were too few instances of such situations in the country.

Therefore, the moment such instances occurred, they attracted everyone’s attention.

Conrad was very pleased as well. Valentine was becoming more useful to him with every moment. Valentine knew that there were things Conrad was in no position to say, so he jumped out and conveyed the message Conrad wanted to say but could not.

“You’re the one speaking nonsense!”

A loud shout came from beside Jasper, causing everyone present to look over in shock.

Especially Valentine. The man’s expression darkened after being accused and he turned to look at Chad.

“Who says the only way to manufacture goods is with patent rights?”

Chad scoffed and pulled out a piece of document from his briefcase that he brought with him. He opened it before everyone and spoke, “Not only has JW Electronics bought 50% ownership of the MP3 player patent rights from Sentel Corporation, but we’ve also signed an improvement patent agreement!

“So as long as we’ve succeeded in improving the MP3 player, we’re automatically granted the user rights to the patent.”

Chad looked at the silenced group of reporters proudly as he continued, “In addition, JW Electronics will hold complete ownership over our improved patent rights. That means that our Mellow has fully independent intellectual property rights!

“Unlike some companies who seem to be very proud of the fact that they have a license. So what if they do? They’re still working for the foreigners, aren’t they? A portion of the profit made from very first-generation Melody has to be distributed to Mr. Damond Golding. Can you still call that a domestically manufactured product?”

Chad’s words stunned the entire venue.

The reporters began to whisper among themselves. There were quite a few reporters who did not understand much about patents, licenses, and their pertaining laws, but they all came to an understanding after asking people who worked in those industries—Chad was speaking the truth!

No one had expected JW Electronics to have managed to sign an improvement patent agreement when they could not get a license. Not to mention that they had succeeded too!

This was what a domestic brand truly entailed.

The reporters looked at Jasper excitedly, and they all wanted to know how Jasper had done it.

The man remained calm.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Jasper took the microphone and spoke softly, “I merely wish to show you with my actions that our Somerland is capable of manufacturing exceptional goods.”

Clap, clap, clap!

No one knew where it started, but all the reporters were fervently clapping at Jasper’s statement. The entire conference hall was instantly drowned out by the sound of applause.

At the same time, both Conrad and Valentine had a very sour look on their faces.

Especially Conrad, who had never expected such a move from Jasper.

“That stupid improvement patent agreement, does it actually exist?” Conrad suppressed his anger and asked Valentine.

Valentine’s face paled as he nodded with difficulty. “It does. There is such regulation under international patent law. As long as the owner of the patent agrees, it’s very much possible. But the issue is that he’d need all of the people with ownership to agree before it’s granted. Damond Golding only has 50%, so how did he get the remaining 50% from Sentel?”

Conrad was slightly shaking after receiving such a shock. He turned to glare fiercely and coldly at Jasper, grinding his teeth together.

“You already knew this was going to happen, Jasper, so that’s why you had everything prepared, right? You were just waiting for me to play my role. How dare you make me into a fool?”

Furious, Conrad asked directly.

“Mr. Monty, how could you accuse me of making you into a fool when you were the one who asked for all of this?” Jasper replied calmly.

“But I must really thank you for giving Mellow such a great opportunity for advertisement, Mr. Monty. It looks like I’ll get to cut down on quite a bit of advertising expenses.”

Conrad was about to combust from infuriation.

He had used up a lot of favors using the Monty family’s name for this launch event just to get dozens of media representatives over, including those two large stations from Swallow Capital. Now, he had given the advantage to Jasper on a silver platter.

The worst part of this all was that his first-generation Melody had its reputation crushed before it could be released.

Conrad felt his limbs grow cold and there was a stuffy gust of air that suffocated his chest. He could not swallow it nor push it out. It felt terrible.

Jasper smiled slightly at Conrad’s reaction.

‘That’s all it took to beat you?

‘But I’ve only just started.’

He stood up again.

The reporters had learned from experience that if Jasper stood up to speak, it was going to be another large announcement. Everyone looked at Jasper eagerly and waited for another bomb to drop.

Indeed, Jasper did not waste time as he took the microphone and announced, “There’s something I’d like to announce as well during this important event.

“Mellow will be sold at 1,699 Somer Dollars starting tomorrow and all consumers are welcome to buy them from any Schuler Supermarket within the country.

“Moreover, every consumer can download official tracks for free from us.

“For that purpose, we’ve already signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Terizone Inc, Easy Media, and Advent Entertainment Group.

“Easy Media and Advent Entertainment Group are currently the biggest media companies in the Mainland and Harbor City respectively. At least 60% of the famous artists we know now are signed under them.

“We’ll provide the biggest official music library within the country, so as long as you buy Mellow, you will be allowed to download the songs for free.

“In addition, JW Electronics will work together with Easy Media and Advent Entertainment Group to attack all sources of pirated music within the country. Our related departments are already in contact and we’ve received immense support.

“That is all JW Electronics has to say for this launch event, thank you.”

Jasper then placed the microphone down once he had finished talking. Leaving coolly, he left Chad to deal with the extremely excited reporters.

Just as Jasper left, Conrad quickly followed after.

His complexion was pale from anger, and his expression was wretched like he wanted to tear Jasper into pieces with his teeth.

“You stand right there, Jasper!”

Life at the Top Chapter 707

“Forget the fact that you’re dominating everything, Jasper, but you’re not even going to give others a chance to make money? Aren’t you afraid that your ruthlessness will come and bite you back in the *ss?”

Conrad’s gaze darkened as he roared. He felt the urge to punch Jasper in the face.

Jasper looked at him confusedly and asked, “What do you mean? You’re making this into more of an issue than it is, Mr. Monty. I don’t think I follow.”

“Stop f*cking pretending to be clueless!” Conrad roared.

“We’re all intelligent people here, what’s the point of this clueless act of yours?

“What’s the meaning behind the official music library, huh? Tell me what MP3 player doesn’t need to download music! You’re just trying to make the entire market yours with that official music library and wanting to attack pirated sites, aren’t you?!”

Conrad was infuriated when he thought about how the mountain of goods in his warehouse was done for and could not be sold. It was a loss not even the Monty family could endure.

Coupled with the aluminum mine incident, Jasper had struck the Monty family hard twice.

‘The Monty family is rich, but it can’t take such a series of attacks.’

At that train of thought, Conrad felt like his heart had been pierced through with needles.

“Weren’t you the one who kept saying I have to do things legally, Mr. Monty? Supporting the official version and ownership, correct? Or perhaps you don’t agree with me attacking pirated music?” Jasper asked with a smile.

Conrad took a deep breath and spoke sinisterly, “You’ll anger a lot of people like this, Jasper.”

“That’s alright. After all, the official music library is free to everyone who buys Mellow. As for imported MP3 players, sure, as long as the consumers pay. After all, I need to pay my employees in the entertainment companies salaries, and who wouldn’t take money served on a silver platter?” Jasper spoke calmly.

Conrad scoffed and replied, “Fine. So this is what you have in mind then, making money? You’re a cruel man. Fine, I admit my loss. How do you want me to pay you?”

“You’ve misunderstood, Mr. Monty.” Jasper shook his head. “I meant those with imported foreign MP3 players are allowed to pay for access to my music library. But as for competitors within the country, I’m sorry, we’re ultimately still rivals. There’s no way I’d let my competitor steal my market quota, right?”

Conrad was stunned for a moment when he heard Jasper. The next second, he felt blood rush to his head.

“So you’re just killing me off, then?!” Conrad spoke coldly.

“The market is a battlefield, Mr. Monty. I’m sure you wouldn’t have let me live either if our roles were reversed,” Jasper spoke calmly.

Conrad chortled. “Good job, Jasper! What a scheme you’ve plotted here!”

“But I heard that you spent tens of millions on your manufacturing lines, Mr. Monty? In addition to the storage warehouses, oh, and that license, you must’ve spent a lot, haven’t you?” Jasper asked.

“What are you trying to say? The Monty family doesn’t need you to pay for such a small loss.” Conrad spat out coldly as he suppressed the flames of fury within him.

“I was just thinking that if you don’t want them anymore, Mr. Monty, I wouldn’t mind acquiring all your factories and equipment. It just depends on whether you’re willing to part with them or not, Mr. Monty,” Jasper suggested.

Conrad widened his eyes. He could not believe such a shameless man existed in this world!

“You just screwed over my investment of almost one billion Somer Dollars and now you want my factory and manufacturing lines as well? How greedy can you be, Jasper?”

“It’s precisely because I’ve caused such a grave loss to you, Mr. Monty, that I was thinking of a way to make up for it. There’s nothing wrong if you don’t want to accept my kind proposal, Mr. Monty,” Jasper stated.

“Don’t worry. I’d rather lose out on all that money than ever benefit you!” Conrad sneered.

Jasper shrugged and spoke regretfully, “That’s a shame, then. Well, if that’s the case, please excuse me.”

Jasper turned and was about to leave when he heard Conrad speak behind him.

“Wait.”

Jasper turned and looked at Conrad.

Taking a deep breath, Conrad tried to speak in the calmest tone possible, “I can give you my factory and my equipment for free.”

Jasper looked at Conrad but did not speak. He knew that Conrad was not done speaking.

As expected, Conrad paused for a moment before speaking again, “But I want shares to JW Electronics.”

Jasper chuckled. “Sure.”

Conrad looked up and stared at Jasper, asking in disbelief, “Really?”

“Really, but on one condition. I want shares to Monty Group!”

Monty Group was the Monty family’s core business. All of the Monty family’s properties were controlled by Monty Group. It was a parent company, just like Jasper’s JW Capital.

Conrad flew into a rage when he heard Jasper’s condition. “No way, in your dreams! You could sell the entirety of JW Capital and you still wouldn’t be qualified to touch a cent of the Monty Group’s shares.”

“Exactly, that’s what I wanted to say as well.” Jasper had never intended to be a shareholder of Monty Group. It was just as impossible as him allowing Conrad to be a shareholder of JW Capital.

Conrad glared at Jasper and ground his molars. “You’ll get karma for being so merciless, Jasper!”

“If there’s nothing else, Mr. Monty, I’ll get going now.” Jasper shook his head. He was no longer interested in arguing with Conrad anymore.

Conrad glared at Jasper’s retreating figure and fell silent for a long while.

He clenched his jaw as a gust of humiliation and hatred surged in his chest. He did not understand why he could not win Jasper no matter what he did. Not even when he struck first.

Just then, Valentine rushed over to him. Seeing that Conrad was alone, he walked over carefully and spoke, “Mr. Monty, where’s Jasper? What should we do now?”

“News has already gotten out and the merchants already know what’s going on. The merchants have come to find us at the company and they’re requesting a refund. What do we do?”

“What should we do, what do we do… All everyone knows is to ask me what to do next. How the f*ck am I supposed to know?” Furious, Conrad suddenly pushed Valentine and the other felt his back knock against the wall.

“I got you people to work for me, not to ask me what to do!”

Seeing how Conrad seemed to have lost all rationale, Valentine sighed. He knew that he no longer had a place beside Conrad.

Someone had to take responsibility for the failure of Melody’s products. There was no way Conrad would take the responsibility, so it had to be him.

Life at the Top Chapter 708

“I’ll hand in my resignation to you tomorrow, Mr. Monty.”

Valentine sighed and spoke softly.

Conrad looked at Valentine sinisterly and spoke coldly, “What, you’re just going to wash your hands off this incident just like that?”

Valentine shook his head disappointingly and spoke, “That’s not what I meant, Mr. Monty. You know that someone has to take responsibility for all of this. It’s only right that I take the blame.”

Conrad halted and spoke solemnly, “Go back and calm down. I’m busy, we’ll talk about everything else next time.”

Conrad then left without turning back.

Exiting the hotel, Conrad drove straight to the quiet villa.

In the backyard was a middle-aged man in traditional clothing fishing by the lake. The sun was bright and the weather was good, but Conrad’s mood was despondent like an impending storm.

“Welcome home, Young Master,” a servant greeted.

Conrad waved him off and spoke indifferently, “You’re all excused. I want to talk to my dad alone.”

The servants left and Conrad sat beside Steven. His tone was full of despair when he spoke, “I lost again, Dad.”

Steven was focused on the particles floating on the surface of the lake. He did not seem to be too agitated about Conrad’s loss.

“I expected it.”

Conrad frowned slightly at Steven’s words. “Isn’t it a bit too late to say that, Dad?”

Steven smiled and replied meaningfully, “Do you know what the biggest difference between you and Jasper is?”

Conrad replied coldly, “The brat is too good at scheming and very good at waiting.

“Every time! It’s like this every time! He always waits until the last minute to show his hand!”

Steven shook his head. “That’s just the surface of it.”

“Let me ask you. Have you dug up information on him and found out about how Jasper got to where he is today?” Steven asked again.

Conrad was stunned for a moment and replied with a sneer, “He earned himself millions from the futures market a year ago and then kept making more money based on pure luck. Then the international crude oil incident gave him a ton of wealth. But so what? With such opportunities, even idiots could grow rich.”

“What about you, then? Why didn’t you take those chances?” Steven asked.

Conrad was about to protest but he realized he had nothing to say when he opened his mouth.

Indeed, all of those incidents were hugely profitable opportunities, but they were all in the past now. There were not many people who could tell that there would be profitable opportunities before they happened.

People who could accurately make these judgments were rare, and they had all become rich thanks to that.

Sighing, Steven retracted his fishing line. The bait was gone, but he had no idea when the fish took it.

Steven replaced the bait as he spoke, “This is the biggest difference between you two. The fact that he’s willing to wait is only the surface of things. He’s detail-oriented and a very skilled man with an exceptionally sharp eye for things. There aren’t many people comparable to him in terms of that within the country, let alone you.

“But that’s not the point now. So what if you find a so-called chance to profit? How many people would truly dare to take the risk? He made his first trade with a mortgage from his only house here in the province.

“Lose, and you live on the streets. Win, and you’ll be bathed in riches. Would you have dared to take the bet if you had been in his shoes?”

Conrad fell deep in thought at Steven’s question.

“No, you wouldn’t have.”

Life at the Top Chapter 709

Without waiting for Conrad’s reply, Steven gave his opinion.

“Because you’re a Monty. You started on a finish line that most people could never reach even if they worked hard from the moment they were born till the end of their lives. You’re used to living a pampered and protected life. You were set for a comfortable life even without fighting for it.”

Steven tossed the fishing line out and spoke calmly, “That’s also the difference between a king who fought for his throne and one who inherited it.”

Conrad clenched his jaw. “I lost almost a billion dollars again this time. It’s not fair!”

“What’s a bit of loss? The Monty family can take much more than that. Jasper is the best target practice I can give you. This isn’t an easy target and you might get hurt if you’re not careful. You’ve lost twice against him, each loss worse than the last.

“Meanwhile, Jasper is growing stronger every day. He gains profits every time you lose and if this keeps going, the distance between the two of you will only reduce until you two end up as equals.”

Conrad was not pleased with Steven’s words. “Who does he think he is? As if he’s worthy of being my equal!”

“In reality, I’d say he’s somewhere above you in my eyes,” Steven spoke solemnly.

Conrad clenched his jaw. “I won’t let him get away with this!”

“Calm down and clear your mind. Then decide what you want to do next.” Steven passed Conrad the fishing rod.

“Come fish at the pond when you’re free. Take a breather and focus, it helps with pondering many important things. The more important a decision, the more calm and open an environment you need to be in to think.

“Don’t think about going in until you’ve caught at least three fishes.”

Steven then got up to leave.

“Oh, one more thing.”

Steven suddenly turned to Conrad while he was walking and asked, “You have a Valentine Estrada by your side, right?”

Conrad nodded. “I do, but he’s decided to resign.”

“He’s promising, keep him by your side,” Steven spoke.

Conrad frowned slightly and replied, “He’s skilled, but this incident…”

“Con, as superiors, we must learn to accept others’ flaws. More importantly, you have to know how to get your men to be utterly loyal to you. How will he see you if instead of pushing all the blame to him, you keep him by your side?” Steven prompted calmly.

Conrad thought about it before nodding slightly. “I understand.”

…

While Conrad and Steven conversed in the villa, Jasper had returned to the investment company as well.

Chad, who had been receiving phone calls the entire way over, was flushed with excitement.

“Its popularity is exploding, Mr. Laine! Mellow’s popularity is exploding! Countless merchants are begging us for products! They’re all willing to pay in advance as long as it means they’ll get the product!”

In the office, Jasper smiled as he sat down. “I expected no less. But I need you to make sure that we will only manufacture according to what we’ve predicted—not one device more.”

Chad was confused. “But why, Mr. Laine? Mellow is in very high demand right now. We should take this chance to manufacture in large quantities. Why do you want to keep it at 30% of our manufacturing capacity?”

Jasper chuckled. “The scarcer something is, the more precious it becomes. The best way to get someone to remember our product in the shortest time possible is by making it something everyone wants to buy but may not be able to even if they’re willing to pay. This is the brand effect.”

It made sense that Chad did not understand. For this was the hunger marketing strategy that a mobile phone company would be using in the future.

Jasper, though, could not be more familiar with the strategy.

Life at the Top Chapter 710

Jasper’s words were thought-provoking.

After all, as a man who had spent more than half his life working with state-owned enterprises, Chad was not a man to be underestimated. After a moment of thought, he mostly understood what Jasper meant.

“You really are a natural-born businessman, Mr. Laine,” Chad exclaimed with admiration.

Jasper smiled and passed Chad a cup of coffee. “Perhaps start nurturing a few well-trusted confidants for the electronics company, especially at the factory. That’s going to be the company’s important source of income in the future.

“But my plans for you lie in the position of director of the Human Resource Department in my investment company. You can’t stay in JW Electronics forever to cultivate a team of managers. You should get this done as fast as possible.”

Chad nodded in understanding. “Alright, I’ll train a few leaders.”

“I’ll hold an overall assembly with all companies under JW Capital by the time you assume your position. One, so that everyone can get to know you and thus make future work easier; two, to deal with some of the company’s internal issues.”

Jasper rubbed his temples and spoke in a slightly tired manner.

There was quite a big problem with the investing company and due to various reasons, Jasper had yet the chance to deal with them.

The investment company’s managerial team, for example. Excluding Chad, Jasper had no idea how the others’ standards were.

The most important thing now was that Jasper needed someone who could take on the role of a commander when Jasper himself was too busy to deal with the company.

This was a very important position and one with very high authority. As such, Jasper could not trust hunting companies to help him look for such professional managers to fit the role.

There was a long road ahead of him and there was much work he had to do.

Thinking back to those reincarnation novels that he had read before, Jasper realized how unrealistic they were. All the main character had to do was appear with his dignified aura and all sorts of lackeys would bow to him, pledging loyalty.

…

The next day, following the report of the launch event in newspapers and television stations, Mellow had officially begun to trend.

Merchants had their own methods of gaining intel so they had gotten news of it earlier. Ordinary consumers, however, could only learn of such things through the media.

Not to mention that the internet had yet to be as advanced as the future, where news all over the world could spread like wildfire in just a few hours.

By the second day when the news of the launch event had simmered a little, all the consumers had gone mad.

Countless youths broke their piggy banks or begged their parents to go to the nearest Schuler Supermarket for a Mellow.

There were even cases of people lining up at some supermarkets in large cities like Cavern City, Swallow Capital, and Waterhoof City just so they could get their hands on a Mellow.

Authorized sellers had gone mad as well in face of such enthusiasm.

While JW Electronics had explicitly stated that most of their products would be sold by Schuler Supermarkets, other authorized sellers were still distributed 25% of the goods.

Therefore, consumers all ran to buy the device from other merchants when they were sold out at Schuler Supermarkets.

They would buy the device even if the price cost a few hundred more.

In addition, Terizone’s music downloading site seemed to show a trend of being overwhelmed soon.

“We’ve already added three emergency servers, Mr. Laine, and we’ve talked to the operator to increase our bandwidth temporarily. But the load at the website has already severely exceeded its designed index. It might crash soon.”