Ch. 761..770

Life at the Top Chapter 761

A video call that spanned the distance of half the earth was established.

Celine Maynard sat in front of the computer. She stared at the image of Paulson on the screen with a calm expression.

Due to the time difference, it was now afternoon on Paulson’s side of the world.

Evidently, he was extremely busy. After accepting the video call, he immediately said, “Celine, you have ten minutes to talk to me. There’s another important meeting that I need to attend in ten minutes’ time.”

Celine nodded to indicate that she understood. “In that case, I’ll get straight to the point. I don’t mind if the headquarter sends a team to investigate me, but Jasper Laine’s listing plan for Sena cannot be put on hold because of this,” she said intently.

Paulson shook his head. “Celine, although I’ve always admired your capabilities, you let your emotions get in the way this time,” he said in a regretful tone.

“You have to understand that the questions raised by the directors are perfectly reasonable, and they also have the right to do so. This is the power that has been granted to them during the shareholders’ general meeting, and I cannot do anything about it.”

Playvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreenCeline replied solemnly, “Even so, anyone can tell that this listing benefits not just Jasper, but also our investment bank, right? We cannot just push Jasper into the hands of our competitors just because a few directors disagree.

“If that happens, Layman and Merlene Investments will be laughing at us in their sleep.”

Paulson frowned. He fixed a deep gaze upon Celine and said, “Celine, tell me right now. Why did you take the initiative to reduce Jasper Laine’s commission by 20%?”

“I did that to win him over,” Celine replied immediately without thinking twice.

“As I had previously reported to you, Jasper Laine is undoubtedly a business prodigy that everyone is underestimating. Sena, which is an extremely high-achieving company in our eyes, is simply one of the many companies in the diverse group of businesses that he owns.

“I think that our investment bank will benefit greatly from working together with someone like that.”

Paulson smiled and said, “I have to admit that Jasper Laine is a wondrous businessman. However, this does not mean that the board of directors will accept your excuse. To them, this listing case is indeed rewarding, but they are more concerned about the possibility of collusion occurring between internal members of the company and outsiders.”

“That’s why I’m not against the headquarters’ decision to send an investigation team over. They can investigate all they like. However, if Jasper cancels his deal with us over this, we will hurt badly!” Celine argued.

A slight frown formed on Paulson’s face. “As I said, this is our directors’ choice. There is no way for me to prevent it from happening,” he said.

“Yes, you can. As the chairman, you can use your veto power to veto their review of the listing,” Celine said.

Paulson burst out into laughter. “Celine, are you kidding me right now? Are you asking me to go against those directors because of Jasper Laine? What good does this do me?” He asked.

“I’m willing to bet my entire career on this!” Celine suddenly said.

Paulson’s smile froze on his face. He pinned a deep gaze on Celine and asked her solemnly, “Do you know what you’re talking about?”

“By all means, run the investigation, but any no circumstances can you stop the listing. If any problem arise, I’ll resign immediately,” Celine said calmly after taking in a deep breath.

Paulson remained silent for some time.

Right then, someone knocked on the door to Paulson’s on the other end of the line. His secretary had come over to remind him that his time was up.

“Ask them to wait for a moment as I have an important matter to handle right now,” Paulson said. After that, the sound of the door closing could be heard. He then continued to face the screen to look at Celine. “Celine, your father and I have been close friends for decades. I don’t want to see you make this big mistake,” he said.

“This is too risky for you. There is too much at stake. If something unexpected happens, you will not be able to continue working in the financial industry for the rest of your life. This does not just apply to Wall Street. No other investment bank in the world would dare to employ you ever again.”

“I know what I’m doing. Please help me this once, Uncle Paulson,” Celine said in an even tone.

Paulson let out a sigh and said, “I’m afraid that your guarantee isn’t enough to change the minds of those stubborn directors.”

“In that case, I’ll add on one other thing. If the share price of Sena is less than a hundred US dollars, I will voluntarily resign as well. I will also compensate the investment bank for their loss with an amount three times the commission. I’m giving you my word as the second-in-line heir to the Maynard family. Is that enough?”

Celine’s words traversed across the oceans and rang out loud and clear in Paulson’s office room.

Paulson stared at Celine, who was wearing a calm and determined look on her face, in shock. He then shook his head.

“A hundred US dollars? Do you know what a share price of a hundred US dollars means? After Nasdaq went through the Internet bubble, there are only a few dozen stocks worth more than a hundred US dollars left. Those companies all consist of large and well-known global companies!”

Celine did not say anything. She understood what Paulson was implying more than anyone else.

However, if she did not come up with such a bargain, the directors would never concede.

Therefore, Celine continued stare directly into Paulson’s eyes calmly.

Meanwhile, Paulson did not say anything either. He had watched Celine grow up and understood that whenever she showed such an expression, it meant that she would not go back on her words.

“I will try my best,” Paulson said and hung up on the video call.

After going through all of that, Celine leaned back on her chair in exhaustion. As she lowered her head, she caught sight of the red high-heels that she was currently wearing. Suddenly, she laughed out loud.

Was it worth it? Nobody knew.

Anyways, she had bet everything, her career included.

It was all because of this pair of red high-heels from that night.

…

Jasper did not see Celine for a few days. On the first day, Julian told him that he had caught sight of Miss Stone leaving the hotel despondently with all of her luggage.

Jasper was not sure about what had happened within the company. He did not intend to understand what had happened either.

He had even begun to contact other large investment banks like Layman or Merlene Investments.

In his opinion, Colossal Investments was acting like they were high and mighty. If that was the case, he could just change partners. It would be just another collaboration.

In any case, the company would be listed on the Nasdaq all the same. He did not worry about it at all.

On the third day, which was the last day of Celine and Jasper’s agreement, Celine knocked on the door to Jasper’s room.

She was still as graceful and charming as always. There was a hint of gentle loveliness in her pretty, feminine features as she smiled at him sweetly.

“It’s done. The listing of Sena has officially been approved. On the other hand, the headquarters have already begun lobbying the Nasdaq Review Committee. We shall soon head to New York to ring the bells,” she said.

Life at the Top Chapter 762

“Are you alright?”

Jasper glanced at Celine, who was sitting in his living room, in the midst of enjoying some snacks with milk. He then asked her this in a suspicious tone.

Although Celine looked exactly the same as she did usually, Jasper felt that something was wrong.

“I’m good,” Celine said, casting an odd glance at him. She then lowered her head to look at herself. “Is there something wrong?” She asked.

Jasper sat down and opened a bottle of beverage for himself. “Has everything been resolved?” He asked.

“Everything has been resolved,” Celine said in a relaxed tone. “Are you forgetting who I am? Is there anything that I can’t deal with? Do you really think that I’ve gained nothing from working at Colossal Investments all these years? I have plenty of connections, alright?” She added.

“You make it seem easy,” Jasper said. He narrowed his eyes at her as he did not believe a single word that she was saying.

The more indifferently Celine behaved, the more he certain he felt that the issue this time was serious.

Although he had never worked at Colossal Investments before, Jasper had been a veteran in the financial circle in his past life. He had seen all sorts of workplace battles.

Furthermore, he was managing a bunch of people under him in his current lifetime.

Jasper knew very well that one could be wiped out at any moment as people in the company schemed and plotted against each other.

It was a battlefield where smoking barrels could not be seen.

This was especially true for top investment banks like Colossal Investments, as they already had in place a complete ecosystem nestled within the company. Such working environments were terrifyingly cruel.

There were plenty of power struggles constantly occurring within the company.

“If you can’t do it, you can just give up. I’ve told you that we’ll still be friends. When it comes to Colossal Investments, I can always change working partners. There’s no need to give in to their demands,” Jasper said.

Celine pinned a long, meaningful gaze upon Jasper. “I’ve put in a lot of effort and work into this. I’ve put almost all that I have into this project, and now you’re saying that you want to change your working partner? I won’t agree,” she said.

“Alright, alright,” Jasper chuckled. “Since you’re giving me a 20% commission, I won’t let you down,” he said.

“Also, I heard that you fired your secretary.” Jasper asked casually.

“I’ve fired her,” Celine said nonchalantly. It was as if he was talking about something insignificant. “She is no longer qualified for her current position, so she has no choice but to leave,” she added.

“Your personal secretary wasn’t qualified for the position, and you only just realized it now? You’re only tackling this issue now?” Jasper asked.

Celine stared at Jasper. “Why are you asking so many questions today?” She questioned.

“Was she going against you or me?” Jasper asked her another question, blatantly ignoring Celine’s evident distaste.

Celine huffed and threw a chip into her mouth. “She was going against the both of us,” she said.

“Was it William?” Jasper asked.

“You’re quite a smart one,” Celine praised him.

“If she only went against you, I wouldn’t have been able to guess it. There are 8000 to 10000 employees in Colossal Investments, and the only people I know there are you and William. Therefore, if she was going against me as well, he had to be the one behind it,” Jasper said in a calm tone.

“Why? Are you unhappy about it? Do you want to go challenge him as well?” Celine asked him cheerily.

“If the opportunity arises, I won’t let him go so easily,” Jasper replied.

Although Jasper did not care much about the internal power struggles taking place within Colossal Investments, nor did he care about working together with them, someone that wanted to defeat him would be a danger to him sooner or later. This was especially true if it was someone holding a high-ranking position like William, the president of the Terra regional branch.

“Alright, I’m full now. I’m going back,” Celine said as she stood up and brushed off the crumbs of food from her hands.

“I’ll be busy with work the next few days due to the heavy workload. I still need to organize the entire process of your listing, so I have an afternoon flight back to Harbor City.”

Jasper got up and replied, “Since the listing of Sena has been confirmed, I need to make some arrangements as well.”

“In that case, we’ll both be busy with our own work,” Celine said with a smile as she walked in front of Jasper.

“Will you miss me?”

“I won’t miss a married woman,” Jasper said with a rigid expression on his face.

Noticing the frown forming on Celine’s brows, Jasper spoke again. “But I’ll miss my friend,” he said.

“You know exactly what to say,” Celine said happily. She waved her hand and said, “Also, don’t call me a married woman. We simply staged a wedding and received a foreign marriage certificate that isn’t recognized in Somerland. That’s it, there’s nothing else going on between the two of us.”

“Are you hinting that I can try becoming the third party in your relationship?”

Jasper chuckled. After knowing her for some time, Jasper knew that she could take a joke like that.

Celine rolled her eyes at Jasper. “You can try. It’s easy to win my heart,” she said.

“I could never move your heart,” Jasper said as he stared at Celine’s imposing figure.

“Tsk, what a man,” Celine pouted in distaste as she walked toward the door.

She opened the door and stood by the exit. Then, she suddenly turned around and smiled radiantly at the sight of Jasper watching her leave. “In that case, see you in New York?” She asked.

“See you in New York.”

…

Celine left just like that. She did not look back.

She did not even ask Jasper to send her to the airport.

She called a taxi to the airport on her own.

Noticing that she had checked out and left, Jasper felt slightly somber.

“Please be careful, Jasper,” Julian, who was beside Jasper, blurted out suddenly.

“You little rascal. You rarely say anything, but your words never fail to make me uncomfortable.”

Jasper glared at Jasper. “Why should I be careful? There’s nothing going on between the both of us,” he said.

“I don’t know about that, but from a man’s perspective, if Ms. Schuler and Ms. Law are both beautiful flowers with contrasting styles, Ms. Celine Maynard is a wildflower that men simply cannot get out of their minds. It’s addictive,” he said.

“Furthermore, she’s a married woman. How exciting is that? A man will surely have fantasies, right?”

Jasper stared at Julian in shock. “F*ck, what have you been doing these days? The way you speak has levelled up greatly,” he said.

…

After bickering with Julian, Jasper no longer felt downcast about Celine’s departure for Harbor City. He then called Jack Tanner over.

“Jack, are you interested in going to New York with me to ring the bells?”

Jasper’s words caused Jack to fell a surge of excitement.

“Has the deal been completed? Didn’t you previously mention that there were some problems with it?” Jack asked in surprise.

Jasper could not hide his plans of listing Sena from Jack, who was in charge of the company. In fact, the both of them had negotiated and decided on many of the strategies that they would be imposing during this period.

Jack looked forward to Sena’s listing as well. For any professional manager out there, getting listed would be the highlight of their careers.

“Everything has been resolved,” Jasper chuckled.

“We’ve now officially started the countdown to the listing. We are yet to decide on a specific date, so you’ll need to carry out the relevant preparations. The company must not face any problems during this period.

“When the company gets listed, it will definitely benefit the employees. You should also design a reward scheme. After all, good things should be shared.”

Life at the Top Chapter 763

The news about Sena’s upcoming listing in the United States was spread by unknown sources.

This news instantly lit up the entire domestic Internet industry.

Frankly speaking, people with a long-term vision could already see that Sena’s moves would completely change the ecosystem of the entire domestic Internet industry when the game “United Legends” was released.

It cleared the path and introduced a new way for Internet companies to make a profit, which was by earning money from online gamers through the development of online games.

For companies that were yet to find a profitable direction under the traditional Internet business model, online gaming was obviously a good way to plug their losses and increase their profitability.

However, when news about Sena’s upcoming listing broke, everyone was shocked when they realized that this had been their actual goal all along.

Because of this, Sena’s overall strategy and intentions had gradually become clear to the public.

Sena made use of United Legends to achieve profitability, and it proceeded to make use of its high profitability to promote the listing of the company.

It seemed like an easy process as it only consisted of two steps.

However, how could Sena be so sure that they would be able to achieve profitability through United Legends?

In fact, not only did they achieve profitability, but they earned crazy amounts of profits.

All the personnel within the domestic Internet industry gained a surge of confidence through their achievements. They looked up to Sena and wondered how a domestic company like them would perform after going public on the Nasdaq.

In a sense, Sena’s public listing in the United States represented the honor of the whole of Somerland’s Internet industry.

If Sena gained popularity, everyone else would be thrown under the spotlight as well. If Sena’s market widened, the whole industry would benefit from it.

Moreover, if Sena did not make it big, everyone would just disregard them and just look for other online games to monitor. They could always think of other solutions if that were to happen.

…

As change rippled through the outside world and drew the attention of countless individuals toward Sena, Jasper, who was the driving force behind it all, was having tea with Mr. Malibu in his office in Nauritus City.

Henry Law, who had a wide smile on his face, was seated next to them.

“Malibu, your Somerish really sucks. You should really get a better teacher so that you can learn better,” Jasper said while he handed a cup of tea to Mr. Malibu. Mr. Malibu, who was born in the United States, had fallen in love with the tea culture in Somerland lately. He had also miraculously quit drinking coffee.

With teary eyes, he had expressed his regrets of being poisoned by coffee for decades before encountering the magic of tea from Somerland. Indeed, it was such a pity.

“Really? However, Kelly told me that I have progressed a lot. Somerish is really difficult, but I will work hard to learn the language,” Malibu said in a slightly embarrassed tone.

“Malibu, you meant to say that you have improved a lot, right? Progress isn’t the right word,” Jasper said in exasperation.

“Haha,” Mr. Malibu let out a bark of laughter. “Yes, yes, I have improved a lot…” he said.

After chatting and joking around for a while, Jasper looked at Henry. “How’s the plan? Have you figured out how much money you can raise?” He asked.

Henry had a look of anguish on his face. “Can’t I ask my father and younger sister to pay in advance?” He asked.

“I will send a document over to each of them. Don’t you want to spend the money that you’ve earned on your own? If you do, you have to use your capital, and yours alone. Borrowing money from others does not count,” Jasper told him in an irritated tone.

“I can’t bear to watch the opportunity to earn a fortune slip by. I can withdraw a sum of 30 million Harbor Dollars at most,” Henry said with a tormented expression plastered upon his face.

Jasper looked at him in shock. “You must be the poorest man among all those from the wealthy second generation out there,” he remarked.

Life at the Top Chapter 764

I’ve already bought a yacht and a car. Besides, I also spend up to several tens of thousands of dollars every time I go out,” Henry said in a regretful tone.

Once Sena gets listed, an internal placement process will be carried out. In other words, shares will be sold to internal buyers in advance. When Sena gets publicly listed, they will then be able to sell their shares according to the market price.

Transactions like this usually yielded a profit unless the share that they owned was worthless, causing the listing price to fall below the opening price. In that case, a huge loss would be incurred. However, such incidents rarely happened.

After all, it was impossible for the shares of a foreign company that was worthy of being listed on the Nasdaq to be worthless.

Furthermore, anyone with decent insight could tell that Sena definitely had the prospect to be a profitable investment.

Naturally, Jasper did not forget about Henry when this excellent opportunity to earn a fortune arose.

Jasper gave the Laws a pre-IPO quota of 200 million dollars. Meanwhile, Kayden Langdon was allocated a quota of 100 million dollars as per their previous agreement. Of course, he did not forget about Schuler Corporation either. Dawson Schuler was also allocated a quota of 200 million dollars. As for the others, Jasper intended to release a quota of 50 million dollars for the company’s veteran employees.

For instance, Hudson Moore and his team had worked under him for a long time and had faced countless struggles throughout their time with him. Nevertheless, it seemed like they did not have many opportunities to reap benefits or wealth.

Although Jasper paid them a salary that was above the industry standard, this did not stop him from awarding them with a variety of benefits for their conscientious work.

As for Henry Law, Jasper had always given him special treatment.

In addition to the Laws’ pre-IPO quota, Jasper had promised Henry that he would allocate him shares equivalent to whatever amount that he was able to raise.

However, Henry did not fare well. His savings only consisted of 30 million Harbor Dollars.

According to the currency exchange rate at the time, it was only worth around 28 million Somer Dollars.

“You should just give up. I’ll help you round it up to 50 million dollars,” Jasper said. He had a headache when he thought about it.

Henry stared at Jasper blankly. “How much will I be able to earn then?” He asked.

“Don’t worry, you’ll definitely be able to get yourself a private jet,” Jasper said cheerily.

Henry immediately got excited. “Sure, I’ll follow you to the United States for the listing then. I’ve been there countless times before, but I’ve never seen the bell in Wall Street being rung before,” he said.

“No problem. Have all the issues at the amusement park been resolved?” Jasper asked.

“Everything has been resolved. There are just some small problems left, but matters like sorting out the materials and submitting them for approval do not require my involvement,” Henry said with a stony expression on his face.

Jasper chuckled. “Sure thing, I’ll notify you later on when the time comes. It should happen in the next few days,” he said.

After going through everything, Jasper suddenly realized something that seemed slightly off.

When other companies got listed, they usually worried about not being able to sell off all the shares allocated under their pre-IPO quotas, and they were usually left with a large sum of shares because of this. However, the pre-IPO quotas that Jasper had prepared were insufficient to meet the current demand.

As things stood, Henry’s quota of 50 million dollars, the Laws’ quota of 200 million dollars, Dawson Schuler’s quota of 200 million dollars, the Langdons’ quota of 100 million dollars, and the 50-million-dollar quota allocated to the company’s veteran employees had all been confirmed. A total quota of 600 million dollars had already been met by these people alone.

“Mr. Laine, I would suggest not allowing any more pre-IPO allocations,” Malibu offered Jasper his suggestion.

“A pre-IPO quota of 600 million dollars is already considered excessive as these will count toward the total share capital in the future. If it increases any further, too many shares will be cashed out at once when the market opens, and this will impact the share price.”

Jasper nodded understandingly as he registered Malibu’s words.

Once the stock price stabilizes, the pre-IPO quota of 600 million dollars will definitely be cashed out. If too many shares are cashed out at the same time, Sena’s share price will indeed be affected.

If that happens, they might take a heavy blow.

Life at the Top Chapter 765

Jasper had just finished his discussion with Malibu when his phone rang. He had received a call from someone unexpected.

It was a call from Gale Hurlbutt.

“Old Master Hurlbutt, how have you been lately?”

It was necessary to remain respectful when he spoke to the leader of Sander Merchant Faction

Gale’s laughter rang out from the other end of the phone. “You’ve been quite active recently, you sly child. Can’t you put a hold on things for a moment?” He asked jokingly.

“There are too many wolves chasing after me from behind. I can’t stop now. If I put a hold on things now, I’m afraid that they will swallow me whole,” Jasper replied in a contemplative tone.

Gale was amused by Jasper’s metaphor. “You’re exaggerating. You’re now a popular hotshot within the domestic financial circle. Countless people are using all possible means to seek out connections or win favors in hopes of buying over some of Sena’s pre-IPO stocks from you,” he said.

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Jasper suddenly became alert upon hearing what he had said. “Old Master Hurlbutt, to be honest, I’m also struggling due to this issue right now. The pre-IPO quota is limited. The Laws want some of it, and my father-in-law wants some of it as well. I’ve also allocated some of it to Half-the-Harbor Langdon,” he said.

“I can’t refuse any of their requests. With requests coming in one after another, there simply isn’t enough to go around. I have already used up the quota in my hands,” he added.

Gale hummed and said, “You’re a sly child indeed. Don’t worry, I’m not interested in such businesses. I won’t ask you for any.”

After hearing what he said, Jasper was overcome with a sense of relief. If Gale disregarded his reputation and insisted on taking some of the reallocated shares, it would be impossible for Jasper to reject his request.

After all, both of them had shared a pleasant collaborative relationship before this.

Since a prominent old senior like Gale Hurlbutt was saying that he did not want any of the pre-listing shares, Jasper would not argue. Even so, Jasper did not mind asking him again out of courtesy.

“No, no. If you want it, I will allocate some to you regardless of the situation,” Jasper said.

“That trick doesn’t work on me. You’re a cunning one, sly child.”

Gale could tell that Jasper was giving him an offer out of courtesy since he had just become aware of the situation. Thus, he did not believe in him at all.

Since Jasper still did not immediately understand his intentions, Gale went straight to the point. “Alright, I’ll tell you everything straight. Initially, some of the members of Sander Merchant Faction that are involved in financial investment wanted to lend you a helping hand once they learned that Sena was about to get listed,” he said.

“However, I asked them not to join in since you already had the support of prominent families such as the Laws and the Langdons.”

A look of regret formed on Jasper’s face after he heard this. “Sigh, please thank them on my behalf. It is impossible to allocate any more shares to anyone now. We’ll work together if the opportunity arises in the future. We’ll earn a fortune together,” he said.

Gale agreed with him cheerily.

The two of them exchanged a few more words before hanging up the call.

After putting down the phone, Gale Hurlbutt got up from the armchair in his study. He snorted and cursed out loud with a smile on his face. “This sly child is always using the Laws and the Langdons to ward people off. Are you afraid that I’ll gobble you up? What a brazen and cowardly man,” he said.

At the same time, Jasper snorted out loud in his office as well.

“This old fox knows nothing about self-respect. Why is he being such a busybody at such an elderly age?”

…

It was evident that the news about Sena’s public listing had a large impact on the financial industry, as even someone like Gale Hurlbutt had been tasked with requesting an allocation of shares from Jasper.

Plenty of people could only watch Sena get listed without being able to join the bandwagon as they could not touch any of the preallocated shares. They were all beyond regretful for missing out on an excellent opportunity like this.

Riskless trading was extremely rare within the financial industry.

However, everyone was sure that they would gain stable profits by purchasing Sena’s shares!

The tides surged as Sena, whose impact had just turned the Internet industry upside down, caused the entire financial circle to be on edge once again.

Plenty of people were focused on the next step that Sena intended to take. People were also waiting for Sena to announce the specific plan for the company’s listing.

Amidst the raging chaos, William was the most upset person out there.

William, who had thought that he could successfully defeat both Jasper Laine and Celine Maynard this time around, sat in his office with a despondent look on his face.

“Sign it,” Celine said as she placed an investigation document before him.

William glanced at the investigation document and sneered. “Miss Maynard, you’re quite skillful. You actually managed to persuade the chairman to use his veto power and managed to proceed with Sena’s listing despite offending three directors,” he said.

Celine said calmly, “Anyone can tell that Colossal Investments’ collaboration with Sena will result in benefits for both parties. Do you think that you can stop me with those tricks of yours?”

Laughing coldly, William replied, “Don’t forget that you’re still under investigation. Although you’ve already passed the Terra regional investigation, you’ll still have to face a direct review after returning to the headquarters.”

“I’ve never harmed the interest of Colossal Investments, nor did I receive bribes from anyone ever since I joined the company. Do you think that I’m afraid of getting investigated?” Celine asked in a stony voice.

“Are you going to sign this document? If you aren’t, tell me right now. I don’t need to waste time over here.”

William picked up his pen and signed the document with a blank expression. He then pushed it back to Celine. “Don’t tell me whether you’ve done it or not. Just tell the investigation team,” he said coldly.

“You and Jasper shouldn’t be too proud of yourselves right now. Although Sena is going to be listed, its opening price is yet to be known. I heard that you promised to withdraw from the financial sector and compensate the bank with a sum equaling three times the commission if the share price is below a hundred US dollars,” he teased.

“I really want to know if Jasper is that good in bed, to the extent that you’re willing to pay such a high price in order to protect his interests.”

As soon as William finished speaking, Celine splashed a cup of hot coffee onto him.

William screamed and jumped up after being drenched in coffee. He slapped his face, which had scalded by the hot coffee, repeatedly.

“B*tch, what are you doing?!” William yelled out in anger.

Celine stared at William frigidly. A delicate and charming smile suddenly appeared on her icy face. “Please remember that not just anyone can joke with me like that. Take yourself for instance. Your words disgust me. If it happens again, you’ll get something far worse than a hot cup of coffee,” she said.

After that, Celine picked up the document, turned around, and left gracefully, leaving William roaring in fury in the office.

Life at the Top Chapter 766

After returning to her own office, Celine let down her guard and leaned back on the chair in exhaustion. She then closed her eyes to take a light nap.

She did not know how much time had passed when she was awoken by the sound of the door opening. She sat up straight in record time and recomposed herself to once again display the stance of a strong and capable woman in the workforce.

Celine sighed in relief when she noticed that it was her new secretary entering the room. “Is there anything urgent, Merrie?” She asked.

As Celine’s new secretary, Merrie Jones admired this powerful woman whom she idolized from the bottom of her heart. “Miss Maynard, the investigation team has left today. I just wanted to ask about our work schedule tomorrow,” she said courteously.

“Cancel everything,” Celine said with a wave of her hand. “I’m returning to New York soon. My current priority is to get Sena listed successfully. Besides, I have to get reviewed by headquarters in New York,” she added.

Merrie nodded. After a while, she mustered up her courage and said, “Miss Maynard, is it worth doing this? I heard that…I heard…”

“What did you hear? Did you hear that there’s something going on between Jasper Laine and me? Am I his lover, or did Jasper Laine offer me tons of benefits so that I would help him out?” Celine asked in amusement.

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A tense look of nervousness appeared on Merrie’s face. “No, I don’t believe the rumors circulating in the company. However, you have way too much on the line, Miss Maynard,” she said anxiously.

Celine chuckled and said, “Alright, this is none of your concern. You can head home now.”

Merrie turned around to leave after nodding in response.

Celine sat alone in her dark office room and stared at the colorful lights of the city below. She was overcome by an inexplicable sense of loneliness.

She took out her phone and called Jasper.

The moment the call went through, and a radiant smile formed on her lips, washing away all her fatigue and loneliness.

“Hey, it’s been a few days but you didn’t even bother to call. Didn’t you say that you’d miss me?”

Thousands of miles away, Jasper was having a meeting with Jack Tanner and the other executives of Sena. He gestured for them to continue with the meeting and walked out of the meeting room. “I’m busy. Besides, you should have been busy these past few days as well. Anyways, we’ll see each other very soon,” he said with a chuckle.

“Once a scumbag gets what he wants, they usually use work as an excuse not to call,” Celine said playfully.

Although they were talking through the phone, Jasper could picture the enchanting and charming expression on Celine’s face right now. He could imagine the way that she would smile at him teasingly while fixing a provocative gaze upon him as she spoke.

Jasper emptied his mind of these thoughts at once and replied in a muffled voice, “After getting what I want? Others will think that there’s something going on between us if they hear you say that.”

“Alright, enough with the nonsense. In three days, we’ll be heading to New York,” Celine said.

“Has it been confirmed?” Jasper asked. His heart lurched. Although he had been preparing for it for some time, he was still inevitably excited when the moment finally arrived.

“It’s confirmed,” Celine said as she chuckled softly. “I have a feeling that you will shine brighter from the moment Sena gets listed. Everyone will look up to you in all of your dazzling glory,” she said in a complicated tone.

“…Were you previously involved in multi-level marketing?”

Jasper’s words caused Celine to hang up the call in a fit of rage.

Celine stared at the night view with a completely different mood as compared to a few minutes ago. She suddenly burst out in laughter after hanging up the call.

Her smile was the epitome of uncontended beauty. Her fatal, alluring smile could move the heart of anyone.

However, nobody had the chance to appreciate the view of her smile.

After returning to the meeting room in satisfaction, Jasper knocked on the table and gestured for Jack to stop the discussion. He looked at the executives of Sena, who were staring at him with sparkling gazes and looks of anticipation. Suddenly, he laughed out loud and said, “In three days, all the executives will get on a chartered flight to New York. The company will pay for everything!”

“Yay!”

“Long live Sena!”

Everyone in the office celebrated with a burst of excitement. The executives, who had been through countless struggles and were currently in their forties, were as exhilarated as children right now.

It was an extremely important and glorious moment in the life of a domestic corporate practitioner to be able to represent companies from Somerland on the Nasdaq listing in the year 2001.

They were standing right in front of the top 99.9999% of people in Somerland at this point in time.

…

Three days later.

Sena had booked a charter flight from Somerland Air. Jack had even driven Jasper out of the first-class business cockpit.

Henry had no choice but to take a seat in the economy class area with a somber look on his face while he watched Jasper chat with two women through video call at the same time using two different laptops.

He muttered the words “Make a mistake! Make a mistake! Make a mistake and let them find out the truth!” repeatedly under his breath.

Wendy Schuler was on the left while Anna Law was on the right.

An overwhelming tension underlined Jasper’s usual calm expression.

Both women were oblivious to the situation. They did not know about each other’s existence.

“Jasp, I’ve checked the weather. The weather in New York is quite cold right now. Remember to bring more clothes,” Wendy said in a gentle voice.

“You aren’t allowed to fool around with other people!” Anna reminded him in a tone that was laced with threatening undertones.

From the way that they spoke, one could tell that both of these women had vastly different personalities.

Celine Maynard?

The thought of another woman surfaced in Jasper’s mind.

He pushed her image out of his mind immediately. It was already a battlefield with just the two of them. He only had two legs and two knees. If he added another laptop, where could he put it? Would he have to sprout another leg?

“Don’t worry, I know what to do,” Jasper replied to both of their contrasting questions with his immaculate speaking abilities. He then proceeded to smile at both of them.

“Sigh, I really want to go to New York as well… I’ve never been to Fifth Avenue or Wall Street before,” Wendy let out a sigh. The project at Southface River was coming to an end soon and she had to manage the project’s operation. If it were not for the project, she would have followed Jasper to New York.

“New York is a vanity fair for capital. It’s good to make more friends over there. It’ll benefit you,” Anna reminded him on a serious note.

“Yes, I’ll come back as soon as I can. I’ll bring presents for you,” Jasper said with a smile on his face.

“Alright, alright. The plane is about to take off, right? I’ll hang up now. Remember to call me after you arrive,” Wendy said with a small smile on her face.

“I’ll keep the present in mind. Let’s see if you manage to bring me something that I like,” Anna chuckled. “Alright, I’ll hang up now. Remember to call me when you arrive,” she added.

“The plane hasn’t taken off yet. Shall we continue chatting for a bit?”

When Henry heard what Jasper said, the renowned wealthy man from the second generation of Harbor City stared at Jasper with widened eyes. It was hard to believe that such a terrifying man existed in real life.

He advanced through the battlefield by opting to retreat. It was the perfect move.

Life at the Top Chapter 767

After bidding Wendy and Anna goodbye, Jasper led everyone onto the plane.

After a fourteen-hour flight, Jasper and the others arrived at New York, which was the economic center of the world’s most powerful country, the United States. It was also known as Gotham City.

After the plane landed, Jasper realized that Colossal Investments had sent a senior client manager named Jameson to greet them. Celine Maynard was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Celine?” Jasper frowned as he asked Jameson, who greeted them with a radiant smile on his face.

“Are you referring to the general manager of the Terra regional branch? She can’t make it as she’s busy with something at the moment, so she asked me to greet you on her behalf. Besides, I will also be in charge of contacting you on everything relating to the series of handover work that needs to be carried out for Sena’s listing,” Jameson said courteously.

Jasper halted in his steps after registering what he had said. He cast a thoughtful look at Jameson and asked, “Does Colossal Investments endorse the act of stealing the fruits of someone else’s labor?”

Jasper knew that Colossal Investments viewed their collaboration with Sena as a high priority case for the company. Plenty of people would surely get jealous of a case that brought forth as many of benefits as Sena’s listing did.

Jasper was worried that Celine would get buried by the power struggle occurring within Colossal Investments, and that someone else would take all the credit for her work.

If that was the case, he would need to have a talk with Colossal Investments.

Jameson was slightly stunned. Obviously, he did not understand what Jasper had meant by “stealing the fruits of someone else’s labor” as it was an idiom that was usually used exclusively in Somerland. However, after his assistant explained it to him, he immediately replied Jasper, “Mr. Laine, you must have misunderstood.”

“I’m only in charge of greeting you and communicating your needs and queries to the investment bank. Miss Maynard is still in charge of the specifics. She is currently caught up at the headquarters of Colossal Investments due to an urgent matter. She’ll be back once she’s done handling the issue,” he explained.

“I assure you that the investment bank will never change the person in charge of your listing without your consent.”

The look of distaste on Jasper’s face eased slightly after he heard Jameson say this. He smiled at Jameson and said, “Let’s head to the hotel at once. To be honest, I’m really tired after sitting on the plane for more than ten hours.”

Jameson was all nerves after he saw how quickly Jasper’s expression had changed. This man from Somerland did not seem like he would be easily fooled.

Colossal Investments would be responsible for the reception of all the executives in Sena’s business team. As such, Colossal Investments had spent a generous sum of money to accommodate their needs.

The accommodation that they had arranged for Jasper and his team was the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, which was located adjacent to Wall Street.

Jasper and Jack each had a presidential suite to themselves whereas the other executives were each allocated to a luxurious suite respectively.

In terms of accommodation fees alone, their daily expenditure exceeded 10000 US dollars.

However, this sum of money was next to nothing for Colossal Investments.

Not long after arriving at the hotel, Jameson went to Jasper’s room.

“Mr. Laine, according to the schedule, you and your team can rest for the time being. We will be holding a banquet for all of you in the evening. I will notify you beforehand.”

Jasper nodded and said, “In that case, I’m sorry to have to trouble you.”

A faint smile formed across Jameson’s lips as he bowed down to Jasper. “It’s my honor to be at your service,” he said.

After speaking, Jameson walked out of the room swiftly.

Jasper sat down on the sofa and pondered something. He then made a phone call to Celine.

The situation aside, he had already arrived at New York, but Celine had yet to show herself. Because of this, Jasper sensed that something was off.

Life at the Top Chapter 768

Nevertheless, Celine did not pick up the call even after Jasper had dialed her phone number for some time.

Just as he was considering whether to contact Jameson with a frown, Jasper heard the sound of his door opening. This was accompanied by the sound of a phone ringing.

Picking up his phone, Jasper stared at Celine, who was standing by the door with her phone in her hand, speechless. She had a radiant smile plastered upon her face. “How are you capable of getting my room card no matter which hotel I stay at?” He asked.

Celine smiled proudly and said, “Please don’t lodge a complaint about me. This hotel is one of Colossal Investments’ partners. Clients of Colossal Investments will usually have their accommodation booked here, and it took me a long time to get acquainted with the manager. If you report me, it won’t be that easy to get your room card the next time.”

“I didn’t think of that. Thanks for reminding me,” Jasper said with a smile.

Celine walked into the room with her hands behind her back. She held the room card in her hand and closed the door on her way in. She then sat down on the sofa and surveyed the surroundings of the room. “Are you used to staying here?” She asked.

“Hotels are all the same, aren’t they?” Jasper replied. He leaned on the sofa and fixed his gaze upon Celine, who was inches away from him. “Jameson said that you were busy with work,” he said.

Playvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreen

“Do you think that Sena’s listing is an easy matter?” Celine asked as she rolled her eyes at him.

“I know that you think that the commission fee charged by our investment bank is ridiculous. You even previously told me that I was an accomplice to a committee of vultures,

“However, have you ever thought about it properly? For a foreign company to get listed on the Nasdaq, we’d need to conduct a tax review, asset review, debt review, and credit review in Somerland, and then covert these review reports into evaluation documents.

“This evaluation document will be sent to a third-party company for auditing after going through Colossal Investments’ internal professional evaluation. If there is no problem, it will be submitted to the Nasdaq Review Committee to be reviewed.

“Even after the trial, there are still a lot of branches and departments that we need to visit one by one. That process itself is so annoyingly tedious.”

Celine rolled her eyes as she continued rambling on. “After everything that I’ve done, I’ll only be getting 1% of the total commission at most,” she remarked.

“Quit your job then. Join my company. You won’t earn a penny less than you do right now,” Jasper said.

Celine fixed a gaze of amusement on Jasper and asked, “Are you really going to take care of me?”

“You can say that. I really do value your abilities anyways,” Jasper replied.

“Tsk tsk, what a scumbag. Other men are only after women’s bodies, but you’re asking me to work for you. It’ll only happen in your dreams,” Celine said.

Celine placed her fair arm on the armrest of the sofa and supported her temple with her hand.

This posture made her seem indolent but charming at the same time. She looked just like a wealthy lady that was lazing on the couch while emanating her charm and beauty to her heart’s content.

“Aren’t you even going to consider it?” Jasper asked half-jokingly.

“I’m only interested in the financial industry and banking. Let’s talk about it again when you open a bank,” Celine drawled.

After chatting for a while, Celine stood up and said, “Alright, I need to go back. A lot of prominent figures from Wall Street will be attending the banquet in the evening. They’re extremely interested in you, so you can try networking. Colossal Investments will send some executives over as well. Contact Jameson if there’s anything that you need.”

“Aren’t you coming?” Jasper asked with a frown.

Celine leaned on the doorframe and faced forward while she fixed her gaze upon Jasper. Her eyes dazzled under the light. “Do you want me to come?” She asked.

After speaking, Celine opened the door without waiting for his response. “I won’t go even if you want me to. I’ve been extremely busy these few days. You probably won’t see me for the next few days as I have loads of stuff that I need to handle. However, I’ll be there on the day of the listing,” she told him.

Life at the Top Chapter 769

After walking out from the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, the smile on Celine’s face gradually dissipated.

By the time she arrived at a black commercial vehicle that had been parked at the entrance of the hotel for a long time, the expression on her face was impassive.

The door of the commercial vehicle slid open to reveal two men and two women sitting inside the car. One of the blonde women spoke out in a sarcastic tone, “Miss Maynard, have you finished catching up with your friend? If you’re done, we should go now. We have fulfilled your request to visit Jasper Laine, but we hope that you can cooperate with us during our following investigation.”

Celine eyed the blonde woman coldly. “Catherine, don’t think that I’m oblivious about what happened between William and you. Didn’t the two of you cause the scandal in the office back then? He threw you aside for his own future. Just look at you now. So many years have passed, but you’re still so loyal to him,” she said.

Catherine’s expression darkened as she gritted her teeth. “Celine Maynard, don’t get ahead of yourself. Don’t forget that you’re now being investigated by the bank!” She blurted out.

“An investigation is just an investigation. What’s the matter? When have I ever said that I wouldn’t cooperate with you?” Celine questioned her in a frigid tone.

“It’s just an investigation. Maintain a polite attitude in front of me. I’m still the general manager of the Terra regional branch of Colossal Investments. In terms of position, I rank higher than any of you. If you offend me in any way, none of you will be let off easily.”

Playvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreenCeline finished speaking with an impassive expression on her face. She then got into the car.

“Start the car,” Celine took the initiative to give the order.

The employee that was in charge of driving the car was stunned. He turned to look at Catherine instinctively.

However, Catherine had a sullen expression plastered upon her face. She wanted to retort against Celine, but she did not dare to do so. “Start the car!” She said through gritted teeth.

The black commercial vehicle slowly left. It merged into the heavy traffic and headed toward the headquarters of Colossal Investments.

…

It was almost time for the evening banquet.

As the representative of Colossal Investments, William had returned to New York as well. He arrived at the banquet hall of the hotel before the actual event time.

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel was Colossal Investments’ long-term partner. Therefore, the people here all knew William, who was a young elite within the financial circle. They all greeted him politely.

William nodded with a smile in response.

He grabbed hold of a staff member and asked him nonchalantly, “May I know who the service manager in charge of the banquet in the evening is?”

The staff member was surprised by the fact that William was talking to him. He immediately replied, “That would be me, Mr. William.”

“That’s great,” William said cheerily as he took out a hundred US dollar bill and handed it over to him. “The banquet tonight is extremely important. Not only will the executives of Colossal Investments be here, but a lot of elites from Wall Street will be in attendance as well. This is an opportunity for Colossal Investments to demonstrate its capabilities to Sena, so you must guard the event strictly. Don’t let any strangers into the hall,” he said.

“Especially a young man from Somerland. Understood?”

The service manager was slightly stunned. “Mr. William, I will definitely carry out my responsibilities to the fullest of my abilities, but a young man from Somerland? Isn’t Sena a company from Somerland? Is there a mistake?” He asked instinctively.

I want you to make a mistake!

William thought to himself. Nevertheless, he grinned widely at the staff member and said, “Don’t worry. Don’t bother about those who are older, but as for a young man… Think about it, how can a young man in his twenties attend such an important event? Anyways, just remember to check the guest list strictly. Here is your tip.”

The service manager pondered upon it for a while and figured that there should not be any problem with his requests. He agreed to it at once and put away his tip happily.

William turned around and left with a smile on his face. He felt extremely exhilarated.

He knew that arranging for someone to prevent Jasper from entering the hall was not anything great, but he just wanted to disgust him. That was more than enough for him.

William wanted to embarrass Jasper so that he would feel disgusted by them.

He felt beyond excited and satisfied upon thinking about the awkward scenario that would occur later.

…

The evening banquet commenced at the set timing.

With Colossal Invesments’ persuasion, and the Sena’s attractive concept, Sena’s pre-listing banquet managed to draw the attention of a lot of famous investors from Wall Street.

This evening banquet could be regarded as a high-end networking event between business elites.

Jasper attended the event clad in a formal business suit. As he had left his room slightly late, he did not ask Jack and the others to wait for him. He decided to head straight to the banquet on his own instead.

He had just arrived at the entrance when a manager with a blank expression on his face came over and said, “Sir, please show me your invitation!”

“Invitation?”

Jasper frowned. As the main stakeholder in tonight’s banquet, Jasper did not need an invitation.

The manager smiled. He was just about to say something when the door to the hall opened.

Jameson walked out in a hurry. He seemed to be looking for someone. His gaze shone once he caught sight of Jasper, and he walked over courteously at once.

“Mr. Laine, the banquet has already begun. Without the main stakeholder, the banquet can’t commence. Follow me in right now,” he said.

Jameson’s words shocked the service manager.

Jasper chuckled and patted the service manager on his shoulder. He then followed Jameson into the hall.

Jasper thought that the manager was just carrying out his usual responsibilities. He would not hold a grudge over a small issue like that.

Meanwhile, that manager broke out into cold sweat as he stared at the two figures walking into the hall. He had prepared for the worst and thought that he was about to meet his ancestors in heaven.

“Is this that certain someone who wasn’t supposed to be eligible to participate in the banquet? He is the main person being celebrated in tonight’s banquet! You b*stard, William. I hope you’re faced with bad luck tonight!”

The service manager dabbed at the cold sweat on his face. He was still pretty shaken up. He was lucky that Jasper did not blame him for all the trouble, or otherwise, his job would be at risk!

Life at the Top Chapter 770

When Jasper entered the banquet hall, his appearance immediately attracted everyone’s attention.

Under the propaganda deemed necessary by Colossal Investments, Jasper’s identity as the largest private beneficiary from the crude oil futures market last year had been disclosed to the public.

Another important identity of his, the organizer of the Harbor City share market rescue plan, had been revealed as well.

With these achievements associated with him, Jasper attracted the attention of everyone in the banquet hall, which was full of elites from Wall Street.

Everyone looked at this young man from Somerland with a curious and inquiring gaze. They wanted to see exactly what kind of extraordinary man was capable of making such an awe-inspiring move in the crude oil futures market.

“Friends, look who’s here!”

Jameson announced to everyone with a loud laugh as he wrapped an arm around Jasper’s shoulders passionately.

“This is Mr. Laine, whom I’ve told all of you about. He’s from the ancient and mysterious Somerland.

“Just like that great country, he is full of extraordinary power. During the crude oil futures incident some time ago, he snatched a bunch of coveted benefits from the hands of governments and capital predators.

“Of course, there’s the shocking Harbor City share market rescue plan as well. Mr. Laine, who is right beside me, initiated the entire plan. I believe everyone here is familiar with that wonderful game of capital, right?”

Shoved under the spotlight, Jasper responded to everyone’s curious gazes with a wide grin on his face.

Meanwhile, Jack Tanner, Henry Law, and the others stared at him with bitter smiles on their faces.

“The West really favors young geniuses. Old men like us don’t catch their attention,” Jack joked.

Henry was slightly envious as well. “When can I ever be that awesome?” He asked.

Jasper greeted the elites of Wall Street in fluent English.

Although these people were not the top dogs on Wall Street, they were not random nobodies either. Otherwise, they would not have been invited to this banquet.

In a larger sense, they were the backbone of Wall Street.

Because of this, Jasper naturally did not mind forging an amicable relationship with them.

In the future, he would be participating in the international market. Thus, it was possible that one of these people will be of great use to him in the future.

Not long after, Jameson came over with a blonde middle-aged man.

“Mr. Laine, let me introduce you to this man. He’s one of the most prominent figures within the real estate industry in the United States. He really admires your ability and wishes to get to know you.”

As soon as Jameson finished speaking, Jasper turned around to look at the said man. His gaze instantly wavered once he set his eyes upon him.

He would not have been that shocked if even Winston Benett or Charles Granger had appeared before him.

However, the person before him had an insanely powerful identity.

He was the future president of the United States.

Donnie Todd.

He was from the second generation of an extremely rich family in the United States. After taking over the family business, he gradually flourished and became one of the most powerful real estate developers in the United States.

As a free-spirited man, he changed his focus to politics after engaging in business of the highest order… He then rose to the absolute top once he got into politics.

It was simply incredible.

However, all of this would take place in the future. As things stood, he was still a real estate tycoon in the United States right now. He did not have any other special identities.

Jasper did not expect Donnie Todd to appear at this banquet.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Laine. I see a reflection of my younger self in you. You’re as capable and determined as I was back then.”

Todd said in his characteristic voice that resembled a drake.

Just like his personality, he was a detached and conceited man. He never failed to glorify himself even when others were already showering him with praise.