Ch. 791..800
Life at the Top Chapter 791
Celine listened to Jasper as he spoke and indeed found irregular trading behavior from a batch of accounts.
It was normal to want to buy as much of Sena’s shares as possible, for countless investors were thinking of ways to buy Sena’s shares.
Selling was normal too since not everyone had a bullish view of Sena’s development. There were chances of the share prices dropping in the afternoon later. It was actually a common phenomenon for newly listed shares.
However, buying huge bulks only to sell them batch by batch was unnatural. Doing so would strike fear in the investors and deter investors who wanted to buy the shares at a higher price.
Frowning, Celine looked at Jasper. “Who is it?”
“Who else? The person who doesn’t want the share prices to increase the most,” Jasper replied calmly.
At the same time, in an office beside Nasdaq Exchange Center. William sat proudly before his own computer.
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He was the culprit behind it all.
“That’s right! Too many people are taking a bullish stance on Sena now, and while I can’t stop you from rising, I can control how much your share price rises!”
Wiliam muttered to himself with a proud look on his face.
“If you two damn cheaters think you can raise the share price to 120 US dollars, then you can dream on!”
William was filled with excitement when he thought of how upset Jasper would look when he failed to win the bet and Celine had to resign.
At that moment, William’s phone rang.
“Mr. William, it’s me, the financial director of the Terra regional branch.” A middle-aged woman’s voice sounded over the phone.
William furrowed his brows and asked, “What is it?”
“I see that there’s a deduction of one billion US dollars from the company’s funds. These are funds that we should hand over to the headquarters next week. According to the procedural forms, I see that you transferred the money this morning through special procedures, Mr. William?”
Wiliam’s hand shook, but there was no change in his tone of voice as he replied plainly, “I did. I’m currently at the headquarters now so I decided to transfer the funds over in advance. I’ll deal with the related follow-up work and procedures later.”
The financial director seemed rather hesitant when she replied, “But Mr. William, according to financial protocol, I have to confirm the money first before it gets transferred out. You going around me through special procedures will put both of us in deep trouble once they find out during the year-end review.”
“I already told you that I’m at the headquarters and the money was transferred in advance on the headquarters’ orders. You’re all the way in Harbor City, so how was I supposed to inform you first? Don’t worry about it, I’ll deal with everything.”
William then hung up the phone somberly.
He needed more than just a perfect plan to suppress the rising trend in Sena’s share prices. He needed a large number of funds as well.
William himself did not have the money, so he was currently embezzling Colossal’s funds.
Wiliam was well aware that he would lose his job and be put behind bars the moment his actions were exposed, but he could not care less now.
He would be the winner as long as he managed to control Sena’s share prices and prevent them from exceeding 120 million US dollars. Then all he had to do was transfer the money back tomorrow morning and no one would know!
Taking a deep breath, William forced himself to calm down. Staring at the computer, William felt the unease within him be replaced with pride when he saw how Sena’s share prices continued to dance around 88 US dollars.
What he had not expected was that once he hung up the phone, the financial director would realize how risky the situation was the more she thought about it.
It was a huge crime to embezzle company funds and the financial director did not want to risk going to jail just when she was about to retire.
Mulling over the thought, she believed that there was nothing wrong with being more cautious. After pondering, she decided to call Celine, the general manager of the Terra regional branch.
Life at the Top Chapter 792
After spending a few minutes on the phone, Celine hung up calmly.
“I know who it is.”
Jasper was shocked when he heard Celine’s words. “We just found out someone was fooling around a few minutes ago and you already know who it is?”
“You knew who it was earlier on too, didn’t you?” Celine asked.
“Who else could it be if not William? The problem now is that we don’t have evidence,” Jasper spoke calmly.
At this moment, William was the only person who would and could control Sena’s share prices.
“I just received a call from the financial director of the Terra regional branch. She told me that William used special procedures to transfer one billion US dollars from the company’s accounts.
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“He didn’t transfer the money through the proper procedures and he also told the financial director that he transferred the money to the headquarters in advance. She didn’t want to risk it, so she called me to ask if it was true.”
Jasper laughed aloud after hearing Celine’s words and said, “You’ve got to give this financial director a pay raise.”
Celine scoffed. “I wouldn’t have been able to do anything if he had just sat still and waited for the results, but there’s no blaming me now since he’s actively trying to screw himself over.”
Jasper glanced at the share prices and asked Celine, “How confident are you?”
“Who do you think I am?”
Celine harrumphed arrogantly and spoke, “Half an hour. I’ll get rid of him for you.”
Then, Celine left the room, leaving Jasper to mull over his thoughts for a moment before calling Henry over.
Henry was currently happily staring at the k-line that he did not quite like.
There was nothing he could do. Every small increase was still money and Henry’s ten million Harbor Dollars had now turned into 30 million Harbor Dollars. There was no reason for him not to be happy.
It was a giddy feeling to almost hear the notification of money entering his account every second.
“What’s up?” Henry asked once he got into the room.
“Someone’s actively trying to stop Sena’s share prices from rising.” Jasper did not beat around the bush.
Henry was stunned for a moment before he immediately pulled up his sleeves. “Tell me, which f*cker is it?”
To Young Master Law, there were two unforgivable things in this world.
The first, anything that prevented him from acting cool.
The second, anything that prevented him from making money.
This person was currently preventing him from making money, thus preventing him from buying his private plane and acting cool back in Harbor City.
This person has crossed both lines and therefore should be charged with death!
Jasper seriously doubted whether Henry understood what he meant by preventing share prices from rising but he was too lazy to explain it.
“We might need your dad’s help this time.”
“While we already have plans to fish the person out, the damage is done and we need to think of a way to turn the situation around to save it.”
Hearing Jasper, Henry was stunned for a bit and his intrigued expression fell.
“What the f*ck, why’d you call me over then? Call my dad. He treats you better than me.”
“Cut the nonsense and call him.” Jasper glared at Henry.
No matter how good his relationship with the Law family was, there were still limits to the things he could do. Some things would be more appropriate for Henry to talk to his family about.
Henry did not think too much about it and called his dad obediently.
A moment later, Henry passed the phone to Jasper with a silent look that was meant to convey ‘What did I tell you?’.
“It’s me, Uncle Law. It seems like I’ll need your help to make a statement,” Jasper spoke politely.
Zachary’s laughter echoed through the phone and he spoke, “What are you so polite for? It’s no big deal anyway. Tell me, then. What would you like me to do?”
“Uncle Law, you could…”
After hanging up the call with Zachary, Jasper did not hesitate to call Kayden next.
“You’re a busy man, aren’t you, Mr. Laine? How do you still have the time to call me?” Kayden sounded like he was in a great mood.
It was most likely that this man had his eyes focused on the change in share prices. His mood was naturally great when he realized that the money he invested had now tripled.
Jasper smiled. “Would you like to earn more?”
That immediately put Kayden on alert. “I already fell for one of your traps last time, so what do you have in mind now?”
Jasper replied exasperatedly, “Now that’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Langdon. We’re all benefitting here, so how could you accuse me of setting up a trap for you? But I actually do need the Langdon family to come out and make a statement this time.”
Kayden could acutely realize the unusual situation from Jasper’s words.
Jasper had not asked for Kayden but rather the Langdon family.
While Kayden was part of the Langdon family, those had two very different implications.
“Tell me what happened first. My father is rather low profile, so it wouldn’t be suitable if his children did the opposite.”
Kayden’s words were well-spoken, for he did not agree straight away nor did he directly decline Jasper.
This was the good thing about Jasper and Kayden’s friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Jasper smiled. “Basically, while Sena’s current share prices aren’t low, they also have the potential of going higher. It’s just that there’s someone here trying to control the prices. We’re already dealing with him but his effect still remains. If we want Sena’s share prices to keep rising, the market is going to need another strong shock.”
“So you want me to release a statement on behalf of the Langdon family?” Kayden was a smart man and immediately caught on.
Jasper did not disagree and continued, “That’s the situation. The Law family has already begun making a move.”
Kayden fell silent for a while and replied, “I’m in Harbor City now. How about you just tell me what you need me to do?”
…
Due to the different time zones, 1:00 p.m. in the United States was precisely midnight in Harbor City.
Just when everyone thought that the day was ending, the Law and the Langdon families released an important statement at the exact same time at 12:00 a.m.
The Law family even held a press conference.
In truth, if not for the Law family’s reputation, the reporters would not even think of attending.
However, it had to be some big news if the Law family was holding a press conference with the Langdon family.
This resulted in reporters being woken up from their sleep by their superiors to rush to Law Manor.
At 12:40 p.m. in Harbor City, or 1:40 p.m. in the United States, the Law family and the Langdon family officially began their press conference.
“The Law family and the Langdon family will each sign a Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Sena. Sena will help the two families expand their business in the Mainland while the Law family and the Langdon family will fully support Sena by bringing its web portal and gaming business into Harbor City.”
News spread across the Pacific Ocean and half the globe in the shortest time possible before it arrived in the United States where people were still going crazy about Sena.
In an instant, the news stations and papers in the United States all began to talk about this.
Investors in the United States went mad once more!
Life at the Top Chapter 793
The Law and the Langdon families’ statement implied that Sena was going to enter the Harbor City market with these two families’ help.
While the Harbor City market did not mean much, one should remember that the wealthy families in Harbor City currently held large influence over Southeast Terra.
To those who were wise, this statement implied that Sena would enter the broad market of Southeast Terra.
With that being said, Sena now had the possibility of spreading beyond the country and becoming the first multinational internet company.
The market’s enthusiasm was instantly reflected in Sena’s share prices.
The share prices had been jumping between 88 and 89 US dollars when they instantly jumped to 99 US dollars ten minutes after the statement was released.
It was only one step away from reaching 100 US dollars.
Playvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreenJasper looked at Sena’s share prices and let out a slight sigh of relief.
He had at least managed to get rid of the negative effect William’s actions had brought.
Just then, Winston Benett’s team also released a statement.
Winston Benett had used his funds to buy 120 million US dollars worth of Sena’s shares.
This statement tallied with his bullish stance on Sena during the interview.
Just then, Sena’s share prices surpassed 100 US dollars!
Just as all the investors in the United States began to cheer about Sena creating miracles, Jasper’s phone rang.
“Hello, is this Mr. Jasper Laine?” A middle-aged man’s gentle voice sounded on the other end of the phone.
Jasper replied, “I am. And you are?”
“Hello, this is Winston Benett’s assistant. He had me make you a call.
“Mr. Benett actually wished to talk to you in person, but an emergency came up and he’s unavailable. On behalf of Mr. Benett, I’d like to invite you to have afternoon tea with Mr. Bennett this Wednesday.
“I’d like to ask if you’re free to meet, Mr. Laine?”
Jasper was stunned for a moment, almost believing that this was a scam call.
Although it soon occurred to him that this was unlikely.
“I’ll be there,” Jasper replied.
The assistant smiled and said, “We’ll confirm the time and place then, Mr. Laine. Have a great day, goodbye.”
After hanging up the phone, Jasper felt a weird feeling come over him.
He never expected to get into contact with the stock god Winston Benett so soon in this life.
Jasper was elated, for this was Winston Benett, and the man taking the initiative to invite him for a meet-up spoke of his acknowledgment of Jasper.
However, he felt no additional excitement. After all, Jasper no longer needed to marvel at anyone else anymore. If anything, he was the one the majority of people marveled at.
Jasper was envious, though, seeing how Winston Benett had an assistant to make a call for him.
It seemed that Jasper had to speed up the employment of a secretary as it would not do well with his current status not to have one.
Jasper stayed in Nasdaq Exchange Center and watched for minute changes in the share prices. At that same moment, Celine was bringing a team of people toward the office William was currently in.
Celine could not help but chuckle when she remembered how infuriated Paulson looked less than 20 minutes ago when she told him the news.
“Are we certain this is the address? I don’t want to end up in the wrong place and forcing him into hiding,” Celine stated to the people beside her gleefully.
The people following Celine were members of Colossal Investments’ Integrity Department.
These were not the people who previously reviewed Celine. These were Colossal Investments’ true elites.
Most of them were from the United States’ Undercover Department or other special departments like the prosecutor’s court.
It was precisely thanks to these people that Colossal Investments remained as the investment bank with the least internal corruption over the past decade and longer.
“We’ve already confirmed with special equipment that the IP address of that transaction account is in this commercial building,” replied a stern middle-aged man.
Celine nodded and spoke, “Alright, let’s go then.”
Just then, William roared in his office.
His hair was a mess and his eyes were bloodshot. His originally ironed suit was now in shreds and hung sparsely over his shoulders.
Sitting on the chair, William stared at the computer in disbelief as he muttered to himself, “No way, how could the share prices suddenly rise so much?”
William had actually tried to sell his shares when the Law and the Langdon families released the statement in hopes to keep the share prices down.
Yet the investors’ total capital was too strong and it was foolish of William to think he could fight alone against so much hot money.
In an instant, the shares he threw out were completely sold to the other investors.
Before William could realize what was happening, Winston Bennet’s statement was released as well.
William slammed his fist onto the table at the sight of the striking large trendline and shouted, “No way! What the hell happened?! Something must’ve happened without my knowledge! Damn it, it’s more than 100 US dollars already!”
Bang!
The office doors were kicked open and a group of people rushed in.
Celine followed behind the group, and her slim figure was truly alluring. Every step she took turned heads and she entered the room enchantingly.
“You’re right, something did happen without your knowledge. Not that you need to know what it is now, since it’s not important anymore.”
William’s face paled as he looked at Celine and the group of people who were glaring at him disdainfully.
“What are you doing?! What do you mean by bringing so many people over, Celine?” William pushed aside the unease that surged within him and growled.
Celine waved a hand in front of her nose to get rid of the disgusting smell in the office. With a hand over her nose, she spoke, “The headquarters already knows that you embezzled the company’s funds, William.”
William’s expression changed drastically.
While he already had an inkling when Celine appeared with these people in tow, Williams still could not stop the fear and disbelief when he heard the truth.
“What nonsense are you spouting?!” William roared fiercely.
Just then, a middle-aged man beside Celine walked over expressionlessly and spoke with his badge in his hand, “Mr. William, I’m the special executive officer of the headquarters’ Integrity Department, reporting directly to the board of directors. We have sufficient proof that you’ve embezzled one billion US dollars from the Terra regional branch.
“You have the right to remain silent and everything you say will be used against you when Colossal sues you.”
With that, he gestured to someone beside him. “Bring him away.”
“Wait.”
Celine suddenly spoke.
Even William looked at Celine confusedly, wondering why she would stop them at such a time.
Life at the Top Chapter 794
“Have you not humiliated me enough, Celine?”
Wiliam glared at Celine and sneered.
Celine kept her hand over her nose and spoke cheerfully, “You think too much.”
With that, Celine ignored the sour look on Wiliam’s face and pulled her phone out to call Jasper.
“We’ve caught him.”
Celine stretched her neck to look at William’s computer screen as she spoke. Seeing Sena’s stock chart blinking continuously on the screen, she continued, “We caught him red-handed. He was still trading when we arrived and from the looks of it, he’s tried his best to keep the share prices from rising. He’s close to clearing his account at this rate.
“So what now, do you want me to bring him to you?” Celine asked.
Playvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreenJasper was currently eating lunch with Jack and the rest.
They had woken up early in the morning to ring the Nasdaq opening bell so that Sena could go public. Everyone had been so excited and high-strung that they only found the time to have lunch now.
“No need.” Jasper swallowed a mouthful of food, feeling slightly upset.
While there were Somer restaurants in the United States, the flavor of the food here was rather indescribable.
Jasper was starting to miss the taste of home.
“There’s no need for that. He’s no more than an insignificant side character.
“I’m eating now, we’ll talk when you get back.”
Jasper then hung up the call.
As if anticipating that Jasper would say such a thing, Celine had put the phone on loudspeaker since the very beginning.
William had heard Jasper’s words clearly.
William, who still planned to protest at the very beginning, was irked by Jasper’s attitude and suddenly became as mad as a rabid dog.
This was the biggest attack someone could land on their opponent.
The enemy he had been plotting to crush ultimately defeated him as if he was nothing.
This was what William felt now.
A surge of anger and humiliation flooded him, almost making him abandon all rationale.
“Who does he think he is? I’m the president of Colossal Investments’ Terra regional branch! Countless financial magazines could only wish to interview me! I have people begging for me to invest in their companies and to give them a job at Colossal!
“Who the hell does he think he is! How dare he look down on me? What does he mean insignificant? I’m going to kill him! He’s f*cking dead!”
Overwhelmed by his emotions, William continued to thrash and struggle, which only resulted in more people surrounding him and keeping him in place. They made sure he could not do anything in his agitation.
Celine watched Wiliam’s reaction and her expression looked content. She waited until he was done speaking before she replied slowly, “You’re indeed the president of Colossal Investments’ Terra regional branch. That’s going to change soon, but I suppose you still are right now.
“The difference between the both of you is that you’re nothing once you leave Colossal Investments. Even if you manage to stay in Colossal, you’re still nothing more than one of its many senior executives.
“But he’s the soul of JW Capital and its chain of companies. He has various companies under his name, all with boundless potential.
“The world’s first skyscraper in the future will belong to him and the currently most hyped dot-com enterprise belongs to him too. Only the future will tell of his success.
“And there’s nothing you can do but watch him succeed from the confinements of your jail cell.”
Celine stared at the deep hatred in Wiliam’s eyes.
“I can’t believe I actually fought with someone like you for years. Now that I think about it, it’s unbefitting of someone of my status. My apologies.”
With that, Celine ignored William who looked completely defeated and waved her hand, “Bring him away.”
…
Half an hour later, Celine appeared beside Jasper with a smile on her face.
“All done?” Jasper asked.
Life at the Top Chapter 795
“All done,” Celine affirmed.
“Good, then.” Jasper nodded but did not say more.
“It’s already 110 US dollars!” Celine exclaimed when she looked at the computer and saw Sena’s current share prices.
“There’s still one more hour until the market closes.” Jasper pondered softly with his hands underneath his chin.
“It should be okay now. Even if we can’t reach 120 US dollars today, there’s nothing much anyone can comment on considering such a performance from Sena on its first day.” Celine looked at Jasper and consoled him, seeing how serious and stern the man looked.
Although she had always joked around with Jasper, Celine also saw how much hard work Jasper had put in to raise Sena’s share prices.
At such a moment, she did not have the heart to joke about such a thing with Jasper.
PlayvolumeAd5To her surprise, Jasper smiled. “Don’t worry, I still have a plan.”
“Jack, come over for a bit.”
Hearing Jasper, Jack quickly went over.
“What is it, Mr. Laine?”
Jack asked gleefully.
As Sena’s manager, Jack received company dividends, and the higher Sena’s share price, the higher his net worth.
He was not the only elated one here, for all of Sena’s senior executives were too. Everyone was in a great mood and their eyes were filled with respect when they looked at Jasper.
This man had increased their net worth from the millions to tens of millions in a day. Especially Jack, whose net worth was at the hundreds of millions mark thanks to the increase in share prices.
“How much cash is there in the company’s accounts?” Jasper asked.
Jack immediately replied, “A little bit more than 360 million Somer Dollars.”
“Have the company release a statement saying that the company is considering repurchasing its shares back to ensure the interests of existing shareholders.”
Jasper instructed.
Jack’s eyes widened in disbelief when he heard Jasper.
Indeed, the company did have the right to repurchase the available shares in the market.
However, companies only tended to do so in preparation for privatization.
Privatization essentially meant repurchasing all outstanding shares from investors and leaving the market.
There had never been a company that repurchased its shares the first day it went public.
“We could induce panic in the market if this goes wrong, Mr. Laine,” Jack spoke.
Jasper smiled and pointed at the electronic display that covered the entire wall outside the windows. “Look at how frenzied these American investors are. What panic can we induce in the market?”
Speechless, Jack took a look at Jasper’s determined expression and nodded. “Alright, I’ll get right to it.”
Jasper smiled. “Thank you.”
Jack grinned. “There’s no need, I’m just doing my job.”
Ten minutes after Jack left, another huge statement was released from Sena.
Sena’s managerial ranks had plans to repurchase 300 million Somer Dollars worth of shares to ensure its shareholders’ interests.
The news very quickly spread far and wide.
The investors were stunned and so were organizations and investing parties in Wall Street.
No one understood what Jasper was doing.
Instantly, calls and messages blew up Jasper’s phone.
The man was well prepared for this and directly switched his phone off. Now, no one could contact him at all.
Life at the Top Chapter 796
The market reacted almost immediately once they knew of Sena’s statement.
Sena’s share prices had another burst once the statement was released and stabilized at 110 US dollars. It was likely for it to keep rising and its trend was steep!
At the same time, in the president’s office of Nasdaq Exchange Center.
Franklin and Paulson were chatting. The duo had yet to find out about Sena’s statement, so they did not realize that Sena’s share prices had suddenly spiked.
Paulson still did not believe that Sena would surpass 120 US dollars per share, for the dot-com industry’s economy had yet to recover after its bubble popped. To exceed such a price was an impossible feat!
“You’ve been sitting here all day, old friend. It seems like Sena’s share prices really won’t be able to exceed 120 US dollars as you predicted.”
As the president of Nasdaq Exchange Center, Franklin had seen way too many hyped or insignificant shares go public and privatize.
Franklin had more experience in share securities than Paulson and perhaps even more authority when it came to theory, or he could not have assumed the position as president of one of the world’s six biggest exchange centers.
Paulson smiled softly and pointed at his brain. “That’s because I have a fundamental understanding of the financial market and dot-com industry as a whole.
“I agree that Sena is an outstanding company, and if it had gone public before the dot-com bubble popped, I’m sure a company with its results can easily amount to 180 US dollars. But the industry is no longer the same.
“The limits of its share prices isn’t the business, but the market’s ceiling.”
Franklin sighed regretfully. “I agree. As you said, the market’s environment is what’s limiting it. It’s a shame, considering how boundless Sena’s potential is as an enterprise.”
Paulson laughed aloud and spoke, “Let this be a lesson taught to the young Somer businessman. He’s an extraordinary man, but he has yet to see through Wall Street’s financial market. In many cases, a company’s determined share price is hardly a representation of the enterprise’s results and future.
“There’s nothing wrong with a few more obstacles for the youths.
“There’s still another hour before its first transactional day ends. Will you truly fire Celine if Sena doesn’t manage to exceed 120 US dollars? You should know that doing so would create a rift between you and this Somer businessman. Your relationship would take a horrible turn,” Franklin spoke.
Paulson shrugged. “The world needs the United States and the United States needs Wall Street. As the largest investment bank in the world, the last thing Colossal lacks are partnerships. I’m sure he’ll know what to do if he’s a qualified businessman.
“Perhaps he’s already considering admitting his loss to me.
“As for Celine, she’s indeed the daughter of an old friend of mine. I won’t fire her because of this, but I will have to teach her a lesson.
“I need them to know that many things in this world aren’t in their control. After all, there are still people like us who are more experienced and more authorized. We can’t possibly let them get away being so full of themselves.”
Paulson had just finished speaking when someone hastily knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Franklin spoke calmly.
Jameson entered the room quickly and greeted the two old men, “Hello, President Paulson, Mr. Franklin.”
Seeing his own subordinate enter the room, Paulson frowned slightly and asked, “I thought you were supposed to be by Jasper’s side, Jameson? What are you doing here?”
Life at the Top Chapter 797
Jameson reported with a strange expression on his face, “President Paulson, I just received reliable news that Sena has given an official statement about preparing to repurchase 300 million Somer Dollars worth of Sena’s shares. They claim that it’s to ensure the interests of their shareholders.”
Paulson gasped at that. “What?!”
Even Franklin was stunned.
Jameson quickly continued, “The news caught us off guard and Jasper didn’t tell us anything before he made the decision… Perhaps he did tell the general manager of the Terra regional branch, Celine, but she did not report it to us.”
“He has the right to make any decisions he wants when it comes to Sena. After all, Colossal Investments are just providing service and a partnership. You aren’t Jasper’s superior, so there’s no need for him to report everything to you.”
Franklin looked at Paulson intently and smiled. “Looks like you miscalculated today, old friend.”
“This little Easterner brat. Where’s all this bravery coming from? Does he not fear that doing so will induce panic and cause the upward trend to crash?”
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Paulson spoke angrily, feeling humiliated. Then, he opened the computer and pulled out Sena’s share chart.
Franklin came over to take a look as well. After taking a glance, he laughed aloud. “Looks like the Goddess of Luck is standing in the east today.”
Sena’s share price was at a whopping 121 US dollars.
From the trade volume, it seemed that the upward trend was still going strong and would not stop even when the trading day came to an end.
“This little brat!” Paulson spat out the words with his jaw set, only to suddenly break into laughter.
Paulson turned to Franklin as he laughed and spoke, “How long has it been since we last saw someone like this? The last person who dared make such a thrilling move must’ve been Winston Benett, that old fella.”
Franklin nodded in deep agreement. “To some degree, those two are the same kind of people.
“They take risks that the world believes to be unnecessary, only for them to receive a reward that greatly outweighs their risks. Not to mention that they know the moment they make their decisions that they’ll win.”
Franklin sighed in awe, slightly saddened about the end of a hero’s era but relieved to know that a new hero had arisen to take their place. “The world does indeed belong to the youths. Perhaps we’re really growing old.”
Paulson looked at Sena’s share prices quietly and closed his eyes. He began to think back on Jasper’s actions since Sena went public.
First was the advertisement and paving of the path for the shares before Sena went public. This was so all investors in the United States knew that this was a very outstanding share that had broken many of the dot-com industry’s records.
Thanks to that, Sena’s share prices then doubled from its issued price in a very short amount of time after going public.
Following that was William troubling him, but instead of panicking, Jasper countered it with his own contacts.
This caused the first surge in prices.
Then came Winston Benett’s tacit help, leading to the second surge.
However, this current move of Sena releasing its statement was one of extreme determination and ambition. This move truly proved how intelligent Jasper was and Paulson could not help but be impressed.
Life at the Top Chapter 798
The analog clock ticked slowly on the display until the second hand finally rested on the number 12.
It was currently 3:30 p.m. in New York and Nasdaq Exchange was officially over for the day.
Following the end of the trading day, a loud cheer resonated throughout the exchange center.
A red flag with five stars on it appeared on the electronic display again, and below it were Nasdaq Exchange Center’s and Sena’s logos.
Everyone was cheering about the miracle they had seen today.
They had watched as Sena’s share leaped from its issued price of 25 US dollars and grew almost five times in just six hours to 122 US dollars when the market closed!
At this moment, the host of the financial radio channel spoke excitedly, “You heard it right, Somerland’s Sena has once again made history. Reality has proven to every one of us that as long as you are capable enough, you can create true miracles here in the United States!
“The share has grown five times its price in just one day. This means that thousands of people have become millionaires and more thanks to Sena’s shares in just six hours!
“According to the latest news and a reliable source, eight people from Sena’s managerial ranks have net worths of a few millions, four are worth a few tens of millions, and one is worth hundreds of millions thanks to such phenomenal success!
“This is a great moment for Nasdaq and Sena! Sena has proven to us today that despite enduring a pop in the dot-com bubble, the industry is still filled with potential and it’s still a viable direction for the world to further develop. Perhaps all of us could ask ourselves if we’ve been looking at the dot-com industry with a biased gaze.”
Jasper could not hear the host’s intonated speech anymore for he was currently surrounded by Jack and the rest.
If everyone was not restraining themselves, they would be throwing Jasper into the air to celebrate by now.
“Have fun relaxing in New York for the next couple of days, everyone. Understand the charm of this international financial center.”
Jasper spoke with a smile to the group of people who had gazes filled with excitement and admiration.
At that moment, it was as if Jasper was glowing.
The man shone brighter than anyone, and a simple small smile from the man was so charismatic that it could leave people feeling intoxicated.
“All your expenses will be paid by the company, except for shopping. After all, you guys have just made a lot of money.”
Jasper’s joke pushed the atmosphere to its climax.
Meanwhile, Henry was long gone.
The man was shaking vigorously from excitement upon realizing that he had earned 50 million from this. He immediately went to contact an aircraft manufacturer and decided to spend his money on buying a private plane.
Celine took a step back from the crowd and watched quietly as the group of elites were in a frenzy. These men in suits all resembled excited little children who had just gotten an award.
At this moment, the deepest feelings of a person were exposed out in the open.
Yet no one would mock them. If anything, there was only envy.
As the harbinger of this all, Jasper was surrounded by people but there was no sign of any excitement on his face at all. The man was still very much composed.
He stood there with a charming and confident smile on his face as always. It almost seemed like nothing could shake him out of his calm state of mind.
Celine really wanted to open Jasper’s brain up sometimes, just so she could take a look at what he was hiding inside. ‘How is he so calm no matter what happens?
‘It’s almost as if nothing in the world is worth his excitement.
‘Or perhaps… he has a different goal in mind?’
Life at the Top Chapter 799
The possibility suddenly came to Celine.
For ordinary people, or perhaps for Sena’s senior executives who were already at the peak of their careers, this achievement was tantamount to great success.
Yet to Jasper, this might just be one small step toward his final goal.
If that was the case, then it made sense why the man was barely excited at all. He still had a long road ahead of him; his future was somewhere much higher and much further.
“What are you thinking about?”
Jasper’s words suddenly snapped Celine back from her wayward thoughts.
Upon returning to reality, Celine saw Jasper’s smile right in front of her.
Playvolume00:00/00:00TruvidfullScreen“You,” Celine teased Jasper instinctively.
“I thought as much,” Jasper replied, and it was obvious he was in a good mood.
The two shared a look before they broke out into laughter.
“Come on, let’s go look for your superior, Paulson,” Jasper spoke.
Celine knew what Jasper wanted to do, but she showed no fear at all and immediately followed Jasper to the exchange center’s elevator. She knew that Paulson had stayed in Franklin’s office the entire day in the exchange center instead of returning to Colossal.”
“Hey, how much did you earn today?” Celine asked nosily when they got in the elevator.
While everyone was calculating their profits, Jasper had also done some rough calculations in his mind.
Sena had risen from 25 US dollars to the current 122 US dollars, which meant profit was five times whatever he initially put in.
According to the rise in price today, Jasper then calculated his profit according to his percentage of shares. The amount came up to an overall profit of around six billion Somer Dollars.
Considering how much it had cost him to acquire Sena back then, he had made big profits today.
However, there was no way Jasper could liquidize all his shares, for Sena was currently his golden goose. For a man who was not even willing to let go of his full authority, Jasper was definitely not going to sell the company.
As such, this six billion was merely an income in his book of accounts. If Jasper did not want his control over Sena to waiver, he most likely would only be able to liquidize around two billion.
He had already invested five billion in the skyscraper’s construction, so it would not be too much of an issue to support operations in all his companies with a reserve fund of two billion.
Not to mention that the electronics company was making a daily net profit of one million and Elbert’s team was currently researching how to manufacture an even cheaper MP4.
The MP4 was now being sold in other countries and had a rich product lining. According to Jasper’s conservative estimation, he was making a daily profit of at least three million.
Coupled with United Legends, another cash cow, JW Capital and its subsidiaries should be able to operate self-sufficiently.
Jasper had indeed reaped many rewards from Sena going public. The problem of his tight cash flow had been resolved and most importantly, he had opened the doors to doing business in Wall Street.
As to what Jasper wanted to do with that, well, he would decide when the time came.
“Probably a small profit of a few billion,” Jasper spoke with a beam.
“Sena’s market price has exceeded tens of billions of Somer Dollars. It’s one of the largest enterprises in Somerland, part of the Ten Billion Club. Companies like Sena are considered huge even over here in the west and I’m sure you, as the founder, have earned much more than just profits that could be written in your books of accounts.” Celine was a professional for a reason and managed to identify the true benefit of it all.
Jasper looked at the president’s office in front of them and spoke calmly, “We’ve arrived. We can talk about that later.”
Life at the Top Chapter 800
This was the second time Jasper saw Franklin and Paulson in Nasdaq Exchange Center.
The two of them reacted to his arrival very differently.
Franklin’s gaze was filled with curiosity and admiration, while Paulson had a tense and expressionless look on his face.
“President Paulson, it seems like I’ve won our bet.”
Jasper went straight to the point as he was not in the mood to deal with Paulson’s temper and the fact that the man thought he was better because he was older and more experienced.
Paulson nodded. “Correct. Sena’s share price is valued at 122 US dollars currently, so you’ve indeed won.”
“And our agreement?” Jasper asked.
“I’ll keep my end of the promise. I’ll hold a meeting with the board of directors tomorrow and fully support Celine in assuming the position of the president of the Terra regional branch, as well as cancel all reviews on her,” Paulson replied curtly.
Jasper was very pleased.
Meanwhile, Celine, who was standing beside them, was stunned.
She knew of Jasper and Paulson’s bet, but she had no idea that Jasper’s condition was her promotion.
President of the Terra regional branch. This was a position she had worked hard for years but could never assume, yet this man had so quietly dealt with it for her!
Celine felt a strong urge as she glanced at Jasper who was beside her.
She wanted to rush over and just pounce on the man!
The urge was tremendous despite it only just appearing and it was almost impossible to suppress.
Celine flushed and her eyes grew moist, almost as though tears were about to fall.
Jasper paid no attention to the change in Celine’s expression.
“Laine, I have to admit that I’ve underestimated you,” Paulson suddenly said.
Jasper smiled softly and replied unaffectedly, “You have your own views, President Paulson, just as I have my own beliefs. No one in this world, including the two of us, can claim that our decision will definitely be the right one. All we can do is try our best to make fewer mistakes and make better decisions.”
A smile finally graced Paulson’s features as he spoke, “The more I talk to you, Laine, the more I admire you. To be honest, I don’t feel as though I’m talking to a young man in his early 20s when I talk to you. You’re experienced and mature. I can’t help but feel like I’m talking to a friend.”
“It’s my pleasure,” Jasper replied, neither overly humble nor arrogant.
Paulson smiled and continued, “To be honest, I’ve been thinking about it… If possible, I’d like to invest in your company.”
Jasper frowned slightly but still chuckled. “Sena is already a company listed on Nasdaq. You’re welcome to invest in us any time, President Paulson.”
Seeing how Jasper was deliberately acting clueless, Paulson cursed internally at the man’s craftiness.
He decided to ask directly, “I mean I hope to invest in your other companies.
“You should know that Colossal Investments is currently the largest investment bank in the industry. We wish to partner with every promising company and I can promise that no matter how many shares we own, Colossal will not interfere with the day-to-day operations of your business.”
Jasper sighed internally at Paulson’s proposal.
As expected, the issue that concerned him the most ended up happening anyway.
With his outstanding capabilities and the fact that his subsidiaries were growing larger and stronger, it was only natural that they would attract attention from other capitalists.
In truth, Colossal’s investment was something more than 90% of the world’s start-up companies wished for.
After all, such an investment would give the company a surge in cash flow in a short amount of time, and it could also rapidly increase the company’s competitive ability thanks to its relationship with Colossal Investments.
For example, if Colossal Investments was one of Sena’s shareholders, Sena could easily enter the United States share market and gain market share of the web portal and gaming markets.
However, Jasper did not want these things.
With the memory of the following 19 years, Jasper was not afraid that he would be unable to enter the market. He knew better than everyone where the world’s future was headed.
“Sorry, but Celine has suggested something similar to me before and my response hasn’t changed. I don’t plan to accept any investments.”
Paulson did not look too happy about Jasper’s direct rejection.
He felt that Jasper was not respecting him at all by putting him in a difficult spot.
“Won’t you consider it again?” Paulson asked persistently.
Jasper shook his head firmly and replied, “Perhaps Colossal and I could have future partnerships, but it certainly won’t be now and it definitely won’t be through investing in one of my companies.”
The atmosphere in the office thickened, and the office fell into silence.
Franklin watched quietly and mirthfully like an old witty fox.
Celine did not say anything either and merely looked at Jasper with admiration. ‘He’s too manly.
‘He’s so different from the average man.
‘What do I do? The urge to pounce and eat him alive is growing stronger. I don’t think I can hold it back any longer.’
Paulson looked at the man before him silently. Jasper’s jet black hair, warm skin tone, and dark brown eyes—all of this made Paulson think that Jasper was different from the other people he had been in contact with before.
For example, no one had ever rejected him so unyieldingly… Or at least, others had always done it indirectly to preserve his dignity. Yet Jasper did not.
Jasper seemed to be stating his firm stance resolutely, that he would not allow anyone to meddle with his company.
Paulson was now faced with a choice, either to be Jasper’s friend or his enemy.
With Paulson’s status and temper, the latter was something he did not even need to consider.
After all, no matter how outstanding Jasper was, he was still too weak and too young in comparison to Colossal.
This was something Jasper knew very well.
That did not mean he was afraid.
Ownership and complete control over his properties were Jasper’s bottom line. If he could not keep that, then there was no point in his reincarnation at all.
The stronger the force in front of him, the more he could not give in.
If he gave in once, then the other party would only force him to give in again and again until there was nothing left of him.
After some time, Paulson suddenly smiled.
He reached out and took the initiative to shake Jasper’s hand. “Capital is free, as is a person’s desires. While it is a shame, I respect your decision and will protect your right to make a free choice. I hope we’ll still have a chance for further partnership in the future.”
The atmosphere in the office loosened with Paulson’s smile and words.
The smile hanging on the corner of Franklin’s lips grew as well.
He knew that this witty and young Easterner had won again. He had forced his old friend to compromise after so many years.
Jasper smiled as well as he reached out to firmly shake Paulson’s hand. “I’m sure we’ll have the chance.”