Ch. 871..880

Life at the Top Chapter 871

“I didn’t say that you did,” Henry replied, stopping in front of him. He wrapped his arm around Zane’s shoulder. “Why’d you even suggest that? Did you provoke me behind my back without my knowledge?” He asked in a cheery tone.

Zane, who was overcome with guilt, glanced at Jasper instinctively. However, he instantly returned to his senses and looked away from Jasper. He tried to pry off Henry’s hand.

“I did not do anything to you, so let’s both mind our own business. Don’t cling to me like that–we’re not that close to each other.”

“Oh.”

Henry patted Zane’s face with a wide smile across his face as he continued to speak, “I haven’t seen you in a few days, but it seems like your temper has improved. Why won’t you let me cling to you? In the past, you didn’t even dare to breathe loudly in front of me. I’ve just left Harbor City for a few days, and now you’re acting up against me.”

While Henry spoke, he cast a brief glance at Mitch Langdon, whose expression was dark and overcast. “Do you think that you can go against me because this guy is here?” He asked.

Zane stared at Mitch, silently pleading him for help.

Mitch could not bear to watch Henry bully Zane in front of him. After all, one still had to check with a dog’s master before hitting a dog.

“That’s enough from you, Law. We’re just here to look around. Why are you coming after us?”

Henry let out an evil snicker. He was acting like a gangster right now. “I didn’t ask you why you were here. Why are you in such a hurry to explain things to me? Are you here with an ulterior motive or something?” He asked.

“But, with an idiot like him…”

Henry patted Zane’s face again and scoffed. “I’m afraid nothing good will come your way.”

Zane’s face flushed red in anger. Rage surged through him as he flung off Henry’s arm and said angrily, “Henry Law, you’re crossing the line!”

Henry scoffed after his arm was thrown away. “Oh, why are you so pissed off today, little mutt? Do you want me to play with you?” He cooed.

Zane huffed in annoyance and said, “Who do you think you are? You’re just one of Jasper Laine’s followers. Do you think that you’re that much better than me? What a f*cking disgrace to Harbor City. How did someone like you get born in Harbor City?”

Mitch’s expression changed as soon as Zane finished speaking.

He knew that Henry despised such words the most.

As expected, a vicious rage flashed across Henry’s gaze. He stared at Zane emotionlessly. Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.

“Motherf*cker,” Henry spitted out as he slapped Zane across his face. “Why can’t you talk to me properly? Are you asking for a beating?”

Zane shouted out in pain. He held his face with his hand and roared out in anger, “I’ve had enough of you, Law! Don’t f*cking force me to do something that you’ll regret!”

“Force you?” Henry sneered. “Even if I force you to die, what can you do to me? Motherf*cker,” he cursed.

“How dare you ask me not to force you to do anything? Do you think that you’re the main villain that everyone fails to defeat in a game? You’re nobody. You’re just a piece of worthless trash, idiot.”

Mitch took in a deep breath and put himself in front of Zane in order to prevent the dimwit from acting rashly.

“Gloat as much as you want, Henry Law. Let’s see how long all of this will last!” Mitch said, trying his best to suppress the burning anger within him.

“Oh? From what you just said, it seems like your devious scheme is yet to be in action.” Henry asked with narrowed eyes.

Mitch sneered and replied, “Those are your own words. I didn’t mention anything about a scheme.”

The commotion caused by Henry and Zane’s argument attracted a lot of attention. Jasper, who was paying some attention to them from a distance away, frowned slightly. Hence, he excused himself from the officials that he was talking to and headed over to the group.

As he made his way over, he coincidentally overheard what Mitch had said.

“Are the both of you here to celebrate the completion of the Southface River project?” Jasper asked with a smile.

Zane glared at Jasper and huffed in irritation. “I’m afraid that you’ve overthinking our actions,” he replied.

Life at the Top Chapter 872

“Oh? It seems like you aren’t here to celebrate then.”

Jasper turned around and called out, “Julian.”

“I’m here!”

Julian made his way toward Jasper.

“Kick these two people off the venue. They weren’t invited.”

As soon as Jasper finished giving his orders, Zane yelled out in a fit of rage. “Jasper Laine, what are you doing?!”

Mitch had an extremely unpleasant expression etched across his face as well.

He did not expect Jasper to act in such an arrogant manner and kick both of them out after exchanging just a few sentences with them.

If he and Zane were to get kicked out of the event like a wounded dog in front of everyone, it would be beyond humiliating for them. They would be too ashamed to even return to Harbor City.

“This is a topping-off ceremony. I had personally invited everyone present to celebrate the completion of the Southface River project. Since both of you aren’t here to celebrate, why should I let you stay?” Jasper asked them calmly.

The corner of Zane’s mouth twitched; What Jasper said made sense. Thus, he glanced at Mitch instinctively.

There was a dark expression on Mitch’s face. He sneered coldly and said, “There’s no need to use your tricks on me, Jasper Laine. Didn’t you send out invitations to both our families? We’re here to

attend the ceremony, but you’re kicking us out instead. If news about this breaks out, who will seem to be the one at fault here?”

Jasper raised his brow and said, “You’re mistaken. I sent out invitations to your fathers, Mr. Bob Lancaster and Mr. Kennedy Langdon. I intended to invite both of them, but neither of your are on the guest list.”

Mitch and Zane’s expressions changed. They had both seen Jasper’s invitation. As he had said, their names had not been on the invitations. The invitation did not invite Bob and Kennedy to bring their respective family members along either.

Mitch’s face flushed red in anger as he let out a disgruntled huff and said, “Since we’re not welcome here, we’ll leave.”

“If you’re here to celebrate the completion of the project, you’re definitely welcome.” Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Jasper’s words caused Mitch and Zane, who were both walking away crestfallenly, to freeze in their tracks.

“Regardless of your original purpose behind coming here, there’s no need to leave in such a hurry now. Stick around to greet some guests with me.”

Zane laughed derisively after listening to what Jasper had said. “Are you crazy? What do you take us for? Do you think that we’re your followers like Henry Law? Why should we follow you while you greet your guests? Do you think that you’re that important?” He questioned.

“In any case, I’ve already told you what I wanted to say. It’s alright if you don’t wish to come along,” Jasper said. He then led Julian toward the entrance of the building.

Zane stared at Jasper’s silhouette suspiciously. “Mr. Langdon, what is he playing at?”

Mitch shook his head slowly and said, “I’m not sure. Let’s see what’s going on.”

Henry sneered as he glanced at the two of them. Based on his understanding of Jasper, he knew that there had to be some kind of trap awaiting them.

Jasper had just walked back to the entrance when a few luxurious cars arrived and came to a stop in front of the entrance.

Initially, the arrival of these few cars did not attract anyone’s attention. After all, apart from the reporters, everyone attending the event was of a noble and wealthy background. The event was packed with people, and there were plenty of rich and reputable bosses amongst the guests.

No matter how wealthy they were, could they compare with the Laws?

No matter how much authority they possessed, could they compare with the official from the provincial government?

Therefore, those who noticed the cars simply disregarded it after sparing it a brief glance.

However, everyone’s hearts began to race once they caught sight of the person that stepped out of the car.

Life at the Top Chapter 873

Kennedy, of Harbor City’s Langdon family. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Kayden, of Harbor City’s Langdon family.

Bob Lancaster, one of Harbor City’s bigshots.

While Bob did not hold a candle to the four richest families in Harbor City, the man’s wealth and status were definitely that of an elite in venues where the four main families were not present.

No one had expected Jasper to be able to invite three of Harbor City’s richest families for his topping- out ceremony.

The reporters felt lightheaded and were moments away from going crazy. They were all too excited and could barely contain the urge to step forward and interview the newly-arrived guest, but the stern- looking bodyguards in black suits were very effective in deterring them.

Both Zane and Mitch were stunned when they saw their fathers.

They had not expected their fathers, who had remained impartial all this while, to suddenly rush over for this.

Even so, they dared not hesitate and quickly went to greet them.

“You’ve done well, Jasper.” Kayden smiled at him after observing the surroundings.

Jasper shook Kayden’s hands and smiled. “Quite a bit of hard work and ideas were pitched during the designing process back then, and we’ve taken inspiration from quite a few of Harbor City’s design concepts in order to have Southface River look the way it does today. I could bring you around for a tour later.”

Kayden nodded. “Sure, I’ve got to get a good look at it. If I could, I was hoping to buy a few businesses here, and wait for its value to rise.”

“You’re very welcome to do so.”

Jasper then turned to extend his hand toward Kennedy. “Thank you for coming, Mr. Kennedy.”

Kennedy chuckled and shook Jasper’s hand while replying, “Not bad, it looks much better than I imagined. It seems like we elders need to learn more from youths like you, or we’ll only get left behind and forgotten.”

Jasper smiled. “Your experience and knowledge is something we youths can only dream of having. We’re still young and there are many places where we’ll need guidance from elders like you.”

Kennedy shook Jasper’s hand and turned to smile at Bob as he spoke, “See? I told you Jasper’s the best wordsmith amongst all the youth in Harbor City. The way he speaks makes you feel good, doesn’t it?”

Bob smiled humorlessly and replied, “That’s not right. Jasper isn’t from Harbor City, he doesn’t count as one of Harbor City’s youths.”

“Harbor City’s part of Somerland now, it means the same thing,” Jasper replied calmly.

Scoffing, Bob spoke rather emotionlessly, “Don’t think that you can butter me up with your honeyed words. I’ve got miles more experience than you; have you no shame trying to show off?”

Just then, Zane and Mitch rushed over as well.

“Dad.”

The two greeted their respective fathers.

“What are you two doing here?” Bob frowned at his son and asked solemnly.

“I, I…”

Zane stammered and kept glancing at Mitch.

Mitch frowned. He could not help but think that Zane was an utterly stupid motherf*cker.

“We came over to the Mainland to scout the market, but we couldn’t find anything worth investing in. We were passing by the Southeast Province when he heard the news, so we came over to take a look as well.”

Mitch’s excuse was completely unconvincing.

However, in an event as grand as this one, no one truly cared whether your reason to attend was believable or not. As long as you had a reason, that was good enough.

Kennedy glanced at his son and turned to Jasper. “Jasper, the Boyle family wanted me to help extend their apologies. He’s on a business trip right now and his children are preoccupied with their previous arrangements, so he could not come this time.”

Jasper narrowed his eyes slightly at Kennedy’s words.

He had sent the Boyle family their invitation alongside the Law family.

Despite this, the Boyle family had yet to inform them whether or not they would be attending.

Logically speaking, guests tended to inform the host if they could not attend the event due to specific reasons, or if they could attend, what time they would arrive.

It was unusual for someone else to pass the message.

Zachary had unintentionally mentioned to Jasper before that the Boyle family was the most fickle out of the four richest families. The man followed went wherever there were benefits to be found, which was also why the Boyle family had the most shallow roots compared to the other three richest families.

If he could not afford to offend anyone, then he would just steer clear of the event altogether.

Jasper’s relationship with the Boyle family was rather amicable thanks to the Law family. They had worked together a couple of times and their cooperation was always all mutually beneficial.

In any case, Jasper had personally invited the four richest families for this event.

The Law family’s attendance was a given, but even Kennedy, who was not on good terms with Jasper had come as well. Yet, the Boyle family was nowhere to be seen.

Kennedy was the one who brought word of this as well.

Not to mention, his message was rather intriguing.

Chuckling, Kennedy spoke, “Why, do you not believe me?”

Jasper smiled and replied, “Why would Mr. Kennedy lie to me? If Mr. Boyle can’t come, then we could always meet again in the future. Shall we go inside? Uncle Law and the officials from the Provincial and City Government are already inside.”

“Sure, let’s.” Kennedy smiled meaningfully as he followed Bob and Kayden, who were smiling silently the entire time, inside.

Zane glared at Jasper, who was walking away alongside the other bigshots, and spoke enviously, “What the f*ck. We’re around the same age. Hell, that b*stard’s even two years younger than me! Who gave him the right to be on equal footing as my dad’s generation?”

“How the f*ck did you consider that equal footing?” Mitch glared at Zane and said irritably.

“Who does he think he is? He’s nothing more than an entertainer for the important guests here, okay? He’s nothing more than a clown in my dad’s eyes.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be nothing more than a stray dog on the street very soon,” Mitch murmured as he stared at Jasper’s retreating figure in disgust.

A content smile hung at the corner of both Mitch and Zane’s lips as they imagined Jasper’s despondent look in the future.

…

Now that all the bigshots had arrived, the ceremony could officially begin.

With so many impressive guests in attendance, Jasper and Dawson had a quick discussion and decided to change the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the last minute.

Ribbon-cutting was the most important part of the topping-out ceremony. The person in charge of cutting, as well as the placement of the guests were very important details.

“You can rearrange them then. Oh, and remember not to add me into the mix. I’ll just watch the ceremony.”

Dawson patted Jasper’s shoulder as he walked into the crowd and spoke with a smile.

 

Life at the Top Chapter 874

Jasper was momentarily stunned before he quickly spoke, “What? No way, you worked even harder than I did for the project. How can you not be here for the ribbon-cutting ceremony?”

Dawson pointed at the representatives of Harbor City’s richest families as well as the officials from the Provincial and City Government, then said with a smile, “You’re more suited for this kind of event than I am.”

Seeing how Jasper was about to protest, Dawson spoke meaningfully, “I’m growing old, Jasper, but you’re still young. The stage will be yours in the future, and you’re meant to reach further heights than I have!

“That’s why I’m going to help you as much as possible while I still can. I’m an old man about to retire, what’s the point in me joining this kind of event?

“I have no intention of growing the Schuler Group anymore, it’s enough for me to have managed to obtain the majority market share of the supermarket industry. This is already way past what I ever imagined achieving, but I don’t have the energy to manage nor to fight in business anymore.

“However, it’s different for you. You need this event, so let the Southface River project become a halo over your head. This halo will help you find your footing among those people quicker and easier!

“So go!”

When he heard Dawson’s moving speech, Jasper stopped protesting and nodded solemnly.

He knew that Dawson was letting him take all the glory.

If both of them went up there, then the world would remember that this project that had shaken the entire country had been completed by two people.

However, if Jasper went up there himself, then Jasper would become the mastermind while Dawson would merely be the man that worked in the shadows.

The world was cruel in that it doomed its people with a horrible memory. Thus, people would only remember the first to achieve something, but never the second.

Dawson was too well aware of such a concept, so he decided that he would let Jasper enjoy all the glory.

Jasper then officially rearranged the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Zachary stood on the left with the Provincial official on the right. Following that was Jasper and Kennedy, who were located behind the former two individuals.

Kayden had declined the invitation to cut the ribbon, which was in line with the Langdon family’s low- profile style.

Jasper had also asked Bob out of respect if he wanted to join, but Bob had merely glanced at the position at the back of the stage before rejecting him darkly.

Under countless camera flashes from the reporters and the enthusiastic voice of the prettiest female host in the television station, the bigshots stepped onto the stage together.

Everyone, including celebrities, reporters, staff, and guests invited to the topping-out ceremony, all looked up at the decadent stage.

Everyone understood that only powerful people and those with extremely distinguished statuses could step up onto the stage.

Most of the people there were destined to never be able to step onto that stage.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Suddenly, the guest in attendance realized something strange.

Among the bigshots, Kennedy was considered one of the younger ones. This was despite the fact that the man was in his forties, and was almost halfway to his fifties.

Next was Zachary who was forty-nine.

The Provincial official was the oldest, at the age of fifty-two.

Even so, he was considered young for someone who held the position he did.

However, when they came to the topic of youth, everyone’s gaze fell on Jasper.

This man, that stood behind Zachary and had stunned countless people in one year as he shot up to become one of Southeast Province’s richest men, was unexpectedly young.

Everyone then realized that Jasper had achieved far too much.

To the point that everyone seemed to have forgotten that he was just a young man.

Only then did everyone remember that Jasper was only turning twenty-three that year!

Such a young man should not have been able to achieve such success and recognition, yet reality had proven them wrong right before their very eyes.

Wendy stared at Jasper excitedly among the crowd, happier for him than she would have been if she herself were standing on that stage.

Dawson sat beside her, finally taking a break after an entire day of work. He lit a cigarette and looked at Jasper happily, before turning to his daughter and asking, “Wendy, do you know why I agreed to the two of you being together?”

“Because he’s outstanding, I guess.”

Wendy did not even turn around as her eyes remained glued on Jasper. It was as if this man had become the center of her world right now.

Dawson chuckled at Wendy’s reply and asked, “Outstanding? There are plenty outstanding people in this world and, and while Jasper certainly take them pound-for-pound, the reason why I admire him is not the same reason why I support your relationship.

“The former is an opinion I have on him as his senior, in that I hope that the business world will shine even brighter in the future. However, the latter is a consideration I have as a father. I have very different thoughts when looking at the same man but from a different perspective.”

Wendy continued to stare at Jasper as she asked mindlessly, “So what’s the reason then?”

“Because this young man remembers which woman means the most to him no matter the time or place.”

Wendy’s expression changed when she heard this, and she turned to look at her dad guiltily.

“What’s with that guilty expression? You’re not the one having external flings, he is,” Dawson spoke exasperatedly.

There was no hope for this daughter of his anymore. She was completely devoted to Jasper now, and even in times like this, her first thought was to defend Jasper in case Dawson were to reprimand him.

“Zachary’s daughter is called Anna, right?” Dawson asked calmly.

Wendy cleared her throat and said with a forced calmness, “I think so? We’re not too close.”

“Forget it, then. I don’t want to intrude into the relationship of you youngsters. I’ve thought about it, and considering his wealth and status at such a young age, I’d prefer that he finds someone with class to act as your competitor, rather than arbitrarily have relations with shady women in the future.”

“Dad! What are you talking about?!” Wendy was rather unhappy.

‘What do you mean have relations with shady women? Jasp is not that kind of person!’

 

Life at the Top Chapter 875

“Do you think I’m blind? Your dad is a man, I’ve been through this and I know it better than you do.

“There’s nothing wrong with men having flings outside, as the worst thing would actually be the inability to attract flings. Jasper at least has the capital and qualifications to do so.”

“But you are my daughter so I’ve hesitated for a long time over this. I don’t want you to end up suffering from this relationship in the future.

“I’ve watched him for a while, and I can say that Jasper still knows his limits. He knows that you’re the most important one and I can be certain that no matter how much JW Capital grows, no other woman will be able to tamper with its core!

“You’re the only exception in all of this. Didn’t you realize that he gave you have one of the main powers at the very beginning, and has slowly shifted the resources and authority over internal affairs over to you?” Life at the Top Chapter

Wendy was stunned for a moment before responding dumbfoundedly, “No? All I know is that I do my work every day. It is true that I’m getting busier though.”

“Silly girl, had it not been for Jasper, you’d be helping whoever scammed you now!” Dawson said in disappointment.

“Look at all those heads of the families onstage. Tell me who among them doesn’t have at least a few secret wives?

“Jasper’s only just started, but considering his growth and speed of development, it won’t be long before a whole new Laine family makes a name for itself. With an enterprise as huge as JW Capital and its subsidiaries, no one could possibly ignore its existence.

“While Jasper will spend the first twenty years trying to grow his enterprise, he’ll be spending the next twenty on how to continue the business and ensure that someone inherits it after him.

“You two will have children, and with children comes the issue of inheritance. Fights for authority and control will arise the moment the family grows bigger.

“These are all problems that you two will have to worry about in the future, but it’s obvious now that Jasper’s already made his choice. When it comes to his official wife, he chose you.”

Wendy waved him off and spoke nonchalantly, “You think too much, Dad!

“Jasp told me that he doesn’t like the family business idea, nor does he plan to hand his business to his children unless they’re outstanding enough and have won his approval. Otherwise, he’d much prefer the western model with plenty of professional managers, whereby he can spread out the authority and managerial rights… basically it’s not what you think.”

“Silly girl.” Dawson shook his head.

He was about to say something else when he was interrupted by the celebratory pop of confetti. He looked up to see Jasper, standing at the center of everyone’s gaze with a mature and confident smile. The man oozed an indescribable charm.

Dawson suddenly smiled and muttered to himself, “Perhaps. Maybe he trusts you with this because you’re so innocent and pure that you’ve never thought of such things.”

Meanwhile, among the crowd stood two pairs of eyes that reddened with envy as they glared at Jasper.

“What the f*ck! Why! Why!” Zane held his heart gnaw maddeningly as if there were seven to eight crabs trampling over it with their pointy feet. It itched and it hurt, but as a whole, he felt sour.

“What the f*ck does he think he is? He’s just a country bumpkin, a dog from the farms! How dare he walk all the way up there while all I can do is stand here and watch?”

Mitch’s gaze was stormy and his slightly shaking balled fist betrayed the unease within him.

Just then, Jasper’s gaze swept over the crowd. It fell on Mitch and Zane for a short moment before he averted his gaze.

Zane could barely hold back their anger when they spotted this.

“What the f*ck was that look from that son of a b*tch? Is he looking down on us?

“Or is he mocking uh, huh? Is he mocking us because we can only stand down here and watch him show off onstage?”

Mitch harrumphed and spoke sinisterly, “What’s he even being so proud for? So what if he is up there? He’s still standing behind someone isn’t he? Does he think that he can somehow stand on equal footing with my dad and the rest now?

“F*cking naive! He’s just a piece of trash that’s joining in on the fun.”

Right after Mitch said this, the ribbon-cutting ceremony was about to begin. Suddenly, Zachary turned around to speak to Jasper.

Under everyone’s surprised gaze, they watched as Zachary swapped places with Jasper as the latter tried to refuse him.

“Motherf*cker! What the hell does this mean?!” Zane was in disbelief.

‘Jasper was standing in front of Zachary?

‘What did that mean?

‘The Head of Harbor City’s richest family, the Law family, was acting as Jasper’s second?!

‘Has the world gone mad?’

“You’re the host today, Jasper. You should be the one to stand here,” Zachary told Jasper.

There was no way Jasper would let Zachary stand behind him, so he immediately declined, “No way, Uncle Law. You’ve helped me so much all this while. Moreover, because of your experience and everything else, there’s just no way I can stand in front of you.”

Zachary smiled widely and spoke, “This is where you’re wrong. Standing behind someone doesn’t indicate anything except who the guest and the host are. Now, this is something we can’t afford to mess up.

“Listen to me! Come on, stand here!”

With that, Zachary pulled Jasper to stand in front of him while he moved to occupy Jasper’s previous position.

This turn of events had stunned everyone offstage, and even Kennedy’s face darkened as he stood beside the Provincial official.

‘What is Zachary doing? Is he forcefully dragging Jasper up and letting him step over him?’

Kenney felt the urge to turn and leave, but he held back only because it would make him look back.

He thought back to the conversation his father and Rogers from Quantum Funds had with him and forced himself to accept the current situation. He continued to wear a smile on his face, but his gaze was frighteningly sinister.

“Here, Mr. Laine. Let’s cut the ribbon.”

On the other hand, the [rovincial official did not seem to care too much about this and invited Jasper gleefully.

Jasper turned around and took a pair of golden scissors from the tray held up by the hands of the province’s number one female television host–hands that countless men in Southeast Province had dreamed about, and lifted it with the provincial official. He said with a smile, “Let’s cut the ribbon then.”

The long red ribbon was then cut in three places, in one spot by Jasper and the man from the provincial government, as well as Zachary and Kennedy, who each held a pair of scissors of their own.

The moment the ribbon was cut, countless fireworks shot into the air, lighting up the night sky over the Southface River. Half of Nauritius City’s city folk looked up to see the blindingly bright firework show.

It was a sensational sight.

Life at the Top Chapter 876

Fireworks shot into the sky once the ribbon was cut. The night lit up, and everyone applauded in celebration.

Jasper was in a great mood.

After all, the Southface River project was the first big project he had completed since he had arrived at Nauritus City.

As that moment, with the exception of the skyscraper in Waterhoof City, the Southface River project was the biggest, most expensive, and most effective real estate project in the province.

Jasper was very pleased now that all his hard work had borne fruit, and everything had ended well.

Walking off the stage, Jasper bumped into Lance, who had an elated expression on his face.

“How’s the situation today, Lance?”

As the new General Manager of the real estate company after Sean was promoted, Lance was only in charge of one thing today, and that was to sign contracts with clients who showed interest in shop or building lots in the Southface River project.

“It went very well, Mr. Laine! We’ve signed around 500 million worth of contracts today, with 300 million worth of contracts of intent that we’ll be able to solidify after following up on them later. 70% of the properties in the project have already been rented out as well.

“Things were especially busy when it came to the few promotional living districts we completed. The sales were downright terrifying today, and someone managed to buy almost all of them. The houses in those districts have already been sold out.”

Jasper nodded in satisfaction and replied, “Not bad. We’ll be able to sell them all at this pace.

“Remember, we can sell residential properties, but when it comes to shops and commercial buildings, those can only be leased out. If you don’t know how to handle some of them, then turn to Sean, alright?”

Lance nodded. “Alright, Mr. Laine. I actually came to look for you because I wanted to report something else as well, something that I don’t think Mr. Tucker will be able to handle himself.”

“What is it?”

Jasper brought Lance backstage. Jasper made small talk with people on the way there as everyone greeted him, regardless of whether they knew him or not. Jasper replied to every single one of these individuals with a smile and a nod.

“Mr. Kayden’s assistant came to me with the intention of buying the three commercial buildings on the left of the Southface River Tower, beside the river.”

“These three buildings are high-quality and represent the primary assets in this project. They’re also the most valuable pieces of property after the tower itself. However, Mr. Kayden asked for them, and I didn’t dare make a decision, so I came to ask you instead, Mr. Laine.”

Jasper smiled and replied, “And here I was worried about what was wrong. If he wants it, then sell it to him!”

“But remember to give him a run for his money. The Langdon family is very rich, and the father-son duo are rumored to be able to buy out half of Harbor City. After all, that’s why they’re called Half-the-Harbor Langdons.”

“The fact that he wants to buy into the Southface River projects means that he’s acknowledged the value of the property. There’s no reason for us to keep all the benefits to ourselves–it’s only fair that we share. Having said that, it doesn’t mean we can’t wring his wallet a little.

“Price is no obstacle for people like him when it comes to something they’re interested in, understand?”

After hearing Jasper say this, Lance nodded in enlightenment and chuckled, “You’re so smart, Mr. Laine. I know what to do now.”

“Stop your flattery.”

Jasper chided with a smile. Seeing Ted, the man in charge of Easy Media, jog over, he continued, “Alright then, go ahead.” Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

After Lance left. Ted stopped before Jasper with a large smile on his face. “So, Mr. Laine, how’s the Gala tonight?”

Jasper nodded. “Not bad.”

Seeing Ted’s prideful expression, Jasper had no choice but to rain on his parade, “The fireworks show was a rip-off of Advent Entertainment Group’s idea during the Olympic Banquet in Swallow Capital. Can’t you guys come up with something new?”

Ted smiled awkwardly and spoke, “We were short on time and we didn’t have that many good ideas…”

“So, why did you seek me out? I still have a bunch of other people to entertain. Tell me quickly so I can deal with it now,” Jasper said this as he entered a small room and took off his suit jacket in exchange for a looser top.

Ted went straight to the point and replied, “Mr. Laine, do you still remember the woman who goes by the name Scarlet Yates?”

Life at the Top Chapter 877

Jasper thought back to the pretty actress he had met when he first took over Michael’s Gladness Movies before it became Advent Entertainment Group.

‘She’s looking for me through Ted?

‘Does she want fame?

‘More resources?’

These were nothing new in the entertainment industry.

Jasper furrowed his brows as this was not good news.

“I do.” Jasper nodded.

Ted was a smart man, and from the slight change in jasper’s face, he could tell that Jasper was unhappy about this. Ted’s eyes shifted as he silently regretted agreeing to help Scarlet and began thinking about how best to frame the issue.

“Just tell me, what is it?” Jasper looked at Ted and sighed.

Ted smiled wryly and replied, “It’s just that Scarlet came to look for me because she wanted to introduce a friend to you, Mr. Laine. It’s the talented Stephen Cole. You’ve heard of him right, Mr. Laine?”

‘Stephen Cole?’

It was rare for people not to recognize this top-notch master of comedy.

At the height of his career, it was said that every citizen owed that man a movie ticket since they were all pirating it online instead of watching it in cinemas.

Jasper liked Stephen Cole’s movies as well, but he could not fanboy over celebrities considering his current status. Not to mention, he was well aware that celebrities were often completely different on and off-screen.

Stephen Cole, for example, was a hilarious man in his movies, yet he was a stern and unsmiling man in private.

‘Don’t believe me?

‘Yet that was the truth.

‘In any case, what is Scarlet trying to do by introducing Stephen Cole to me?’ Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.

“I’ve heard of him. Bring him over quickly if she wants to introduce him, then. I have around fifteen minutes.” Jasper gave it some thought and decided that he would give this master of comedy some of his time.

After all, he had watched quite a few of Stephen Cole’s movies in both his past and present life, and, to put it kindly, he had never done watched him in a cinema.

Not to mention, this man was sort of like Jasper’s idol in his past life, and Jasper was curious about him.

There was no harm in meeting the man.

Ted joyfully acknowledged Jasper’s agreement and quickly jogged out.

In no time at all, Ted managed to find Scarlet and Stephen, who were waiting anxiously in another room.

“How’d it go, Mr. Swanson?”

Scarlet asked excitedly as Ted entered through the door.

While she had seen Jasper before, Scarlet knew that her seemingly high status, countless fans, and plethora of suitors, were nothing as compared to Jasper, who was stood at the peak of the business world.

Celebrities were nothing more than playthings for bigshots like him.

Therefore, Scarlet was not confident about meeting him for the first time.

Despite this, Ted chuckled and replied, “Don’t worry, there’s nothing I can’t do once I give you my word. Mr. Laine’s agreed to meet you two, but he’s busy and can only spare fifteen minutes. So come with me quickly.”

Life at the Top Chapter 878

Ted spoke to Scarlet as he walked ahead, “Don’t forget what you promised me either. Please introduce my artists to others in the industry so they can advance their careers.”

“Of course, Mr. Swanson. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely do so,” Scarlet whispered.

She turned to look at Stephen, who seemed rather nervous, and comforted him, “Mr. Laine agreed to meet us, which means we’re already halfway there. Don’t worry too much about it.”

Stephen forced a smile and replied, “Yeah, I hope so. Thank you.”

“We’re friends, aren’t we?” Scarlet smiled brightly.

Stephen felt his heart skip a beat at Scarlet’s beautiful smile.

There had been countless people surrounding him, calling him Steph and buddy, back when he was famous. Yet, they had all run away now that he needed help. The only one willing to forgo her image to help him was Scarlet, who he did not even talk to much.

This was a favor he would never forget.

Shortly after, Ted brought the two before Jasper.

“Mr. Laine,” Scarlet greeted cautiously.

“Hello, Mr. Laine,” Stephen greeted as well.

“Hi.” Jasper smiled and nodded. His gaze fell on Stephen first. It was a rather interesting feeling to see someone he was so familiar with in films appear before him in real life whilst acting so courteous.

In all honesty, this did wonders for his ego.

“Well, you can probably already tell that I’m a bit busy today. I don’t have much time–maybe around fifteen minutes? So let’s talk as we walk and try to be as concise as possible. Is that okay?” Jasper suggested.

Scarlet looked at Stephen.

Stephen hastily replied, “Of course, Mr. Laine. We won’t waste your time.”

Jasper walked toward the door as Ted quickly ran over to open the door for him like an attendant. This was hardly befitting of the president of the largest entertainment company in half of the Mainlands, but he seemed rather happy and proud to do it.

Jasper walked out first, with Scarlet following half a step behind. Stephen stood on his right as they walked. Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.

“It’s like this, Mr. Laine. I wanted to meet you, and Scar helped because I was hoping that you could invest in my company, Mr. Laine.”

Stephen’s first sentence told Jasper a lot.

Scar.

Invest.

Jasper remembered how some rumors surrounding Stephen and Scar had surfaced back when the two had filmed A Somer Odyssey in his past life. Jasper was still a normal civilian then, so he did not know whether the rumors were true, nor did he have any understanding of the lives of such high-class celebrities.

Jasper also remembered that Stephen had opened his own film company in the year 2000. However, while the films involving Stephen himself made plenty of money, the company as a whole ended up

making terrible losses the first two years.

Unfortunately, there was no way a film company could survive from the revenue of just one person.

Thus, Stephen found himself in a very troublesome financial crisis back then.

This was further worsened by the fact that Stephen did not have many friends in the entertainment industry, which placed him in a difficult position. This had also been one of the reasons why Stephen had become more withdrawn.

However, after a few more years of financial difficulty, Stephen’s film company began to find its footing again after the release of blockbusters like Monastery Soccer and JC7. While these films did not make immense profits, they still brought in quite a bit of revenue.

“I heard that you recently opened a film company, but it’s not going very well for you,” Jasper spoke.

Stephen nodded and admitted curtly, “You’re right. The company is barely making ends meet.”

“I’ve produced a few films, but they all ended up losing money. I couldn’t even earn back a tenth of what making the films cost me, and I’m surviving purely on my own savings. I even got a loan from the bank with my home as collateral, but I don’t know how long that’ll last me.”

“Why didn’t you ask other entertainment companies in Harbor City to invest in yours? Why run all the way here to ask me?” Jasper asked with a smile.

As they spoke, the group of people made their way out the room and to the backstage area. More than half the people present were celebrities changing their attire before they got on stage to perform. In a space like that, one would bump shoulders with a celebrity or manager and every turn.

All the celebrities recognized Jasper as he walked over, and they all wanted to approach him.

Life at the Top Chapter 879

Some were celebrities from Harbor City, and their expressions turned curious when they saw Jasper and Stephen talking.

The entire Harbor City entertainment industry knew of Stephen’s situation, but no one had expected him to ask Jasper for help.

“Frankly speaking, I’ve sought them out before. Most of them just rejected me on the spot in hopes that I would star in their films instead. But I want to make my own films,” Stephen spoke sincerely.

“How much do you want?” Jasper asked.

“Huh?”

The question caught Stephen off guard and he was stunned speechless. He looked at Jasper in confusion.

Jasper repeated himself, “You wanted my investment, did you not? How much?”

“I… I’ll need at least 10 million US Dollars, but I can give you half of my company’s shares in return,” Stephen mustered the courage to speak.

“Deal.”

That single word shocked both Scarlet and Ted, let alone Stephen.

‘Is this how rich people acted nowadays?

‘They’ll drop 10 million US Dollars the way ordinary people spend 1 buck?’

“Let’s do it this way. Ted, you’ll be in charge of this transaction. Easy Media will pay the money and the shares will fall under Easy Media.

“Stephen’s company will be Easy Media’s first foothold in Harbor City’s film industry to test the waters. However, keep the priority on the Mainland’s film industry. After all, the Mainland’s the bigger market– Harbor City’s is too small.” Jasper turned to Ted.

“Alright, Mr. Laine,” Ted quickly nodded.

He knew that Jasper was giving him a chance.

“Alright, then you’ll be in contact with Ted from now on,” Jasper shook Stephen’s hand and said with a smile. Life at the Top Chapter

“Thank you, Mr. Laine. But I have to ask Mr. Laine, aren’t you going to review my company first? What if I’m… scamming you?” Stephen asked unable to hide the curiosity bubbling within him.

He had not hoped to get anything out of a fifteen-minute talk, much less expect a deal to be completed in less than five minutes.

All that had transpired was a quick conversation with Stephen answering a handful of Jasper’s question. Yet, that was all it took to receive a 10 million US Dollar investment. Stephen wondered if this was reality or if he was merely dreaming.

“You wouldn’t.” Jasper smiled meaningfully.

“Nor do you dare.”

Stephen understood. ‘Indeed, who didn’t know about Jasper in Harbor City?

‘So what if Jasper was a Mainlander? No one in Harbor City dared to claim that they could afford offending Jasper.

‘One would first have to look toward the Law family name and determine if they were strong enough to overpower them.’

‘Even the entertainment industry that is very discriminative to Mainlanders has no choice but to accept the new reality in Jasper entering the industry and taking a large portion of the market share. In a world like this, what can small fries like us even hope to achieve?’

“Alright, I’ll have to get going now. Please enjoy yourselves,” Jasper spoke.

He turned and coincidentally came face to face with a few celebrities from Harbor City, including A-line superstars like Superstars Kong and Lynch.

“Hello, Mr. Laine.”

Superstars stood on both sides of the aisle as they greeted him politely.

“Hello,” Jasper returned the greeting with a smile.

“Now that’s how a successful man looks,” Scarlet murmured as she stared at Jasper’s glowing figure.

“Yeah. How can an ordinary person compare with that?” Stephen smiled wryly.

 

Life at the Top Chapter 880

Scarlet felt rather disappointed, for she thought that Jasper would speak to her more. She had not expected that their interaction to be limited to a brief greeting at the very start, as the man seemed to have forgotten her existence altogether just a moment later.

“Oh, right.” Jasper suddenly turned around after walking quite a distance away.

“There’s another gala tonight. Scarlet, would you be interested in coming with me as my plus one?”

When he said this, the large group of superstars and A-line celebrities all looked at Scarlet enviously. Life at the Top Chapter

There was indeed a ceremonial banquet happening that night, and only top-notch bigshots like the Law family would be attending. This was the type of banquet that the celebrities could only dream of joining.

While some famous celebrities had already received an invitation, it was very different going by themselves, and going as Jasper’s companion.

A few specific female celebrities set their sights on Scarlet, their gazes boring a hole into her.

“Yes, of course!”

Scarlet was temporarily stunned, feeling as if she had just won the lottery, but replied ecstatically.

“Alright, I’ll have someone pick you uplater, then.” Jasper smiled and left cooly.

After he left, all the celebrities, famous and not, came over to them. A small portion of them wanted to know what Stephen and Jasper had been talking about, while the majority stepped forward to make friends with Scarlet.

This was the charm of power and wealth.

Scarlet felt her mind blur as celebrities much more famous than her who would never have previously given her the time of day now surrounded her. One single thought surfaced in her mind.

‘It must be nice being rich and powerful.’

…

Thanks to the press, the already-famous project now became a household name. Following that, the ceremonial banquet involving most of Harbor City’s and the Mainland’s rich and famous only further spread the name of the Southface River.

More than half of the South were now aware of this place known as the Southface River.

They also came to know of a company that went by the name JW Real Estates.

Under the gaze of countless pairs of eyes, the topping-out ceremony finally came to an end.

More than sixteen television stations had come to cover it, and both Nauritus Television and Southeast Television had live-streamed the entire event. Twenty-three newspaper representatives had also come to the scene to get some questions in during the Q&A session.

Thus, a series of powerful publicity was in place to roll out that night as they planned to spread the news all over the country.

This was a decision Jasper had made with Dawson.

If JW Real Estates wanted to make a name for itself throughout the nation in the shortest possible time, then it had to have a signature project. The Southface River project was their only choice.

The Southface River project managed to meet two key criteria at once, in that it was a good fit for the country’s current economical climate, and was also the type of development that modern society

currently desired. Thus, it met those needs at precisely the right time and place.

Jasper had to use this project to publicize JW Real Estates, for the next opportunity would be the topping-out ceremony for the skyscraper in Waterhoof City. This would take at least another year.

Jasper could not afford to wait, as the real estate industry was beginning to develop and he did not have much time.

Wendy and Dawson were exhausted, for the two had essentially been ensuring that the ceremony ran smoothly the entire time.

Jasper, on the other hand, had been lazy as he spoke to Zachary for a few hours and then chatted a bit when the senior officials from the city and provincial government had arrived.

After the ceremony was complete, the banquet began. The father-daughter duo was exhausted so they decided to head back first, no longer bothering to entertain the guests.

Jasper was now left to host the entire event by himself.

The banquet was held in the newly constructed hotel in the Southface River Center. It had a huge banquet hall, and could easily fit hundreds of people.

With Jasper’s individual attention, the banquet turned out to be extremely classy.

They got the most experienced servers from Nauritus City’s largest five-star Hilton Hotel while even the team of chefs was the best that the Southeast Province had to offer.

Expenses for this alone had cost Jasper at least seven figures.