Ch. 891..900

Life at the Top Chapter 891

A large sales order appeared without warning, which had an effect as though one were splashing a bucket of cold water on a steaming pan.

Sena’s shares that were undergoing countless transactions just moments ago suddenly came to an eerie halt.

Everyone began to guess what this order meant.

No one dared to make a move–not the retail investors, day traders, or funds.

Sena’s shares seemed to froze in those few short seconds as there was no activity at all.

After a few seconds of silence, the second and the third large sales order were also thrown out.

In the blink of an eye, a hurricane seemed to have swept through all the buy-orders.

3 consecutive large orders of more than 5000 shares put Sena’s market in an uproar.

“It’s begun!”

Jasper sat before the computer and stared at the screen as he spoke.

Celine sat down as well and stared at the screen solemnly. She pursed her lips and said nothing.

Her crystal-clear eyes reflected the unending trading information that was continuously updating on the computer screen. It was a waterfall of data.

It was as if a large play was set into motion as the public speculation over the past week finally began to rear its ugly head.

A large number of retail investors scrambled to escape, in fear that they would be trapped inside if moved any slower.

Thanks to the bandwagon effect, the somewhat stable and rising prices immediately plummeted. The other investors could not remain calm either and they began to choose to sell their shares.

“It looks like an avalanche.”

Celine sighed deeply.

“The moment the first chunk of snow on the tip of the mountain fell, all the snow in its path will also join in as they sweep through everything in their path. There’s nothing we can do to stop it.”

Jasper replied expressionlessly, “All we can do now is wait. We’ll wait until the situation stabilizes before we make a move. All we can do now is watch the price fall. Considering its price, not even the richest man in the world can fight against this trend and save it alone.” Life at the Top Chapter

“It’s begun.”

Conrad’s sentence in the villa in Nauritius City greatly excited Zane and Mitch. The two stood up and walked toward Conrad as the three stared at the screen.

The screen currently showed Sena’s market index on the Nasdaq.

Conrad swirled the red wine in his glass and smiled slightly.

Valentine stood by the side. After all, he had no right to stand with the other three.

Looking at Conrad, he spoke softly, “Mr. Monty, we’ve already put three large sell orders out. From the looks of things, we’ve already met our preliminary goal.”

Life at the Top Chapter 892

“Coupled with the recent public speculation, we’ve managed to perfectly ignite the investors’ panic. Any slight slip in Sena’s price will cause them to immediately flee; Considering the trend, Jasper won’t be able to stop this even if he were a God.”

Conrad narrowed his eyes and spoke softly, “There’s no point in him acting now. It doesn’t the market, the strongest people in it are never organizations or large funds, but rather retail investors. These retail investors represent at least 85% of the global share market.

“It’s just that they are too disorganized and cannot be harnessed as a single unit. This is why the retail investors who actually hold the most power are merely seen as small fries when compared to organizations and dealers, and are often used for the organizations’ and dealers’ own benefits. Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

“However, the moment there comes an opportunity for them to work together, for example, on a share that they collectively agree is over or undervalued, then you only need a few of them to create an immense force that neither hell nor high water can hold back.”

Zane replied in disdain, “I don’t care about these things. It’s too confusing and I don’t understand it either. My only question is, how much longer until you kill Jasper?”

Conrad glanced at Zane with disgust and distaste hidden deep within his eyes. He looked at the latter as if Zane were a lower-class animal that had not yet evolved to have brain.

By the time Zane felt Conrad’s gaze and turned around, Conrad was already wearing a polite and small smile on his face. This made Zane feel comfortable and respected.

“Jasper isn’t easy to deal with at all. He hasn’t made a move since it started, and just like how he can’t guess what we’re going to do next, we won’t be able to predict how he’ll react either. What I can promise, though, is that Jasper will definitely make his move soon.

“Now, regarding when we will be able to completely destroy Jasper’s Sena will depend entirely when Jasper makes his move. We’ll have to make our next move after that. All of these are still unknown variables right now.”

Zane scoffed at Conrad’s words and spoke in disdain.

“So all that bullsh*t you said just now was a bluff? And here I was marveling at how impressive you were. Turns out that this is all you can do. Don’t act so happy before the results come out; I can’t believe you made me feel so excited for nothing.”

When he heard that, even Valentine’s lips twitched as he stood by the side, much less Conrad’s.

All Valentine knew was that Zane and Mitch were trust-fund children from Harbor City. He had no idea who exactly these people were, but he was fully impressed by Conrad since he’s been working with the latter for some time. This man was pretty much Valentine’s idol.

Valentine was about to speak up when he heard how Zane insulted Conrad so brashly.

He had just opened his mouth when Conrad’s fierce glare had made him swallow his words.

“You’re right, Mr. Lancaster. I shouldn’t have gotten ahead of myself,” Conrad spoke calmly.

Zane huffed and returned to sit on the sofa. Shaking his leg, Zane said, “It’s so boring just waiting here and doing nothing. Get me a few pretty ladies to pass the time with.”

Conrad sighed internally at Zane’s request…

Zane was truly on a whole new level of moronic.

Even so, he was not in the place to say anything, nor would Zane listen to him. If anything, he might only end up infuriating Zane. Thus, he turned to look at Mitch, the only person in the room who could

keep Zane in line.

As expected, Mitch frowned and looked at Zane before he began to reprimand him without holding back, “Are you stupid?

“Do you not know what we’re doing here? The last thing we need is a new problem to arise, but you want to invite women over? Run back to Harbor City if all you can think about is sex.”

Zane replied in indignation, “Mr. Langdon, we’re all the way in some remote place, so what’s wrong with inviting a few women over? I’ll bring them to the other rooms if it bothers you so much, and I’ll make sure they won’t step foot in here.”

Mitch fumed. “This is Nauritus City, Jasper’s territory. How brainless do you have to be to think that he won’t hear of even the slight movement in his territory, huh?”

Zane waved him off in irritation and replied, “Fine, fine. I was just asking. I won’t go anywhere and I won’t invite any women over. Happy?”

Life at the Top Chapter 893

Mitch scoffed and instantly began to regret ever bringing Zane, a completely useless failure, over.

However, he did not have a better option now, so he could only suppress the irritation he felt as he said, “The most important thing now is to deal with Jasper. Think of how he’s humiliated you before– don’t you want to take revenge? What pastime could possibly compete with the joy of watching Jasper lose everything?”

A cruel look flared up in Zane’s eyes and he replied harshly, “You’re right, Mr. Langdon. I’ll go f*cking vegan and start going to church if it means Jasper’s gotten rid of!”

Mitch only turned back to Conrad now that Zane finally seemed to take the matter seriously. “We’ll follow your plan. All I request is that you hit him quick and sharp. Jasper has to fall this time!”

Conrad glanced at the screen and said confidently, “Don’t worry, Mr. Langdon. I have full confidence that we’ll beat him this time.”

…

“The price is falling too quickly.”

Celine glanced at the laptop screen and frowned in worry.

“Excluding the past few global financial crises, I’ve never seen the share price of such a popular share plummet so quickly. It’s been no more than ten minutes and it’s already approaching the limit down price. According to Nasdaq’s trading rules, you have three options now.

“One, you request for a trading halt. But doing so will severely damage Sena’s credibility and damage investors’ trust. You’ll have to resume trading eventually, and there is a very high chance that the prices will plummet like a landslide when that happens.”

Jasper shook his head and replied, “I can’t choose that option. It’ll solve the issue now, but the consequences aren’t worth it. There’s no point doing that when it’ll give me more problems to deal with in the future.”

“Then the second option will be to watch it hit the limit down price,” Celine continued, knowing fully well what Jasper was considering.

Jasper replied calmly, “That’s no different from the first option.”

Celine’s eyes burned into Jasper as she stared intently and asked, “So you’re choosing option three?”

Jasper let out a light sigh and dialed Jack’s number, muttering, “Do we have any other choice?” Content is © by NôvelDrama.Org.

“The enemy’s already launched an attack, we have no other chance but to shift the battlefield to make it advantageous for us to counter.

“We either annihilate them, or we will get annihilated.”

Celine shook her head. “But what if this is what the culprit aimed for from the start? We won’t be able to retreat if we do that!”

“I can’t know for sure whether this is what they intended, but just as how it will cuts off all escape for us, they will have no way out too. We don’t know what they’re thinking, so all we can do now is create as many advantages for ourselves as possible.”

With that, the call connected and Jack’s voice was heard through Jasper’s speakers. Jasper brought the phone to his ear and spoke to Jack, leaving Celine to shake her head speechlessly.

For how gentlemanly this man seemed, the man hid an utterly fierce character underneath. All would be well if people stayed in line, but if one were to offend him, this man would then counter with the most ruthless and bloody attacks. All without hesitation.

“What are your orders, Mr. Laine?”

Jack immediately asked after accepting the call.

Jack was currently seated in Sena’s brightly lit conference room, where real-time trading data was being displayed on its big screen.

The plummeting of Sena’s share price had the group of senior executives sweating profusely. They were discussing countermeasures maddeningly when Jasper called. Some had suggested applying for a trading halt, while others had suggested watching it play out first and enduring the prices hitting the limit down since it was just a 10% loss at most.

Every suggestion had its fair share of supporters, so there was no consensus.

Jasper’s call had quieted everyone as they all stared at Jack. They knew that Jasper was going to make a decision.

“You’ve seen the situation, haven’t you? Any thoughts?” Jasper asked.

Life at the Top Chapter 894

This was a question Jack dreaded the most, but since Jasper had asked it, Jack had no choice but to muster his courage and reply, “Everyone’s still discussing what to do. Some of them support the idea of applying for a trading halt, while some of them favor waiting it out and letting it hit the limit down price first before they make a decision.”

As he looked at the group of subordinates that were staring at him in anticipation, Jack’s heart softened at the fact that these people were hesitant about making a mistake. “Mr. Laine, we don’t actually have any good suggestions…”

“It’s okay, I know what you’re trying to say.”

Jasper interrupted Jack.

While he was irritated at Sena’s senior executives’ impulsiveness and irresponsible attitude toward their work, he could not blame everything on his subordinates or their superior, Jack.

“There’s no need to discuss further, I’ve already made my decision. As Sena’s President, Jack, I need you to immediately apply for us to issue additional shares with the Nasdaq Review Committee.

“JW Capital will immediately transfer 1 billion Somer Dollars to increase the number of shares on the market. This is a major asset restructuring, so for the next three days, Sena’s shares will not have any price limits.”

Jasper’s words had Jack feeling lightheaded.

“Mr… Mr. Laine, there are too many risks in doing that.”

Jasper replied calmly, “I’ve already considered all the risks. Jack, ever since I first invited you to be a part of JW, every decision I made was risky. But when have I ever lost?

“Trust me.” Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

Jack fell silent for a moment when he heard Jasper’s voice echo through the speakers. Taking a deep breath, he grit his teeth and replied, “I’ll get to it immediately, Mr. Laine!

“I’ll have JW Capital release a statement.”

After hanging up the phone, around a dozen employees in the conference room, all of whom were financial and business talents in Sena, now blinked at Jack like obedient children waiting for their teacher to hand out their test results.

They had a premonition that Jack was about to give them an earth-shattering piece of news.

After a moment of silence, Jack spoke.

“According to Mr. Laine, Sena’s holding company, JW Capital LLC, will transfer us 1 billion Somer Dollars to increase our share issuance.

“We will use the excuse of Sena undergoing a major asset restructuring to request for a review by the Nasdaq Review Committee. During this time, Sena’s share price will not be restricted by any price limits.”

The conference room fell pin-drop silence after he said that.

Every’s eyes widened and they felt their minds ring.

As people who worked in the industry, they immediately realized something from this decision.

‘Mr. Laine’s planning to fight the mastermind head-on. Whoever loses will have to leave.’

Manly men do not back down.

‘Screw with my company’s shares and I’ll destroy all your escape routes!’

Despite their rationale telling them that big boss Mr. Laine was being very impulsive with the decision, the people in the conference room felt their blood rush with excitement!

Compared to suggestions to surrender and apply for a trading halt or to watch the prices hit the limit down price, Mr. Laine’s suggestion was just…

Too manly!

Life at the Top Chapter 895

Just as countless investors and funds began to feel afraid from the large drop in Sena’s share price, the Nasdaq Exchange published three official statements in a row.

The first was to inform all investors that Sena’s share price was currently undergoing extreme oscillations and were highly risky. Thus, investors were reminded to invest cautiously.

This was essentially an official statement of utter nonsense. It served no purpose other than to remind people of its existence.

The second statement was that Sena had already applied for a special procedure with the Review Committee due to major asset restructuring. As of that moment, the Committee was currently reviewing Sena’s application to ensure that it complied with Nasdaq’s trading regulations.

When they read this statement, many people let out an unsurprised smile.

Sena had indeed panicked at such a time.

There were only so many outcomes when a public company applies for a major asset restructuring with the exchange center.

There was a ninety percent chance that Sena was making preparations for a trading halt.

After all, when a public company goes through asset restructuring, it was not uncommon for it to experience a trading halt for a few trading days.

This was a reasonable request.

Considering Sena’s current situation, everyone could tell that Sena was unable to endure the plummet in share price and had chosen to halt trading to prevent further loss.

The more experienced and skilled traders began to shake their heads at this. They wondered if something was wrong with Sena’s decision-makers.

It was evident that investors in the market currently lacked trust in Sena, and this lack of trust was the reason for the drop in share prices. Yet, instead of releasing good news, Sena had decided to avoid the battle. This would only shatter the trust of the remaining investors who still had any faith in Sena.

Applying for a trading halt would only result in even more severe consequences, with more investors losing hope in Sena.

Moreover, a public company could not halt trading forever, and the day Sena resumes trading would be the day Sena’s valuation will be completely shattered.

This was a stupid move!

After mocking Sena’s decision-makers, these people then clicked on the third official statement. Content is © by NôvelDrama.Org.

With a few lines, the third statement had everyone swallowing their words.

It stated that after review from Nasdaq’s Review Committee, Somerland’s JW Capital Ltd. Co. had invested 1 billion Somer Dollars into Sena as its majority shareholder to increase the issues of shares.

Sena’s request for their major asset restructuring situation was proven true, and so, special procedures had been approved.

Sena’s share prices would undergo special procedures, effective immediately, and Sena’s shares would not be restricted to any pricing limits for the next three days.

This third official statement served as a harsh awakening to the people who had previously made assumptions after reading the second statement.

Instead of applying for a trading halt, Sena had applied to cancel all price limits due to the increase in issues of shares.

‘This means a f*cking huge event is about to occur!’

Analysts and investors did not have time to regret their words as they became all fired up.

Canceling rising and limit down restrictions meant that Sena was initiating battle. This was a matter of life and death!

These were rare battles.

After all, the shifting of price limits usually led to the oscillation of tens of millions in market value. A person’s wealth could either skyrocket or vanish in the blink of an eye, and people were usually never impulsive enough to make such a decision.

Despite this, Sena had shown the world that even if others did not dare to face such a challenge, they would!

Life at the Top Chapter 896

…

“Jasper really is Jasper. He doesn’t disappoint, does he?”

Conrad smiled’s smiled grew more carefree at the sight of the third official statement displayed on the screen.

Mitch’s eyes flickered beside him as he stared at Conrad with a complicated gaze.

He had claimed that Jasper would have Sena apply for a trading halt when he saw the second official statement, but Conrad dismissed this and replied that Jasper would instead fight back guns blazing.

Mitch did not believe Conrad at all, but following the third statement, Mitch could not help but be impressed by Conrad’s in-depth understanding of Jasper.

The smarter Conrad was and the better he understood Jasper, the more relieved Mitch became. Conrad’s knowledge would increase their odds of beating Jasper.

“So, what do we do now?” Mitch looked at Conrad and asked.

Mitch’s tone and attitude were subconsciously much gentler now.

Noticing the change in Mitch’s attitude, Conrad replied calmly, “It’s currently two a.m. Taking into account the time difference, the trading day should be ending over in New York. We’ll have to wait for the market to open tomorrow to do anything.”

When he said that, Conrad’s gaze flared with determination and decisiveness. “When that happens, our victory will be announced, and he will perish!”

…

The market immediately reacted to Sena’s statement.

The most obvious reaction was that Sena’s share price immediately stopped plummeting as it began to pace very closely to the limit down price. While it was very close to the value, the price never hit the limit.

The 1 billion Somer Dollars invested to increase its shares issuance also reignited a bit of hope in the market. Many investors decided that they would watch the situation play out a little longer while some bolder investors decided to buy shares around the lower limit in hopes that it would rise again.

While all sorts of speculation flew about, Jasper got up from the hotel in Nauritus City and got ready to leave.

“There are still fifteen minutes until the end of the trading day, so there won’t be much change for now,” Jasper exhaled softly and spoke.

“You used 1 billion Somer Dollars to prevent Sena from hitting the lower limit today.” Celine was rather aggrieved by Jasper’s decision.

“Tomorrow will spell another battle,” Jasper added with a smile.

“Sometimes I really wish you’d lose.” Celine looked at Jasper and spoke with a subtle smile, “I really want to see how you’d look if you lost.”

“How do you think I’ll look? I’ll still eat and drink to survive; I’ll still sleep and wake up. Even if Sena’s share prices completely crash, I wouldn’t say that it’s a substantial loss. There’s no way I’d let go of my shares in Sena and cash out.

“Only people who might cash out their shares in return for a large amount of money will be afraid of their company’s share price plummeting.

“As far as I’m concerned, Sena itself is a money-making machine with its own business model. Worse comes to worst, I’ll just pull out of the market and go private.” Life at the Top Chapter

Jasper’s tone was very calm as he was speaking the truth.

“Everyone’s overestimating how important Sena is to me. I don’t understand why they think that I can’t afford to see Sena’s share price drop.

“In fact, to a certain extent…

“The lower Sena’s share prices, the more advantageous it is to me. I’ll just privatize it and pull out of the market!

“After all, the main reason why Sena went public in the beginning was to use the market and speedily raise funds to ease JW’s tight cash flow .

“Now that the problem’s dealt with, they still think that Sena’s market on Nasdaq is a weakness they can exploit. People see going public on Nasdaq as the ultimate goal, but that’s never been my target!”

Life at the Top Chapter 897

Celine’s eyes widened as she looked at Jasper and said, “Don’t tell me you purposefully let the opponent beat Sena’s share prices down so you can privatize it. You didn’t, did you?”

The more Celine thought about it, the more she convinced she became that Jasper was very much the type to do this sort of thing.

All this while, Jasper had excelled in weaving what other people believed as impossible into the possible.

From Jasper’s perspective, this might actually be a good idea.

“What are you talking about?” Jasper sighed.

“If the situation allowed it, I might have done just that. But the problem now is money.”

“It would be astronomically expensive to privatize Sena now. While all of JW Capital’s subsidiaries have a lot of potential, there’s still a limit to how much money they can make right now. JW Capital still has to fund their operations.

“Why would I have Sena go public if not for the fact that I’m broke as hell?

“How long do you think it’s been since then? Where am I supposed to find so much money to try to reprivatize it?”

Jasper shook his head and said, “Privatization is my final plan, and that’s only if I don’t have any other options left. As far as I’m concerned, a small win or loss doesn’t really matter that much to me. However, when I have the option to not lose, then there’s no way I’m not grabbing the bull by the horns and winning it all!

“In any case, it’s time for me to leave.”

Celine was curled up on the sofa as she smiled at Jasper crescent-eyed and said softly, “But it’s so late. Why not just spend the night here?”

Jasper glanced at the woman warily and shook his head, declining her invitation, “No thanks. I’m going home. Why would I stay here with you?”

“What, afraid that your girlfriend’s going to check up on you?” Celine chuckled and provoked Jasper further, “I’m a woman and even I’m not scared of that. Who are you to be afraid of her?”

“Trying to taunt me, are you?” Jasper smiled and grabbed his jacket as he replied, “Too bad it doesn’t work on me. Bye.”

Jasper was about to walk away when a calf hooked around his leg.

Through the stockings, a soft and shiny toe rubbed against Jasper’s thigh as Celine said coquettishly, “But I’ll be if I’m afraid all alone here.

“Don’t tell me that you’ve been asking your secretary to sleep with you all these years,” Jasper said sternly. Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.

“You d*ckwad!” Celine let go of Jasper’s thigh and harrumphed, speaking in an upset tone, “I came to work for you for free and you’re just going to throw me away after you’re done using me? I should’ve known that all men are trash.”

“This is where you’re wrong.” Jasper shook his head.

“The true battle’s only just begun. I haven’t finished using you yet, so I’ll only throw you away later.”

After saying that, Jasper strode out of the room with a loud laugh.

“You b*stard! I’m going to buy the earliest ticket out of here and leave! I hope you lose this round you heartless b*stard!”

Celine threw a pillow at the doors that Jasper had quickly closed behind him. Staring at the closed doors, Celine suddenly chuckled in amusement.

…

The sky was already slightly brightening by the time Jasper got home after essentially burning the midnight oil. Thus, Jasper slept until noon and had only exited his room exhaustedly then.

“What time did you get back last night?”

Wendy took a look at Jasper’s exhausted appearance and immediately had a maid prepare Jasper some food as she asked in concern.

“After five I think.” Jasper sat on the sofa and said slowly, “Something happened to Sena’s share price over at the Nasdaq, but because of the time difference, I most likely won’t be getting a good night’s sleep anytime soon.”

“Is it bad?” Wendy asked as she sat down beside Jasper.

“It’s not a lost cause yet!”

Life at the Top Chapter 898

Jasper smiled and patted Wendy’s hand to comfort her and asked, “Did you not go to work?”

“I’m leaving now.”

Wendy got up and reminded him, “Remember to get some more rest in the afternoon after you eat then.”

“Alright. I won’t come into the company, but I’m sure it’ll be fine with you and Malcolm there,” Jasper said with a smile.

“All you know how to do is to push your responsibilities onto other people! I’m going to need a pay raise by the end of the year!” Wendy demanded.

“Sure, sure, I’ll give you my being too. Is that enough for you?”

“As if I’d want that!”

After joking with Jasper, Wendy left for the company.

With JW Capital’s subsidiaries gaining traction, Wendy had also gotten busier as one of the major supervisors to the projects. Jasper was rarely at the company, so she had to watch over them for him. These businesses were essentially under her charge.

Malcolm was very capable too, and he had shouldered quite a bit of her responsibilities. This solidified how great of a decision it was for Jasper and Wendy to pay such a high price to get Malcolm to work for them.

Wendy had only just left when Julian entered through the doors.

“Jasper.”

Eyes slightly closed, Jasper felt his energy return with full force when he heard Julian’s voice. Flipping himself around, Jasper asked, “Did you find anything?”

Julian reported seriously, “There are a few leads. With regards to the villa that Mitch and Zane went to yesterday, I did some checking on who the property belonged to and found out that it was bought by a Somer businessman from Nauritus City who returned from overseas four years ago.

“The most interesting part is that this Somer businessman had not returned to Somerland for decades, and the first thing he did once he returned was to buy a villa. Then, he left the country a few weeks after the villa was bought and he’s never been back since.

“As for that villa, he’s never lived in it ever since he bought it. Instead, he stayed in hotels during those two months he spent in the country.”

Jasper replied calmly. “That means he bought it for someone else. Do you know who?”

“According to the property development company, the Somer businessman had bought the villa with a offshore account. The funds were traced back to a foreign trade company under the Monty family,” Julian replied softly.

Jasper chuckled when he heard that. “So it is him. I don’t suppose that it couldn’t have been anyone else.”

“There’s no way Zane and Mitch would come after me in Nauritus City all the way from Harbor City. That would be a suicide mission.

“Therefore, they would have needed someone who’s potentially a threat to me where I currently am. Conrad’s the only one that fits the bill, be it in terms of capability or status.

“Looks like they’ve been working together for a long time now, then.”

Julian asked softly, “Jasper, do you think they could be the culprit behind the drop in Sena’s share price?”

“Unlikely if it was just Conrad, but with Mitch partnering with him and the Langdon family funds backing him up, I can’t say.”

Jasper rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes as he said, “Only one way to find out then. Let’s test them.”

“How? By going to the villa?” Julian asked confusedly.

At that moment, impatient insults were heard outside the door, followed by Henry’s hasty footsteps. A second later, Young Master Law rushed into the room and roared with reddened eyes. Content is © by NôvelDrama.Org.

“All I did was f*cking sleep. How the f*ck did Sena’s share price drop like that? F*cking Hell even my retirement money’s in there!

“What the Hell happened, Jasper?! Who’s f*cking with Sena?

“Tell me, I’ll f*cking kill him!”

Life at the Top Chapter 899

This morning, the first thing Henry did when he awoke was push away the woman by his side and pull out his laptop to check gleefully how much Sena’s share prices had risen on Nasdaq.

This was something he had done every day without fail in recent days.

Ever since he had bought his private plane, Henry finally understood what it meant to be painfully broke.

He even requested for the alcohol that he had left unfinished during previous visits whenever he frequented bars, for he was reluctant to open a new bottle. He only had a few million left in his accounts, which caused him to constantly worry. He could not help but feel like he would die due to how broke he was at any second.

In dire need to make money, Henry had an idea when he saw Sena’s share price rising every day.

His heart set, Henry decided to put all his money into Sena’s shares.

Indeed, the share price had shot up every day.

Soon, Henry had already gained more than 50% of what he had initially invested, and with the new influx of money, Henry’s mood brightened greatly.

He felt different from other trust-fund children who only knew how to ask their family for money. He felt like he was somehow better than them now.

He bought a private plane with his own money, and he did not even need to ask his family for allowance. At that point in time, he was completely self-sufficient.

Yet, this new reality had shattered that morning.

Sena’s share prices plummeted, and Henry immediately kicked out the woman he had held tightly and called ‘baby’ the night before. Putting on a set of clothes, Henry rushed over to Jasper’s place,

Jasper was amused when he caught sight of Henry’s resentful expression. “Since when did you buy Sena’s shares? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Henry spoke embarrassedly, “It’s just a few million, I was a little embarrassed.”

“…”

Julian turned his head away silently and held back the urge to hit Henry.

“So, is someone screwing with Sena?”

Herny asked in a rage, not forgetting the reason why he had come.

Jasper was shocked. “Not bad, how’d you find out?”

Henry harrumphed and replied proudly, “How could I not know about your company? The share prices has been rising all this while only to fall so rapidly without warning. What else could it be if someone was not intentionally screwing it over?”

Jasper was rendered speechless.

Henry’s mind was straightforward to the point that one could claim that he was simpleminded.

Despite this, such simple thoughts had easily helped him see the truth at first glance.

Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of shares and finance might come up with explanations like pullbacks from a high price, an overestimated market price, or perhaps risk premiums, but they would never propose the idea of malicious activity.

On the other hand, Henry, who knew nothing of the industry, had managed to hit the nail on the head the moment he spoke.

“Stop dilly-dallying. Tell me, who’s the person behind it? I’ll go and kill their entire family right now! They might as well have killed my parents… Holding me back from earning my money. This b*stard wants me to die!” Henry roared.

Jasper gestured Henry to take a seat and said, “Can you calm down? There’s no point in shouting like this.”

“I’ve already found out who it is, but I can’t be certain. So, I’ll need your help today and we’ll go confirm whether or not it’s them.”

Henry’s eyes shone when he heard Jasper’s words. “You’re going to show off… Oh, wait, no. What are you planning this time?”

“Tell me what you need me to, and I’ll comply unconditionally. But just make sure you find the f*cker that’s screwing with Sena’s shares. I’ll f*cking rip his head off.”

Jasper smiled crescent-eyed and said, “Easy. Call Mitch later tonight and invite him and Zane out for dinner.”

Henry, who was still thrumming with excitement, was stunned for a moment as he looked at Jasper doubtfully. C0pyright © 2024 Nôv)(elDrama.Org.

“You suspect them? When it comes to the two f*cking imbeciles, Mitch is still alright, but Zane’s inexistent intelligence means that he can’t earn money even if it’s sitting right in front of him. There’s no way he could do this.”

“It’s not that simple,” Jasper replied, “I’m still not too certain right now, but that’s why we’re going to test them.”

Henry shrugged. “Sure, no problem. I’ve got it.”

“Good.” Jasper nodded in satisfaction.

Watching Henry make the call, Jasper did a quick time-check. According to the time difference, Somerland was around 12 hours ahead of New York, so it would be 9 p.m. in Somerland when the market opened there at 9 a.m.

After confirming this, Jasper called Conrad.

The phone rang for quite a while before it connected.

“How can I help you?” Conrad sounded very calm.

“Nothing much. It’s just that topping-out ceremony for the Southface River project ended yesterday, but I couldn’t help but think that something was missing without celebrating it with you, Mr. Monty.

“That’s why I’ve been planning to invite you to dinner tonight, Mr. Monty. Will you be free?” Jasper asked with a wide smile.

Conrad fell silent for a moment before he spoke calmly, “Stop pretending, Jasper. We’re enemies, not friends. Have fun celebrating yourself, I don’t have the time nor the mood to celebrate with you.”

“Here’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Monty. We’re both from the Southeast Province, so any conflict we have should be kept and dealt with privately. Why not bring everything to the table for us to discuss?

“If you’re not coming, Mr. Monty, then I could easily look for you at your house and eat there,” Jasper chuckled.

“You’re just being unreasonable, Jasper!” Conrad was enraged.

“I am,” Jasper admitted immediately.

Conrad fell silent for a moment, as if stunned by Jasper’s straightforwardness.

“Oh, there’ll be two young masters from Harbor City present as well. Just take the dinner as a chance to meet new friends. Or perhaps… you’re already acquainted with them, Mr. Monty? You’ve got to agree this time, right?” Jasper smiled.

Conrad’s silence dragged on.

“When and where?” Conrad asked after a long bout of silence.

“Tonight at eight, the First Emperor’s private room at the Imperial Kitchens. I look forward to seeing you then,” Jasper replied.

“Haha, very well then. I’ll be there on time.”

Conrad hung up after saying this. Looking up, he realized that Mitch had also just hung up the phone.

“Jasper just invited me for dinner.”

“Henry just invited me for dinner.”

The two said almost the same thing at the same time.

Conrad’s brows furrowed tightly and he spoke grimly, “Jasper must know something. Or at the very least, he already knows that we’re working together.”

“No way. We’ve hidden it very well,” Mitch could not help but feel that something was off.

Zane shrugged and growled, “Look at how terrified you two are. Jasper’s just a man and this is just a dinner. What can he even do to us?”

Life at the Top Chapter 900

“We have to attend this dinner,” Conrad said darkly.

Mitch nodded. He did not dare skip dinner when Henry was personally inviting him.

That night, they left the villa and made their way to the restaurant.

The restaurant was a hidden establishment by the Southface River shore, not too far from the large overbridge built last year that linked the two banks. Lights shone brightly every night, making it a stunning sight.

Serving one of Nauritus City’s best Falc cuisines, the Imperial Kitchen required ordinary folks to place a reservation at least a week in advance in order to dine there.

However, considering Jasper’s status and identity, the man did not need to make a reservation anywhere he went.

The Imperial Kitchen, for example, was considered a very distinguished restaurant. Yet, when Jasper had come here before to host guests, the owner had brought the general manager and the main chef over to greet him. The service was similar to how one would treat a king’s arrival.

Jasper alighted the car and shook the hand of a slightly chubby man by the name of Orson Reese.

“I didn’t expect to disturb you, Mr. Reese. My apologies,” Jasper said with a respectful smile.

Considering Jasper’s current identity and status, Orson might be the owner of Imperial Kitchen, but he still had to tend to Jasper’s whims.

Orson was rather startled in the face of Jasper’s respect. He shook Jasper’s hand with both of his and he bowed with a ninety-degree angle as he replied.

“It’s an honor that you’re willing to eat at the Imperial Kitchen, Mr. Laine. It’s only right we come to greet you in person. We’ve already canceled all other reservations today and cleared the restaurant just to serve you well today, Mr. Laine.”

Despite knowing that Orson was only saying this to please him, such treatment had greatly stroked Jasper’s ego.

“I’ll have to trouble you then, Mr. Reese,” Jasper smiled.

“It’s no trouble at all. The private room’s already been prepared, so please follow me, Mr. Laine.”

Thus, Orson courteously led with Jasper and Henry following them behind.

“Why’re you so polite to people like this too?”

Henry was angry at everyone today after losing a considerable amount of money. He walked with an expression so dark it deterred people from engaging him in conversation. On that day, Henry only spoke in front of Jasper.

“Small characters are useful in their own ways. It’s just a smile and a few polite words for us, yet it leaves a good impression and helps their reputation. It might not seem like much most of the time, but once accumulated, they can greatly benefit you.”

Henry looked at Jasper as if he was a monster when he heard him say this.

“Don’t you get tired of living like this? I’m starting to believe even your farts are timed and purposeful at this point. Seriously, I don’t even know how you haven’t f*cked yourself over with how calculative you are.”

Jasper smiled. “You just don’t understand the fun in this. Or rather, you haven’t gotten to the point where you can understand the fun in this yet.”

Henry scoffed. “I hope I never understand. All I’m thinking of right now is how I can get rid of those two f*ckers.”

“Remember what I told you. Don’t act rashly. We don’t have any evidence nor are we completely certain–acting rashly will only make them go further into hiding,” Jasper exhorted.

Henry waved him off irritably and said, “Yeah, yeah, I know. You nag more than my dad does. I’ll just follow your cue, okay?”

At the same time, in a luxury car a short distance away from the Imperial Kitchen.

Zane was sneering in the car as he filed his nails casually. From time to time, he would glance at Mitch and Conrad ,who were discussing what would potentially happen during the dinner.

“Seriously, guys? It’s literally dinner and you’re already this terrified? It’s not like he’s going to eat us alive or something,” Zane commented uncaringly.

Mitch frowned slightly and said, “Watch what you say later you brainless fool. The more you talk, the more mistakes you make.”