Ch. 971..980
Life at the Top Chapter 971
“You have to believe me, Mr. Laine! This only happened because I gave in to temptations once, that’s it. I’d never dare scheme against your shipyard if not for this, Mr. Laine. This was all the Wellington family’s plan. They were the ones who tempted me to join them. This was all their idea!”
Baxter had completely sold the Wellington family out.
“Bullsh*t!”
Shaun’s mother shrieked, her expression harsh and sinister. “The Wellington family is a prominent entity here in Brac County, we would never do something so shameful! And what do you mean Mary stayed the night with you? You’ll pay for defaming my daughter’s name with your nonsense!”
Baxter let go of his inhibitions as well and spared her a glance before sneering.
“Where’d you even come from, old woman? Your daughter knows very well whether she stayed the night with me or not. And your son, her brother Shaun, sent her to my room himself. Why would I lie about that?
“How about this, then? Your daughter has a red birthmark on her left buttcheek, correct?”
Mary was mortified and Shaun’s complexion paled. Meanwhile, their mother’s eyes grew wide and the blood drained from her face.
“Looks like it’s very clear now, then,” Jasper’s calm words cut through the silence like a hot knife through butter.
“Lucas,” Jasper called out.
Lucas immediately stepped forward and replied courteously, “Yes, Mr. Laine.”
“Have the shipyard inform all of the Wellington family’s raw material suppliers that no matter what price the Wellignton family are offering, our shipyard is willing to pay 20% more to buy their raw materials; machine tools, steel, and the like.
“The only condition is that they are not allowed to supply the Wellington family a single gram of material. Contact Eastwind Shipyard’s employees and offer to hire with higher salaries. If they’re willing to join us, we’ll pay them an extra 30%.
“I’ll talk to other companies like Open Sea Shipping. From today onwards, the Wellington family will not be able to buy any raw materials or receive any orders.”
Jasper looked at the three despondent Wellingtons and spoke calmly, “This is what I’m capable of.”
Shaun felt a full-body shiver course through him and he roared at Jasper with reddened eyes. “Why?! Why did you have to destroy us?”
“Because you need to be taught a lesson,” Jasper replied.
Mary blinked in realization, as if waking up from a dream, and she pounced on Greg who had remained silent the entire time. She wailed.
“Greg, Greg, he’s your childhood friend, isn’t he? Aren’t the two of you best friends? Please, help me beg him! The Wellington family cannot end like this! Please! Think about the years we’ve spent as husband and wife.
“I’m sorry, I should’ve been better ever since the beginning. Give me a chance to make it up to you. I’ll be good to you in the future, I’ll listen to whatever you say. I won’t go out and cause trouble anymore. Please help me just this once, help me beg your friend for mercy.”
Greg stared coldly at the wailing and sobbing woman with makeup running down her face. Even so, his heart remained unfazed.
He thought that he would be thrilled at the prospect of taking revenge.
Yet, here he was, completely unfazed.
If anything, he felt tired, exhausted.
“Your family did this to yourselves, Mary. This has nothing to do with me, nor can I help you with it. I’m sorry.”
Life at the Top Chapter 972
Mary was in despair when she heard Greg’s words.
“Do you have to be so heartless, Greg?”
Mary pointed at Greg, the pleading look on her face had now turned into one of disgust and resentment.
“You really are an ungrateful b*stard. I’ve kept you alive and well in my house all these years, I gave you a roof over your head and clothes to wear. But now you’re just going to leave with someone just because they’re stronger and more powerful?
“No wonder you’re so determined to sever ties with my family. You’re a horrible excuse for a human being!”
The more Mary spoke, the angrier she became. “You really are a dog! Calling whoever gives you better sh*t your master!”
Greg sneered at Mary and replied expressionlessly, “So you admit that you’ve been giving me sh*t, huh? How long have you forced me to smell it?”
Mary’s expression froze and she shrieked, “What are you saying, Greg?!”
“Those were your words, not mine. All I did was agree. That’s what you wanted all this while, no? So why? What’s so different today?” Greg spoke icily.
“Forget it, what’s the use of all this noise? The Wellington family has no one to blame but your own misconduct. You think that just because you’re somewhat rich and powerful that you get to stand above everyone? There’ll only be richer and more powerful people in the outside world. A few calls were all it took for Jasper to crush you. What use is regretting it now?”
Mary’s mom suddenly wailed, “God has forsaken us! What is this karma, why does something like this have to happen to us?”
Shaun asked sourly, “Is there no room for negotiation?”
“Did you give me room to negotiate back then?” Greg sneered.
Then, he turned to Jasper and said, “Let’s go, Jasper.
“There’s nothing worth staying for anymore.”
Jasper nodded and prepared to leave.
Jasper’s eyes fell on Mary and her despondent expression, and he suddenly halted.
“Do you agree to the divorce?”
Mary was stunned for a moment after hearing Jasper’s question. She was about to say something instinctively but Shaun cut her off. “We agree!”
Shaun walked in front of Mary and spoke to Jasper politely and flatteringly, “They’ll get divorced right now. No matter the conditions, as long as Greg asks for it, we’ll agree to the terms.”
“What if I want to change my son’s surname to Costa?” Greg suddenly asked.
Shaun clenched his jaw and nodded. “Of course. You’re his father, it’s only right the child takes your surname.”
“Are… are you crazy, Shaun? This ungrateful b*stard’s caused us so much grief and you’re still agreeing to his conditions?” Mary shouted.
Shaun glared at Mary and snapped frostily, “Shut up! Don’t talk if you don’t know what’s going on!
“Disagree? What do you think is going to happen if we disagree? Did you forget what happened to the Zion family? They were much more powerful than our Wellington family when they were still in Brac County, but what about now? Do you see the Zions anywhere?”
Mary suddenly came to this realization, and she looked at Jasper in fear. She no longer dared to make a sound.
Looking at Greg, who was Jasper’s best friend, Mary felt true regret for the first time in her life.
Had she treated Greg better over the past few years, or at least treated him with basic respect, the sentimental man might never have suggested a divorce. With a best friend like Jasper, Mary would have been able to make a fortune as Greg’s wife.
The thought of this agonized Mary.
Jasper gave Lucas a look that signaled for the latter to wrap things up as he left the house alongside Greg.
Walking out of the estate, Greg suddenly stood in place blankly.
Jasper did not rush him either, as he waited silently by the side.
Life at the Top Chapter 973
Greg carried his son in one hand while he pulled out a box of cigarettes and passed a stick to Jasper.
With that, the two grown men smoked by the entrance of the estate while one of them carried a child in their arms. It was a weird sight.
“So, what’s next?” Jasper asked.
Greg smiled wryly and replied, “I haven’t thought about that much yet. All I want to do now is say goodbye to the past now that it’s finally over.
“As for what comes next… I’m not sure yet.”
Jasper glanced at the heavily asleep child in Greg’s arms and replied, “Pull yourself together, do it for you or the child in your arms.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t keep wallowing about,” Greg looked at the child in his arms adoringly. “He’s my source of hope now. For him, I’m going to work hard and live my best life.”
“That’s good.” Jasper nodded.
He could very well give Greg millions of Somer Dollars and promise the man a comfortable life until he died.
However, this was not how Jasper liked to do things.
More often than not, the path to self-destruction began when someone suddenly received a large sum of money.
Greg had just come out into the light after several years living in the shadows; Now, he needed some time to get used to it.
“You’re rich, aren’t you? Greg turned to look at Jasper.
Jasper smiled and replied, “I’m comfortable.”
“Now that I look at it, that’s your car, no?” Greg pointed at the Bentley Julian drove over that was now parked not too far away.
“I remember laughing at you for looking at luxury cars.”
Jasper smiled. “That is my car.”
Despite his prior suspicion, Greg still gasped when Jasper admitted it.
The Wellington family was considered the wealthiest family Greg knew. Yet, not even they could afford a Bentley.
Perhaps they could afford one, but they might have had to sell two houses to fund it, and their cash flow would be tight after the purchase.
Luxury cars that ordinary people dare not dream about and the Wellington family could not even afford seemed like nothing to Jasper.
“I want an opportunity, Jasper.”
Jasper replied when he caught sight of the burning passion in Greg’s eyes, “I’ve been waiting for that. So, how can I help you?”
“I don’t need cash, nor do I need any high-ranking position. Let me work my way up from the most basic ranks in your company.
“Be it door-to-door advertising or sales, I’ll do anything there is. All I want is a platform, an opportunity! You know how difficult it is for people with a high-school diploma like me to seek out work in big companies.”
Jasper frowned slightly and said, “It’s not easy in the sales industry, though. There’s a lot of pressure and it’s tough work.”
Greg chuckled and replied, “What I’ve been through over the past few years was tough. Everything else pales in comparison.”
Jasper nodded. He was pleased by Greg’s clear cognition of reality and himself.
“Alright, then. You can seek me out at anytime in Nauritus City, and I’ll find you a job. I’ll say it now, I can lend you money if you ask, but everyone is equal when it comes to work. I’m not going to treat you differently just because you’re my friend.”
Greg laughed out loud. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell other people that my boss is my best friend even if I end up working at your company. I’ll prove my own capabilities!”
Greg’s smile was lighthearted and refreshing, like a rainbow after the storm. It was a touching sight.
Life at the Top Chapter 974
Jasper pulled Greg, now free from his emotional turmoil, into the Bentley.
“I’ll be leaving for Nauritus tomorrow. Are you coming with me?” Jasper asked.
Greg gave it some thought and said, “I still have a few things to deal with, so you can go back first. I’m not planning to go straight to Nauritus either, but instead head back home for a bit. Thought I’d go pay my parent’s graves my respect, you know?
“I’m ashamed now that I think about it. It’s only a few hundred kilometers away, but I’ve never gone back ever since I came to Brac County.
“I’ll start anew in Nauritus City once I’ve wrapped everything up here.”
“Alright. Contact me when you arrive, then.” Jasper pushed his name card into Greg’s hand.
“I will. Where are we going now?” Greg asked curiously.
“To visit my parents,” Jasper said with a smile.
Once they returned to the shipyard, Charlie and Sally chatted with Greg when they saw him.
The two were childhood friends, after all, and the Laines was close with the Costas. Not to mention that Charlie and Sally sympathized with Greg after he had lost his father at a young age.
Thus, it was only natural that they engaged in small talk when they met again. Sally soon asked Greg how he had been lately.
Greg did not say much, but he explained that he had gotten married and divorced when he realized that the relationship was not working out. Therefore, it was just him and his son now.
The topic once again evoked Sally’s sympathy.
However, Jasper was acutely aware that his parents especially loved Greg’s son.
“Oh, look at his little face. He looks just like Greg when he was a child. Look at his small hand and his soft cheeks. So adorable.”
“He even smiled at me.” A rare smile appeared on Charlie’s face where he stood by the side.
Greg smiled. “Have Jasper give you a chubby little grandchild while it’s still early, then.”
“Exactly my thoughts. Wouldn’t it be great if he let me take care of his children now while I can still move about? But you know what he told me? He told me he’s still young and he doesn’t want kids yet.”
Sally must have been bottling this up for some time as she began to vent the instant Greg brought up the topic.
At that moment, Sally looked at Jasper, who had an awkward expression on his face. “You’re not so young anymore, you can’t possibly make Wendy follow you around aimlessly like this. Think of her, at least. I’ve talked to your dad about this, so if you two are ready, just confirm your relationship and get it over with.
“Wendy’s dad’s an understanding man so I’m sure he’ll get it. You can have a child first if you don’t plan to get married so soon. That’s what’s popular among you youths nowadays, is it not?”
Jasper felt extremely lightheaded.
He had not even thought about marriage yet, let alone having children.
Considering the current situation, Jasper was not planning to have children anytime soon.
His business was still fresh and there was no strict schedule for when he had to fly internationally. He would have to leave the country a lot in the future, and if he had a child, it would feel like he was torn between two worlds.
“How old do you think I am, Mom? Moreover, the two of you are still young, so it’s far too early to have those kinds of thoughts. Give it at least another two years,” Jasper said exasperatedly.
“What do you mean how old? You’re in your twenties! I won’t compare you to random strangers, but look at Greg! He’s the same age as you and his child is already this big! You’re telling me you’re not in a rush?” Sally said impatiently.
“Okay, okay, fine. But this isn’t just about me, I’ll talk to Wendy about it when I get back, okay?” Jasper decided to placate them for the time being.
Life at the Top Chapter 975
Sally’s expression brightened at Jasper’s reply. “That’s more like it.”
With that, Sally then looked down and continue to play with the child in Greg’s arms. A smile immediately bloomed on her face. “Oh, the more I look at his small face the more I like him. Come on, smile for grandma.”
“Stay for dinner, Greg. Sally and I are going out to get groceries later, and we three men can have a few drinks tonight,” Charlie told Greg.
Greg replied happily, “Sure, sounds good.”
As the older couple entertained the child, Greg walked over to speak to Jasper.
“When they said Wendy… it couldn’t have been the Wendy Schuler, right?! The Queen Bee from high school, the prettiest student in our county’s number one senior high?” Greg asked Jasper impatiently.
“Hehe,” Was all Jasper replied with.
“That’s so cool, dude!” Greg nudged Jasper. “You’ve succeeded in both love and business. Not bad to have succeeded in convincing Wendy to be your girlfriend. Our ex-classmates jaws would drop if they found out about this.”
“We can all get together for a reunion after you arrive in Nauritus, then,” Jasper said gleefully.
“Sure. I don’t know her too well, but she’s left quite a good impression on me.
“I was the only one in the entire school who talked to you back then, but she treated everyone the same. She didn’t look down on you because you were poor and that alone is enough for me to support your relationship,” Greg spoke.
“On the topic of Wendy, I think she’s told me once that she hates people like you the most,” Jasper taunted gleefully when he was reminded of the funny incident.
“Hate me? Why? I didn’t even talk to her throughout the three years in senior high. How can she hate me?” Greg was speechless.
“Probably because you’re handsome and there were tons of girls following you every day. She said playboys like you aren’t serious with anyone.” Jasper laughed out loud.
“She was right about the handsome part, though.” Greg touched his nose. Seeing Jasper laugh out loud, he suddenly joined in.
Having a handsome face paid off when they were young and dumb, but now that everyone had grown up and experienced the ruthlessness and tribulations of society, they understood that a man’s appearance did not matter.
Jasper was relatively handsome, with an introverted and gentlemanly character that gave him a unique charm.
Coupled with his successful career, he walked with the air of confidence and maturity that gorgeous but unsuccessful men could not hold a candle to.
If a woman had to choose between Greg and Jasper, they would most likely opt for the latter.
“There are wonderful girls all over the world. You can always slowly reenter the market once you’ve moved past this experience. Your son will need a motherly figure, and there’s no reason for you to spend the rest of your life alone,” Jasper spoke seriously.
“Maybe another time. I don’t think I can consider dating for the time being.” Having just walked out from Mary’s shadow, Greg did not want anything to do with relationships at that moment.
Charlie and his wife filled the table with food that night. Sally truly loved the child, so she only had a few bites of food before she went off to spend time and take care of him. This left Charlie, Jasper, and Greg to drink and chat about the past. It lasted late until around eleven o’clock.
After sending a tipsy Greg to the lobby of a nearby hotel, Jasper decided that he would return to spend the night with his parents and leave the day after. However, he received a call and was forced to return to Nauritus City overnight.
It was a call from Wendy.
She said that an average-looking man had come to the company for investment because he wanted to create the largest sourcing website in the world.
A website that would allow all the enterprises in the world to source goods directly through the website instead of commissioning salesmen. The website would also allow enterprises to contact their suppliers directly and thus completely change the way people did business.
Wendy first wondered if she was speaking to a madman, but then she realized the potential in the man’s plan. Not to mention, Jasper had once told her to contact him right away if a rather ugly man with such an idea and the surname Marlon ever came knocking at their doors.
That night, Jasper’s wait, both for this phone call and man in question, finally paid off.
Life at the Top Chapter 976
Twenty years into the future.
There would be three familiar Somer billionaires.
The country’s grandfather, who started with the small goal of one hundred million.
Wayne Marlon, who was disinterested in money.
Hudson Moore, who preached that the way to grow stronger was by topping up money.
The latter two were known as the country’s dads, and both their surnames started with the letter M.
Among the three, the country’s grandpa was a truly grandiose man.
Hudson was the most low-profile and vigorous.
While Wayne was a true miracle.
Wayne was a mere teacher who graduated from the teaching academy, yet he had managed to persuade 18 others to found a company with him.
The company was first founded in an apartment in a normal suburban district.
No one had expected that this 19-employee company with no money would one day prove Wayne’s predictions right, as it changed his countrymen’s lives.
Now that one thought about it, perhaps not even Wayne believed his prediction would come true.
Among all the billionaires, Wayne was certainly not the most capable person nor was he exceptional when it came to doing business. Even so, this man had a mouth that could obtain the impossible and a top-notch strategic vision that ordinary people could never hope to possess.
While Jasper was still trading mung bean futures and gathering his first bucket of cash, he had come up with a structure for his future business.
Once he was certain that he would rely on investing and holding companies instead of day-to-day trading, he established Hudson and Wayne as his main pillars of business and wealth.
Hudson fell under his influence a long while back, but he had been waiting for Wayne all this while.
Wayne and Hudson were completely different people, so Jasper had to deal with them differently.
He could take the initiative with Hudson since the man was rather introverted and passive, but Wayne was completely different. Jasper could not make the first with Wayne, so the only option was to wait for Wayne’s arrival.
Otherwise, Jasper would lose the initiative, which something extremely important in a business negotiation.
Thus, Jasper waited, like a patient hunter, up until that day.
Rushing back to Nauritus City under the glimmer of countless stars, Jasper arrived home at close to two a.m.
The two seemed to have a tacit understanding, for they knew they would meet the other tonight even without any prior contact.
With that, Jasper and Wayne met at the entrance to the pitch dark office.
“My apologies for making you wait, Mr. Marlon. I was still in Brac County when I was informed of your arrival. It took some time to rush over.”
Wayne was pleased with Jasper’s politeness.
“No, it’s my fault for coming unannounced. I’m sorry to bother you so late at night, Mr. Laine.”
The two shook hands. Jasper glanced at Wayne and suddenly laughed, realizing how the term ‘average-looking’ was a compliment to the man’s appearance.
For Jasper remembered how he used to be Wayne’s website’s diamond VIP his past life, and how he had spent a lot of money on it every year buying outfits for Penelope.
This was especially true during Valentine’s day, when he and the rest of the men around the country would curse Wayne out, only to weep silently as they checked out their wife’s shopping cart.
“Are you laughing at how ugly I am, Mr. Laine?”
Wayne was a man who knew how to read people, and the room. He could tell from Jasper’s age and attitude that Jasper was not one of those stern man that did not smile. Thus, Wayne immediately cracked a joke to get close to him.
Life at the Top Chapter 977
“You kid, Mr. Marlon. Who is this?” Jasper waved him off and turned to look at the young man standing silently beside Wayne.
“Jose Salazar, Abbylon Inc.’s current CFO,” Jose introduced himself to Jasper politely, oozing with an air of intellect and strength.
Jasper smiled and shook hands with the Abbylon Group’s greatest hero and said, “It’s nice to meet you.”
If one were to mention Abbylon Inc in the future, one would immediately think of two people. Wayne Marlon, and Myles Shon.
Wayne was the founder of Abbylon, while Myles was the President of Softwin Investments who invested the first large sum to kickstart Abbylon.
This was a relationship between an investor with a keen eye and a promising entrepreneur.
However, everyone seemed to have forgotten that Jose also played an important role in developing Abbylon. Hailing from a family of lawyers in Nawait, Jose graduated from one of the top ten universities in the world and obtained a bar license in New York.
It could be said that Abbylon had it only grown to be as successful as it was because of Wayne and Jose.
This was why Wayne entrusted Jose with the position of Abbylon’s first chief financial officer, CFO. JW Capital’s own CFO was Wendy, which was a testament to how important the financial officer was to a company.
Jose was also the reason behind Abbylon adopting the framework of a more modern enterprise at the very beginning.
“I’ve heard of you, Mr. Salazar. I heard how you gave up the annual pay of 700 thousand US Dollars for Abbylon’s monthly salary of 500 Somer Dollars,” Jasper said with a smile.
Jose and Wayne were shocked that Jasper knew of such a thing.
“I’m impressed by Mr. Marlon’s charisma,” Jose nodded with a small smile.
Jasper immediately gave up on the idea of pulling an outstanding man like Jose over to his company when he saw the latter’s expression.
Some people and things were meant to be. Jose and Wayne, for example, were fated to be partners which no one could pull apart.
Not that it mattered though. With Wayne under JW Capital, Jose would technically be working for Jasper too.
“It’s the middle of the night, so let’s not stand by the doors. Come on, we’ll talk inside,” Jasper invited the two into the office.
Instead of using the company lobby, Jasper made a beeline for his own office.
There was no way any employee was still working at this hour, so Jasper made the two tea himself.
After sitting down, Jasper did not waste any time as he began to read the investment report that Wayne had handed in in advance and which Wendy had placed right in the middle of his office desk.
“You require a financing of 500 million, right, Mr. Marlon?”
Jasper raised an eyebrow and glanced at Wayne when he read the financing request on the first page. He asked this with a subtle smile.
Wayne immediately replied with confidence, “Mr. Laine, you’ll earn at least ten times this amount.”
“Should we do a VAM then?” Jasper asked.
Wayne was instantly embarrassed.
He had persuaded countless people before, and even Softwin’s Myles Shon had ended up investing 20 million US Dollars after his sales pitch. However, Wayne had never met someone like Jasper, who acted so unexpectedly.
Everyone could tell that he was bluffing, but there was no way a founder would first trash-talk his own company when he was asking for investments.
When Jasper suggested a VAM, Wayne realized that there was nothing he could respond with despite his arsenal of speeches that he had prepared beforehand.
“Mr. Laine, I believe you can take a look at our company’s situation first before we discuss further,” Jose chimed in understandingly.
“With Abbylon Inc.’s current situation, we fulfill the legal conditions for a VAM.”
Jasper chuckled and said, “As expected, Mr. Salazar. Being brought up in a family of lawyers makes you rather different. Going straight to legal terms, I see. Alright then, let me take a closer look.”
This was a small win for Jasper in his first clash with Wayne.
Life at the Top Chapter 978
A business negotiation, especially those involving equity, was a harsh battle between decision-makers of both parties from the moment they locked gazes.
After all, any change in percentages of shares held or investment quota during follow-up negotiations would involve astronomical prices. This was not a business transaction involving a few dozen or hundred bucks, but rather tens of millions.
Especially in large mergers and acquisitions cases, in which tens of billions of US Dollars were involved.
Such affairs could not be treated carelessly.
It was a good sign if Jasper had managed to suppress Wayne’s overwhelming aura right at the start.
Upon reading the entire company evaluation report, Jasper also realized that history had not changed too much. Not when it came to Wayne or Abbylon, at least.
Wayne was still catering to small and mid-sized enterprises, trying to make his dreams of a global sourcing website a reality.
“The main idea of my 8861 website is to create a platform for wholesalers on the internet. Here, suppliers from all over the world can showcase their products, and other enterprises or customers can purchase straight from the source, or sell their own goods according to their needs!
“This project will solve the issue all SMEs have with sourcing and selling goods, and this function will have the platform widely welcomed by all enterprises of all sizes.
“To tell you the truth, we already have 800 thousand members on our website and I’m sure we’ll reach 1 million by the end of the year.”
Jasper nodded as Wayne spoke.
‘Indeed. According to history, 8861 will gain 1 million members a little later in the year.
‘But so what?
‘History will also prove that 8861 is at an innate disadvantage.’
“So, you’re telling me that since large enterprises have their own branding and specific sales channels, they won’t share this issue that SMEs are actually suffering from. Therefore, you want to create an information platform whereby everyone can share their data and people can simply take what they need.”
Wayne replied excitedly, “Yes, exactly. You’re as smart as I thought, Mr. Laine. You immediately understood what I meant.”
Giving a short laugh, Jasper put down the document and sipped his tea before he spoke, “Let’s not talk about the problems your website has yet, Mr. Marlon. Let me ask you instead, do you know that I own the country’s largest internet companies, Sena and Terizone?”
Wayne nodded. “I do. You’re the most capable man when it comes to the country’s dot-com enterprise, Mr. Laine. That’s why we came to look for you.”
“You’re too kind, Mr. Marlon, but the country is filled with promising talents, and I wouldn’t dare call myself this so-called ‘most capable man’.”
Jasper smiled and continued, “What I’m trying to say, Mr. Marlon, is if I have either Sena or Terizone create a similar website tomorrow, how long do you think it’ll take before 8861 starts losing money?”
When they heard that, both Wayne and Jose’s expressions changed dramatically.
Sena had full market control of the country’s online games and web portal, while Terizone had millions of email subscribers and tens of millions of subscribers.
Even Wayne and Jose were subscribers to Terizone’s KK.
If those two companies were to replicate 8861’s business model, then 8861 would certainly fall in less than three months.
After all, there was just too big a difference between them. 8861 could not even hope to compete.
Life at the Top Chapter 979
“Mr. Laine, 8861 caters to SMEs. When it comes to Sena or Terizone, their users are ordinary netizens. They are simply not the same target audience,” Wayne spoke.
Jasper chuckled and targeted Wayne’s straw man without hesitation.
“If your members know of 8861 and have gone online to use your website for business, Mr. Wayne, then who’s to say that these enterprise owners or senior executives are not also Terizone’s email subscribers, KK users, or Sena’s gamers?”
Wayne’s expression turned stern and he gestured as he spoke, “8861 is advantageous because it is irreplaceable.
“That is merely the result of being early movers in a market in which you are still gathering users. In reality, these so-called advantages are merely a facade.”
Jasper leaned back against his chair and looked at Wayne. “I heard that you’re a fan of fairytales, and that you like referring to each other as sirs and knights within the company.”
“Therefore, I’m sure that you’re no stranger to the battles between knights and dragons. It’s only a battle of skills when its a fight between people of similar strengths. Am I wrong?”
“Mr. Laine,” Jose cut Wayne off and spoke, looking at Jasper seriously. “You also said that there’s problem with 8861. Could I ask what this might be, other than the fact that it’s easily replaceable?”
“Its business model,” Jasper replied straightforwardly.
“Enterprise to enterprise, or the b2b model in e-commerce terms. This model isn’t horrible, but there’s an innate problem with it. This model makes your website a platform instead of a channel, in which there’s no clear boundaries for the suppliers and their customers.
“Say, for example, that my enterprise is focused on selling lathes, and I paid your company’s membership fee so that I can partner with a machining company. Two years later, that company and I will already have experience partnering together, yes? So pray tell, why I would want to continue paying for my membership?
“At the moment, your only source of income comes for membership fees. But after paying you once, your members will be able to find their own groups of suppliers or customers. Your members won’t need your website anymore once they’ve used it to source their own channels.”
Wayne smiled wryly.
He did not expect a script that took him only 15 minutes to persuade Myles crumble completely in front of Jasper.
Wayne thought about how he had dragged Jose to wait with him at the entrance for five to six hours just for this opportunity. They had waited for Jasper until the early morning only to come out empty-handed. Because of this, Wayne suddenly felt the urge to leave.
“I take it that you’re not willing to invest then, Mr. Laine?” Wayne asked in disappointment.
“I’m willing.”
Jasper caught them off guard and reignited Wayne and Jose’s embers of hope.
Jasper smiled at how his words controlled the duo’s emotions. “Instead of investing in 8861, I’d like to invest in Abbylon Inc.”
Jose frowned at Jasper’s request.
While Wayne stared intently at Jasper, as if he wanted to pierce through the latter and stare straight into his soul.
“I don’t understand, Mr. Laine. 8861 website is the only business Abbylon Inc. has right now,” Jose spoke curiously.
“Change your business model. Make it B2C instead of B2B so it’s direct-to-consumers. This will significantly change the way people carry out lifestyle shopping in this country, and even the entire world.” Jasper stood up and spoke excitedly.
Wayne looked at Jasper as if the latter was a ghost.
Life at the Top Chapter 980
Strictly speaking, Wayne’s road to success was not a smooth-sailing one.
He had tried his hand at entrepreneurship thrice before Abbylon Inc., making the latest company his fourth try at being an entrepreneur.
While the previous three tries were not complete failures, he had not made much money either.
Even his fourth enterprise, Abbylon Inc, had first gone through a failed project—8861. Only after this did they dabble in online shopping for individuals.
From this came the renowned TH website.
In truth, Wayne had also spotted the problems Jasper had brought up beforehand thanks to his strategic vision.
However, 8861 was the only mature and operating platform Abbylon Inc had at that moment. If he wanted to get rid of that to focus on a shopping platform for individuals, the market might not be ready to accept his idea, and all the hard work and effort his company’s employees had put in thus far would all be for naught.
Not to mention, this shopping platform for individuals was still a muddled concept in Wayne’s head. He had yet to perfect its structure or refine the details.
Hence, when Jasper spoke about it, Wayne was overcome with excitement, as if he had met his other half.
‘So I’m not crazy. He also thought of it.
‘At the very least, I’m not the only crazy person here.’
“You really think that’ll work?” Wayne asked excitedly.
Jasper nodded and replied with certainty, “It will!”
“I’ve thought of it before, but the costs to shift to this business model are too high,” Wayne frowned as he spoke.
“Mr. Marlon, success doesn’t come without good reason. You’re going to have to pay the price if you want to succeed in this world,” Jasper spoke calmly.
“Perhaps you’re right.” Wayne looked deep in thought.
Jose looked at the other two in disbelief and rasped out, “Have the both of you gone mad? We were just talking about investments. How’d we even get to the topic of changing the entire company’s operational strategy? Mr. Marlon, Softwin will never agree to this.”
Wayne immediately frowned.
Softwin currently held more than 40% of Abbylon Inc’s shares. Without their approval, Abbylon could not execute their ideas.
“On that topic, there’s something else I’d like to talk to the both of you about,” Jasper began with a subtle smile.
The main reason Abbylon would fall prey to criticism in the future was the fact that Softwin, a Sunriser investment bank, was a major stakeholder. This angered their countrymen, as they felt that a Sunriser’s involvement made Abbylon less of a Somer enterprise.
However, Jasper was well aware that this was normal financing In the business world. It was not as big a deal as certain people made it out to be.
Still, now that the opportunity had presented itself, Jasper refused to yield such a huge source of income to a Sunriser.
Abbylon would end up larger than Terizone in the future. More importantly, Abbylon’s business would be directly linked to the daily lives of civilians and completely integrated with how society’s day-to-day functioning.
Terizone was just a social networking and gaming company. It was incomparable to Abbylon in terms of their importance to society.
Softwin’s investment in Abbylon was the primary reason why they had been able to survive the future financial crisis, which ended up making Abbylon Inc a company that investors all around the world desired.
Because of this, Jasper had to kick Softwin out of the picture no matter what.
“I can invest as much as you wish, without limit. But my only request is that you remove Softwin from your list of shareholders.”
Jasper’s words had Jose immediately wondering if the man was crazy.
Meanwhile, Wayne’s brows were tightly knitted.