Life at The Top

Life at the Top Chapter 1

17th May 2000

[You have transferred 13666422.19 dollars into your savings card ending with the numbers 2022. The current balance is 13667922.19 dollars. (Commercial Bank)]

Jasper looked at the text on his phone reminding him of his transaction details. He let out a deep breath, a look of excitement emerging on his face.

Five months ago, he was reborn and traveled back in time from the year 2020. He had wasted 40 years of his past life, but the heavens were giving him another shot at life.

Jasper Laine, who has been working in the economic industry for more than ten years, was reborn in the year 2000 with memories and knowledge of the next 20 years to come.

Knowing that he could not waste away the next few decades of his life, Jasper started taking action five months ago!

He did everything based on sheer memory regarding the hottest issue that happened in the country back in 2000—the mung bean futures incident.

Jasper sold off his parents’ only property and broke into the futures market with an 800,000-dollar fund at a leverage of 20 times.

He went through the five months in a state of anxiety and distress.

On this day, he welcomed the arrival of the remarkable rise in mung bean prices from his memories. As he had initiated an opening five months ago, the sudden rise in mung bean prices caused Jasper’s personal assets to exceed ten million dollars.

He was clear that the mung bean prices had already reached their limit. There would soon be a persistent decline in its prices for the next few years.

Therefore, Jasper did a clearance and withdrew his shares. He got a total of 13.66 million dollars after accounting for processing fees!

Going from 800,000 dollars to 13.66 million dollars in a day’s time, Jasper achieved a financial endeavor most people would not be able to attain throughout their entire lives.

“After returning the principal and interest, there will still be approximately 12.8 million left. If history does not change its course and everything takes place just like in my memories, I’ll be able to take hold of the following chances to earn more money. Perhaps this 13 million dollars will soon become… hundreds of millions or even billions!”

He continued looking at the transaction text a few more times. Jasper let out a few loud laughs. He had been poor, wretched, and trapped in debt throughout the entirety of his past life. Every single day was simply another day to pay off his debt. Days passed like years when one lived that way. Nevertheless, everything had changed now.

Since he had been poor and wretched throughout his entire past life, he needed to earn lots of money in this lifetime!

He had to let his parents enjoy their lives after retirement to make up for all his regrets from his past life!

However, he could not be too glad right now. 13 million was not a small sum, but it was not considered much for wealthy people!

Before growing strong, he needed to endure everything and develop well in order to obtain gains from every opportunity possible. He had to act cool and maintain a low-profile.

Just as Jasper was busy thinking about some financial opportunities set in the future, someone knocked at the door.

“Jasp, my mother wants you to come home for dinner tonight.”

Jasper’s smile disappeared immediately at the sight of the pretty girl standing outside the door. This was his current girlfriend and wife-to-be, Penelope Hunt.

“I’m not free,” Jasper replied in a firm tone.

“You’re not free?”

Penelope stared dumbfoundedly at Jasper.

Ever since they got to know each other, Jasper had been crazily in love with her and bent to her every will. He agreed to her every request and fawned over her every time they met. However, he seemed like a different person today.

Being too used to the way he usually treated her, the stark contrast in his demeanor made Penelope extremely unhappy. Her expression hardened. “My mother wants you to come home for dinner and you’re telling me that you aren’t free?!” she yelled.

Jasper laughed coldly. After going through everything in his past life, he was well aware of this woman’s intentions.

“Forget the meal. Don’t think that I’m oblivious to everything! Your mother wants me to come over just to ask me to lend money to that brother of yours, right?” he asked.

Penelope’s expression changed. “How did you know?” she asked.

“I know everything! I also know that your brother impregnated a woman out there and forced her to get an abortion. She almost lost her life and now they want him to pay them 300,000 dollars, right?” Jasper smirked coldly.

Penelope looked at him in distaste. “He’s my brother, and we’re about to get married. Why are you being so calculative over a small sum of money like this?” she asked.

“A small sum of money? You’re asking for 300,000 dollars! You know all about my financial situation. My parents have humble roots in the agricultural industry. They worked hard their entire lives just to buy this house for us to live in after getting married. Meanwhile, I just started working. Where should I find 300,000 dollars for your brother?” Jasper asked angrily.

“You can sell off your parents’ old house in their hometown. Although it won’t be worth much, it’s enough to get us 300,000 dollars,” Penelope stated matter-of-factly.

“Have you gone crazy?”

Although this was the second time he was hearing all of this from her, because of his past life, Jasper was still enraged all the same.

“That’s my parents’ retirement home. Where will they stay after you sell their home?” he questioned.

Penelope’s eyes glimmered. “They can rent a place to stay or stay with us for a while,” she said.

“Stay with us?”

Jasper scoffed. “Such sweet words coming from you. Last year, my father came to the city to receive treatment for his illness and stayed with us for a total of three days. You made my mother wash your feet for you every day but only visited my father once during the week he was in the hospital. You couldn’t even stay for three minutes. Tell me why. Was my father’s health not as important as your teatime appointments?”

Jasper got more infuriated as he continued talking. He hated Penelope, but he hated his weak self in the past even more.

“Enough, Jasper Laine!”

Penelope had a terrible expression on her face. “I’m just asking you to allocate some money for my younger brother. Do you want to see him go to court? He’s my younger brother!” she yelled in rage.

“Well, he’s your f*cking brother, not mine. What the hell does this have to do with me?!” Jasper roared.

“Alright then!”

Penelope laughed coldly. “As expected, there are no good men out there. That’s all I’ll say for today. If you don’t hand us 300,000 dollars, let’s break up! We won’t have to get married either!” she said coldly.

Jasper laughed after listening to her words.

In his past life, Penelope’s family had thrived off him for ten years after their marriage!

Her younger brother became worse after the abortion incident. He did everything from drinking, to indulging in debauchery, and gambling.

Penelope continued forcing him to pay off her brother’s debts. This was the main reason why he remained poor throughout his entire past life.

Penelope Hunt did not have a hint of genuine feelings for him. She just saw him as a long-term meal ticket.

During the wedding, she looked down on his parents for dressing too plainly and refused to let them enter the venue. She had never pondered upon the fact that his parents even sold off their furniture to save up for their wedding!

Penelope did not even show up at his parents’ funeral.

She even got into a huge argument with him and slapped him a few times in public. All this just because she looked down on his parents for passing away pathetically and leaving behind a few thousand dollars of rent debt.

Thinking back about the past, Jasper clenched his fists and took in a deep breath. The expression on his face turned hard and cold.

Since the heavens had given him a new chance at life, not only did he want to become wealthy, but he also wanted to have a fresh start in life!

“F*ck off, you aren’t even worth 300 dollars in my eyes. 300,000 dollars? Scram!”

Life at the Top Chapter 2

“Jasper! Wait and see, I’ll definitely not let you have your way!” Penelope blurted out in anger and left.

There was not a hint of regret in Jasper’s gaze as he saw Penelope leave in a fit of rage.

He should have dumped this woman a long time ago!

In the evening, the sky gradually darkened.

Jasper wrote down all the opportunities to earn money he could recall from his memories in his notebook in case his memory deteriorated in the future. This was the most important thing in his life right now. He could not be careless about it.

Someone knocked on the door out of the blue.

Jasper opened the door and was met with the sight of three people—Penelope Hunt, her brother, Calvin Hunt, and her mother, Susan Jones.

Susan had a snarky expression on her face. Once she caught sight of Jasper, she pointed a finger at him and shouted out loud, “Jasper Laine! I let my daughter date you since I thought you were honest and genuine. How dare you dump my daughter, you cold-hearted b*stard?! Are you still human?!”

Jasper glanced at Penelope, whose eyes were red due to crying. “I broke up with her on good terms. Please keep your mouth clean,” he said calmly.

“What f*cking bullshit!”

Calvin Hunt roared out in anger. He pointed at Jasper and shouted, “Look at how much my sister is crying! Don’t try defending yourself anymore. Don’t think I don’t know that you did this just because you can’t bear to give us some money.”

“Mother, I’ve told you a long time ago that people from the countryside are extremely calculative. His parents never managed to achieve much throughout their entire lives, so how can you expect their son to achieve anything? How can they compare with people from the city like us?” Calvin blurted out.

Susan Jones laughed coldly. “I must’ve been blind to allow my daughter to date you then. My son is right. Wretched parents sure do raise wretched children. From this small sum of money, we can tell that your personality is trash,” she said.

“Do you think you can get away like that after wasting my daughter’s time all these years? What wishful thinking! Either way, you must give us 300,000 dollars!”

Jasper remained impassive in front of their antics. “I don’t have money,” he said.

Susan scoffed. “No money? Won’t you have money after selling off your parents’ house?”

“Exactly!” Calvin said matter-of-factly. “They can rent a room or sleep on the fields after selling off their house. Anyways, they have been farmers for their entire lives and only know how to plant crops. Maybe they’ll feel more at ease living in the fields.”

As he continued speaking, Calvin’s eyes shone with a greedy glint. “Hand over this property to me as well. I’m going to get married by the end of this year. I’ll need a place to live after getting married. If you do this, I’ll advise my sister to get back together with you,” he said.

Susan’s eyes gleamed. After that incident, not only would her son have to pay a compensation fee of 300,000 dollars, but he would also have to marry this girl as well. He was worried because he did not have property of his own. Was there not a piece of property right before their eyes at this moment?

“Yes, this property seems like a pretty good place for Calvin to live in after he gets married,” Susan said happily.

Jasper laughed aloud at the schemes of this greedy mother and son. “What an excellent plan. Not only do you want me to sell my parents’ house, but you want this house as well? My parents used all of their savings to buy this house for after I marry!”

“You’re such an idiot!” Calvin said impatiently, “If my mother and I do not agree, who else will marry a wretched country boy like you? What do you still want this house for? Isn’t this house for you and your wife to live in? You can express your sincerity by giving this house to me as your wedding gift for me.”

Right then, Penelope started speaking as well. “That’s right, Jasper. He’s my only brother. We’ve worked so hard just for him all along, isn’t that right? Listen to them now. Call your parents and ask them to sell their house, then hand over this property to my brother tomorrow when you go to work. If you do so, I can forgive you and will agree to marry you.”

“Have you guys gone insane?”

Jasper gazed at the three of them coldly. “Do I owe your family anything? Or have I not told Penelope clearly enough this afternoon? I told her to scram. I’m now asking the three of you to scram. Penelope and I aren’t in a relationship anymore. What right do you guys have to order me around?” he questioned.

Jasper’s words infuriated Susan even more. She stared at Jasper pointedly and gritted her teeth. “You’re really an ungrateful bstard! Fcking b*stard!” she yelled.

“Jasper Laine!” Penelope shrieked. “Look at how much you’ve angered Mother! Apologize at once! Do you recall what you told me when you were chasing after me in the past? You aren’t even willing to do this for me right now. Are you still human?” she asked.

“Fck it, he chased after my sister like a dog in the past. Now he’s just walking away from her like that. Jasper Laine, you’re fcking despicable. You wretched b*stard. Your entire family is wretched as hell…”

Before Calvin could finish speaking, Jasper glared at him coldly.

“This is my house. Let me tell you one last time, scram!” Jasper yelled. After that, he slammed the door close with a loud bang.

Looking at the closed door, Susan trembled in rage.

“Mother, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that he’s someone like this…” Penelope cried.

Calvin’s expression darkened as well. “Mother, what shall we do now? This b*stard doesn’t want to sell his house. I can’t go to court! My life will be ruined. What about my house?” he asked.

Susan stared at the door angrily. She said spitefully, “It’s late now, let’s go back first. There will come a time when this ungrateful b*stard will be hit by karma!”

Life at the Top Chapter 3

Jasper did not bother about them. He did not give a damn about what they said at all.

Now that he had money, he could become a millionaire or a billionaire in the future. Would he still be afraid of a few rogues pestering him?

In the week after, the Hunts did not come over to look for trouble with him. Jasper felt at ease as well.

However, he did not spend his time in vain either. Based on his memories, he knew that something huge was about to happen in this small town.

In his past life, he knew that a ruby pendant had appeared in a jewelry shop called Glory Jewellers within the town.

The boss of the shop promoted this ruby pendant as an antique piece, but this pendant was once worn by an English monarch in the past!

Therefore, the pendant was being sold as a treasure of the shop. However, with a price tag of 500,000 dollars, nobody in town would buy it.

Despite the gimmick, no one believed in it.

They had to be kidding. An antique ruby pendant worn by a monarch was selling for only 500,000 dollars?

This was obviously a promotion scheme.

However, nobody would have expected the pendant to be sold off to a merchant who owned a foreign business. The boss of the jewelry shop even laughed at him for getting scammed by a fake product.

Half a year later, the ruby pendant appeared in the country’s largest auction event and was identified as a genuine piece!

It got sold off at a monumental price of 40 million dollars. It was rumored that the boss of the jewelry shop was so angered by the news that he had to be sent to the hospital.

According to his memories, today was the day the ruby pendant would be listed for sale!

This time around, Jasper would definitely not let someone else get the chance to buy it with 500,000 dollars and sell it off at a price of almost 80 times higher.

Jasper left his house early in the morning. He took a cab to the Grand Plaza and headed straight toward Glory Jewellers.

When he arrived at the shop, a bunch of customers was already there.

“Richton, thank you so much!”

Penelope happily gazed at the ruby bracelet on her wrist. It cost 3,000 dollars. It was not a gift that anyone would simply purchase for someone else.

The person called Richton was a middle-aged man. He had a large head, big ears, and a protruding belly. Clad in a suit, he smiled cheerily at Penelope. A glimmer of satisfaction and greed flashed across his eyes.

He had his eyes on Penelope from a long time ago!

It was just that he did not have the time to chase after her, but she recently started to approach him voluntarily.

There was no way Richton White would not go after her. After all, it would only cost him gifts that cost a few thousand dollars. He could afford that much.

“It’s just a small gift. What’s important is that you’re happy.”

Richton White laughed aloud. He turned over to look at Calvin and Susan, who were both staring at him in admiration. “Calvin, Mrs. Jones, each of you should choose a piece that you like as well. It’ll be my welcome gift for you,” he said.

Looks of surprise appeared on Calvin and Susan’s faces. They smiled from ear to ear and showered Richton with incessant praises.

Right then, Jasper entered the shop.

The sight of an enemy tended to make one feel vengeful. “Hey, isn’t that the calculative and wretched country bumpkin? Why are you here? Everything here costs a few thousand dollars at least. You cannot afford any of it,” he drawled on in a joking tone.

“Maybe he’s here to apply for the position of a security guard,” Penelope said condescendingly with a cold smile on her face.

Susan scoffed. She took hold of Penelope’s wrist. “Tsk tsk, look at this bracelet. It costs 3,000 dollars. Someone with taste and class bought it at a whim. People like you can only earn that much if you work for two months without eating or drinking, isn’t that right?” she asked.Richton White stared at Jasper with a meaningful gaze.

He knew that Penelope had a boyfriend. It seemed like he was the one.

Richton smiled faintly. There was a nonchalant expression on his greasy face. “It’s nothing at all. I’m not good at much, but I can’t stand seeing the ones I care for suffering from injustice,” he said.

Upon hearing his words, Penelope was touched. She leaned on Richton. “Richton, you treat me so well, unlike someone who’s poor and calculative. He deserves to remain as trash for the rest of his life,” she said.

Jasper ignored their taunting.

He and these people were from different worlds ever since the moment he was reborn.

Walking straight toward the counter, Jasper asked the sales assistant, “Excuse me, can you please take out the antique ruby pendant?”

Calvin laughed out loud after hearing what he said. “Hahaha, has this fool gone crazy? Antique ruby pendant? Why are you asking someone to take it out when you can’t even afford it?” he asked.

Richton shook his head. Rash people like him were easily provoked. This man resorted to doing something illogical after they had taunted him a little. “Hey, acting cool comes with a limit. What if they really take it out? Will you buy it or not?” he asked calmly.

Susan smirked in distaste. “Maybe he wants to see it just to gain some knowledge about the world. Alas, lowly country bumpkins like him have never seen anything good. After looking at it, he may even go back to the countryside to brag about it,” she said.

Everyone burst out into laughter upon hearing what she said.

The sales assistant stared at Jasper with a questioning look on her face. She did not know him, but she knew Richton White. He always brought women here to buy gifts for them. From what he said, this young man before her did not have much money.

The sales assistant was too lazy to serve him as well. “Sir, that ruby pendant costs a lot. If you aren’t buying it, please don’t waste our time,” she said coldly.

“Who says I’m not buying it? Give it to the person who’s asking you to take it out. Will your boss forgive you if this deal gets delayed because of you?” Jasper questioned her.

The sales assistant’s expression changed instantly. She hummed coldly. “Alright, I’ll take it out. Let’s see if you can afford it!”

The sales assistant then turned over to open the safe. She retrieved a tray and placed it before Jasper. She sneered coldly, “My boss brought this ruby pendant over last night. It was once worn by an English monarch. It’s priced at 500,000 dollars. No bargain is available!”

“500,000 dollars?!”

Penelope and the others took in a sharp breath. Even Richton’s eyes began to twitch.

Not everyone could take out 500,000 dollars at a time like this. This ruby pendant was well-shaped and had a great luster, but it did not seem to be much different from Penelope’s ruby bracelet in terms of color or appearance.

Richton shook his head. He could spend a few thousand dollars to have fun with a girl like Penelope Hunt, but something like this was beyond him.

However… This was something that even he could not afford. What about this guy?

Richton laughed coldly. “What a nice piece. It’s a pity that my funds are still tied up to my previous investment. Otherwise, I’d buy one just for fun. I guess for someone like you, you can only take a look, right?” he drawled.

“Exactly!”

Penelope moved her greedy gaze away from the ruby pendant. She looked at Jasper contemptuously. “Now that you’ve seen it, can you scram?” she asked.

Richton pulled out his bank card and handed it to the sales assistant. He spoke cheerily, “Give me the bill. You need to look closely next time. Don’t let some poor b*stards enter the shop. People like me are the real customers. What can he even do? He even requested for the antique ruby pendant after entering the shop. How embarrassing!”

Smack.

A black VIP bank card was slammed on top of Richton’s normal bank card. It glimmered in all of its luxurious glory under the light.

“Swipe this card,” Jasper said coldly.

The atmosphere of the jewelry shop dampened instantly.

“Hahahaha!”

Calvin pointed at Jasper and burst into a frenzy of laughter. “Has this fool really gone crazy? You want to buy something worth 500,000 dollars with a card like that? If this worthless card has 500,000 dollars in it, I’ll kneel down before you and call you my father!” He sniggered.

However, Richton could not bring himself to laugh out loud. His mouth became dry as he caught sight of the luxurious black bank card!

He knew that only those with up to ten million dollars in their savings account could apply for this card.

At least ten million dollars!

Richton had never seen so much money in his entire life!

One could lie, but there was no way for this card to be fake.

Richton stared at Jasper, the corners of his eyes twitching lightly.

Right then, the sales assistant took the card and swiped it on the machine.

Jasper entered his password and a beep sounded from the machine. After that, the machine printed out a long bill…

Everyone could see that this was the sign of a successful transaction.

He had really… paid 500,000 dollars!

Upon taking a glimpse at the balance of his bank card, the magnanimous amount of several tens of million dollars made the sales assistant’s heart lurch.

This was her first time seeing so much money in her life.

Keeping his card, Jasper turned around to face Calvin who had a stunned expression on his face. “You can kneel down before me, but there’s no need to call me your father. That would disgust me.”

Life at the Top Chapter 4

Upon hearing Jasper’s words, the disbelief on Calvin’s face instantly morphed into an expression of anger and jealousy.

He gritted his teeth as he stared at Jasper pointedly. “Where did you get all this money from? You said that you didn’t have money a few days ago, but now you have 500,000 dollars to buy a ruby pendant?!” he questioned.

“This is my money. I don’t have to tell you where I got it from. What I do with it is none of your business as well,” Jasper said.

“Hmph!”

Calvin sneered coldly, “You must’ve sold your house, right? Otherwise, where did you get all that money from?” he asked.

“He must have done so. Tsk tsk, what a sinner. How can you sell your house just to buy a ruby pendant? You’ve really gone mad,” Susan commented.

The sales assistant had already packaged the ruby pendant nicely for him. She did not talk to Jasper in an impatient tone anymore. “Sir, your ruby pendant has been wrapped up,” she said in a tone full of respect.

“Wait!”

Penelope shouted out loud.

“Jasper, give me that ruby pendant.

“I don’t care where you got the money from. We’ve been together for such a long time. My brother needs money now but you said you didn’t have money, so just give me this ruby pendant,” she said.

Susan’s eyes lit up with a glint. She nodded in agreement. “That’s right. Give us this ruby pendant and we’ll forgive you,” she said.

“You guys must have gone insane! Are you snatching it from me now?” Jasper asked in a harsh tone. After speaking, he turned away and left.

Penelope was anxious. She reached out to hold onto Jasper’s arm. “Jasper Laine, are you going to be that cruel?!” she shrieked.

“I’m being cruel?

“I may be cruel, but nothing compares to how disgustingly shameless your family is.” Jasper laughed.

After speaking, he flung Penelope aside and walked away with large strides.

Penelope and her family were overcome with shame after Jasper left. The looks on their faces were horrendous.

“Mother, we cannot let this go!”

Filled with jealousy, Calvin’s face darkened.

In their eyes, Jasper was a poor country bumpkin. They had never taken him seriously before.

However, now that he could buy a ruby pendant that cost 500,000 dollars just like that, they yearned for that pendant despite not knowing where he got the money from.

“Poor b*stards like him should remain as lowly trash. What right does he have to buy something that good?! That belongs to me! He must’ve sold his house or gotten money from somewhere. Anyway, I should be the rightful owner of all that money!”

Calvin gritted his teeth in a fit of rage.

“My son, don’t be angry.”

Susan comforted Calvin, saying, “Let’s go back and discuss things. We cannot let him get away after playing with your sister’s feelings for so many years. He must pay for what he did… At least, he must pay us with money!” she exclaimed.

Penelope looked in the direction Jasper left. A spiteful glint flashed through her gaze.

“Mother is right. We cannot let this go. He has money, but he wasn’t willing to give any of it to me even though he told me he loved me. I can’t let him be at ease like that!”

…

Jasper left the jewelry shop and was just about to hail for a cab by the roadside. Apps to call for cabs did not exist yet. Just as he was considering taking the opportunity to design an app to call for cabs, he received a phone call.

Someone from the Commercial Bank was calling him.

“Hello, Mr. Laine. We’ve reported the terms we discussed to the district branch. If you can ensure that your annual savings won’t go below ten million dollars, we’ll give you the best interest rates and VIP treatment as discussed.

“When are you free right now? We’ll bring the contract over for you to sign it.”

Jasper was not surprised by how things turned out. This was a guaranteed minimum cash deposit of ten million dollars. At a time like this, this was a huge deal for any banks out there.

“I’m nearby right now. Also, I have something that I intend to save in your security safe. I’ll come over right now,” Jasper said. He then hung up the call.

He hailed a cab and headed over to Commercial Bank. Jasper bumped into someone right as he entered the bank.

“F*ck, are you blind?!” that person yelled out in anger.

When they both took a good look at each other, Terry Laine was delighted. “Hey, Jasper? Is your salary out today? Are you here to withdraw money?” he asked.

There was a stylish woman dressed in modern clothing by Terry’s side. She walked over and snuggled up to Terry. “Ter, who’s this?” she asked coquettishly.

Terry laughed happily. “He’s my cousin. Their entire family works as farmers. His parents borrowed money for him to buy a house in town back then. They asked for money from me as well,” he said cheerily.

The woman blinked her eyes. “How much did you borrow him, then?” she asked.

“Borrow money my *ss!”

Terry scoffed loudly. “Their family is full of dimwits. Don’t buy a house if you don’t have money. They can’t even afford their meals, yet they want to live in town. Just look at what they’re made of! I pitied them, so I f*cking gave them 50 dollars to buy some supplements to renourish their brains. Hahahaha…”

The woman burst into giggles. She eyed Jasper contemptuously, then turned over to Terry’s side. “You’re such a meanie,” she said.

Jasper gazed at Terry who had a look of superiority on his face. Nevertheless, he remained calm.

Terry Laine was his cousin. His father opened a factory in town some time ago and earned some money doing that. Terry was considered a second-generation millionaire in their hometown.

Terry condemned Jasper and even his parents, who were his seniors, as much as he wished to just because he was rich.

However, Jasper knew very well that the factory was just a facade. Terry would lose almost all the money, triggering a financial crisis which would cause the factory to close down eventually. There were rumors that a woman tricked him of all his money as well. There was no news about him after he left his hometown.

That woman was probably the person before him right now.

“Don’t stop me from doing work,” Jasper said in a chilly tone.

“Doing work?”

Terry laughed out loud with a contemptuous look on his face. “Does your fcking monthly salary even add up to 1,000 dollars? Does withdrawing 100 or 200 dollars count as work for you? Fck off, aren’t you embarrassed?” he asked.

Before Terry finished laughing, a middle-aged man dressed in a suit rushed out from the bank in a hurry. That man made his way forward under the guidance of an employee. His eyes shone upon seeing Jasper.

He greeted him respectfully, “You must be Mr. Laine. As expected, you’re young and competent. I’m Mr. Jackson, the president here.”

Seeing John Jackson flattering Jasper, Terry and the woman beside him were shocked.

“Ter, he called Mr. Laine. Is he calling you?”

The woman pulled on Terry’s sleeve.

Terry snapped back into focus. That was right. He was Mr. Laine as well. Mr. Jackson must be calling him. How could he be calling that poor jerk, Jasper Laine?

“President Jackson, I’ve just added 20,000 dollars to my savings and you’re greeting me like this?” Terry asked John.

John furrowed his brows. An employee hurried over at once. “President, our client is on the other side,” the employee said.

John nodded. He smiled at Jasper without looking at Terry. “Mr. Laine, shall we go upstairs?” he asked respectfully.

Jasper nodded nonchalantly. “Let’s go. Besides, I want to apply for a security safe as well. Let’s carry out the procedure at the same time,” he said.

The ruby pendant he owned would be worth 40 million dollars half a year later. He would definitely feel the most secure keeping it at the bank.

Jasper then raised his head, puffed up his chest, and walked forward. Meanwhile, President Jackson and a group of employees followed him by the side. They walked away just like that.

Terry, who was left there, looked at them with disbelief!

Life at the Top Chapter 5

With the president doing things for him personally, all the procedures were completed smoothly.

The interest Jasper received was thrice the normal rate. This was the most premium treatment one could apply for in this small town.

Jasper did not really care about how much interest he received. He just wanted to let the Commercial Bank know his financial power.

Not long after, something would occur in the international futures market for crude oil. As an ordinary person, it was impossible for him to go overseas to start an account and begin speculating the prices of crude oil. He needed to do this through his connections with the Commercial Bank.

At the same time, the Commercial Bank gave him a premium credit card with a quota of a million dollars as well.

If this was 20 years in the future, the Commercial Bank would not hand a card like that over to someone with a cash deposit of ten million dollars. However, this was the year 2000, and ten million dollars was enough to let Jasper become a premium client in any banks out there.Jasper was overcome with mixed feelings as he looked at this card.

In his past life, Jasper’s cards all got swiped past their limit because of Penelope Hunt. Those days, he could only imagine having a credit card with a larger quota. However, now that he had achieved everything so easily, having the card did not mean much to him anymore.

After completing the procedures, Jasper left the bank with John’s well wishes. While hailing a cab, he thought that it was about time for him to buy a car as well. It would be too much of a hassle to hail a cab every day.

On the other hand, he intended to sell the house that he was living in right now.

If he did not do so, Penelope Hunt and her family would continue bothering him till the end of time. There was no way to know how far they would take things.

He intended to buy two houses in the city. One for himself, and another for his parents to live in.Now that he was wealthy, he could bring his parents over and let them enjoy their lives!

However, buying property required a large number of funds. Although Jasper had the money, he wanted to use this amount of money as his principal. He needed it to earn a large sum of money in his upcoming mission regarding crude oil futures trading.If he had not recalled wrongly, for every extra 10,000 dollars he had in his principal, he would earn 1,000,000 dollars more in his future revenue!

With this thought in his head, Jasper found the name card given to him by John and called the number on it.

The phone call went through very quickly.

“Mr. Laine, how can I help you?”

John Jackson was very happy to receive a call from Jasper. Although this town was well-developed, there were not many wealthy people here. Jasper was the only client John had with more than ten million dollars in cash deposit, so he needed to get on his good side.

Jasper smiled. “You’re being too courteous, President Jackson. There’s something that I’d like to discuss with you,” he said.

“I intend to gain the rights to open an international futures account at the Commercial Bank. Will you be able to help me do so?” he asked.

John sounded stunned on the other side of the phone. The atmosphere turned serious.

As the president of the Commercial Bank, he had his ways.

Furthermore, Jasper’s account was bound to a domestic securities account. He knew that Jasper was probably the mysterious retail investor who rose to fame in the mung bean futures market not long ago.

His principal of 800,000 dollars had turned into 13 million dollars in five months’ time. It was a miracle.

However, he did not expect that this mysterious retail investor, whom many were curious about, actually intended to trade international futures.

If this went well, he would not have to worry about his work performance this year.

“That will be no problem. We run this kind of business as well.”

John clapped his hand against his chest and continued speaking. “Mr. Laine, what product do you intend to trade futures for?” he asked carefully.

“Crude oil!”

Jasper smiled. There was no need to hide it from him. Besides, he would have to sign a contract regarding the product type he intended to trade when he opened the account. The Commercial Bank would eventually know.

Although he knew that Jasper was someone who managed to turn the tides in the domestic futures market, breaking into the international futures market was not a trivial matter!

However, once he heard that Jasper’s target was crude oil, John’s heart lurched.

As a strategic supply, crude oil was not something someone ordinary could set their hands on!

Jasper intended to do too much. Besides, all the major countries in the world were interested in crude oil. Who dared to speculate crude oil prices without having the nerves to do so?

The next day, Jasper appeared in the Commercial Bank once it opened.

This time, John was waiting for him at the door personally.

Compared to their first meeting, they were now much more familiar with each other.

John sincerely wanted to hold onto a big client like Jasper. Jasper was also happy to maintain a good relationship with the current president of the district branch. After all, he would be the future president of the town district and become the second-in-command of the province district.

Networking was equally important when one was earning money.

After talking to Jasper, John’s admiration for him grew. Jasper was only in his early 20s, but he had already gathered an astonishing amount of wealth.

A determined young man would act arrogantly no matter how much he tried to conceal it. However, John could not detect that sort of arrogance and oppression from Jasper.

Nevertheless, how could John have known that Jasper had lived for two lifetimes? He had way more experience than him. The frivolity of his youth had long been tempered in the warmth and coldness of his past life.

Now that they were more familiar with each other, instead of calling each other with formalities like ‘Mr. Laine’ or ‘President Jackson’, they called each other ‘Jasp’ and ‘John’.

In the reception room, Jasper smiled and took a sip of earl grey tea. “John, I’m an impatient person. If there are no problems with the procedure, I plan to complete it today,” he said.

“No problem. The Commercial Bank has a specialized agency to deal with the international futures market, including currency exchange and agency trading. Everything is available,” John promised him.

As he spoke, John picked up the phone on the office table and called a number. After exchanging two sentences with the other person, he hung up the phone.

After putting down the phone, John chuckled and stared at Jasper with a meaningful gaze. “Jasp, the opening of the international futures account is operated by the securities company under the Commercial Bank this time around. Therefore, I’ve arranged a personal assistant for you. She’ll listen to your instructions at all times. She’s well known for her beauty within the industry,” he said.

Jasper did not expect John to play this card. Just as he was about to say something, someone knocked on the door of the reception room.

A woman clad in a black suit entered.

The woman was extremely pretty. She was tall, slender, and curvy with delicate, pale skin. Her eyes were bright while her teeth were brilliantly white. The sight of her alone made one’s heart skip a beat.

Most importantly, she had an impeccable aura. She seemed smart and capable, but she also gave out a comforting sense of gentleness at the same time.

A woman like that would be the center of everyone’s attention no matter where she went.Jasper was stunned as well, but he was not attracted by her beautiful looks. She was someone he knew very well.

Wendy Schuler!

Life at the Top Chapter 6

They were classmates of six years throughout junior high and high school. During high school, they were even once deskmates.

Wendy Schuler was the prettiest and smartest girl in school. Other than being competent, she had the looks as well. After all these years, she had become even more feminine and pretty!Meanwhile, Jasper was a completely different story. He constantly got bullied as his family was poor. Wendy was the only one who never bullied him.

At that young and ignorant age, Jasper had once imagined the possibility of being in a relationship with her.

Nevertheless, the gap between them was way too large. Eventually, Wendy managed to get into a top university whereas Jasper attended an ordinary one. The both of them lost contact after that.

Then, Jasper met Penelope and applied all the hidden feelings he had for Wendy to her instead.

From the way things turned out, Penelope was not worth it at all. However, this did not affect the lovely memories he had of Wendy.

“Jasper Laine, is it really you?”

Wendy gasped upon catching sight of Jasper. A glint of disbelief and shock flashed through her pretty eyes.

When she heard that the big client John wanted her to take on was called Jasper Laine, she simply thought that it was someone with the same name and surname.

As soon as she set eyes on him in the reception room, she knew that he was her old classmate. Although many years had gone by and their appearances had changed a lot, she recognized him right away.

The quietest and most ordinary person back in school then was now one of the Commercial Bank’s big clients? She even had to become his personal assistant?

Wendy could not believe it.

“Long time no see, Wendy,” Jasper said while smiling warmly.

“The both of you know each other?”

John was shocked upon finding out that the both of them were old friends.

“We’re old classmates.”

John laughed out loud. Since Jasper was reluctant to reveal much, he did not ask much as well. He simply instructed Wendy to serve Jasper well as he was a respected client.

After bidding John goodbye, the both of them headed toward the securities company. “I can’t believe that you’re a millionaire now. If our classmates find out, they’ll be shocked,” Wendy said.

“It just happened by chance. I never expected to meet you again one day,” Jasper said in response.

Wendy laughed softly. Her beauty was unbelievable.

Wendy’s beauty was not gaudy. She was as pure and genuine as a lotus flower. Each and every one of her small details made one’s heart skip a beat.

“I never expected to see you again too. You’ve changed… a lot!” Wendy exclaimed.

“How was I in the past? What about now?” Jasper asked.

Wendy burst out into laughter. “You’ve spoken more to me in the time we just met than the six years we were classmates. You were quiet back then. You did not fight back against others despite being bullied. You were extremely socially awkward,” she said.

As Wendy spoke, she set her clear gaze upon Jasper. His silhouette was reflected clearly in his eyes. “You’re immensely confident now. There’s an indescribable aura surrounding you. You seem like a really experienced person, but you have the liveliness one at your age is supposed to have as well. In conclusion… you’re different,” she said.

She laughed and extended her hand. “This is my first job. I want to do well. Let me introduce myself to you once again. Nice to meet you, Mr. Laine. I’m your personal assistant. You can call me Wendy Schuler!” she greeted him.

Jasper reached out his hand and clasped Wendy’s soft, delicate hand gently. “Don’t call me Mr. Laine. You can call me Jasp,” he said.

It was the first time the both of them were shaking hands, but it felt like they were holding hands instead. Jasper never imagined a day when Wendy would be his personal assistant!

When they shook hands, Wendy’s heart skipped a beat inexplicably. Maybe it was because they were old classmates!

It could also be due to… Jasper’s enormous transformation!

Looking at him, he was a confident man who oozed a sense of flamboyance.

A sense of admiration for him arose in Wendy’s heart. She even started thinking of her own standards for choosing a partner… A furious blush washed over her face!

Having reunited after such a long time, the both of them chatted happily on their way to the securities company.

The securities company under the Commercial Bank was the country’s largest securities company. They even had a sales department in this small town.

Working in conjunction with the Commercial Bank as Jasper’s personal assistant, Wendy was very familiar with the mandatory procedures that they needed to carry out.

After a moment’s wait, Jasper contacted the department manager at once.

Ordinary staff members were not qualified to handle Jasper’s business.

The securities hall was extremely lively. The number of stock traders was increasing daily as the market was transitioning from a bearish to a bullish trend. Hence, many people were coming forth to open a trading account.

Penelope Hunt and Richton White were among the crowd.

“Richton, there are so many people here,” Penelope told Richton, who was by her side, after looking at the crowded hall before them.

Richton chuckled. “The market is great right now. You can easily earn money. That’s why many people are here to open an account. You’ve made an excellent choice to follow me since you want to earn money. I’m a high-profile client here, so I have many close confidants. Therefore, you won’t have to line up like these ordinary people,” he boasted.

“You’re the best, Richton. You have close confidants everywhere. I’ve brought over the savings of my entire family. You must help me earn money,” Penelope said in admiration.

“Don’t worry, you’ll surely earn money if you follow me!” Richton chuckled.

As Penelope followed Richton into the securities company, she caught sight of Jasper some distance away. Her initial shock turned into a cold laugh. She took large strides and made her way toward him.

“The road of enemies is really narrow!”

Penelope did not expect to meet this jerk here!

It seemed that Jasper was here to open an account for stock trading. Thinking of his stingy demeanor, she immediately sneered at him, “Are you here to open an account to trade stocks as well?”

“Can’t I do so?” Jasper asked calmly.

Penelope scoffed after listening to what he said.

“I thought that you were brainless in the past. Now that I look at you again, you really lack the brains. Do you think that you can earn money just because others can? Do you think that it’s so easy to trade stocks?” she questioned.

“It isn’t easy for your parents to earn money by growing crops. Don’t dirty the stock market. Why don’t you look at your own self-worth? Do you even understand what the market is?” she added.

Life at the Top Chapter 7

Penelope’s voice was shrill and mean. At the same time, the hall was crowded with people as well. All of a sudden, Jasper became the center of everyone’s attention as they all set their curious eyes on him.

“This isn’t your home. Me being here has nothing to do with you. Please don’t bother me,” Jasper said with a frown on his face.

Penelope sneered coldly, “It’s true that it has nothing to do with me. I’m just worried that the two coins in your pocket are insufficient for you to pay the handling fees. How dare you come to trade stocks? What an embarrassment!” she exclaimed.

Right then, Richton White walked over as well.

After seeing Jasper’s card in Glory Jewellers that day, Richton pondered upon it for an entire day. How could a young man in his early 20s own up to ten million dollars in funds?

Therefore, that card did not belong to Jasper.

Some wealthy person must have asked Jasper to do him or her a favor.

Richton’s mind cleared after thinking about it that way. He felt much more at ease.

“Alright, Penelope. Why are you being calculative with a poor jerk who has never seen the outside world? My friend has already arranged things for us. We can go straight to the VIP room to open an account. A poor jerk like him may never even get the chance to see what a VIP room looks like in his entire life!”

Richton walked over and spoke to Penelope with a grin on his face.

A satisfied and superior glint flashed across Penelope’s gaze. “That’s right. You’re the best, Richton. You can enter the VIP room as you please while a poor jerk like him can only admire us,” she taunted him.

Penelope then sent a long, condescending glare at Jasper.

After they left, Wendy brought a middle-aged man over in a rush.

Once Wendy appeared, her gorgeous looks attracted the attention of everyone in the hall. Men and women of all ages alike had their eyes on her.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Laine. I’m Harold Wood. My apologies for letting you wait.”After hearing all about Jasper, the middle-aged man sprinted down at almost record speed. A high-profile client like Jasper was rare. If he managed to sign a contract with him, his work performance would be enhanced.

“It’s alright,” Jasper said.

…

Inside the private reception room.

“Mr. Laine, are you intending to trade crude oil futures? No problem, President Jackson has instructed us to give you the highest discount on the commission,” Harold told Jasper in a courteous tone.

“The account opening and agency fees will be fully waived. However, to facilitate the drafting of the contract, please tell me how much do you plan to invest and the leverage you intend to use,” he requested.

“12 million dollars. I want leverage of 50 times to turn that 12 million into 600 million dollars, which will be used as the operating funds. If the amount is too small, it’ll be a waste of time!”

The entire reception room fell into pin-drop silence after Jasper spoke.

“Mister… Mr. Laine, that’s way too risky!” Harold stuttered.

As the business manager of a securities company, Harold had seen plenty of astronomical figures. 600 million dollars was nothing much, but as a personal futures speculator, Jasper dared to use 12 million dollars to leverage 600 million dollars in funds. Harold would never dare to do so!

“High risks, high returns. Mr. Wood, are you afraid of accepting this offer?” Jasper asked, directing a meaningful smile toward him.

“Mr. Laine, we can accept your offer under one condition. You must deposit 12 million dollars into the account of the securities company in the full margin, and it cannot be transferred out until your futures account is cleared,” Harold said.

Jasper nodded. He smiled and extended his hand. “It’s a pleasure working with you,” he said.

Harold sighed in relief. He clasped Jasper’s hand with both of his hands. Harold, who was rather well known in the financial industry, set an inexplicable gaze on Jasper.

The young man before him was… unfathomable!

The signing of the contract proceeded quickly. Wendy finally found the chance to say something.

“Mr. Laine… Jasp, isn’t it too risky to do so?”

Wendy admired Jasper’s boldness. However, she was rather worried as well.

“I’m confident that I can do it.”

Jasper laughed and pointed to the seat opposite him. “Sit down. Although you’re my personal assistant, I’m not your boss. Let’s get along as friends,” he told her.

Wendy pursed her lips and smiled. The serious atmosphere of the reception room brightened immediately.

“I’m clear about my thoughts.”

Jasper pointed to his head.

“That’s why I only do things that I’m certain of. Once I’m sure of something, there’s no need to care about what others think. If it’s something that I don’t understand, I’ll never touch it,” he said.

Jasper said these words with the intention to help Wendy.

From the memories of his past life, he knew that Wendy was the daughter of a wealthy man. Her father, Dawson Schuler, was the richest man in the province. None of their classmates knew about this.

Jasper found out about it after the incident regarding Dawson Schuler happened.

Right now, Dawson Schuler was still the richest man in the province in name. However, the incident must have already occurred.

Almost half a year later, there would be news of the capital chain of Schuler Corporations being broken. The province’s richest man, Dawson Schuler, then committed suicide by jumping off a building!

Dawson Schuler went bankrupt because he entered the financial industry, which he was not familiar with at all despite having earned his fortune through textiles. Coincidentally, he encountered a financial crisis that caused billions upon billions of dollars to disappear in a flash.

After Dawson passed away, Wendy would be tormented by the loss.

She was the only classmate who had never looked down on him and was also the beautiful girl he had a crush on for the longest time. He wanted to try helping her in this lifetime so that things would not turn out the same way.

Wendy was a pure-hearted girl. She seemed to ponder upon something after listening to what he said. However, she did not say anything in response.

After signing the agreement and completing the fund transfer under Wendy’s operation, Jasper had 12 million dollars of funds available in his international futures account.

Jasper still had 1.6 million dollars left in his account, which he used to open a domestic trading account.

It would take a few days for the crude oil market to spark up. During this period of time, he could seize the opportunity of the rising domestic stock market to make a fortune by purchasing a few well-known odd stocks.

Since this year was the millennium year, the domestic stock market would rise in a stable manner up till 2008. If he was not too unlucky during this period of time, he would be able to obtain long-term earnings with some stocks in hand.

In the midst of all this, a lot of investors had been blinded by a few renowned odd stocks. Some people took this opportunity and rose up to wealth whereas a majority of them could only look at the rising prices of these odd stocks in dismay.

Since Jasper had the chance to be reborn, he did not want to miss out on a chance like this.“Do you have any private savings?”

Jasper suddenly asked Wendy after creating his domestic trading account.

Wendy was stunned. “I’ve saved up more than 200,000 dollars,” she said awkwardly.

During times like this, it was a remarkable feat for Wendy to save up 200,000 dollars. However, this was nothing much given her family background.

“Let’s earn some money together,” Jasper said, convincing her to open an account as well.

Life at the Top Chapter 8

Although Wendy Schuler did not understand the stock market, she had heard of it and was eager to try. She hesitated a little but chose to trust Jasper and immediately went to open an account.

“Tangent Technology, Cain Industry, and Phoenix Pharmaceutical. These three stocks.”

With such a beautiful personal assistant as Wendy, Jasper certainly did not bother to do it himself. After the names were given out, Wendy opened the accounts for these three stocks separately.

In his past life, these three were the most bullish stocks during this period!

“How do we buy it?” Wendy asked.

The 1.8 million in cash was lying in wait in the account she operated. It was an indisputably large amount of money in this era.

However, Wendy was not nervous. After all, as the daughter of the richest man in the province, she saw money more than others would play with Lego blocks.

However, Jasper’s next words stunned Wendy.

“All in!”

“All… Invest everything?” Wendy said in shock.

Although this was the first time that she had personally traded stocks, she did not lack theoretical knowledge as she studied finance in university. It was the first time that she saw someone being so ruthless. Once an account was opened, more than one million funds would enter the market directly.

Was this arrogance or madness?

“Yes! Trust me, do it now! Place a market order!”

Jasper frowned as he said, not allowing any questioning from Wendy.

Seeing Jasper’s serious expression, Wendy did not say anymore but immediately did as Jasper instructed.

She put in a pending order, and in the next second, the transaction was completed.

Seeing the available funds in the account turning into a single digit, the software also prompted that the order was too heavy and the risk was too high. Wendy breathed a sigh of relief.

“Let’s head to the digital mall later. We’ll each get a computer for office use,” Jasper suddenly said.

Whether dabbling in futures or the stock market, a computer was essential. It was not possible for him to go to the securities company to trade every day.

“Okay, should we go now?” Wendy nodded and got up.

“Hold on.”

Jasper shook his head. “Wait until we earn the money to buy the computer.”

Wendy was oblivious and looked at Jasper suspiciously, but she saw that the latter was looking at the computer with a smile on his face.

Right after Jasper entered the market, the stock price of Phoenix Pharmaceutical suffered a fluctuation and fell instead of rising.

Everyone, including Wendy, was a little startled to see this scene.

Jasper was so confident to trade everything he had into the stocks, and they actually did not rise but fell?

Seeing the stock price falling, Wendy could not help but say, “Jasp, did you make a mistake?”

She uttered out what everyone else was thinking.

Everyone looked at Jasper with scorching eyes, many of them gloating.

Wendy was worried that Jasper would lose his dignity and become angry, so she was thinking about how to turn the situation around.

“I might have read it wrong before, but this time, I won’t!” Jasper said calmly.

Just as Jasper uttered those words, everyone had no time to react yet.

Suddenly, a thick line appeared like a dragon emerging from the sea. In a situation where everyone was unprepared, the stock price of Phoenix Pharmaceutical directly soared toward the sky.

It directly hit the daily limit!

It really… went up? It reached the limit too?

Within five minutes, while talking and laughing, they earned more than 100,000!

“Amazing!”

Next to him, Harold Wood, who was watching the whole time, was dumbfounded and spat out words of admiration.

“Is there really anyone in this world who can tell fortunes?”

Wendy looked at Jasper who was surrounded by the admiring crowd and looked at her own account that had already made more than 20,000 in profit. She could only find it unbelievable.

For someone of her background, more than 20,000 was really nothing.

However, it must also be known that this amount was earned in a few minutes just because of Jasper’s words.

Was there an easier way to make money in this world?

No wonder her father was so obsessed with entering the financial field…

Wendy frowned and peeked at Jasper. If he was so capable, he might be able to help her father who was already in trouble!

At this time at the same securities company, Penelope and Richton’s faces turned pale.

Looking at the K-line diagram in front of them and then at the funds, there was a total of 770,000.

This was the money her mother Susan got when she mortgaged the house.

However, in just a few minutes, they lost 10% from the 770,000!

“It stopped trading!”

Richton’s face was very unpleasant.

To be honest, in order to get Penelope, he sincerely intended to earn some money for her.

However, the stock market was unpredictable and no one could guarantee a steady profit.

To be on the safe side, Richton chose a stock that he had observed for a long time. Although it was unlikely to rise sharply, the advantage was also that it was unlikely to lose money.

However, misfortune struck. As soon as Penelope entered, the stock immediately fell to a rock bottom position and did not move since then.

“That’s 77,000 gone?”

Penelope stared at the screen blankly, unable to accept it.

“Alas, the stock market is like this. The risk is also very high, but this is only the profit and loss of the current position. If it rises in the future, we can still recover the losses,” Richton said.

However, Penelope had no ears for his explanation. The 770,000 was the money she had gotten by mortgaging her house. She thought that she could make a fortune, but now, she had lost one-tenth of it right at the start.

At this moment, an announcement appeared… The stocks that Penelope bought were suspended because of a major violation!

It was hard to say when trading would resume for this suspension. Besides, even if the market reopened, the stock price would at least be cut in half due to such massive negative news.

Penelope’s face went pale.

She dared not imagine how her brother and mother would react if they found out about this incident.

With clammy hands and feet, Penelope suddenly panicked.

…

After earning 110,000, Jasper was very happy. Under Harold’s starry gaze, he left the securities company and took Wendy to the nearby digital city.

He chose two of the latest laptops and spent more than 30,000. It was a lot of money, but for Jasper, it was nothing.

After buying the computers, Jasper and Wendy went to a nearby cafe together.

In the year 2000, in addition to this place being in the county, it was far from the developed entertainment venues of later generations. This cafe was already considered a trendier location.

Wendy glanced at the computer next to Jasper that was exactly the same model but in a different color and said, “Thank you for the computer.”

Jasper smiled and said, “It’s also for the convenience of office use.”

Wendy looked at Jasper ardently and said, “How did you do it? Why do the stocks you take a fancy to rise so soon and by so much?”

Naturally, Jasper could not tell Wendy that he had been reborn and that everything was in his memory, so he just said lightly, “Through more observation, I guess. I usually like to watch the news, plus talent, hard work, and a little luck.”

Wendy continued, “There’s something I’d like to ask for your help.”

Life at the Top Chapter 9

“What’s the matter?”

“I want to find an opportunity for you to meet my dad!”

After Wendy plucked up the courage to finish speaking, she saw Jasper’s stunned look. Her glamorous face flushed red as she quickly said, “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean it that way.”

“It’s just that my dad has recently become obsessed with financial investment, but he doesn’t understand anything and lost a lot of money. I hope you can persuade him or point him in the right direction.”

Sure enough, it happened.

Jasper knew that Wendy was facing a real predicament at this time. He calmly said, “Why should I help you?”

Wendy was stunned. Ever since she was young, others would do all kinds of things for her. Especially people of the opposite sex as they would rush to please her. Was that not done out of their own volition?

However, Jasper was right. There was no relationship between the two. Moreover, Jasper was a veritable multimillionaire now and his future was limitless.

To put it plainly, they just used to be classmates, so why should Jasper help her?

Wendy smiled bitterly and was just about to apologize when Jasper continued, “I’m quite busy during this period and the crude oil market may start at any time. Wait for a while and I’ll go back with you later.”

Jasper’s words made Wendy’s mood swing high and low like she was riding on a roller coaster. Looking at Jasper in front of her who had a calm smile, Wendy could not help asking, “Why are you helping me?”

Jasper shrugged and said, “Maybe because… we’re classmates! I’ll help whenever I can.”

Wendy looked at the ever-calm Jasper. A knowing smile appeared on her face and she nodded heavily.

In the evening, Jasper went home in Wendy’s car.

It was not surprising for a person of Wendy’s identity to own a car, and it was a BMW 3-series worth 50,000 to 60,000.

It was an incredibly luxurious car for ordinary people, but for Wendy, it was the car of the lowest profile that her family could find for her.

This inspired Jasper to buy a car as soon as possible.

Back home, Jasper exhaled gloomily, picked up the mobile phone, and called John Jackson.

“Brother, I heard you made a lot of money today. Congrats,” John answered the phone instantly and said with a laugh.

Jasper laughed lightly and said, “It’s all small money. John, I need to trouble you this time.”

Jasper intended to move to a different place. After all, Penelope always came here to pester him, and besides, now that he had the money, he wanted to change his house as well.

“I have a house in Pioneer Homes right now. For some personal reasons, I’m planning to sell this house. Later, I’m also planning to get another two houses. Can you introduce to me any reliable agents?”

Upon hearing this, John immediately replied, “It’s just a small matter. I’ll send you the number in a while. Let me talk to them first and they’ll definitely help you get things done.”

“Thank you, John. Let’s have dinner in a couple of days,” Jasper said with a smile.

It was originally just a polite remark from Jasper, but John seemed to have thought of something and immediately chuckled. “There really is a chance to have dinner in a few days, but I’m not sure if you’d be interested in it.

“There are several investors in the city who dabble in stocks and futures. They’re considered big players in their respective circles. We hold an exchange meeting every once in a while. To put it bluntly, it’s to maintain the relationship with them.

“In business, especially in finance, contacts and intelligence are very important. As for the last time when you played the futures for mung beans, it made many people wonder who you are.

“So, during the exchange meeting that will be held in a couple of days, I’d like to invite you to join me. I wonder if you’d be interested?”

Listening to John’s words, Jasper understood.

In his previous life, he was in the financial industry and was no stranger to the small upper-level financial circle of this city.

The members of this circle were leaders in their respective fields. It could be said that this group of people dominated the city’s financial circle, and a stomp of their feet would cause a big earthquake.

However, he was just a low-level employee of a financial company in his previous life who could only get some information from other people’s hearsay and be envious about it.

In this lifetime, he did not expect to get the opportunity to join this circle.

From John’s words, he was obviously a member of this circle and had a certain status as he wanted to bring Jasper into this circle.

After living two lives, Jasper, who knew exactly how important personal connections were, did not refuse and readily agreed.

After exchanging a few more polite remarks and agreeing on a time, they hung up the phone.

…

Busy times flew by and a few days passed in a flash.

In the past few days, the international crude oil market had not yet arrived and several important happenings had not yet reached the time of the outbreak, so Jasper focused most of his energy on the domestic stock market.

With the memory of his previous life, it was like Jasper had a cheat code and his assets skyrocketed every day.

Any stock he chose would inevitably increase in price until it hit the daily limit.

The overall profit rate had almost reached an appalling figure.

The principal of 1.6 million became five million in just a few days.

Wendy’s 200,000 also became 600,000.

The speed of making money was not about making money any longer but about printing money.

The news about the local stock god spread like wildfire, and some people who got inside information knelt in front of Jasper’s record.

Most of them were indifferent, thinking that it was an erroneous rumor. How could there be a 100% accuracy when buying stocks?

Jasper did not care about the gossip and rumors that went on in the outside world.

He was trying on a suit.

This was the day he made an appointment with John to attend a banquet. When Wendy found out about it, she insisted on bringing Jasper out to buy a suit.

Coming out of the fitting room, Jasper’s appearance made everyone’s eyes, including Wendy’s, light up.

Jasper was quite handsome, and his sharply defined eyes and eyebrows looked very masculine. Although his figure was not extremely muscular, it was well-proportioned.

This suit was worn on his body as if it was made for Jasper. It fitted perfectly like a glove. Besides, his shoulders were broad and his back was straight. His entire appearance was refreshing!

“How is it?” Jasper asked as he stood in front of the mirror.

“Handsome!” Wendy commented.

“Bill please.”

Handsome and rich.

The salesperson’s eyes were shining when looking at Jasper, but when they looked at Wendy next to Jasper, they could only sigh. After all, most people had self-awareness.

Few women could maintain self-confidence in front of Wendy. She was too outstanding and could crush the opponent thoroughly.

After Jasper bought the clothes, he looked at Wendy next to him and suddenly pulled her to the Cartier store next door.

“Wendy, let’s go in and have a look.”

Seeing Jasper walking into the Cartier store, Wendy was stunned for a moment but did not think too much and went in with him.

Wendy thought that Jasper wanted to buy a watch to enhance his poise, but unexpectedly, he looked back at her.

“Wendy, I’ll buy you a gift!” Jasper smiled lightly.

In his last life, Jasper did not even have the courage to pursue Wendy Schuler and was very humble.

Now that they met again and he even had the capital to pursue her, Jasper naturally wanted to seize the opportunity!

While saying that, he disregarded Wendy’s stunned gaze and raised his head to say to the salesperson, “Do you carry the Étincelle de Cartier collection necklace in your store?”

When Jasper asked this question, both Wendy and the salesperson were stunned. After all, the necklace of this series was not affordable for ordinary people!

This necklace would cost nearly one million, and in this era, it was enough to buy a few houses!

Before they could react, another couple who were looking at the jewelry at the Cartier counter suddenly turned their eyes to the two of them.

Life at the Top Chapter 10

The man was dressed in casual clothes, but he wore an impressive Cartier men’s watch on his wrist that was also valuable.

As for the woman next to him, she was pestering him to buy her a bracelet.

“Felix, why won’t you buy this for me? It’s not expensive. It’s only a little more than 30,000. You spend more than that in a card game.”

Felix ignored the woman next to him and stared fixedly at Wendy instead.

“Wendy Schuler?” Felix called out.

Felix did not expect that after graduating from high school, he would still meet his dream lover here.

He and Wendy were classmates from high school. He had already frantically pursued Wendy at that time, but it was a pity that Wendy did not even give him a chance.

After going to university, Wendy went directly to the capital to study at a university with her excellent grades. Although Felix had some money in the family, they were not able to send him to that kind of university, so he was arranged to go abroad instead.

After years of absence, Wendy became a real beauty. Though she was a bit less youthful than he remembered, she was more mature and feminine!

Felix’s heart jumped wildly. He wished to get Wendy immediately.

Facing Felix, Wendy frowned slightly and then said something that made Felix extremely depressed.

“You are?”

Without a doubt, Wendy had forgotten all about him.

“I’m Felix West. We were classmates in high school. At that time, I sent you love letters every day.”

Felix walked to Wendy and said with a smile. Hearing this name, Jasper also remembered who he was.

During high school, there was indeed such a character by the name of Felix West. He was a typical second-generation from a rich family. He went abroad for university and they never met again after that.

The reason why he had a deep impression of him was that Felix often bullied him when he was in high school!

“Felix West, it’s you?”

Wendy finally remembered and smiled politely. At the same time, she also recalled that Felix often bullied Jasper when they were studying. She quickly said, “I didn’t expect to meet you here, but I still have a lot of things to do today, so let’s talk another time!”

After speaking, Wendy pulled Jasper along and said, “Jasp, let’s go. Don’t buy me any gifts. I really don’t need it.”

Wendy’s words, combined with her intimate actions and address toward Jasper, made Felix immediately focus on Jasper.

Looking at Jasper, Felix found him to be more familiar with each passing second.

“Jasper Laine?”

Felix suddenly recalled who Jasper was, and his expression became very animated. “Isn’t this the poor wretch from high school? How did you two get so close?”

In the second half of the sentence, Felix’s tone and demeanor were almost reproachful. It was as if Jasper had desecrated his goddess just by standing beside Wendy.

At this time, Lindy Manson, the female companion brought by Felix, also came over.

“Felix, who is this person?” Lindy asked.

“A classmate from high school!”

Felix sneered with disdain, “He was the poorest dude in the entire high school, wearing the same school uniform every day and only eating two meals a day that consisted of bread and jam. He was also often bullied. I thought he looked quite pitiful, so I occasionally let him run errands for me and rewarded him a few dollars.”

After speaking, Felix looked at Jasper cheerfully. With a sense of superiority in his eyes, he continued to belittle Jasper in front of Wendy. “Jasper, am I right?”

“Yes, you are!”

Jasper’s straightforward response was out of Felix’s expectations. “My family had always been in a difficult state, so it was impossible for me to have much pocket money when I was studying. It’s good that I even had enough to eat, so I’m very grateful for my parents’ hard work.”

In Jasper’s view, being poor was not a fault, let alone a shameful thing. It was because of poverty that they had to work hard to make money. To be precise, those big figures who truly reached the pinnacle were those who started off from the lowest point.

Jasper’s open-mindedness made Wendy look at him with higher regard, and she could not help her gaze from focusing on Jasper.

This scene angered Felix even more.

With a mocking smile, Felix said sarcastically, “After a few years, the boring recluse with low self-esteem has become talkative and a show-off. I heard that you’re looking for a necklace from the Étincelle de Cartier collection when you came in just now? I know that necklace, but it’s very expensive. Can you afford it?”

As he said that, Felix shook his wrist and said, “See this watch here? I bought it here for 200,000. Have you ever seen so much money in your life? Even I don’t dare to say that I can buy that necklace, let alone you!

“Wendy, although he’s also our old classmate, you have to see things clearly. What future can you have with this wretched bloke? He’ll only drag you down. With your appearance and ability, you can find a man far better than him.”

Lindy already bore deep hostility against Wendy just because of Felix’s attitude toward her.

Immediately, she bragged, “Yes, as a woman, we must look around carefully when finding a boyfriend. Just look at me being all lovey-dovey with Felix.

“A few days ago, he gave me an LV handbag that cost more than 10,000. And today, he’s going to buy me a Cartier bracelet. A poor man like this, what can he buy you? Even if you go out for breakfast, he can’t afford eggs and ham on that piece of toast, right?”

Wendy did not say anything and merely glanced at Lindy with pity.

In Wendy’s opinion, when a woman reached the point where she had to brag about the man she was relying on having money, it was a very sad thing.

This pitiful look made Lindy, who felt inferior after being crushed by Wendy’s appearance and temperament, surprisingly angry.

“This is not the place for poor people like you. Get out!” Lindy shouted directly.

Jasper said lightly, “Does this Cartier store belong to you? What right do you have to tell us to go out?”

With that said, Jasper turned to the salesperson who was at a loss on how to handle these two groups of customers. He said, “Do you have any necklaces from the Étincelle de Cartier series here?”

Felix scoffed. “Still pretending? So disgusting.”

The salesperson bit the bullet and said, “Yes, and it’s the last one in the entire region too.”

With that said, the salesperson hurriedly took out the necklace.

Cartier’s Étincelle series was the more famous collection.

36 perfectly cut diamonds surrounded the necklace, and in the middle, there was a pink diamond that no woman could refuse!

The value of these diamonds alone exceeded 400,000 dollars.

As soon as this necklace appeared, even Wendy, who was used to seeing jewelry, was amazed—not to mention Lindy who was staring at it in a daze.

In contrast, the bracelet that she pestered Felix to buy for her earlier was simply a piece of rubbish on the side of the road.

However, Felix was still reluctant to buy that rubbish bracelet for her.

“The necklace is here, but can a poor wretch like you afford to buy it?” Lindy sneered.

Felix snorted and said, “You don’t have to pay to look at it. Maybe this bum is just fulfilling his gratification. Since he ran into us, he was forced into a corner and can’t turn the situation around!”