Chapter 1291-1300

Life at the Top Chapter 1291However, this advantage meant nothing to Jasper.Scott’s expression changed and he suddenly took a deep breath to say, “Look, Jasper. I admit that I shouldn’t have hurt your men. Now we’re even.”“I came here to talk business with you. How about we negotiate, hmm?”Jasper replied calmly, “Business? I’ve never seen anyone who claims to be here for business start beating people up once they walk through the doors.”“Jasper!”Scott raised his voice.“You might be rich and JW Company might be powerful, but you spent 100 million to acquire Downstream Investment Company in Tefa City! You’ll gain nothing from making an enemy out of me! Don’t you at least know that?”Jasper arched his brow.Scott’s mind was racing right now.It seemed like he was not a complete newbie.“Sure, then. How do you want to do business?” Jasper asked calmly.Scott’s expression turned excited when he saw that Jasper willing to negotiate.“Simple. I want half of Downstream Investment Company’s shares. Then I’ll make sure that Downstream’s business goes smoothly here in Tefa City and no one will dare to cause us any trouble.”Jasper chuckled when he heard Scott.Scott felt his heart quake in fear at Jasper’s chuckle and asked darkly, “What are you laughing at? What is the meaning of this?”“I’m laughing at how unrealistic your dream is.” Jasper had never planned to partner with Scott since the beginning.He understood trust-fund children like Scott too well. All these people thought of all day was how to lie and scam. The only reason they succeeded was that the people they negotiated with before were terrified of their familial background and strength. As time passed and the number of businesses under their control grew, these trust-fund children began to take their success for granted.However, this act was useless in front of Jasper.“I spent 100 million to acquire that company and you’re just going to ask me for half the shares just like that? Who do you think you are?”Scott’s expression grew cold when he heard Jasper’s sentence.“Jasper, don’t forget that Tefa City still belongs to my Covington family. If my family disagrees, do you think you’ll be able to do business here as you wish?”Jasper chuckled and replied coldly, “That’s an easy problem to solve. If you disagree, then I’ll get rid of you. If the Covington family disagrees, then I’ll get rid of them. Won’t all my problems be solved then?”Scott widened his eyes at what he heard.“Are you f*cking crazy, Jasper? Who do you think you are? Do you really think you’re some kind of god?”“I’m not God, just a normal businessman.” Jasper stared at Scott and said firmly and strongly. “A businessman that refuses to be exploited by you!”“As I said just now, I’ve already acquired the company and I will start doing business. There’s no way I’d give you half of the shares just because you asked. Go ahead and show me what other tricks you have then, I’ll be waiting!”Scott raised his hand angrily and pointed at Jasper, “Fine! Fine, then! You win this time!”“But I’ll tell you too. I won’t let that stupid company of yours do business here in Tefa City, otherwise I might as well f*cking die!”Jasper narrowed his eyes and looked at Scott icily before he said cahnly, “Alright, then. Let’s fight.”“From what I remember, the Covingtons are in the real estate business, right? Half of Tefa City’s buildings were constructed by you. Good, I also have business in the real estate industry and I have a few buildings here in Tefa City.”Jasper then pulled out his phone to call Sean, the person in charge of the real estate company.“Check all our real estate yet to be sold in Tefa City. Any customer willing to purchase housing contracts will be gifted renovation worth 10% of their housing price, it can be used as a discount off the base housing price or redeemed for free renovation and electrical appliances.”“And if our customers coming to buy our real estate come with their contracts with the Covington family’s real estate company, pay their compensation fee and raise the renovation bonus to 20%.”Life at the Top Chapter 1292Sean was stunned for a moment when he heard Jasper’s instructions.However, Sean was a smart man and he knew one thing. The company was Jasper’s, so the man had complete say over what happened within it.After understanding that, Sean immediately replied. “I understand, Mr. Laine! I’ll get to it immediately!”After hanging up the phone, Jasper then turned to look at Scott’s wretched expression and said calmly, “The Covington family doesn’t only do real estate, right? It’s also one of the top three suppliers of non-staple foods in Southeast Province, hmm?”Then, Jasper made another call. This time to Dawson.“Uncle Schuler, please take all non-staple food provided by the Covington family off the shelves in the group’s supermarkets.”Far in Nauritus City, Dawson was in a meeting when he received the call and smiled as he replied, “Alright. I’ll send word immediately.”As the largest chain supermarket brand, Schuler Supermarkets had way too many suppliers begging for a partnership.It had gotten to the point where any product of an enterprise would surely be profitable the moment it was sold on Schuler Supemiarkets’ shelves.Hence, it was no problem to pull one brand of non-staple food off the shelves.Jasper put the phone down and looked at Scott, the man’s face devoid of color. Jasper demanded calmly, “Tell me what other industries this dominating Covington family in Tefa City is involved in.”The corner of Scott’s mouth twitched. He could not say anything, but cold sweat began to bead over his forehead.He was just the third generation of the Covington family. His grandfather and his dad still presided over the family.The person in charge now might be his dad, but even his dad was just a junior in the elder’s eyes.Scott had never imagined he would bring his family so much trouble.“Mr. Laine, the Covington family also does food and beverages, and they have a few big restaurants and hotels in Tefa City.”Baz suddenly spoke up.He wanted nothing more than to screw Scott over, so he naturally would not pass this chance up.Scott shivered when he heard Baz.He looked at Baz resentfully as if he wanted to rip the man to shreds.“F&B and hotels, huh? I’m not involved in those two industries.”Scott felt relieved when he heard Jasper, but this relief had only lasted a few seconds before Jasper continued to talk.“But I’m close with a few restaurant owners in Nauritus City. It shouldn’t be any problem to invest in them and ask them to start a trade war with the Covington family’s food and beverage enterprise.”“As for hotels, the person in charge of Hilton Hotels in Southeast Province contacted me a few days ago and asked if I wanted to work together. I planned on declining, but now that I think about it, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea to open a JW Hilton here in Tefa City, wouldn’t you say?”Scott lost all hope when he heard this.“You’re crazy, Jasper!” Scott shouted.“Just what did I do to offend you, to the point that you’re willing to go so far and target the Covington family?! Even if you succeed, you’re still going to end up paying a lot of money!”Jasper chuckled and asked, “Is this a lot of money?”“If I manage to completely get rid of the Covington family from Tefa City, then the space you will leave in the market will easily earn me back everything I initially paid.”Scott’s eyes were filled with fear as he shouted at Jasper, “So you’re going to fight the Covington family to the death over something so insignificant?”Jasper replied calmly, “You think that this is something insignificant. You also think it’s only right that I give you half of Downstream Investment Company’s shares, don’t you?”Scott had nothing to say now. At this moment, Scott’s phone rang.Seeing his dad’s phone number on the display, Scott shivered as a bad feeling engulfed him.Scott ignored the strong desire to throw the phone and hide, then mustered the courage to pick up the phone.“Scott, who the f*ck did you offend?!”Scott’s dad, Emmet, the current spokesperson of the Covington family, shouted over the line.Scott’s heart shook and he asked palely, “Dad, how… How did you know?”“How did I know?! How long more do you plan on hiding this from me? The people below me say that you’ve offended the owner of JW Company, Jasper Laine!”Scott wailed and replied, “Not just offended. He called his subordinates in front of me just now. Not only is he fighting us in the real estate industry, but he also wants to take our company’s products off the supermarket shelves. He also said he’s going to attack us in F&B and the hotel industry.”“Dad, he’s trying to uproot the Covington family!”Emmett immediately roared when he heard Scott.“You b*stard! I always told you to keep a low profile, didn’t I? Don’t think that because you’re born in the Covington family that it means you’re on top of the world. There are tons of people outside more powerful than the Covington family. Who gave you the courage to offend JW Company?!”“Do you even know what JW Company controls in the Southeast Province?!”Scott shivered and replied, “I didn’t think the consequences would be so severe. I was just thinking of gaining some benefits.”“Where are you now?!” Emmett asked icily.Scott glanced at Jasper guilty and replied, “I’m in Jasper’s room in Tefa Hotel.”“You f*cking went to look for him?! How bold of you!”Emmett wanted to beat Scott up.“Give Jasper the phone!”Scott did not dare to take his own sweet time and immediately passed the phone over to Jasper.Jasper took the phone and said calmly, “This is Jasper Laine.”“Mr. Laine, I’m sure there’s got to be a misunderstanding in this,” Emmett immediately humbled himself as he spoke.“I’m Scott’s Dad, Emmett Covington. I’ll make sure to teach that useless son a lesson for offending you, so please go easy on him.”Jasper replied calmly, “Your son tried to scam me and hit my men twice. Am I supposed to just move on from that?”Emmett fell silent for a moment before he replied, “Mr. Laine, there are some things that cannot be said clearly over the phone. How about this? I’ll set up a feast at my house tonight just for you, Mr. Laine. Our old master is also very interested in talking to a young entrepreneur like you, Mr. Laine. What do you think?”‘You’re involving your old master?’Jasper smiled and replied, “Since you’ve invited me, Mr. Covington, then it’s only right I attend.”Jasper ended the call and tossed the phone back to Scott before saying calmly, “You can leave now. I’ll go to your house tonight.”Scott’s expression changed and he wanted to threaten Jasper further, but he did not dare to do so after he thought back to how furious his dad was. The man must have wanted to skin him alive.“Then I’ll wait for you at home!”Scott said before running away without looking back.Life at the Top Chapter 1293After Scott left, Jasper brought Baz to the hospital.Baz felt despondent, having gone to the hospital two days in a row.Thank goodness that a checkup revealed that there was not too big a problem.“Don’t try to take the hit head on if it happens again in the future. Protecting yourself is the most important thing here,” Jasper reminded.Baz smiled wryly and replied, “I didn’t know that Scott would have his people start attacking me the moment he walked through the door. He caught me off guard.”Jasper frowned slightly and said, “I’ll do my best to get rid of the problem with the Covington family so that you will have a good environment to work in.”Baz was stunned for a moment before he quickly replied, “Mr. Laine, do you want me to stay in Tefa City?”“Why? Do you not dare to do so?” Jasper smiled.Baz frantically replied, “It’s not that I don’t dare. I’m not afraid of anything, except screwing this up.”“You were the one who found out about Downstream Investment Company and you’re the one who acquired the company. Now that I’ve bought it, I’m not going to let you run away so easily.”Jasper joked, then told Baz about what he had been thinkng these days.“I plan to hand Downstream Investment Company over to you for management.”Despite already guessing that this was the case, Baz still instinctively rejected Jasper when he heard the man’s proposition.“No can do, Mr. Laine. I don’t have enough experience and I’m just a normal employee at the company. I won’t be able to suddenly manage a whole company.”Jasper might not have trusted anyone else, but Baz was different.In his past life, Baz had completely transformed Downstream Investment Company into something big on his own with no one else to guide him.Not to mention that throughout this period of observation, Jasper had also asked Chad and the investment department what they thought about Baz’s performances. Jasper was certain that Baz had the potential to be successful again.“Don’t worry, I’ll transfer some people over to help you to manage the company. Talk to whoever you need to bring over from the investment department. As long as they’re willing then they can immediately come to work here.“As for experience, no one is born with the knowledge on how to manage a company. This is something you have to slowly familiarize yourself with.“I can give you money.”“I can give you manpower.”“I can also give you time.”Jasper then patted Baz’s shoulder and said, “But confidence is something I cannot give. Confidence is something you need to develop on your own. I trust that you can do well, but you have to trust yourself too.”Baz looked at Jasper excitedly. He opened his mouth, and after much hesitation, finally asked the question he held in his heart.“Mr. Laine, why do you value me so much?”Baz knew he was not some genius. In fact, he had been on the receiving end of harsh words since he was young, and he was not someone who was loved by all.However, everything changed after he met Jasper. Jasper seemed to value him more than others. Not only did Jasper give him, someone with no capability, experience, or academics, the best job opportunity, but Jasper was also handing a company he acquired with 100 million over to him to manage.Jasper’s act of kindness was so great that Baz could not help but doubt. ‘Why?’‘I’m just a normal person, what about me is so worthy of Jasper’s admiration?’In response to this question, Jasper narrowed his eyes and replied with a fleeting tone that Baz did not quite understand, “There’s no specific reason, actually. If I had to come up with one, then I can only say that it’s fate.”Life at the Top Chapter 1294When Jasper lost hope due to his poverty, after he fought with Penelope and was left in disdain and humiliated, or forced to desperation because of his debtors in his past life, it was always Baz who helped him financially and physically.He had previously asked Baz about he did this as well. To which Baz answered, ‘because of fate’.Jasper could not confirm if it was truly fate, but he knew that as a person, he had to repay this kindness. Even if it was kindness from his past life.It still had to be repaid.“Alright Rest well and go back to the hospital after you finish both bags of saline drips. Remember to eat dinner, I can’t eat with you since I’m going to the Covington family,” Jasper looked at the time and got up to say.Baz immediately looked up and said, “Are you really going to the Covington family house, Mr. Laine? They’ve got a bad reputation.”“It’s not like they can hold me hostage there.”Jasper pointed at Julian gleefully and said, “Don’t forget that even if they choose to fight, there’s no one in Tefa City who can hold Julian back.”With Baz settled, Jasper left the hospital and immediately had Julian drive them to the Covington family residence.Rose Garden, Tefa City’s largest community for the wealthy, also belonged to the Covington family. The Covington family had taken out a large portion from the best area of land in Rose Garden and left it for themselves.Jasper had just arrived at the villa entrance and gotten out of the car when he saw a middle-aged man waiting with Scott at the door.“Mr. Laine, I’ve heard a lot about you.”With frays of white hair around his temple, Emmett looked authoritative. He wore a cashmere sweater over his shirt and looked like an experienced middle-aged businessman.Emmett walked over with a large smile, reached out to shake Jasper’s hand, and engaged in small talk.Seeing how polite Emmett was, Jasper did not put on a dark expression nor act arrogant in front of him. With a gentle smile, Jasper greeted, “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Covington.”The two shook hands and began to chat among themselves.From afar, Scott’s gaze darkened at the sight. His lips pulled into a disdainful sneer.He hated these people the most. Despite knowing that they were enemies, these people still smiled and pretended to be friends. How sly.“The old master isn’t young anymore and it’s not easy for him to move around, that’s why he didn’t greet you outside. The wind’s strong out here, so perhaps we could talk more inside?” Emmett told Jasper happily.“Who am I to request an elder to welcome me at the door? It’s only right I meet him inside.”Jasper then followed the Covington father-son duo with Julian in tow as he entered the villa.The villa was decorated luxuriously, with expensive furniture and ornaments everywhere.Jasper was not the same poor boy he used to be. One glance was all it took for him to get a rough idea of how much everything cost. As expected of Tefa City’s wealthiest family, the Covington family’s renovation on this villa had to cost at least four to five million. Four to five million during the year 2001.Emmett brought Jasper into a small tea room. Upon entering, Jasper saw a skinny but energetic old man sitting behind the coffee table.”“Greetings, Old Master Covington, I am Jasper,” Jasper took the initiative to greet the fellow.Gerard laughed out loud and pointed at the chair before him, “Come, young man. Come sit and drink tea with this old man.”Jasper narrowed his eyes slightly at Gerald’s lack of movement before taking a seat opposite him.At this moment, Emmett gave Scott a look and the two walked out of the tea room together.Life at the Top Chapter 1295The father-son duo walked out from the tea room together and arrived at the study room upstairs.“Close the door.”Emmett’s expression now no longer showed any traces of the casual smile he had on when he chatted with Jasper downstairs. Instead, it was dark and sinister now.Scott felt his heart drop as a bad premonition filled his heart. However, he had no other choice than to muster the courage and close the door.He had just turned back around after closing the door when a large hand struck his face. Scott did not have the chance to say anything.Slap!A clear slap landed square across Scott’s face.Scott was stunned by the slap and cupped his face. Ignoring the ringing in his ear, he shouted angrily, “Dad! What’d you hit me for no reason? Are you crazy?”Emmett glared at Scott and scolded, “I’m hitting you for no reason?”“The trouble you brought me is currently sitting downstairs and your grandfather and I have to come out and deal with him for you! We don’t even know if we can resolve this issue yet! And you’re telling me that I hit you for no reason? Even when you’re the one who caused this mess?”Scott’s hand still cupped his face and he said indignantly, “You guys looked fine when you talked, though? How much trouble can it be? Do you have to exaggerate?”Emmett became even angrier when he heard this, and he wanted to slap his son again.“Looked fine when we talked? What the hell do you know?”“JW’s subsidiaries have already begun a combined attack on us! I’ve already received negative reports due to the activities of their real estate projects in targeting us!”“We’ve already lost a few dozen customers people were willing to disregard the deposits they had given us and opt to buy property from JW Real Estates instead! A few of them even purposefully put their deposit with us, only to take the contract to JW Real Estates and ask for a discount!”“Just today, we lost dozens of customers and a few million Somer Dollars! News will begin to spread, and soon, the entirety of Tefa City will know about this too! Who’s going to buy our housing then? Everyone’s going to run to JW Real Estates!”“Schuler Supermarkets also sent us a statement saying that they’ve taken all our products off the shelf in their supermarkets all over the country. They’re requesting that we ship our products back within three days, so that’s at least another ten million worth of loss!”“Let me ask you, do you still think that it’s no big deal?!”Scott was stunned when he heard Emmett.Scott felt relieved when he saw Jasper make the calls earlier today, since he thought that Jasper was just trying to scare him.“How… how could that be? He’s losing money too by doing this. Isn’t he afraid that he’ll make a loss?” Scott gasped.Emmett sneered, “You moron. Who cares about that once the fight truly begins? With Jasper’s wealth, he can afford to attack us at the cost of his own money.”“How long do you think the Covington family can survive against Jasper in terms of wealth? Less than a week I tell you!”“That b*stard! And to think that despite how happy go lucky he looks, he’s actually so cruel! How can he even laugh and smile?” Scott clenched his jaw and said.“This is what a scheming person looks like! Unlike you, who shows every single emotion you feel on your face. You’d only get screwed over once you go outside!”Emmett glared at Scott harshly. “I told you before to do some business and stop playing around with your idle friends. How capable do you think you are?”“What are you without the Covington family, your grandfather, or me, your dad? You think those useless friends of yours would still pay any attention to you?”“Jasper’s almost your age! He’s younger, in fact! But look at him now. He makes a move and, forget me, even your grandfather has to talk to him nicely. This is what a capable person looks like. You bringing your idle friends around and stirring up a ruckus wherever you go is an embarrassment!”Life at the Top Chapter 1296“I… I didn’t think it would turn out like this either. What do we do now?”Scott was truly terrified now.“Your grandfather is talking to him in person now. Let’s see how it goes first. If he’s willing to compromise, then the Covington family is willing to share some of our profits. But if he truly wants to fight us to the end, then the Covington family will not surrender so easily either!”In the tea room downstairs.“Drink some tea whenever you’re free, young man. Tea clears the mind and soothes the soul, there’s no need for so much anger all the time.”Gerald passed Jasper a cup of tea.“People are all driven by interests. There’s no need to go to such extreme lengths.”Jasper took the cup of tea and had a small sip before he replied calmly, “Mr. Covington, I never intended to oppress people with my power. Most of the time, my actions are merely a form of self defense when I’m forced to fight back. The same goes for this particular incident.”Gerald’s eyebrow twitched and he said solemnly, “Scott’s been spoiled rotten. But isn’t a small lesson enough when a child’s made a mistake? There’s no need to strain our relationship.”Jasper smiled and replied, “Mr. Covington, what if I was a poor man, then? Or perhaps only had a few million Somer Dollars worth of assets. Would I still get the chance to drink tea with you here after Scott threatens me?”Gerald’s smile slowly disappeared and he said, “You’re just making excuses.”Jasper replied calmly, “Excuse or explanation, the situation’s already occurred. The Covington family invited me today and I agreed to come. So, let’s get straight to the point.”“Alright.”Gerald nodded and said expressionlessly, “I’ve already seen the extent of your capabilities and I admit that you are powerful. Frankly speaking, the Covington family cannot afford to continue fighting like this. What are your demands for you to stop attacking?”“Simple.”Jasper looked at Gerald and said, “I don’t want money, nor do I want your family’s property. All I ask is that from today onward, Scott leaves and never returns to Tefa City again.”Gerald was enraged by what he heard.“You’re going too far, Jasper!“The Covington family only ever has a sole heir. Right now, Scott is the only son. What difference would it be between having him leave Tefa city and uprooting the Covington family entirely?! ”Jasper replied calmly, “I don’t care whether the Covington family gets uprooted or not, nor does that have anything to do with me. But I don’t want to see Scott in Tefa City again.”Gerald clenched his jaw and looked at Jasper icily. “I can put in a word to pay you 5 million worth of compensation. I also have a plot of land by the borders separating the South Mountain area and Nauritus City. It’s quite an expensive plot of land, and I can gift it to you.”“If you’re willing to sell a portion of Downstream Investment Company’s shares, then I can double the price I suggested just now.”Jasper looked up gleefully and asked, “Mr. Covington, do I look like someone who lacks money?”“…”“Jasper, the Covington family might not be as wealthy as you, but we’ve been in Tefa City for years. Even if we were to be destroyed, you would not come out unscathed. I’ve been in business for decades and I still have a few old friends and acquaintances. Do you truly not plan to show me any respect?”Jasper furrowed his brows slightly and replied calmly. “I already gave you respect. Otherwise, there’s no way I’d accept the invitation to come to the Covington family villa.”Life at the Top Chapter 1297“I’m warning you, Jasper. Downstream Investment Company isn’t something the Covington family wants to buy. There’s someone ever more powerful behind who’s interested in it! You’re only going to get yourself screwed over if you keep acting so stubborn!”Gerald stared at Jasper and said.Jasper arched his brow slightly.Jasper believed what Gerald said since it was likely true. Downstream Investment Company did not come with a license in his past life.However, it did in this.Usually, the acquisition of a state fund investment company should not come with a license.Someone probably pulled a few strings throughout all this.Only someone with very powerful contacts could include a priceless license along with the sale of a state-funded investment company.Therefore, Jasper could believe that someone extremely powerful had pulled the strings in question.The Covington family was certainly not qualified enough to do so.They were basically an agent in this situation.Both Scott and Gerald had now brought up purchasing shares of Downstream Investment company.Hence, it intrigued Jasper when Gerald straightforwardly told him about a more formidable character’s involvement.“I’ve already acquired Downstream Investment Company, and this is a fact that no one can change. Be it you or this formidable figure you speak of, no one will be taking a dollar of profit from this company. Let alone invest and become a shareholder.”Jasper looked at Gerald and continued calmly, “I’m sure this formidable person has already pulled the strings. But instead of acquiring the business himself, he decided to have your family act as a middle man. So, either this formidable person’s got a sensitive identity and cannot appear in person, or he doesn’t actually want the company itself. Correct?”Gerald did not say anything but his heart shook in fear. This Jasper was truly skilled, a few sentences were all it took for him to recount the whole truth.“No matter what the situation is, the only reason I’d give you what I have is if I don’t want it. If you want to steal it from me, then come and get it.”Jasper then got up and walked toward the door.“Either accept my conditions, Mr. Covington, or go and look for this powerful person supporting you. If he manages to defeat me, then there’s nothingI can say. But I, Jasper Laine, have never surrendered to anyway since I started doing business.”“Just come and try me…”Jasper did not look at Gerald’s sour expression and immediately left with Julian in tow.Jasper had just left when the doors to the tea room opened and Emmett entered the room carefully.“Dad, how’d the talk go?” Emmett asked.“Horrible,” Gerald replied expressionlessly.While he had been prepared, Emmett’s expression still darkened when he heard the result.“He doesn’t want money or land. The only request he has is for Scott to leave Tefa City forever.”Emmett was enraged when he heard Jasper’s condition.“Bullsh*t! All of the Covington family’s foundations are in Tefa City! There’s no way we can move elsewhere. We’ve only got one heir, so what’s the difference between that and completely destroying the Covington family?”“’Why would he care?”Gerald sneered. “If not for your great son, this incident would never have developed to this point. I already asked around, and it was your son who offended others first This wouldn’t have happened otherwise.”Emmett asked bitterly, “Then what do we do now?”“What else can we do?”Gerald clenched his jaw and said grimly, “Prepare the car. I need to visit the Marquis.”Emmett was stunned. “Are we really going to tell the Marquis about this? He told us to acquire Downstream Investment Company on his behalf, but not only did we screw up, we even offended Jasper. I’m afraid the Marquis will think that we’re incompetent…”Life at the Top Chapter 1298“Do you have a better plan?” Gerald looked at Emmet icily, “Do you plan to fight Jasper head on, or send Scott away?”Emmett stammered but did not say anything for a long time.Gerald sighed deeply and said, “Go prepare the car. At least the Duke of the Northwest and I have some history.”“Instead of looking for anyone else, the Marquis came to ask our help on his trip to pay his ancestors respect in Tefa City. This means that there’s still a level of closeness to our relationship. We have no one else to turn to but the Marquis right now.”Emmett’s eyes lit up and he replied excitedly, “Dad, are you planning to have the Marquis attack Jasper? We’d have nothing to worry about if that’s the case! We might not win against Jasper, but he’s trash in comparison to the Marquis. The Marquis would be able to get rid of him easily.”The Covington family seemed to have completely given up on negotiating with Jasper over the following few days.They began to fight back strongly against JW’s subsidiaries and Schuler Supermarkets’ coordinated attacks.One had to admit that the Covington family certainly exercised a degree of power and skill as the wealthiest family in Tefa City.However, JW Company was no longer the weak and cautious company that was too afraid to offend others anymore. In fact, a huge number of people in many industries had to make sure not to anger JW Company.Not to mention that this fight occurred within the Southeast Province.To quote a formidable and high status person in Southeast Province, “JW has already made a name for itself.”The Covington family’s defense appeared strong, but everyone knew that defeat was only a matter of time. However, both attacking and defending parties had to pay a price whenever there were these business wars. JW Company had used up quite a lot of money during the past few days as well.Not that Jasper cared.Ignoring the benefits Jasper would earn once the Covington family was destroyed, the benefits brought by the financial license from Downstream Investment Company alone could replenish ten to twenty times the value of the money lost.Not to mention that getting rid of the Covington family was a must if he wanted Downstream Investment Company to develop well in Tefa City. These were prices he had to pay.“Jasper, there’s an invitation for you.”Jasper had just ended a video conference with the people over at Nauritus City when Julian brought a bronzed invitation over.Jasper took it from the man.It was an invitation to a meal.Jasper immediately frowned when he saw the sender’s name.This was not a famous name at all, and only a small amount of people knew of him.However, anyone who heard this name knew what it entailed.Lionel Alvarado.Lord Alvarado, the oldest grandson of the Alvarado family, under the Duke of the Northwest.Jasper only knew of him because he heard his boss Baz boast about him while drunk during his past life.Within Somerland, the Duke of the Northwest was publicly recognized as a powerful person. The Northwest Alvarado family was extremely powerful and kept a low profile.The reason why Baz, the owner of a small business, knew about him was because Tefa City was theAlvarado family’s ancestral land. Baz had also been lucky enough to see Lord Alvarado from afar when he acquired Downstream Investment Company.Coupled with the understanding Jasper had of upper class families in this life, Jasper recognized that both the identity and status of Lord Alvarado were on par with Waterhoof City’s little prince and Swallow Capital’s Brown family’s crippled son. They were the outstanding individuals from this younger generation.These three together were known as the three most brilliant young leaders of Somerland’s new millennium. This Lord Alvarado simply kept a lower profile than the other two, so fewer people knew of him.Life at the Top Chapter 1299“Jasper, is there something wrong with this invitation?”Julian had been following Jasper for a very long time. One could even say that Julian was the person Jasper spent the most time with.It had gotten to the point where Jasper had the habit of bringing Julian wherever he went.Therefore, Julian knew Jasper very well, and when he saw how Jasper’s expression turn solemn at the sight of the invitation, Julian immediately realized that the situation was more complex than he had initially thought.“Nothing much.” Jasper shook his head.He did not have the intention to hide things from Julian, but the situation here involved too many people and Jasper did not know where to start with his explanation.Lord Alvarado’s appearance caused Jasper to realize that Tefa City’s waters ran deeper than he thought.He did not have much contact with Lord Alvarado in his past life. Therefore, this sudden invitation was most likely related to his fight with the Covington family. This was coincidentally the worse kind of news for Jasper.“Tell Baz to speed things up with the headquarters and the staff arrangements. Have him take control of Downstream Investment Company as soon as possible,” Jasper said grimly.Julian grunted his acknowledgement and left to look for Baz.When he heard the sound of the door closing, Jasper placed the invitation to the side.This meal would certainly be a dangerous one to attend, but Jasper did not plan to decline.Many things could not be avoided. Therefore, he might as well attend generously and decide his next course of action after he better understood the situation. Exquisite House was a renowned private kitchen in Tefa City.Its superior dishes were also accompanied by superior prices.With an average meal price of 2000 Somer Dollars per person in the year 2001, one would never see a regular salarymen appear in the restaurant.This meal was arranged to begin at seven pm.Unlike the bustling everyday restaurant, Exquisite House was completely empty, as it had been bought out for the night.It took more than just money to buy out a restaurant of such sophistication.Jasper got out of the car and found a few suited men, who were evidently not servers, staring at him intently from the entrance of Exquisite House.One of them walked over and asked courteously, yet still conservatively, “Are you Mr. Jasper Laine?”“I am.” Jasper nodded.“The Marquis is waiting upstairs, please follow me.” The suited man turned around and pushed open the door after saying this.There were no traces of any servers in Exquisite House’s dining hall. In place of them were men in black suits standing around casually despite being extremely alert. Each of them occupied strategic points of the Exquisite House and stood protectively at the entrance of the staircase.On the second floor, at the entrance to a private room, two ladies in elegant traditional clothing reached out to open the door at the same time when they saw Jasper and Julian arrive.The strong scent of hotpot invaded their nostrils.A young man was sitting at the end of the round table in the large private room, clearly focused on his food in front of him. There were also two alluring and beautiful women on either side of him, one with a bottle of red wine and the other with a towel.There was an expressionless man in a suit at each of the room’s four corners. It was a grand scene.Jasper arched his brow slightly.“There are two good fighters, Jasper.”Julian whispered quietly.Jasper nodded. There was nothing surprising about a few good fighters protecting someone as important as Lord Alvarado.However, the scene did seem rather extravagant.“You’re here.”Lord Alvarado said calmly from behind the table. As he was served by two beautiful women, Lord Alvarado did not look up at all as he continued to cook the slices of lamb in the hotpot.“Come take a seat and eat since you’re here.”The man’s tone sounded like he was greeting an old friend.Jasper did not decline, and while the grandiose downstairs and outside the room did not quite match with a hotpot meal, he settled in any way. He walked over to the seat opposite Lord Alvarado and sat down casually.Even though he sat down, Jasper still did not touch his cutlery.Instead, he looked at Lord Alvarado closely.To be honest, Lord Alvarado might be the most attractive man Jasper had ever seen.With exquisite features, sharp brows, and starry eyes, the man’s facial features were arranged in beautiful symmetry. What caught his attention the most was the beauty mole under his left eye, which added a feminine touch to the man’s delicate appearance.The two dressed up women behind him were also extraordinarily beautiful, but they paled greatly in comparison to Lord Alvarado.‘What a shame.’‘That such beauty is found on the features of a man.’This was the first thought Jasper had when he saw Lord Alvarado.“Why aren’t you eating?” Lord Alvarado realized that Jasper had been staring at him for a long time. However, he seemed used to it and did not express any displeasure. Instead, he asked Jasper kindly.“I prefer my food spicy,” Jasper felt slightly embarrassed and simply picked an excuse.“My bad, it’s an oversight on my part.”Lord Alvarado smiled at Jasper. Even Julian felt slightly defenseless against the beauty of the man, let alone Jasper.Lord Alvarado turned around to instruct the woman beside him, “Go and ask for a plate of spices.”The woman acknowledged courteously, then she turned and left.At the same time, Lord Alvarado placed a cooked piece of lamb into his mouth. Lord Alvarado made such a simple action seem completely in tune with his aura.The man managed to make hotpot seem like a noble delicacy. Lord Alvarado’s appearance and charm were genuinely off the charts.“I don’t have a lot of time.” Lord Alvarado said as he ate.“I can only spare some time to talk to you while I eat.”“Let’s get straight to the point. The Covington family is just a medium, I’m the one who wanted Downstream Investment Company.”Jasper nodded and replied, “I thought as much.”Lord Alvarado smiled and continued, “I don’t like people interrupting me when I speak.”Jasper shrugged.Lord Alvarado might seem like an easy person to talk to when Jasper walked in, but there was no powerful trust-fund child that was truly easy to talk to.One would be dead before they it if they fell for a simple façade so easily.The woman returned and brought Jasper a plate of spices.Jasper grabbed a piece of lamb to cook it, then dipped it in spices before placing it into his mouth.‘Fck. I miscalculated. It’s really fcking spicy.’Life at the Top Chapter 1300The hotpot soup bubbled as steam permeated the air. In what seemed like a harmonious environment, Jasper and Lord Alvarado’s first meeting was taking place.“Continuing where I left off, I don’t really care too much about Downstream Investment Comp any or the Covington family. They’re both toys and insignificant to me.”Lord Alvarado focused on the hotpot in front of him and said slowly.“But someone from the Covington family came to complain to me today that you’re being too domineering, that you’re vying to kill them after you stole their company. I had someone check and the situation’s pretty much as they claimed.”Jasper arched his brow. He did not say anything. Arguing or explaining himself now was not a smart move.Not to mention that explanations were futile in the adult world. When you had enough power, you could call a deer a ‘horse’ and someone would still praise you for having great eyesight.If you were not powerful enough, someone would still call you an idiot no matter how much you explained yourself.Lord Alvarado was satisfied with Jasper’s behavior and continued, “They think that if they complain to me, then I would get rid of you angrily. But they thought wrong.”Lord Alvarado shook his head and said regretfully as if he could not understand the stupidity of the Covington family.“Think about it. I came back to pay my ancestors respect and rarely got my attention piqued. I even paved the way and all I needed was for someone to help me get it. This was something even idiots could accomplish, yet they still managed to screw it up. Don’t they deserve what they have coming?”Jasper did not say anything.“Why are you so quiet?” Lord Alvarado asked after a moment.“You said you don’t like being interrupted. And I couldn’t be sure if you’ve finished saying your part,” Jasper replied sincerely.Lord Alvarado was stunned for a bit before he replied, “Interesting. You’re a very interesting man.”“Everyone lives for a useful purpose. Even a beggar or a crippled man has something of use. If someone’s completely loss their usefulness, then them staying alive would only be a waste of resources, wouldn’t you say?”Jasper nodded in agreement in response to Lord Alvarado’s question after he laughed out loud.“So I won’t care about what happens to the Covington family. Just kill them, I quite like watching scenes like this.”Lord Alvarado said with a crescent-eyed smile, yet Jasper could not help but feel a chill run down his spine. Under the extraordinary beauty was a truly selfish and cold blooded man.The Covington family had helped him here and there, yet once they screwed up, he completely disregarded their history.People like this were the last people you wanted to offend. Jasper had given the matter some thought before he arrived.Lord Alvarado might interfere and threaten him into ceasing his attack on the Covington family. Or the man would be enraged and turn against him directly.However, not only did this man allow Jasper to attack the Covington family, he even seemed to anticipate it. This was the last thing Jasper wanted to see.This showed that Lord Alvarado was an extremely ruthless person and was very difficult to deal with.“As for you.”Lord Alvarado chuckled and reached out his hand.The woman behind him immediately passed him a hot towel.Lord Alvarado took the towel and wiped his mouth before he tossed it on the woman’s hands. Then, he said slowly, “Reputation and image is something that matters to me a lot, and I hate it when someone doesn’t want to act accordingly. Jasper, you know you’re damaging my reputation here, right?”This entire time, Jasper had listened as Lord Alvarado talked.Now that Lord Alvarado was done, it was Jasper’s turn to speak.However, now a choice had suddenly been thrust in front of Jasper.