Chapter 1371-1380
Life at the Top Chapter 1371Fabian had lost 1 billion US Dollars in a day, while he had gained 8 billion US Dollars of profit.It did not seem like⌠enough.âThere are 30 minutes left till the market closes, Iâm giving you 20 minutes to close one of their positions worth 5 billion.âJasper smiled impudently and said, âHeâs been proud for a very long time, I want him spitting blood today.âWhat Jasper said lifted the fighting spirits of Jake and his team.Since the planning of deployment, due to strict Jasperâs orders, Jake and the others had to endure being bullied by Fabian.Fabian would be the first to buy whenever they placed the sell order.Although Jasper intended to watch the funds flow into his opponentâs pockets, Jake and the others were holding back so much anger after all those humiliations.Even though the situation had reversed today, Jasper did not initially command them to strike back. This was because gaining back their losses and making a profit was the most important thing.Now, Jasper had finally commanded Jake and the others to strike while the iron was hot.âYes, Mr. Laine. It wonât take up 20 minutes, 15 minutes will be enough for them to suffer heavy losses!âJake gave his guarantee excitedly, then turned around to order his trading team to launch their attacks.The games in the financial war were treacherous and uncertain most of the time. However, this always depended on the timing.For example, in the situation that was taking place at that moment, the whole market was falling, so it would be too easy for Jasper to attack Fabian.Not to mention that Jake and his team had plenty of experience in trading. Right now, even a beginner who only knew how to click with a mouse to buy or sell would know how to fight this war.Taking aim at a target and crushing it as forcefully as you could. That was that easy.It made Fabian, who was sleepy and exhausted, jump up as if he had just been electrocuted.Morrison, who was sleepless but had reddened eyes, joined Mitch to surround Conrad after the latter jumped up.Fabian was the first to rush over to the side of the computer. The fingers of the person seated in front of the computer were dancing on the keyboard, pulling out a set of data.âMr. Atticus, there were a large number of trade orders that intentionally targeted us.These orders look disorganized and hidden among the numerous normal trade orders, but the accounts were all under Jasperâs name.âThis wave of attacks cost us a few million US Dollars.âBang!Morrison slammed the table with his palm and spoke with a hideous expression, âIs Jasper planning to make things worse!?âFabianâs facial expression was gloomy and scary. He glared at the screen without saying anything.Once the attacks were launched, Fabian immediately took notice.Fabianâs men were well trained too in their own right, They were pretty much equal to Jakeâs team. Therefore, in such a chaotic situation, they were able to sense something wrong ahnost inmiediately.âMr. Atticus, someone is attacking us!âLife at the Top Chapter 1372âMr. Atticus, theyâre still attacking us. What do we do next?âWhile they were talking, Jakeâs attacks battered them fiercely. The trader was unable to withstand it anymore, so he turned around and asked with an awful look on his face.He was afraid that the furious Fabian would treat him as the whipping boy.Although Fabian was angry to the extent that he could kill someone, he was still keeping his rationality.âHow much do we have left for cover ups?â Fabian asked a crucial question.The man replied immediately, âOnly 200 million left.ââ200 million left..?â Fabian gritted his teeth. He felt something heavy on his chest, as if he was unable to breathe.Morrison looked at Fabianâs pale white face and said, âAtticus, donât fall apart just yet.ââI knowâŚâFabian sneered after he gasped for air, âWell done! Well done, Jasper!ââI expected him to take revenge earlier, but he did not move until the next day. I didnât expect him to strike when itâs almost the closing time when weâre running out of funds.ââHe purposely did that.â Conrad suddenly spoke, attractive Fabianâs and Morrisonâs attention.Fabian looked at Conrad, and spoke in a low voice, âYou faced Jasper the most often. Tell us, based on how much you understand him, what is Jasper going to do next?ââHeâs going to beat us until weâre in pain.â Conradâs answer was simple and clear.Mitch could not hold back his sneer. âHe doesnât even know how much funds we have left. How is he going to hurt us?ââHe doesnât need to know. All he has to do is evaluate our total funds and the funds we invested to cover up today, and heâll be able to estimate how much longer we can withstand it.âConrad continued to speak calmly as he ignored the slight provocation hidden in Mitchâs words.âBesides, he didnât strike throughout the entire day because he wanted the plunging market to consume our funds as much as it could. Now that trading hours are ending soon, he has achieved his goal.ââNothing happened when he didnât do anything, but once he starts to take action, all we can do is to bear it. Heâll stop when he wants to.âWhat Conrad said infuriated Mitch.He had just got the capital from Conrad to cover the positions, and now he could only watch his money being swallowed by Jasper. He was enraged by the situation.He was going to break down emotionally after listening to what Conrad said.âFcking bullsht!âMitch pointed his fingers at Conrad and scolded him.âAre you here fcking misleading us? Youâre talking about how impressive Jasper is, as if heâs a God destroying our aspirations. Why are you here kissing my feet if Jasper is that capable? If you donât know how to talk just shut your mouth and fck off!ââAnd youâre fcking tell me that Jasper is the one who decides when to end this. Do you think heâs God?! Fcking mainland bumpkin, piece of sh*t!âWhat Mitch said was extremely rude.However, there was no change in Conradâs facial expression.As if the person who got scolded was not him. He turned his head around and looked at the angry Mitch.âMr. Langdon, if Jasper were an easy opponent to deal with, he would have died by your hands. So, why is he alive until now? Why are you lingering around Mr. Atticus, without the guts to fight against Jasper personally?ââYelling at me will not help anything. Iâm just voicing my opinion. Mr. Langdon can choose to listen or not. If you donât like it just treat it as a bullsh*t. Is there a need to be so unpolite?âMitchâs face reddened when Conrad said this.Life at the Top Chapter 1373No one had to tell him that what Conrad said was reasonable. Thus, Mitch was left to burn up in embarrassment.Comparing his agitated attitude with Conrad, there was no doubt that Conrad was way more elegant. The more reasonable the argument, the angrier Mitch was.âWho are you dare try to teach me a lesson? Youâre just a f*cking bumpkin from the mainland. Believe it or not, IâllâŚââEnough!âFabian interrupted Mitchâs conversation.When Mitch lifted his head to look at Fabian, he saw those emotionless cold eyes and fell silent immediately. He did not treat Conrad as a person in the first place. Similarly, he did not dare to treat himself as a person in front of Fabian.âWhat Conrad said was reasonable.âFabian spoke calmly.âContinue to give up the positions that are not high value and those which are less important. Allow them to be liquidated. I can still afford all those losses.âMorrison and Mitchâs lips twitched when they heard Fabianâs instruction.The amount of money burned every minute did not just belong to Fabian, they owned a share of it too. This was especially true for Morrison, his share was only slightly less than Fabianâs.This command was to sacrifice the rest to protect the king, meaning that at least a few billion US Dollars were about to be given up.Indeed, when Fabian took a step back, Jasper came charging forward. Twelve positions were liquidated at once.âMr. Atticus, heâs, heâs not stopping.âThe man was terrified when he reported this.âHeâs going too far! âFabian growled in a low voice. He grabbed the ashtray beside him, turned around, and smashed it on the floor.âContinue to retreat, as long as the core positions remain, Iâll allow all the other losses!ââConrad, inform the members of Empire Meet, the first Empire Meet meeting with all members will be held at dawn. I, Fabian Atticus, am going to give them a big present!âConradâs expression appeared calm, but his heart was surging like a stormy sea after hearing this.âIâll arrange it immediately,â Conrad replied. In his heart, he was thinking about immediately telling Jasper about this important news.âWaitâŚ!âFabian suddenly called out for Conrad.Conrad stood still and turned around to look at Fabian.âUncle Gale, follow him.âAn aged old man who looked like he was in his sixties or seventies walked out after Fabian called him. His hands respectfully overlapped in front of his body. He appeared well mannered as he bowed to Conrad and said, âMr. Monty, Iâll be by your side to assist you.ââUncle Gale is my confidant, most of the young masters in Empire Meet are bad tempered. I donât have to worry much if heâs with you.â Fabian said blandly.Conrad smiled, nodded his head, and said, âThatâll be best. Itâll be easier for me too.âConrad turned around and walked toward the door, his body tensing up but showing no sign of any unnatural behavior.âAtticus, youâre planning to use the Empire Meetâs power?â Morrison glanced at Conradâs retreating figure as he left, before shifting his gaze back and asking.âAfter spending so many resources, those young masters reaped so many rewards. Now itâs time for everyone to contribute. Not to mention that itâs something they can all benefit from, so wouldnât they agree?âLife at the Top Chapter 1374âMr. Atticus, Jasper stopped attacking.âFabian slowly let out a sigh of relief after he heard his menâs voice.âHow is it? How much did we lose?âFabian walked up and asked.The manâs face was pale white. Although Jasper had stopped attacking, there was no sign of relief on his face.He swallowed his saliva and spoke in a cautious tone, âJasperâs attack caused us to lose 180 million US Dollars. Totaling up the others, today we lost a total sum of 1.5 billion US Dollars.âFabianâs facial expression froze at once.There was a wave of indescribable anger building up within his chest.No matter how wealthy Fabian was, losing 1.5 billion US Dollars within a day was unbelievable. Converting it to Harbor Dollars, it would be a sum of 12 billion Harbor Dollars!The whole Atticus family would be in pain dealing with such heavy losses, much less Fabian himself.It was fortunate that the initial sum of money had been contributed by multiple parties. However, even so, Fabian lost at least 7 billion Harbor Dollars. He was the fundâs largest shareholder after all.7 billion!The raging fire within his chest was flared up as if it had been doused with a bottle of gas.âA*shole! Jasper, Iâll make you pay for this!âFabian could not hold back any longer after suppressing it the whole night. He eventually erupted.
âMr. Laine, mission accomplished!âJakeâs voice resonated from the computer.âTheyâve lost at least 1.5 billion US Dollars. The last wave of attacks caused them to lose 8 of their positions. They couldnât cover up anymore! HahahaâŚâJasper smiled after listening to Jake.âWell done!âTime flew, and in the blink of an eye, the market was already closing.A whole day of continuous downward trendlines finally stopped as trading hours ended. However, everyone knew that when the market reopened the next day, it would resume plummeting.The wise could see that NASDAQ and the US stock market were doomed.There was no way to stop the downtrend of the market. The more it dropped, the higher the rate of decline, and the more intense the selling off process became. This was all because the stockholders were following the market trend.One day was not enough to stop the sell orders. It had not even reached the climax yet. Most of the stock prices hit the limit down before the stockholders managed to sell them off today.Today was just the beginning. When the stock market reopened, the prices would open at the limit down price, sealing the fate of these doomed stocks.The situation would be even more violent the next day.âTotal profit gained today is 2.864 billion US Dollars. Our total funds reached a sum of 5.9 billion US Dollars!âJakeâs unbelieving tone came from the computer. Although he had witnessed it himself, the situation was too exciting and thrilling. When everything had ended, Jake took a look at the accounting system and realized the profit number had reached a terrifying point.âTotal trading hours was 7 hours, but there was a total of 2.9 billion profit. That means we were able to make 410 million each hour, or 7 million US Dollars every minute!ââConverting to Somer Dollars, itâll be 56 million!âJakeâs voice was trembling with excitement.âMr. Laine, we definitely broke the worldâs record with this profitability and speed. Itâs scary!âJasper was slightly excited when he heard those numbers.A capital of 26 billion, of which 9 billion was his own. The 9 billion generated him a profit of 8 billion.Now the 26 billion had grown to approximately 47 billion, while his 9 billion had become 17 billion. There was only one word to describe it, terrifying!âFck! Fck! F*ck!âHenry was even more excited than Jasper.âWhat about my 1 billion, how much is it worth now?âHenry was busy asking while his face turned red from his nervousness.Jake answered him immediately.âMr. Law, your 1 billion has become 1.8 billion.ââHahaha..!âHenry burst out laughing with his hands on his waist.âIâm so f*cking awesome. It took a while for me to get those profits, Iâm going back to tell my father. If he tries to discipline me anymore, Iâm going to branch out on my own, hahaha!âJasper clapped his hands, smiled, and said, âAlright, dawn is coming, everyone take a rest. A bonus equal to your annual salary will be given to everyone here. Jake, you did well, and you worked hard. Bring home double your annual salary as a bonus later.âThere were always rewards for good performances and punishments for mistakes. Although the matter had not fully ended yet, it did not stop Jasper from giving some benefits to his men to let them taste the sweetness of hard work. Hopefully, with this, they would put in more effort while working for him.The sound of Jake and his team cheering loudly was heard on the other end of the video call.Jake smiled too. Although he had already achieved financial freedom, his net value was not anything over the top. Therefore, Jasperâs reward was undoubtedly generous.No one would ever complain about having more money, and Jasperâs reward was recognition of their hard work.âIâll help the others to thank you, Mr. LaineâŚââAlright, take a rest. The US stock market is opening tomorrow afternoon, and weâll have to stay up the whole night again. Get enough rest, take some supplements, and order as much as you like Iâm paying the bill.âJasper hung up right after he finished talking. He ignored the cheering and howling from the other end of the line.He turned around, planning to celebrate with Henry, but found that the fellow had fallen asleep on the sofa. Jasper smiled bitterly and shook his head. Then he walked toward the window and saw that the sky was getting brighter.A time difference of 13 hours. The United States closed the stock market at 4.30 PM, which was 5.30 in the morning in Somerland.However, Jasper could not sleep just yet. He covered Henry with a blanket, went to another room, and switched on the computer to follow up with news from United States officials.Jasper knew that the officials would respond, and the responses would affect the stock market forcefully and rapidly.The victory from the first day was just the beginning. It was his return from accumulating all the funds and releasing it little by little. The real game would come be after the first day.This time, the amount that Jasper could gain depended on how long the market continued on a downward spiral.The memories from his past life were still inside his head, but Jasper would not rely too much on them, as he was unable to confirm the differences that would occur in this lifetime.When Jasper opened a United States news website, his phone vibrated for a brief moment. It was not a phone call, but a message.He had gotten a message from Conradâs secret number.âBe careful of the Empire Meet!âLife at the Top Chapter 1375Those few words set Jasper on guard.Conrad must have been stuck in a situation where it was inconvenient for him to make a phone call. Even if he was in such a perilous situation, he still took the risk to send Jasper a message.This indicated that the contents of the message were extremely important.Jasper knew about Empire Meet.A luxury club that Fabian had been operating and planning since back then had become the primary network for the rich young master of Harbor City. To join, one had to either be a wealthy man or lead a big clan of some sort.It was a place for everyone to gather and pass the time, a place to broaden oneâs network when it was not in use. However, when all these connections pooled together, they would form a great power.âHow will Fabian use them, and what is he going to do to him with their collective power?âJasper narrowed his eyes and remained motionless while holding his phone.He remained still until the sound of the door being opened was heard.âI knew you hadnât sleep.âWendy was holding a thermos bottle and scolding him. Jasper smiled while he eased his troubled mind away and said, âI still have some things to do. They can rest but I canât. Iâll have to keep up with the latest news. Why are you up so early?ââI canât sleep, I was worried about you, so I got up early to make you some soup. You canât keep on staying up like this. Take some to replenish yourself and go rest later.âShe sat down and nagged Jasper seriously after putting down the thermos bottle in front of him.Wendy was waiting for Jasperâs response after she finished nagging, but she turned around and instead saw Jasper looking at her with a smile.âWhy are you looking at me like that?âWendy was embarrassed and uncomfortable after seeing Jasper looking strangely at her. Thus, she asked fiercely.âIt feels like youâre becoming a good wife and mother.â Jasper opened the thermos bottle and smiled.âHey, I already am.â Wendy snorted proudly.Their relationship had come to a point that Wendy was no longer embarrassed to refute what Jasper said as he attempted to âtake advantageâ of her with his words.Jasper grinned and lowered his head to take a sip of the soup.âHmm, its red dates with ginseng stew birdâs nest.âIt tastes like saltwater.âWhy, does it taste awful?â Wendy asked nervously. Jasper took another sip, smiled, and said, âNo, itâs good.âWendy let out a sigh of relief.âItâs my first time drinking a salted stew birdâs nest.ââHuh!? I thought it was sugar!âForget the taste or the nutrients.A small bowl of soup needed to slow cook for at least an hour.What time was it?Wendy must have woke up around three or four in the early morning to prepare this, and she had to deliver it to the office.Just because of that, Jasper finished the whole bottle of soup, until not a drop was left.âDonât drink if it tastes awful. I, Iâll make a better one next time. â Wendy was embarrassed.She had though of making something for Jasper to replenish himself, but she felt remorseful after making such a careless mistake.âIt was quite refreshing.â Jasper put down the empty bottle and winked at Wendy. âMake more of your hand made stew. Iâd still drink even if it were arsenic.ââYouâre bluffing!âWendy replied sweetly in a spoiled manner.Women and men were the same, and they had similar natures.âThere is no such thing as a free lunch in this world, if I treat you well, itâs because willing to give you my all, but I hope you know that Iâm sincere toward you.ââEvery act of kindness has to be returned. If not, itâll be unequal and wonât last long.âAt present time, Jasper never neglected the people beside him. Not to mention that this person was Wendy.âHowâs the situation today? You look like youâre in a good mood.â Wendy asked.She knew Jasper was stressed out these days, even if Jasper did not tell her anything. However, being one of the closest people to Jasper, Wendy was able to find traces and clues about what led to Jasperâs unusual behavior.During situations like this, she was unable to help with anything. All she could do was to support Jasper from behind.âNot bad at all.â Jasper gave her a smile.âReally?âWendyâs mood brightened up too after confirming that Jasper was genuinely smiling from his heart rather than blindly comforting her.Jasper hinted coyly for Wendy to come nearer to him, then he switched on the system display on the computer.âHow⌠how much is this!?âWendyâs eyes were wide open. The shock and disbelief on her face was cute.No matter who it was, after seeing such heart racing digits of numbers, their reactions were almost always the same.âAlmost double.â Jasper took the opportunity to hug Wendy, putting her head on his shoulder and enjoying the fragrance of the girlâs hair. It was truly relaxing.âLet me put it like this, if the funds were withdrawn, not only could we pay off all of JW Company debts and also the funds that we took out from JW Electronics, but we also wonât have any financial problems for a long time into the future, to the extent that weâll be worried that we have too much money.âIf we were willing to make the information public, those magazines would include us amongst the wealthiest figures in the country.âThe magazines he meant were the Hurun rich list and Forbes billionaires. It was because of the traditional culture of the country that many low profile businessmen refused to expose themselves. No one would print their names on it if they refused to allow it.For example, the Spencers, the Shanghai stock market king, and the Zhaos from the North. Any one of them would easily break into the list of richest figures in the country.The billionaires that were known by most people had reached a level that surpassed 99.999% of the one billion population of the country.âThen what are we waiting for? Letâs run!âWendy was excited, her eyes were shining with golden rays of light that Jasper had seldom seen before.âThereâs so much money that you donât have to work that hard anymore. Withdraw it and focus on our business. We can work when we want to, or we can travel the world.âJasper laughed and said, âYou little petty thing, is that all you want?âWendy tilted her head, then leaned on Jasperâs chest with a blushing face. âAs long as Iâm with you, I donât care about anything else, no matter if Iâm rich or poor.âJasper smiled warmly, he hugged Wendy tight and said, âI know, but when thereâs too much money, itâs not easy to just leave and retire. In fact, itâs impossible.âIf Jasper set aside everything to enjoy himself today, Fabian would strike back and push him into the abyss tomorrow.Empire Meet⌠it was a poison needle in Jasperâs heart.Life at the Top Chapter 1376Jasper held Wendy as they whispered sweet nothings to each other. Most of the conversation was just idle gossip. Whenever they were in this state, they would not kill the mood by talking about work. Instead, they would just ramble on and on mindlessly.However, this was the very thing that would strengthen their relationship.As Jasper chatted with Wendy, he focused on the news about the United States.As expected, the United States government released a detailed news report about this terrorist attack immediately. Even though they did not have the final number of casualties, the number of people who were rescued and the number of corpses that were discovered had reached a terrifying number.From this official announcement, most people could feel the extreme rage of the United States government. After what happened today, the United States was on high alert. Everyone could sense that the United States would not let this rest easily.Meanwhile, Jasper did not pay much attention to the news about politics and the military.Instead, he noticed a statement on the announcement.âNow, regarding the time of this terrorist attack and the huge impact it had on the economy of the country, the joint conference of the financial heads invited the chief economic team, as well as the Federal Reserveâs president, Greenspaner, to discuss the next steps.âA huge storm was hidden behind this statement. Moreover, there was also the battle that was caused by authorities fighting and scheming against each other in the dark.âWe canât be sure how long the discussion on the appropriate countermeasures will be.âJasper murmured as he felt Wendy breathing steadily in his arms. When he lowered his head, he noticed that she had fallen asleep while leaning her head against his shoulder without him even realizing.After Jasper chuckled lightly, he lifted Wendy gently and stood up to walk out of the room.Because it was still early, he saw that some of the employees who came early had already started working. When the employees saw their boss carrying his wife to the office carefully, they broke into smiles.The male employees were mostly simple minded and naive, so when they saw this scene, they forgot to walk away, and instead, they just stood there dumbly and watched.Meanwhile, the female employees were heckling Jasper.Even though they did not dare to make any noise to wake Wendy, the envy and mockery in their eyes was unconcealable.Jasper was in a good mood too, and he chuckled inaudibly as he carried Wendy into the office with a smile.Then, he carried her to the small lounge in his office. Jasper requested this lounge when they were renovating the office. There was a toilet and bed inside, so it could be treated as a small room that could be used at any time.After Jasper placed Wendy in bed, be washed his face. When he felt refreshed, he went back to work.The issue had not yet ended, so Jasper was still on edge. He needed to watch any movements, and simultaneously could not stop handling business in the office. He needed to take care of a lot of documents and could not delay the tasks any longer.The sun rose in Harbor City. The bustling city was the liveliest when it was about 9 oâclock in the morning.A villa district in Repulse Bay that was not open to the public was transformed into a high end club.There was a swimming pool, a golf course, and also a standard racecourse. At one point, this was the place that all the paparazzi in Harbor City wanted to sneak into.However, even the paparazzi that were known to be pervasive and daring in their reporting were not able to enter this place. Even if something were to happen here, it would not make it to the news.Harbor City was heaven for capitalists. The capitalists were in control of this place, and they were also the same people who controlled the Harbor City media.After this place was founded, its name was the only thing that was ever leaked to the public, Empire Meet.Currently, inside the clubhouse of Empire Meet, luxury cars filled the area as almost half of the influential and reputable young masters and young mistresses from Harbor City gathered around.These people were the children of the upper-class circle in Harbor City. Furthermore, they would be the successors of half of Harbor Cityâs economy in the future.Even so, this was the only time all members of Empire Meet were present since the club was first founded.âMr. Dormer, youâre here as well! I thought youâll be slightly late. Shall we have a glass of Brandy?âA young man in casual clothing greeted a slightly chubbier man.Mr. Dormer yawned lazily, and he shook his hand at the alcohol that was presented to him. âIâm not drinking. I slept at about 3 or 4 in the morning last night after fooling around with some chicks from Nawait, then I was asked to come here early in the morning. Iâll die if I drink any more.âThe man in casual clothing did not force him. Consequently, he placed the alcohol on the table on the side and said curiously, âSo many people are here, yet, we were not informed of anything before being asked to come here. I wonder whatâs going on and why they woke everyone up so early in the morning.âA drinking party at 8 or 9 in the morning. Tch tch, this is the first time Iâm attending something like this.âMr. Dormer scoffed and said, âDonât try to figure out what Mr. Atticus wants to do with that pea brain of yours. He asked us to come, so we did. I didnât see that Hasting kid yet. He was just discharged from the hospital a while ago after his surgery and he didnât even complain. So what are you grumbling so much for?ââIâm not. How would I dare make any noise when it comes to Mr. Atticus. Iâm just curious,â the casually dressed man said.âMr. Atticus will be here soon. Weâll know whatâs going on after he gets here,â Mr. Dormer said flatly.Most of the people at the scene were having the same conversation as the two of them.Even as everyone interacted with each other, they just could not figure out why Mr. Atticus had invited everyone here early in the morning.Even though these young masters who were used to indulging in lives of debauchery were feeling annoyed, they did not dare to complain. Instead, they all waited patiently for Fabianâs arrival.Fabian did not make them wait too long. Soon, he appeared at the scene in a formal outfit.He had a foreigner with blonde hair and blue eyes next to him, which was Morrison.It was not rare to see foreigners in Harbor City and it could be said that they were everywhere. Besides, since the people at the scene were all descendants of the rich and famous, they were not unfamiliar with foreigners. As such, all of them could even converse with a standard British accent.However, the appearance of this foreigner elicited gasps from the people whose family were in the finance industry.âItâs the president of Layman Investment Bankâs Terra regional branch!ââWhy is he here?ââHas he joined Empire Meet too?âAll kinds of assumptions could be heard as everyone started discussing among themselves while looking at Morrison.At this moment, Fabian held a glass and tapped on it with a spoon, creating a clear ringing sound.This was a typical gesture that people from upper class circles would do to tell others to quiet down.Naturally, Fabian was invulnerable when he did that.âEveryone, today I want to introduce my friend right here to you all. This is Mr. Morrison.âLife at the Top Chapter 1377âI believe that a lot of you are not unfamiliar with Mr. Morrison. However, in order to ensure that everyone here shares the same impression of him, I shall introduce him officially.ââMr. Morrison, who is standing next to me now, is the current president of one of the Big Four, Terra regional branch of Layman Investment Bank. His father, Mr. Rogers, is the president of the famous hedge fund, Quantum Fund.ââMr. Morrison and Mr. Rogers are very prestigious in the global financial industry.ââThatâs why itâs such good news to have Mr. Morrison here today in Empire Meet. Iâm hereby announcing that Mr. Morrison will be taking the role of the vice president of Empire Meet.âFabianâs words caused a huge stir in the people in front of him.Some people were ecstatic, mostly the ones in the financial industry.The club had been able to recruit a big shot like Morrison, so it would make things easy for them to go on about their business in the future.All things aside, a connection like this was very hard to come by. At the same time, a minority of people were not too happy.âMr. Dormer,â the casually dressed man approached Mr. Dormer quietly and said gloomily, âDidnât Mr. Atticus say that heâll only take people of Sommar descent as members?ââAnd he also named the club as such.ââWhat is he trying to do here?âMr. Dormer smiled softly and said, âThatâs just an antic to get people to join when the club was first founded. You seriously believe that?ââAlso, I donât think this is a bad thing.ââAlthough Harbor City returned to the sovereignty of Mainland, you canât underestimate the power of foreigners over here. Weâll benefit from harnessing their influence.âThe two of them talked as Fabian continued with his speech.âI believe some of the more well informed individuals here already know that there was a terrorist attack in the United States yesterday. When that happened, I was discussing with Mr. Morrison about him joining Empire Meet.ââThanks to Mr. Morrisonâs support, we now have a chance to make some money from this terrorist attack. Iâm giving everyone this chance for free, and itâs up to you whether you utilize it.âAfter Fabian said that, he gestured and invited Morrison to the front of the stage.Morrison came forward. Then, he looked at the members of the club in front of him and said insipidly, âHello everyone. From now on, I will be the vice president of Empire Meet. I just got here, so I didnât bring any gifts for you guys. Therefore, this opportunity will be my present to all of you.ââI plan to start a temporary funding team whoâs main purpose will be to gather funds for us. Then, weâll use these funds to enter the market in the United States to make a huge profit.ââOn principle, everyone can join, and the entry amount should be no less than 5 million Harbor Dollars. There will be no upper limit.âAfter hearing what Fabian and Morrison said, the discussions in the hall grew even louder.Some of them were very excited and they could not wait to hand in their money immediately.At the same time, some of them showed signs of doubt and hesitation on their faces. Even so, their eyes lit up.The people at the scene were all descendants of powerful families. Even though some of them were not very bright, most of them were well educated and they knew how to think independently.Therefore, they instinctively figured that something was off about this.âMr. Atticus, Mr. Morrison, is there any income security for this fund?â Mr. Dormer asked suddenly.Morrisonâs blue eyes looked over and he answered, âIf you need profit that comes with income security, donât you think itâll be more suitable for you to buy from a wealth management fund? This will be our private fund, so I wonât guarantee any of you anything.âLife at the Top Chapter 1378âOr perhaps, Atticus and my name will act as a guarantee.âFabian said insipidly, âMr. Dormer, are you worried that Iâll scam you?âMr. Dormer was shocked when he heard that. He quickly smiled and said, âI didnât mean that. Mr. Atticus and Mr. Morrison are leading this fund so Iâm sure itâll be fine.ââSome people are more cowardly, just like his father. He only knows how to cower in fear and doesnât dare to take the opportunity that is standing right in front of him. That is why he is destined to run small businesses selling building materials.â A voice could be heard suddenly.The person who said that was Mr. Hasting, who was just discharged from the hospital after his surgery. He still looked a little pale and weak.A lot of people were smiling mysteriously when they heard Mr. Hasting roasting Mr. Dormer.The circle in Harbor City was not that big and something minor could also cause a huge stir.Mr. Dormer and Mr. Hastingâs families were business partners. However, after a failed collaboration, they were no longer as closed as before.They also could not be in the same room as each other. This was a very public secret now.When Mr. Dormer heard that, his face fell and he said coldly, âMr. Hasting, please watch your tongue.âWith a scoff, Mr. Hasting turned to Fabian and said, âMr. Atticus, you and Mr. Morrison are giving everyone a chance to make money, and this is a good thing. The people out there canât even get it even if they beg for it. In case anyone wants to talk bad about me, I, Drew Hasting, will put in 60 million Harbor Dollars first.âFabianâs mood immediately improved.âVery good, Mr. Hasting. Letâs talk privately after the party.âThis sentence caused Drewâs face to blush slightly from excitement. It seemed that he was cured of all sickness.Meanwhile, the rest of them were envious and jealous. They were secretly feeling remorseful that they were too late.Even though they were all members of Empire Meet, they were categorized into different classes. For example, Drew and Mr. Dormer were in the middle class, while the casually dressed man from before was slightly below them.Of course, Fabian was standing at the top of the pyramid.Fabianâs statement clearly proved that even if Drew lost his money, it would be worth it.So, after he managed to stir up the emotions of the crowd, everyone started to put in money furiously.After that, the fund that was founded a little more than ten minutes ago now contained about ten billion Harbor Dollars.Some of the children of families in the financial industry had more than enough money than they would ever need. Therefore, to prove themselves to Morrison, they invested a few hundred million in one go.After all, this was a proper investment, so they would not be stingy with their money.When Fabian and Morrison saw that the fund was increasing, they looked at each other and noticed a satisfied glow in each othersâ eyes.âAlright, everyone. If you want to invest, there will be people contacting you soon. Youâll just have to cooperate with them when it happens. Now, I have to announce something else.âFabian said once again.The noisy room quieted down immediately. Everyone was looking at Fabian with wide eyes and waiting for him to tell them the next thing.âEmpire Meet never had such a huge event since it was founded. Back then, I aspired to build a platform for you guys to interact and build your connections. However, I still canât stop people from coming to provoke us!ââSo now, I plan to gather all of the power in Empire Meet to destroy these who are provoking us!ââThis is to teach a lesson to the people who dare to challenge Empire Meet, but at the same time, weâre also announcing to everyone that Empire Meet is not a place of ecstasy where hedonists come to have fun. Rather, it is a genuine commercial power that canât be neglected.âLife at the Top Chapter 1379âMr. Atticus, who dares to provoke you? You just need to say a word and all of us who will get together and kill him!âIt was still Drew. He proved himself to Fabian just now, so naturally, he thought he was Fabianâs henchman. Thus, he immediately voiced out right after Fabian finished talking.Coincidentally, Fabian desperately needed this kind of henclnnan right now.Fabian was now looking at Drew with a friendlier gaze. He smiled and said, âYouâre right, Mr. Hasting. However, I need to correct you on one thing. This person is not provoking me, instead, heâs provoking Empire Meet. Therefore, not only is he my enemy, but heâs also the enemy of everyone in Empire Meet.âWhen Fabian said this, he looked at the members of the club that included people from backgrounds and families that spanned across all industries.âBefore Empire Meet was founded, I promised that everyone in Empire Meet would be my siblings.ââMoreover, Empire Meet would be our big family. Now that our family has been bullied, what we have to do is to kill that person who dares to provoke us. If anyone doesnât have the courage to do so, then theyâre not worthy to stay in the club.âThis statement was heavy.It seemed as if he was forcing everyone into a decision. It was either they listened to him or they got the hell out.At this moment, no one would dare to talk back to Fabian. After all, if they did that, they would be painting a bright red target on themselves.Besides, no one would dare to cross Fabian in Harbor City anyway.Fabian showed a satisfied smile after taking in the silence.âI guess everyone agrees. Now, Iâll contact Conrad Monty. The people here have family businesses that cover all industries. If we work together, then nobody can match us.ââMr. Atticus, whoâs our enemy?â Someone asked the all important question.What nonsense. It would be fine if their rival was an ordinary person. However, if Fabian short circuited and decided to bring everyone to fight the four richest families, what would they do?âIâm sure most of you have heard this name before. His name is Jasper Laine,â Fabian replied insipidly.Most of them in the room were familiar with Jasperâs name. They felt like they had heard his name before but they could not remember who exactly it was.However, they could be sure that he was not from Harbor City.No one in Harbor City would be so insane as to provoke Fabian.âDo you mean Jasper Laine, the businessman from the mainland who also came up with the market rescue in Harbor City? I heard he owns JW Company and itâs doing pretty well.âSome of their families would do business in the mainland so they were more well informed and thus asked.âYes, Jasper is a Mainlander. His businesses are all in the mainland too, and he has a very good relationship with Henry Law. JW Company is under his name, and it includes industries like entertainment, real estate, electronics, internet, and so on. He could be described as full of potential.âFabian narrowed his eyes and said coldly, âThatâs why heâs brave and confident enough to provoke Empire Meet.ââNow, Empire Meet needs all of you to target and shut out Jasperâs subsidiaries. Anyone scared can leave now. I wonât get angry.âEven though Fabian said that, the members were not idiots.Firstly, from what they could see, Jasper was from the mainland, so they were not scared of him.Secondly, Fabian would take the lead and everyone else would follow. Fabian would be the one taking the risk if there were any, why should they be scared?Lastly, if they ran away now, they would definitely fallout with Jasper. This was a given.After all, even three years olds would not believe him when he said he would not get angry.Life at the Top Chapter 1380âGood. Jasper has properties in Harbor City in the form of Advent Entertainment Group. Letâs start with this one.ââFrom this day onward, I hope none of you work with the artists from Advent Entertainment Group. This includes endorsements, advertisements, venue rentals, cinema screenings, new song releases, and so on!ââI want the artists under Jasper to not star in any movies or drama-even if they do, I want there to be no channels that will dare to play them. I want them to not have any industries looking for them for endorsement and advertising. I also donât want any cinemas to premiere their movies!ââIn other words, I want to completely shut them out!âRight now, Fabian and Empire Meet had no idea what kind of storm this decision would cause.Empire Meet was quick to react. The afternoon after the party ended, in just a few hours, some descendants who worked with Advent Entertainment Group immediately executed Fabianâs plan.They ended all collaboration with Advent Entertainment Group.It was normal for one or two companies to suddenly stop their collaboration.However, when more than ten companies ended their partnerships at the same time, this sudden change was instantly reported to the president of the company, Ryder.âWhatâs going on?â Ryder lifted his head and looked at the manager of the marketing department as well as the manager of the operating department with displeasure. Right now, the two managers were both looking fidgety.âMore than ten companies asked to terminate their contracts all of a sudden. Did something happen to our artists, or did something happen to the company?ââHowever, these contracts involved five to six of our most popular artists right now. Among them are even the best actors and actresses. Itâs impossible for something bad to happen to them at the same time.âThe manager of the operating department sighed and continued, âAlso, Iâve asked the artists and they had no idea what happened. Theyâre just as confused as us.âKnock knock knock!The sound of knocking could be heard.âCome in,â Ryder said in a deep voice.The person who walked in was from the movie department and was in charge of cinema partnerships. He was drenched in sweat as he said, âMr. Lawrence, bad news! 70% of the cinemas in Harbor City want to take down the movies our company produced!âAt this moment, Ryder finally realized something was wrong. Someone was targeting Advent Entertainment Group from behind the scenes.âDamn it, who has the balls to do this? Our company includes 60% of the best artists in Harbor City. If they donât screen the movies we produce, are they going to play cartoons for the movie goers?â Ryder said angrily.The person from the cinema department said with a bitter smile, âThey took down our movies and played movies produced by other companies. Mr. Lawrence, you have to think of something soon. Our company will get into big trouble if this continues.ââWhy are you in such a hurry?â Ryder growled.âYou guys should go back and comfort everyone while trying to find out whoâs targeting us. Iâm going to report this to the headquarters.âThe manager of the marketing department said in embarrassment, âMr. Lawrence, weâre as confused as you are. The reasons these companies gave were the same. They said they have to terminate the advertisement and endorsement contracts due to a tactical readjustment within their companies. However, they were not willing to disclose more.ââStrangeâŚâRyder had many years of experience, and he immediately knew something was not right.âMr. Lawrence, normally when a company terminates their advertisement and endorsement contract mid way, itâs because of some huge scandal regarding the artists which might affect their brand image.â
âMr. Laine, mission accomplished!âJakeâs voice resonated from the computer.âTheyâve lost at least 1.5 billion US Dollars. The last wave of attacks caused them to lose 8 of their positions. They couldnât cover up anymore! HahahaâŚâJasper smiled after listening to Jake.âWell done!âTime flew, and in the blink of an eye, the market was already closing.A whole day of continuous downward trendlines finally stopped as trading hours ended. However, everyone knew that when the market reopened the next day, it would resume plummeting.The wise could see that NASDAQ and the US stock market were doomed.There was no way to stop the downtrend of the market. The more it dropped, the higher the rate of decline, and the more intense the selling off process became. This was all because the stockholders were following the market trend.One day was not enough to stop the sell orders. It had not even reached the climax yet. Most of the stock prices hit the limit down before the stockholders managed to sell them off today.Today was just the beginning. When the stock market reopened, the prices would open at the limit down price, sealing the fate of these doomed stocks.The situation would be even more violent the next day.âTotal profit gained today is 2.864 billion US Dollars. Our total funds reached a sum of 5.9 billion US Dollars!âJakeâs unbelieving tone came from the computer. Although he had witnessed it himself, the situation was too exciting and thrilling. When everything had ended, Jake took a look at the accounting system and realized the profit number had reached a terrifying point.âTotal trading hours was 7 hours, but there was a total of 2.9 billion profit. That means we were able to make 410 million each hour, or 7 million US Dollars every minute!ââConverting to Somer Dollars, itâll be 56 million!âJakeâs voice was trembling with excitement.âMr. Laine, we definitely broke the worldâs record with this profitability and speed. Itâs scary!âJasper was slightly excited when he heard those numbers.A capital of 26 billion, of which 9 billion was his own. The 9 billion generated him a profit of 8 billion.Now the 26 billion had grown to approximately 47 billion, while his 9 billion had become 17 billion. There was only one word to describe it, terrifying!âFck! Fck! F*ck!âHenry was even more excited than Jasper.âWhat about my 1 billion, how much is it worth now?âHenry was busy asking while his face turned red from his nervousness.Jake answered him immediately.âMr. Law, your 1 billion has become 1.8 billion.ââHahaha..!âHenry burst out laughing with his hands on his waist.âIâm so f*cking awesome. It took a while for me to get those profits, Iâm going back to tell my father. If he tries to discipline me anymore, Iâm going to branch out on my own, hahaha!âJasper clapped his hands, smiled, and said, âAlright, dawn is coming, everyone take a rest. A bonus equal to your annual salary will be given to everyone here. Jake, you did well, and you worked hard. Bring home double your annual salary as a bonus later.âThere were always rewards for good performances and punishments for mistakes. Although the matter had not fully ended yet, it did not stop Jasper from giving some benefits to his men to let them taste the sweetness of hard work. Hopefully, with this, they would put in more effort while working for him.The sound of Jake and his team cheering loudly was heard on the other end of the video call.Jake smiled too. Although he had already achieved financial freedom, his net value was not anything over the top. Therefore, Jasperâs reward was undoubtedly generous.No one would ever complain about having more money, and Jasperâs reward was recognition of their hard work.âIâll help the others to thank you, Mr. LaineâŚââAlright, take a rest. The US stock market is opening tomorrow afternoon, and weâll have to stay up the whole night again. Get enough rest, take some supplements, and order as much as you like Iâm paying the bill.âJasper hung up right after he finished talking. He ignored the cheering and howling from the other end of the line.He turned around, planning to celebrate with Henry, but found that the fellow had fallen asleep on the sofa. Jasper smiled bitterly and shook his head. Then he walked toward the window and saw that the sky was getting brighter.A time difference of 13 hours. The United States closed the stock market at 4.30 PM, which was 5.30 in the morning in Somerland.However, Jasper could not sleep just yet. He covered Henry with a blanket, went to another room, and switched on the computer to follow up with news from United States officials.Jasper knew that the officials would respond, and the responses would affect the stock market forcefully and rapidly.The victory from the first day was just the beginning. It was his return from accumulating all the funds and releasing it little by little. The real game would come be after the first day.This time, the amount that Jasper could gain depended on how long the market continued on a downward spiral.The memories from his past life were still inside his head, but Jasper would not rely too much on them, as he was unable to confirm the differences that would occur in this lifetime.When Jasper opened a United States news website, his phone vibrated for a brief moment. It was not a phone call, but a message.He had gotten a message from Conradâs secret number.âBe careful of the Empire Meet!âLife at the Top Chapter 1375Those few words set Jasper on guard.Conrad must have been stuck in a situation where it was inconvenient for him to make a phone call. Even if he was in such a perilous situation, he still took the risk to send Jasper a message.This indicated that the contents of the message were extremely important.Jasper knew about Empire Meet.A luxury club that Fabian had been operating and planning since back then had become the primary network for the rich young master of Harbor City. To join, one had to either be a wealthy man or lead a big clan of some sort.It was a place for everyone to gather and pass the time, a place to broaden oneâs network when it was not in use. However, when all these connections pooled together, they would form a great power.âHow will Fabian use them, and what is he going to do to him with their collective power?âJasper narrowed his eyes and remained motionless while holding his phone.He remained still until the sound of the door being opened was heard.âI knew you hadnât sleep.âWendy was holding a thermos bottle and scolding him. Jasper smiled while he eased his troubled mind away and said, âI still have some things to do. They can rest but I canât. Iâll have to keep up with the latest news. Why are you up so early?ââI canât sleep, I was worried about you, so I got up early to make you some soup. You canât keep on staying up like this. Take some to replenish yourself and go rest later.âShe sat down and nagged Jasper seriously after putting down the thermos bottle in front of him.Wendy was waiting for Jasperâs response after she finished nagging, but she turned around and instead saw Jasper looking at her with a smile.âWhy are you looking at me like that?âWendy was embarrassed and uncomfortable after seeing Jasper looking strangely at her. Thus, she asked fiercely.âIt feels like youâre becoming a good wife and mother.â Jasper opened the thermos bottle and smiled.âHey, I already am.â Wendy snorted proudly.Their relationship had come to a point that Wendy was no longer embarrassed to refute what Jasper said as he attempted to âtake advantageâ of her with his words.Jasper grinned and lowered his head to take a sip of the soup.âHmm, its red dates with ginseng stew birdâs nest.âIt tastes like saltwater.âWhy, does it taste awful?â Wendy asked nervously. Jasper took another sip, smiled, and said, âNo, itâs good.âWendy let out a sigh of relief.âItâs my first time drinking a salted stew birdâs nest.ââHuh!? I thought it was sugar!âForget the taste or the nutrients.A small bowl of soup needed to slow cook for at least an hour.What time was it?Wendy must have woke up around three or four in the early morning to prepare this, and she had to deliver it to the office.Just because of that, Jasper finished the whole bottle of soup, until not a drop was left.âDonât drink if it tastes awful. I, Iâll make a better one next time. â Wendy was embarrassed.She had though of making something for Jasper to replenish himself, but she felt remorseful after making such a careless mistake.âIt was quite refreshing.â Jasper put down the empty bottle and winked at Wendy. âMake more of your hand made stew. Iâd still drink even if it were arsenic.ââYouâre bluffing!âWendy replied sweetly in a spoiled manner.Women and men were the same, and they had similar natures.âThere is no such thing as a free lunch in this world, if I treat you well, itâs because willing to give you my all, but I hope you know that Iâm sincere toward you.ââEvery act of kindness has to be returned. If not, itâll be unequal and wonât last long.âAt present time, Jasper never neglected the people beside him. Not to mention that this person was Wendy.âHowâs the situation today? You look like youâre in a good mood.â Wendy asked.She knew Jasper was stressed out these days, even if Jasper did not tell her anything. However, being one of the closest people to Jasper, Wendy was able to find traces and clues about what led to Jasperâs unusual behavior.During situations like this, she was unable to help with anything. All she could do was to support Jasper from behind.âNot bad at all.â Jasper gave her a smile.âReally?âWendyâs mood brightened up too after confirming that Jasper was genuinely smiling from his heart rather than blindly comforting her.Jasper hinted coyly for Wendy to come nearer to him, then he switched on the system display on the computer.âHow⌠how much is this!?âWendyâs eyes were wide open. The shock and disbelief on her face was cute.No matter who it was, after seeing such heart racing digits of numbers, their reactions were almost always the same.âAlmost double.â Jasper took the opportunity to hug Wendy, putting her head on his shoulder and enjoying the fragrance of the girlâs hair. It was truly relaxing.âLet me put it like this, if the funds were withdrawn, not only could we pay off all of JW Company debts and also the funds that we took out from JW Electronics, but we also wonât have any financial problems for a long time into the future, to the extent that weâll be worried that we have too much money.âIf we were willing to make the information public, those magazines would include us amongst the wealthiest figures in the country.âThe magazines he meant were the Hurun rich list and Forbes billionaires. It was because of the traditional culture of the country that many low profile businessmen refused to expose themselves. No one would print their names on it if they refused to allow it.For example, the Spencers, the Shanghai stock market king, and the Zhaos from the North. Any one of them would easily break into the list of richest figures in the country.The billionaires that were known by most people had reached a level that surpassed 99.999% of the one billion population of the country.âThen what are we waiting for? Letâs run!âWendy was excited, her eyes were shining with golden rays of light that Jasper had seldom seen before.âThereâs so much money that you donât have to work that hard anymore. Withdraw it and focus on our business. We can work when we want to, or we can travel the world.âJasper laughed and said, âYou little petty thing, is that all you want?âWendy tilted her head, then leaned on Jasperâs chest with a blushing face. âAs long as Iâm with you, I donât care about anything else, no matter if Iâm rich or poor.âJasper smiled warmly, he hugged Wendy tight and said, âI know, but when thereâs too much money, itâs not easy to just leave and retire. In fact, itâs impossible.âIf Jasper set aside everything to enjoy himself today, Fabian would strike back and push him into the abyss tomorrow.Empire Meet⌠it was a poison needle in Jasperâs heart.Life at the Top Chapter 1376Jasper held Wendy as they whispered sweet nothings to each other. Most of the conversation was just idle gossip. Whenever they were in this state, they would not kill the mood by talking about work. Instead, they would just ramble on and on mindlessly.However, this was the very thing that would strengthen their relationship.As Jasper chatted with Wendy, he focused on the news about the United States.As expected, the United States government released a detailed news report about this terrorist attack immediately. Even though they did not have the final number of casualties, the number of people who were rescued and the number of corpses that were discovered had reached a terrifying number.From this official announcement, most people could feel the extreme rage of the United States government. After what happened today, the United States was on high alert. Everyone could sense that the United States would not let this rest easily.Meanwhile, Jasper did not pay much attention to the news about politics and the military.Instead, he noticed a statement on the announcement.âNow, regarding the time of this terrorist attack and the huge impact it had on the economy of the country, the joint conference of the financial heads invited the chief economic team, as well as the Federal Reserveâs president, Greenspaner, to discuss the next steps.âA huge storm was hidden behind this statement. Moreover, there was also the battle that was caused by authorities fighting and scheming against each other in the dark.âWe canât be sure how long the discussion on the appropriate countermeasures will be.âJasper murmured as he felt Wendy breathing steadily in his arms. When he lowered his head, he noticed that she had fallen asleep while leaning her head against his shoulder without him even realizing.After Jasper chuckled lightly, he lifted Wendy gently and stood up to walk out of the room.Because it was still early, he saw that some of the employees who came early had already started working. When the employees saw their boss carrying his wife to the office carefully, they broke into smiles.The male employees were mostly simple minded and naive, so when they saw this scene, they forgot to walk away, and instead, they just stood there dumbly and watched.Meanwhile, the female employees were heckling Jasper.Even though they did not dare to make any noise to wake Wendy, the envy and mockery in their eyes was unconcealable.Jasper was in a good mood too, and he chuckled inaudibly as he carried Wendy into the office with a smile.Then, he carried her to the small lounge in his office. Jasper requested this lounge when they were renovating the office. There was a toilet and bed inside, so it could be treated as a small room that could be used at any time.After Jasper placed Wendy in bed, be washed his face. When he felt refreshed, he went back to work.The issue had not yet ended, so Jasper was still on edge. He needed to watch any movements, and simultaneously could not stop handling business in the office. He needed to take care of a lot of documents and could not delay the tasks any longer.The sun rose in Harbor City. The bustling city was the liveliest when it was about 9 oâclock in the morning.A villa district in Repulse Bay that was not open to the public was transformed into a high end club.There was a swimming pool, a golf course, and also a standard racecourse. At one point, this was the place that all the paparazzi in Harbor City wanted to sneak into.However, even the paparazzi that were known to be pervasive and daring in their reporting were not able to enter this place. Even if something were to happen here, it would not make it to the news.Harbor City was heaven for capitalists. The capitalists were in control of this place, and they were also the same people who controlled the Harbor City media.After this place was founded, its name was the only thing that was ever leaked to the public, Empire Meet.Currently, inside the clubhouse of Empire Meet, luxury cars filled the area as almost half of the influential and reputable young masters and young mistresses from Harbor City gathered around.These people were the children of the upper-class circle in Harbor City. Furthermore, they would be the successors of half of Harbor Cityâs economy in the future.Even so, this was the only time all members of Empire Meet were present since the club was first founded.âMr. Dormer, youâre here as well! I thought youâll be slightly late. Shall we have a glass of Brandy?âA young man in casual clothing greeted a slightly chubbier man.Mr. Dormer yawned lazily, and he shook his hand at the alcohol that was presented to him. âIâm not drinking. I slept at about 3 or 4 in the morning last night after fooling around with some chicks from Nawait, then I was asked to come here early in the morning. Iâll die if I drink any more.âThe man in casual clothing did not force him. Consequently, he placed the alcohol on the table on the side and said curiously, âSo many people are here, yet, we were not informed of anything before being asked to come here. I wonder whatâs going on and why they woke everyone up so early in the morning.âA drinking party at 8 or 9 in the morning. Tch tch, this is the first time Iâm attending something like this.âMr. Dormer scoffed and said, âDonât try to figure out what Mr. Atticus wants to do with that pea brain of yours. He asked us to come, so we did. I didnât see that Hasting kid yet. He was just discharged from the hospital a while ago after his surgery and he didnât even complain. So what are you grumbling so much for?ââIâm not. How would I dare make any noise when it comes to Mr. Atticus. Iâm just curious,â the casually dressed man said.âMr. Atticus will be here soon. Weâll know whatâs going on after he gets here,â Mr. Dormer said flatly.Most of the people at the scene were having the same conversation as the two of them.Even as everyone interacted with each other, they just could not figure out why Mr. Atticus had invited everyone here early in the morning.Even though these young masters who were used to indulging in lives of debauchery were feeling annoyed, they did not dare to complain. Instead, they all waited patiently for Fabianâs arrival.Fabian did not make them wait too long. Soon, he appeared at the scene in a formal outfit.He had a foreigner with blonde hair and blue eyes next to him, which was Morrison.It was not rare to see foreigners in Harbor City and it could be said that they were everywhere. Besides, since the people at the scene were all descendants of the rich and famous, they were not unfamiliar with foreigners. As such, all of them could even converse with a standard British accent.However, the appearance of this foreigner elicited gasps from the people whose family were in the finance industry.âItâs the president of Layman Investment Bankâs Terra regional branch!ââWhy is he here?ââHas he joined Empire Meet too?âAll kinds of assumptions could be heard as everyone started discussing among themselves while looking at Morrison.At this moment, Fabian held a glass and tapped on it with a spoon, creating a clear ringing sound.This was a typical gesture that people from upper class circles would do to tell others to quiet down.Naturally, Fabian was invulnerable when he did that.âEveryone, today I want to introduce my friend right here to you all. This is Mr. Morrison.âLife at the Top Chapter 1377âI believe that a lot of you are not unfamiliar with Mr. Morrison. However, in order to ensure that everyone here shares the same impression of him, I shall introduce him officially.ââMr. Morrison, who is standing next to me now, is the current president of one of the Big Four, Terra regional branch of Layman Investment Bank. His father, Mr. Rogers, is the president of the famous hedge fund, Quantum Fund.ââMr. Morrison and Mr. Rogers are very prestigious in the global financial industry.ââThatâs why itâs such good news to have Mr. Morrison here today in Empire Meet. Iâm hereby announcing that Mr. Morrison will be taking the role of the vice president of Empire Meet.âFabianâs words caused a huge stir in the people in front of him.Some people were ecstatic, mostly the ones in the financial industry.The club had been able to recruit a big shot like Morrison, so it would make things easy for them to go on about their business in the future.All things aside, a connection like this was very hard to come by. At the same time, a minority of people were not too happy.âMr. Dormer,â the casually dressed man approached Mr. Dormer quietly and said gloomily, âDidnât Mr. Atticus say that heâll only take people of Sommar descent as members?ââAnd he also named the club as such.ââWhat is he trying to do here?âMr. Dormer smiled softly and said, âThatâs just an antic to get people to join when the club was first founded. You seriously believe that?ââAlso, I donât think this is a bad thing.ââAlthough Harbor City returned to the sovereignty of Mainland, you canât underestimate the power of foreigners over here. Weâll benefit from harnessing their influence.âThe two of them talked as Fabian continued with his speech.âI believe some of the more well informed individuals here already know that there was a terrorist attack in the United States yesterday. When that happened, I was discussing with Mr. Morrison about him joining Empire Meet.ââThanks to Mr. Morrisonâs support, we now have a chance to make some money from this terrorist attack. Iâm giving everyone this chance for free, and itâs up to you whether you utilize it.âAfter Fabian said that, he gestured and invited Morrison to the front of the stage.Morrison came forward. Then, he looked at the members of the club in front of him and said insipidly, âHello everyone. From now on, I will be the vice president of Empire Meet. I just got here, so I didnât bring any gifts for you guys. Therefore, this opportunity will be my present to all of you.ââI plan to start a temporary funding team whoâs main purpose will be to gather funds for us. Then, weâll use these funds to enter the market in the United States to make a huge profit.ââOn principle, everyone can join, and the entry amount should be no less than 5 million Harbor Dollars. There will be no upper limit.âAfter hearing what Fabian and Morrison said, the discussions in the hall grew even louder.Some of them were very excited and they could not wait to hand in their money immediately.At the same time, some of them showed signs of doubt and hesitation on their faces. Even so, their eyes lit up.The people at the scene were all descendants of powerful families. Even though some of them were not very bright, most of them were well educated and they knew how to think independently.Therefore, they instinctively figured that something was off about this.âMr. Atticus, Mr. Morrison, is there any income security for this fund?â Mr. Dormer asked suddenly.Morrisonâs blue eyes looked over and he answered, âIf you need profit that comes with income security, donât you think itâll be more suitable for you to buy from a wealth management fund? This will be our private fund, so I wonât guarantee any of you anything.âLife at the Top Chapter 1378âOr perhaps, Atticus and my name will act as a guarantee.âFabian said insipidly, âMr. Dormer, are you worried that Iâll scam you?âMr. Dormer was shocked when he heard that. He quickly smiled and said, âI didnât mean that. Mr. Atticus and Mr. Morrison are leading this fund so Iâm sure itâll be fine.ââSome people are more cowardly, just like his father. He only knows how to cower in fear and doesnât dare to take the opportunity that is standing right in front of him. That is why he is destined to run small businesses selling building materials.â A voice could be heard suddenly.The person who said that was Mr. Hasting, who was just discharged from the hospital after his surgery. He still looked a little pale and weak.A lot of people were smiling mysteriously when they heard Mr. Hasting roasting Mr. Dormer.The circle in Harbor City was not that big and something minor could also cause a huge stir.Mr. Dormer and Mr. Hastingâs families were business partners. However, after a failed collaboration, they were no longer as closed as before.They also could not be in the same room as each other. This was a very public secret now.When Mr. Dormer heard that, his face fell and he said coldly, âMr. Hasting, please watch your tongue.âWith a scoff, Mr. Hasting turned to Fabian and said, âMr. Atticus, you and Mr. Morrison are giving everyone a chance to make money, and this is a good thing. The people out there canât even get it even if they beg for it. In case anyone wants to talk bad about me, I, Drew Hasting, will put in 60 million Harbor Dollars first.âFabianâs mood immediately improved.âVery good, Mr. Hasting. Letâs talk privately after the party.âThis sentence caused Drewâs face to blush slightly from excitement. It seemed that he was cured of all sickness.Meanwhile, the rest of them were envious and jealous. They were secretly feeling remorseful that they were too late.Even though they were all members of Empire Meet, they were categorized into different classes. For example, Drew and Mr. Dormer were in the middle class, while the casually dressed man from before was slightly below them.Of course, Fabian was standing at the top of the pyramid.Fabianâs statement clearly proved that even if Drew lost his money, it would be worth it.So, after he managed to stir up the emotions of the crowd, everyone started to put in money furiously.After that, the fund that was founded a little more than ten minutes ago now contained about ten billion Harbor Dollars.Some of the children of families in the financial industry had more than enough money than they would ever need. Therefore, to prove themselves to Morrison, they invested a few hundred million in one go.After all, this was a proper investment, so they would not be stingy with their money.When Fabian and Morrison saw that the fund was increasing, they looked at each other and noticed a satisfied glow in each othersâ eyes.âAlright, everyone. If you want to invest, there will be people contacting you soon. Youâll just have to cooperate with them when it happens. Now, I have to announce something else.âFabian said once again.The noisy room quieted down immediately. Everyone was looking at Fabian with wide eyes and waiting for him to tell them the next thing.âEmpire Meet never had such a huge event since it was founded. Back then, I aspired to build a platform for you guys to interact and build your connections. However, I still canât stop people from coming to provoke us!ââSo now, I plan to gather all of the power in Empire Meet to destroy these who are provoking us!ââThis is to teach a lesson to the people who dare to challenge Empire Meet, but at the same time, weâre also announcing to everyone that Empire Meet is not a place of ecstasy where hedonists come to have fun. Rather, it is a genuine commercial power that canât be neglected.âLife at the Top Chapter 1379âMr. Atticus, who dares to provoke you? You just need to say a word and all of us who will get together and kill him!âIt was still Drew. He proved himself to Fabian just now, so naturally, he thought he was Fabianâs henchman. Thus, he immediately voiced out right after Fabian finished talking.Coincidentally, Fabian desperately needed this kind of henclnnan right now.Fabian was now looking at Drew with a friendlier gaze. He smiled and said, âYouâre right, Mr. Hasting. However, I need to correct you on one thing. This person is not provoking me, instead, heâs provoking Empire Meet. Therefore, not only is he my enemy, but heâs also the enemy of everyone in Empire Meet.âWhen Fabian said this, he looked at the members of the club that included people from backgrounds and families that spanned across all industries.âBefore Empire Meet was founded, I promised that everyone in Empire Meet would be my siblings.ââMoreover, Empire Meet would be our big family. Now that our family has been bullied, what we have to do is to kill that person who dares to provoke us. If anyone doesnât have the courage to do so, then theyâre not worthy to stay in the club.âThis statement was heavy.It seemed as if he was forcing everyone into a decision. It was either they listened to him or they got the hell out.At this moment, no one would dare to talk back to Fabian. After all, if they did that, they would be painting a bright red target on themselves.Besides, no one would dare to cross Fabian in Harbor City anyway.Fabian showed a satisfied smile after taking in the silence.âI guess everyone agrees. Now, Iâll contact Conrad Monty. The people here have family businesses that cover all industries. If we work together, then nobody can match us.ââMr. Atticus, whoâs our enemy?â Someone asked the all important question.What nonsense. It would be fine if their rival was an ordinary person. However, if Fabian short circuited and decided to bring everyone to fight the four richest families, what would they do?âIâm sure most of you have heard this name before. His name is Jasper Laine,â Fabian replied insipidly.Most of them in the room were familiar with Jasperâs name. They felt like they had heard his name before but they could not remember who exactly it was.However, they could be sure that he was not from Harbor City.No one in Harbor City would be so insane as to provoke Fabian.âDo you mean Jasper Laine, the businessman from the mainland who also came up with the market rescue in Harbor City? I heard he owns JW Company and itâs doing pretty well.âSome of their families would do business in the mainland so they were more well informed and thus asked.âYes, Jasper is a Mainlander. His businesses are all in the mainland too, and he has a very good relationship with Henry Law. JW Company is under his name, and it includes industries like entertainment, real estate, electronics, internet, and so on. He could be described as full of potential.âFabian narrowed his eyes and said coldly, âThatâs why heâs brave and confident enough to provoke Empire Meet.ââNow, Empire Meet needs all of you to target and shut out Jasperâs subsidiaries. Anyone scared can leave now. I wonât get angry.âEven though Fabian said that, the members were not idiots.Firstly, from what they could see, Jasper was from the mainland, so they were not scared of him.Secondly, Fabian would take the lead and everyone else would follow. Fabian would be the one taking the risk if there were any, why should they be scared?Lastly, if they ran away now, they would definitely fallout with Jasper. This was a given.After all, even three years olds would not believe him when he said he would not get angry.Life at the Top Chapter 1380âGood. Jasper has properties in Harbor City in the form of Advent Entertainment Group. Letâs start with this one.ââFrom this day onward, I hope none of you work with the artists from Advent Entertainment Group. This includes endorsements, advertisements, venue rentals, cinema screenings, new song releases, and so on!ââI want the artists under Jasper to not star in any movies or drama-even if they do, I want there to be no channels that will dare to play them. I want them to not have any industries looking for them for endorsement and advertising. I also donât want any cinemas to premiere their movies!ââIn other words, I want to completely shut them out!âRight now, Fabian and Empire Meet had no idea what kind of storm this decision would cause.Empire Meet was quick to react. The afternoon after the party ended, in just a few hours, some descendants who worked with Advent Entertainment Group immediately executed Fabianâs plan.They ended all collaboration with Advent Entertainment Group.It was normal for one or two companies to suddenly stop their collaboration.However, when more than ten companies ended their partnerships at the same time, this sudden change was instantly reported to the president of the company, Ryder.âWhatâs going on?â Ryder lifted his head and looked at the manager of the marketing department as well as the manager of the operating department with displeasure. Right now, the two managers were both looking fidgety.âMore than ten companies asked to terminate their contracts all of a sudden. Did something happen to our artists, or did something happen to the company?ââHowever, these contracts involved five to six of our most popular artists right now. Among them are even the best actors and actresses. Itâs impossible for something bad to happen to them at the same time.âThe manager of the operating department sighed and continued, âAlso, Iâve asked the artists and they had no idea what happened. Theyâre just as confused as us.âKnock knock knock!The sound of knocking could be heard.âCome in,â Ryder said in a deep voice.The person who walked in was from the movie department and was in charge of cinema partnerships. He was drenched in sweat as he said, âMr. Lawrence, bad news! 70% of the cinemas in Harbor City want to take down the movies our company produced!âAt this moment, Ryder finally realized something was wrong. Someone was targeting Advent Entertainment Group from behind the scenes.âDamn it, who has the balls to do this? Our company includes 60% of the best artists in Harbor City. If they donât screen the movies we produce, are they going to play cartoons for the movie goers?â Ryder said angrily.The person from the cinema department said with a bitter smile, âThey took down our movies and played movies produced by other companies. Mr. Lawrence, you have to think of something soon. Our company will get into big trouble if this continues.ââWhy are you in such a hurry?â Ryder growled.âYou guys should go back and comfort everyone while trying to find out whoâs targeting us. Iâm going to report this to the headquarters.âThe manager of the marketing department said in embarrassment, âMr. Lawrence, weâre as confused as you are. The reasons these companies gave were the same. They said they have to terminate the advertisement and endorsement contracts due to a tactical readjustment within their companies. However, they were not willing to disclose more.ââStrangeâŚâRyder had many years of experience, and he immediately knew something was not right.âMr. Lawrence, normally when a company terminates their advertisement and endorsement contract mid way, itâs because of some huge scandal regarding the artists which might affect their brand image.â