Marcus Coine’s words reflected his extreme arrogance.
Even Chad frowned after listening to what he had said.
“Mr. Wright, I’ve changed my mind.”
Jasper turned around and told Chad.
Just as Chad’s expression morphed into one of confusion, Jasper spoke in a calm and collected tone, “JW Electronics would like purchase the plot of land as soon as possible. If someone wants to snatch it from us then let’s have auction to decide who gets to keep it,” he said
Jasper suddenly understood something from Marcus Coine’s proud and arrogant attitude.
At this point in time, there were still plenty of people like him in the country.
Most of them relied on their parents’ connections to build up sizeable influence in their localities. However, they chose not to follow the same paths as their parents.
The only way for people like these to make it big was through running businesses. After all, most of them were already used to being a dominant force within the local district due to their parents’ influence.
Marcus Coine thought of Reed City as his territory. Hence, anyone who wanted to enter the city had to show their respect to him by providing him with some benefits.
Reed City had Marcus Coine, but it was very likely that there were people like Marcus in other districts as well.
Because of this, Jasper could not just keep giving in to them.
He needed to do something so that those who viewed JW as an easy target would learn to take a good look at themselves before acting out of order!
As soon as Jasper finished speaking, Marcus burst out into laughter. Chad was yet to even come up with a response.
“Hahaha, nobody has dared to go against me in Reed City for many years. It seems like someone who isn’t afraid of death is here today.”
Marcus cast a sideways glance at Jasper. His gaze was dripping with sarcasm and mockery. “I know you’re from the Southeast Province, Laine. How do I describe that place? Although there are a few presentable families over there, they are still nothing compared to the families here,” he drawled.
“If you think that you are capable of going against me just because you’re a somebody over there, you’ll die a painful death.
“Listen to my advice. You can either go back to where you came from, or pay some respect to me till I’m satisfied with your performance. All you need is a nod of my head, and you won’t face any trouble even if you tear down half of Reed City.”
Jasper looked at Marcus with an unchanging expression. “In that case, how much respect will you need to be satisfied, Mr. Coine?” He asked.
Marcus rubbed his thumb against his index and middle fingers nonchalantly. He chuckled and said, “I won’t ask for a lot. I’ll make it simple. You just need to prepare a sum equal to the amount that you spent on buying that plot of land.”
“Is 200 million dollars enough?” Jasper asked knowingly.
“We’re all grown men. You don’t have to say things so forwardly,” Marcus said.
“Your planning is simply immaculate, Mr. Coine. You simply wagged your fingers three times, and now you intend to take 200 million dollars from my pocket. You earn money at a rate that far surpasses me,” Jasper said.
Marcus guffawed loudly. “You have your ways, and I do too. Just consider it a toll fee, but it’s not like you’ll walk away with nothing either. As long as you pay me this sum of money, I’ll look after your factory in the future. No one from Reed City will dare cause you any trouble,” he said.
“So, you mean to say that if I don’t pay you this sum of money, this factory will have nothing to do with you, and people will come to wreak havoc on my property every day. Am I right?” Jasper asked.
Marcus cackled. “Not bad at all. It’s no wonder that you own so many assets at such a young age. You pick up things quickly. You seem like a smart person as well, so I suppose that you know what decision to make. It’s better to ward off a disaster by making a payment instead of begging for mercy in front of me after going through a ton of hardship, right?”
“That sounds very reasonable,” Jasper said.
Joy flashed across Marcus’s face. He was just about to say something when Jasper spoke again.
“Forget 200 million dollars, I won’t even give you two cents.”
Jasper’s expression remained impassive. It seemed like he did not notice the disgruntled look on Marcus’s face. “If you want money, earn it through your own efforts. Of course, it doesn’t matter to me if you prefer to do shady activities, as everyone still needs to earn a living. However, don’t try your filthy tricks on me. I will never compromise on any attempts at extortion. Understood?”
Marcus’s expression darkened. He stared at Jasper coldly and blurted out, “Were you mocking me just now?”
“I just wanted to gain a thorough understand of the type of person that you are,” Jasper said calmly.
“Haha!” Marcus let out a bark of angry laughter. He raised his finger and pointed at the tip of Jasper’s nose. “Well, since you’re so adamant on going against me, let’s just wait and see what’ll happen next,” he said.
“Let me give you a reminder, Laine. You’re just an outsider here. You want to go against me? Why don’t you take a good look at yourself first? Do you really think that you’re invincible just because you have some money?”
Jasper shrugged and said, “You’re right, there’s nothing impressive about having money. However, you’re angry at me because you’re ashamed that you can’t get your hands on my money. Isn’t that even more pathetic?”
Marcus gritted his teeth angrily. At that moment, he realized what a smooth talker the young man standing before him was.
Even so, Marcus suppressed his rage and said, “Little b*stard, a sharp tongue is nothing to be proud of. I’ve said what I wanted to say today. If you manage to purchase that 1500-acre plot of land, I’ll adopt your last name!
“Just wait and see!”
Marcus blurted out in anger. After that, he turned around and left.
After watching the Mercedes fade into the distance, Jasper turned around to face Cha, who was smiling at him bitterly. “Mr. Wright, I would like you to pay extra attention to the auction. Please resolve it as soon as possible,” he said.
“An auction is a very simple affair as I’ll simply report to my higher-ups. I don’t think there’ll be any problems on that regards. It can even be held tomorrow. However, Marcus Coine is a tough one to handle, Mr. Laine,” Chad explained immediately.
After making sure that there was no one around them, Chad lowered his voice as he spoke to Jasper. “Marcus Coine’s grandfather is a respected senior from the older generation that has lived through the war. He retired a few years ago.
“Although that old man is now in his twilight years, he has been managing Reed City for decades. He has the ultimate say when it comes to everything that happens in Reed City.”
Chad was an official from the city government, so it was risky for him to reveal so much insider information to Jasper since his job was at stake.
Jasper nodded solemnly. “Mr. Wright, thank you for your good-hearted warning. However, I don’t intend to concede to him. I don’t believe that people will stir up trouble for me just for running a legal business in Reed City. How could that be the case?” He questioned.
“That old man has lived through difficult times. He shouldn’t want to see his grandson behave in such a manner.”
Chad sighed in exasperation as it seemed impossible to convince Jasper otherwise. Thus, he did not say anything more.
He felt that Jasper was being way too naive.
Not everyone in the world was followed such ideal principles.
When people grow old, isn’t it their only wish for their children and grandchildren to live safely and prosperously?
“Alright, we’ll hold the auction tomorrow,” Chad said.
