Life at the Top

Chapter 1

17th May 2000

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jasper sold off his parents’ only property and broke into the futures market with an 800,000-dollar fund at a leverage of 20 times. Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“You’re not free?”

Penelope stared dumbfoundedly at Jasper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Have you gone crazy?”

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

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

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

“Stay with us?”

Jasper scoffed. “Such sweet words coming from you. Last year, my father came to the city to receive treatment for his illness and stayed with us for a total of three days. You made my mother wash your feet for you every day but only visited my father once during the week he was in the hospital. You

couldn’t even stay for three minutes. Tell me why. Was my father’s health not as important as your teatime appointments?”

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

“Enough, Jasper Laine!”

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

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

“Alright then!”

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

Jasper laughed after listening to her words.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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