```


    "Not bad!"


    S shifted the topic, "By the way, Director David, was your operationst night sessful?"


    "Everything wt smoothly," he replied. "Let''s head inside."


    The two walked in shoulder to shoulder. David, too, was filled with questions and couldn''t resist probing, "Looking at your resume, youe from a promint family. Why not go somewhere with more prospects for advancemt?"


    S paused before responding, "The National Tax Bureau is actually a very promising departmt, especially now with the support of the ck Tax Bill."


    David didn''t believe her.


    Sure, the National Tax Bureau had prospects, but that was rtive to the average person.


    For a powerful family like the Knedys, if S wished, she could easily get a gold-badge role at the city hall or state legiture.


    After gaining a few years of experice, she could make a push to run for mayor or legitor. Wouldn''t that be easy?


    Why start from the bottom as an inspector at the National Tax Bureau?


    "Alright th, work hard!" he said.


    David knew she wasn''t going to reveal her true inttions and tactfully didn''t press further.


    "Once Bucky and the others arrive, have theme to my office. And you shoulde too..."


    David thought it through. Since S was also a member of his team, excluding her from the meeting with Bucky''s group of sev would seem isting, so he decided to include her as well.


    "Understood, Chief Tax Officer!"


    ...


    Upon reaching his office and dealing with a few documts, there came a knock on the door.


    "Come in!"


    Nisbaki and the rest filed in.


    It was clear to see that everyone was still excited about the sessful mission the night before which hadted arge sum of taxes.


    David looked at the group and announced, "Everyone worked hardst night. I promised a minimum of $0,000 in tax revue for each group if we cracked this case. Although it''s notpletely settled yet, we''ve scored big, so each group gets $0,000 to start with!"


    David also knew that the best way to get these people to work loyally for him was to motivate them with money, so he didn''t skimp.


    After all, aside from the $.58 million in taxes seizedst night, there was also a batch of cocaine of equal value.


    Ev after distributing $400,000 to them, he would still more than $.76 million!


    Besides, this was just one deal in resolving the case.


    Dieter and Zimmerman, the big fish, had yet to be caught!


    Though Nisbaki and the others had anticipated some reward, hearing about the $0,000 tax revue dropping on them still st waves of excitemt through the group.


    Previously, they wouldn''t have made $0,000 in tax revue ev after two assessmt periods.


    But now, they had hit the jackpot overnight.


    Moreover, the critical point was that this new assessmt period had only started three days ago, and the had just begun to close a the Dieter case.


    If they fully resolved the case, wouldn''t they soar up the tax bureau rankings?


    Reaching the top 0 nationwide might be ambitious, but a the top 00 should certainly be doable, right?


    While everyone was reveling in excitemt, one person stood out as an exception: S.


    Though she had just joined the National Tax Bureau system, her understanding from the day before told her just how hard it was for an inspector to earn $0,000 in tax revue.


    She had learned that for an inspection team in the Lake District, making $0,000 in tax revue for an assessmt period was already quite an achievemt.


    And now, David''s team had raked in so much in just one night''s operation.


    Moreover, David had said that was only the share distributed to the teams—how much would he himself?


    S felt certain it was significantly more than $400,000!


    "Today, keep a close watch on Dieter and the Mexico Gang. See if they make any unusual moves!"


    David wasn''t too worried about the Mexico Gang.


    They were just drug traffickers. If they didn''t cooperate, he wouldn''t hesitate to wipe them out, and nobody would dare to speak for them.


    ```


    On the contrary, ordinary citizs might ev praise the tax bureau for eliminating a mace for them!


    What he was mainly worried about was Dieter.


    "The goods we''ve seized are worth 4 million US Dors, no matter what, Dieter wouldn''t fail to pay to get them back, right?"


    This was not only Nis''s view but also that of Bucky and the majority.


    If Dieter didn''t redeem the goods, it would amount to a sheer loss of 4 million US Dors.


    Whereas to get them back, he would only need to forfeit .584 million US Dors.


    Anybody would do the math!


    "Who knows, anyhow, brace yourselves everybody, get to work!"


    Back in the Inspector''s Office on the third floor.


    Selina approached Ariel and asked, "Ariel, what did you guys gain fromst night''s operation?"


    ".584 million US Dors, plus a batch of '' powder'' worth 4 million!"


    Hearing this, Selina was stunned.


    She had guessed that Director David''s team must have made quite a haulst night, but she hadn''t imagined it to be in the millions.


    Afterposing herself, she asked again, "Does the bureau oft collect such huge taxes?"


    "How could that be possible!"


    Ariel nced at her and said, "A tax revue of over a million in a single instance, to date, our bureau has collected it only twice, this being the second time."


    "And who collected it the first time?"


    "You don''t know?"


    Ariel looked at her in surprise.


    "How could I know wh I just arrived..."


    Ariel thought that made sse; such matters wouldn''t concern those outside the tax bureau system, so she exined, "Thest time it was also our Director David who collected it!"


    As she spoke, her tone carried a hint of pride.


    It was as if she was telling Selina that joining their team was the right choice!


    "Also Director David collected it..."


    Looking at Selina''s astonished face, Ariel took out her smartphone, oped the performance list from thest assessmt period, and exined, "Look, this is a performance chart from our tax bureau, in thest assessmt period, our Director David was honored with the 4nd rank nationwide, and there''s also..."


    Under Ariel''s detailed exnation, Selina finally realized the remarkable feats Director David had aplished before she arrived.


    He had not only led the Lake District to the title of Las Vegas Top-performing Tax Bureau Branch for two consecutive assessmt periods but had also brok into the national top 0 inspectors twice.


    No wonder, she thought, why the tax chiefs in the bureau were all middle-aged, except for the young Director David.


    That was the reason...


    "Alright, Nis, how did you manage to achieve 0,000 in tax performance in just one night!"


    "Nice work, Bucky, where did you earn such a hefty amount of tax performance from, without letting a word slip out!"


    While Selina was still immersed in thought, the workstation of Bucky and Nis not far away suddly became agitated.


    It turned out that the tax performance allocated to everyone had be sessfully booked, attracting the atttion of many inspectors in the bureau.


    As mtioned before.


    For most of the bureau''s small inspection teams, booking 0,000 US Dors in an assessmt period was already considered very good.


    And now the team of Bucky and Nis had booked 0,000 US Dors in tax performance overnight, which naturally made other inspectors vious.


    With some probing and nudging, they quickly came to understand the situation, each one dumbfounded.


    Last night, Director David had led Bucky and others on a mission and had astonishingly collected millions in taxes!


    That was why the other teams in the group were assigned tax performances of 0,000 each.


    This instantly aroused vy among the inspectors on the sce, and while they rested their own tax chief''s ineptitude, they gnashed their teeth in frustration for not being part of David''s team!